Development for Conservation |

01 Dec Fall Appeal 2nd Drop (And a Few Thoughts on A/B Testing)

Posted at 05:34h in Communication, Development Audit, Donor Cultivation, Featured, Membership, Staff Development, Uncategorized 0 Comments

One client, who reacted skeptically to my suggestion that he consider trusting the science and mailing a four-page appeal letter, is organizing a classic A/B test. He will write a letter that fits on a single page. I will write a letter that carries on...

24 Nov Giving Thanks

Posted at 04:18h in Communication, Donor Cultivation, Featured, Membership, Staff Development, Uncategorized 1 Comment

If you’ve managed your work well this year, you should get to spend a great deal of time between Thanksgiving and the Superbowl party writing Thank You letters. As a refresher, here’s what I suggested way back in February: Remember that your thank you...

17 Nov Fundraising Planning for 2016 – Annual Giving (Membership)

Posted at 04:38h in Donor Cultivation, Featured, Foundations, Membership, Plans and Budgets, Uncategorized 0 Comments

How much money will you raise for operations in 2016? Can you predict with any kind of accuracy? You can if you’ve been paying attention and if you follow the Steps. Here’s how: Step 1: Segregate your board members for separate consideration...

10 Nov Fundraising Planning for 2016 – Use a Planning Calendar

Posted at 04:55h in Plans and Budgets 5 Comments

Regardless, as you consider the parts and pieces of your fundraising plan for 2016, it will help you to use a calendar approach. Calendar not only the due dates, but also the work. ...

03 Nov Fundraising Planning for 2016 – I Dream of Board Fundraising

Posted at 04:39h in Board Development, Donor Cultivation, Featured, Membership, Plans and Budgets, Uncategorized 0 Comments

Your major donor cultivation work is arguably the most important work of your year. Make sure you create space on the calendar to do it well. 1) Assign donor responsibility to board members. Let them choose their own donors within reason, but make sure...

27 Oct First Take – Fundraising Planning for 2016

Posted at 05:52h in Development Audit, Donor Cultivation, Featured, Foundations, Membership, Plans and Budgets, Staff Development, Uncategorized 0 Comments

By November, you should have most of your fall fundraising pretty well dialed – hopefully, anyway. So now it’s time to start looking ahead to 2016. BEFORE your program people come to you asking if you can raise X or increase giving by Y%, here...

20 Oct Fall Appeal First Drop – (And Some Thoughts About Acknowledging In-Kind Contributions)

Posted at 05:45h in Communication, Development Audit, Featured, Plans and Budgets, Staff Development, Uncategorized 0 Comments

OK, so as a practical matter, this is the last week you can drop the first letter of your Fall Appeal if you intend to drop three letters. (I actually prefer that the first letter get dropped in early October.) Mailing this early means that...

13 Oct Taking Stock – Q3

Posted at 04:19h in Board Development, Communication, Development Audit, Donor Cultivation, Featured, Foundations, Membership, Plans and Budgets, Staff Development, Uncategorized 1 Comment

The forecasting question is simply this: Given what I know right now about what foundations, corporations, and individuals have committed, and what I know right now about what requests are still out there, and what I know right now about the requests I will yet...

06 Oct Donor Appreciation Events

Posted at 04:24h in Board Development, Donor Cultivation, Featured, Membership, Plans and Budgets, Staff Development, Uncategorized 0 Comments

What are you doing to show appreciation for your donors? I have helped many organizations create donor clubs and appreciation events. Here are some lessons I’ve learned along the way...

29 Sep Lapsed Members and Five-Wednesday Months

Posted at 05:18h in Board Development, Communication, Development Audit, Donor Cultivation, Featured, Membership, Uncategorized 0 Comments

Are you keeping track of your lapsed members? This is one of those five-Wednesday months I referred to in April , which means it’s a good time to review where you are with your 2015 renewals. Looking back on all the individuals who gave you...

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