2 min read
Failure As Opportunity: How to Value the “No” In Your Life
I used to hate the word “no.” Everywhere I turned people were telling me no, and at the time it felt like failure.
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3 min read
Why Do Fundraisers Avoid the Problem in Their Storytelling?
You have a flat tire, so you need to go get it fixed. You’re hungry so you stop and get some fast food, or you visit the grocery store. When you’re not feeling well – you go to the doctor. If your...
3 min read
Question of the Month: What does it really mean when a donor says “no” to your request for a gift?
Some people may think that a fundraiser’s job is to get donors to say “yes.” But that’s not accurate. As fundraisers, our job is not to pressure donors toward any specific action, but to align with...
3 min read
Why Being a Frontline Fundraiser is NOT Just a Career
To illustrate the deep impact that you have as a frontline fundraiser in matching your donor’s passions to the mission, I’d like to share a story.
2 min read
Don’t Be White Noise to Your Donor: 4 Ways to Stand Out
You know those sound machines that create white noise and block out all the other sounds around them? That’s what’s happening to your donors right now because everyone is following the same donor...
3 min read
In 2022, There’s No Excuse NOT to Have a Mid-Level Program
When did mid-level programs become an essential part of fundraising strategy? I remember it well. I was sitting in a conference room 10 years ago and a client of ours who we were working with on...
6 min read
Your Reputation Matters: Restoring Donors’ Trust in Your Organization (Part 4 of 4)
I was talking with a business colleague and asked him if he knew Ralph [not his real name]. “You know,” I said. “That guy who used to work at [name of organization].”
4 min read
What Being Thrown Under the Bus Taught Me About Trust in Donor Relationships (Part 3 of 4)
This is Part 3 of a series on building trust: “No Trust, No Relationship, No Money.” So far, on this journey of earning donor trust, we have talked about how trust starts with you, then moves to your...
5 min read
The Fish Stinks From the Head: Warning Signs of an Untrustworthy Non-Profit (Part 2 of 4)
This is Part 2 of a series on building trust: “No Trust, No Relationship, No Money.” “The fish stinks from the head.”
3 min read
Question of the Month: What role does your organization’s structure have in your donor pipeline?
Most non-profits don’t realize there’s a connection between their organization’s structure and their donor pipeline.
