Organizations with Boards who take personal and collective responsibility for fundraising are also stronger and more sustainable than those who don’t....
Why WOULD you want to ask someone to be on your board? Because they have: No fear in asking questions; Good listening skills; The ability to think strategically; The ability to think analytically; Good judgment; A sense of humor; and They are fully committed to...
This week, I’d like to offer an overall strategy for your membership, or annual giving campaign. Done well and consistently applied, this system has proven to build loyalty over time and raise steadily increasing funds for operations....
The 9th renewal letter still performs better than replacement efforts. I wouldn’t recommend that anyone use a nine-letter sequence as their core renewal strategy. Still, count me as a consultant who recommends that we not give up quite so easily on our individual donors. Don’t...
Q: How many times should you pester a donor?You should never (knowingly) “pester” a donor, period. The real question is this: “Where is the line between nuisance and helpful reminder?” I would answer the question this way: propose a target range for your renewal rate,...
What is the single most important thing you could change about your fall fundraising letter that would make the most difference in your returns? The single most important thing you can do to improve your returns this year is to ask for a specific amount...
Similar to a financial audit, or an academic peer review, the Development Audit is an independent review of everything an organization is doing to raise money....
Next week is Rally: The National Land Conservation Conference in Providence, Rhode Island. Anita O’Gara and I will team up to present The Surprising Secrets of Direct Mail Success on Friday. Peter McKeever and I will present A Board for All Seasons, which we like...
If you switch off your printed newsletters in favor of electronic substitutes, you will lose members and donors....
Last week I wrote the first half dozen rules for writing better fundraising letters this fall. I based it in part on an excellent book that Jeff Brooks wrote several years ago that I wish I had written: A Fundraiser’s Guide to Irresistible Communications. This...