Years ago, I was in a meeting with our development committee and heard a member ask, "What does our major gift strategy look like?" As a young development director, I thought, "Major gift strategies are for big nonprofits, universities, and hospital systems"....

How many times per year do have meaningful conversations with major donors without an ask? The most common answer I hear is, "Not as many as we'd like." It's understandable. There are many reasons why it's hard to make this a reality. So why should you stop...

It may seem like April is a strange time to talk about development plans. However, there's never a bad time to work on your fundraising strategies. Whether you need to review your existing plan or need to finally make one, the sooner the better. First, let's...

Spring is finally here and with it comes one of my favorite activities, spring cleaning. Time to roll up your sleeves and re-establish order in your world. However, spring cleaning isn't limited to our closets and garages. It's a great time to organize some of our...

In the sixties, people theorized because of technological advancements and innovation the work week would shrink to 25 hours by the nineties. We could get everything done in a fraction of the time. Some worried there would be a leisure crisis in America. There were...

A recent study found 26% of executive directors and development directors see data management as a current critical issue for their organization. This is up 9% from the year before. I think the real number is a little higher. Regardless of the reason why it's at...

You've likely put a donor list together or seen an organization publish their donors. Some of the most popular places to see a donor list is in an annual report, newsletter, website, and donor appreciation event. There is a long-standing conversation about the...

You may run out and buy a new gadget because you know it can be useful in a variety of ways. As soon as you open the box, you're overwhelmed by the setup, information, choices, useability. Before too long, it's gone. You don't have time all that. Instead, it just...

The Fundraising Effectiveness Project came out with a new report containing some important data. Whether you're a community leader or nonprofit professional, this is information those involved with nonprofit organizations should be paying attention to. First, let's...

Hello friend, A Forbes article from a couple of years ago said 45% of nonprofit employees will seek new jobs within five years. Ten years ago, the Underdeveloped Report by CompassPoint found 50% of development directors planned to leave their current position...

How do you plan, monitor, and track interactions with major donors? For many, putting a good structure and process in place to manage these important relationships is a challenge. I found the process outlined below, which combines some traditional and modern...

Hello Friend, Personalized holiday cards, trinkets, a call from a board member, state of the organization letter, "thank you to our donors" mailing and social media posts. This time of year, you may be trying to figure out how to engage some of your most faithful...

Hello Friend, Early in my career, I noticed something the best fundraisers had in common. They all had extensive knowledge about their organization's mission, strategic plan, strategies, financials, and programs. They were almost an extension of the CEO/Executive...