A 7-point guide to kick-starting your mid-level program!
If like me you’ve been a fundraiser for a while, you’ve heard mid-level donor and mid-level giving program come up a few times in the last few years. But there is so much information out there, how do you make sense of it all? Fear not! My hard-won, 7-step guide to kick-starting your mid-level program […]
Storytelling in Fundraising: A Guide for Skeptics
It may surprise you, but there are professionals in the charitable sector who think using a storytelling approach in fundraising is a bunch of gobbledygook. Are you clutching your pearls? That was my reaction, too. A few years back someone from an unnamed charity told me that they don’t use stories because they didn’t want […]
A Quick Refresher on Loving Your Donors
You are likely far from embracing the fall and you’re hopefully still in denial that winter soon follows. But as a fundraiser, I know that you’re already well down the path of planning your fall and dare I say it, holiday giving campaigns. We work on the same schedule as Costco, always a couple of […]
Find the time to say thank you: 5 tips to completing new donor thank you calls
It’s no secret that new donors are worth their weight in gold – sometimes literally (Yes, acquisition campaigns are expensive!). Acquiring a new donor and getting them to that all-important second gift is pivotal to the success of any annual giving program, but how do you continue to engage this new donor– especially when their […]
All about YOU! (The Fundraising Edition)
It’s a universal rule in fundraising. One of the first things you might learn when you take a fundraising course or start your first job in the donor development realm. It’s the subject of many blog posts and conference sessions: When you’re writing for a donor audience, your copy needs to include the word YOU. […]
Your Story Is Worth Its Weight In Gold!
Fundraisers always ponder questions about offers. How much should I ask for? What would a donor pay for this? Or for that? There are well-paid consultants who make a living by helping charities put a valuation on sponsorship opportunities and naming rights. But, have you ever thought about how the right story could a real […]
Trust Your Gut: Five Times The Fundraiser Is Always Right
If you’re a fundraiser, you’ve likely encountered someone within your organization (or at a dinner party!) who thinks of fundraising not as a profession, but rather, a fun job that any friendly person can do. I mean, what’s so hard about asking people for money…right? What these well-meaning people don’t know is that good fundraisers […]
How to transform your fundraising copy in four easy steps
You have a copywriting deadline to meet, but how are you supposed to deliver high impact copy, without spending every waking hour of the day perfecting it? Here are a few easy steps that will improve your fundraising copy at the snap of your fingers. These four changes should take your copy from “wow…” to […]
Get Real: 3 Practical Stewardship Tips For Small Charities
Did you know that of the 86 thousand registered charities in Canada, the overwhelming majority are small charities? Most of them operate with a budget of less than $500k, with a staff of less than 5 people. So, let’s get real. As a fundraiser for a small charity, chances are that you have very little […]