Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Fundraising is NOT about money. It is about meeting mission. And mission is about meeting needs – meeting the needs of your donor and meeting the needs of your organization. If you meet the needs of your donor, they will respond by meeting the needs of your organization which, in turn, meets the needs of your clients, thus fulfilling your mission. Today, I am going to talk about meeting the needs of one type of donor: foundations.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Fundraising is not all about asking for money. Fundraising is about forming those relationships that best promote fulfillment of your mission. It is about forming partnerships. Partnerships where all parties get something of value. And the first step in structuring such partnerships is by identifying what who your potential partners might be.

Tuesday, February 07, 2012

Has your organization broken out of the grant writing, event planning, and direct mail mold? Have you tried (with success or failure) to fundraise from individuals?

If so, I’d love to hear from you. I’m currently collecting stories from executive directors, fundraising professionals, and board members to include in my third book to be published by CharityChannel Press. The stories should focus on your experience (or lack thereof) getting started fundraising from individuals in a personal, face-to-face way.

Please help your fellow fundraisers learn from your real-world successes, as well your failures, challenges and frustrations. I want to hear about them all!

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

As I begin to implement my development plan, not only do I begin to work on the job tasks involved in each fundraising activity I will engage in, I also muse upon the kind of partnerships I want to develop. Who do I want a relationship with? If you think the answer is someone with money, you are wrong.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

My last blog reflected on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his “I Have a Dream” speech. I closed by asking about your dream and challenging you to act on it. But today I’m asking for your help in solving a mystery. Perhaps you’ve heard the following quote: “The rewards in business go to the man who does something with an idea.” Here’s the mystery: Who said it?

Monday, January 16, 2012

One of the reasons I love writing is that it brings me closer to you.  The primary goal of my writing is to help you raise more money.  In fact, I’m currently working on a second book for you.  This upcoming book (look for it later this spring) is designed specifically to help you raise more money and is a companion piece to 50 Asks in 50 Weeks: A Guide to Better Fundraising for Your Small Development Shop (my first book).

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Over the next several weeks, I’m going to walk you through creating a 60-day fundraising plan that will supercharge your fundraising. Let's take a look at what you should do in the first 15 days.

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Do you include face-to-face fundraising to ask individuals for donations as an integral part of your annual fund campaign?