Nonprofit Fundraising Resources

Fundraising in World of Abundance

Admin — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 00:43:48 +0000

When it comes to fundraising, there are two basic types of people in the world: There are those who see the world as a place of great scarcity, where a limited amount of money and resources are fought over, where one person competes against another for a dollar from a donor or an hour from [...]

Sharing Stories

Admin — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 00:09:23 +0000

Using stories is essential for all development work. Donors connect with stories often more than they connect with anything else. If you have a donor that is not involved as a volunteer, their most powerful connection to your organization will be the stories that you share. Use stories differently with annual fund donors than with [...]

Regular Tours

Admin — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 23:08:10 +0000

The very best way to help people understand and find meaning in the work of your organization is to provide them with first-hand experiences; many of our greatest donors come as a result of volunteering with the organization. Another great way to give people this first-hand experience is to provide them a guided tour of [...]

Nonprofit Blog Carnival: Handling Objections

Admin — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 21:14:46 +0000

I am hosting this month’s Nonprofit Blog Carnival featuring common objections. Each of the authors below has provided some great content for us. The question I asked was, “What are common objections you hear at your organization and how do you respond to them?” “Most of our employees just don’t make enough to give to charity.” [...]

Sending on Behalf

Admin — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 20:47:09 +0000

The most effective kind of referrals are those where a board member or friend of the organization directly introduces you to someone else. You will be the very most successful meeting new people if your board members take the time to prepare the individual you’d like to meet. However, that is not always the way [...]

Solicitation Pre-Knowledge?

Admin — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 19:56:09 +0000

When you schedule an ask are you always clear that you will be asking for money? When I’m preparing and scheduling solicitations I find that it is a bit of an art in having the conversation about why I am looking to schedule time to talk with a donor. When it is someone that I [...]

Read More at: Solicitation Pre-Knowledge?

Using Video During A Solicitation

Admin — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 19:07:31 +0000

Video is an incredible tool and can be used to tell a compelling story in a very short time. In today’s world of technology and new media we too often look at video as the answer to all of our problems. If you need to fundraise with a compelling message, create a video. If you [...]

Scheduling Your Solicitations

Admin — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 17:36:48 +0000

Everyone has a different style of making a solicitation. Some people like to script out every word that could possibly be spoken and others like it to feel natural and it can feel like they are unprepared. Regardless of how comprehensive your preparation, taking time to schedule your solicitations can be very helpful. Most often [...]

Read More at: Scheduling Your Solicitations

The Whole Life Offering

Admin — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 17:18:17 +0000

We are all on a quest for significance whether it is through our work, giving, or service. When I first met Eric Foley I was impressed by his vision for and understanding of philanthropy. He spoke of the development process as transformational not transactional. His newist book, The Whole Life Offering: Christianity as Philanthropy, is [...]

What are Your Ice Breakers?

Admin — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 16:42:54 +0000

Everyone has special tricks to get the conversation started. Some people love the excitement of meeting new people and others dread it. What kinds of ice breakers do you use to start and sustain a conversation? Here are a few that I’ve tried; I’d love to add more to the list. What first connected you [...]

Read More at: What are Your Ice Breakers?