3 min read
It’s Not Enough to Say Thanks
You know that when a donor gives a gift, your first job is to say thank you, as quickly as possible. Amazingly, colleagues in our industry (including Richard and myself) have written, conferenced,...
Passionate Giving BlogTM
2 min read
Express Gratitude to Donors Daily
One thing that’s difficult for me to do is to focus on the positive things people do. Jeff and my wife both tell me regularly that I am too problem-oriented. There is good and bad news to this...
3 min read
Keep Your Eyes on Dec. 31: How to Focus and Get It All Done at Year-End
There are 22 workdays until Dec. 20. You’ll likely also work a few of the days between then and Dec. 31, so let’s call it a holiday-specific 25 workdays til year-end.
3 min read
You Can Have More Major Donors in 2025
We are absolutely living in strange times. Many have coined it the second “Gilded Age.” We see power in the hands of extremely wealthy billionaires and the gulf between the wealthiest and the poorest...
2 min read
QOTM: How do facilitation skills make you a better fundraiser?
Veritus Group: November 13, 2024
Do you remember the last time you left a meeting feeling like your time was respected and real progress was made? I’d bet there was someone leading that meeting who was well prepared and helped to...
3 min read
Increase Giving by Asking for Restricted Gifts
You are coming up on the biggest giving months of the year: November and December. And in other countries, where the giving cycles are different, you can apply the same principles I am writing about...
1 min read
Are You Reluctant to Ask for a Year-End Gift?
You have roughly 5-6 weeks left in the year to have face-to-face conversations with your donors and to ask for gifts. I say that because all of your donor meetings really should be wrapped up by...
4 min read
It’s Not Too Late: Step-by-Step Strategies to End Your Year Strong
This is it, folks! For many of you, this is the most significant time of year for donor giving. That’s why it’s so critical to be working in a mindful, planful, and strategic way.
2 min read
Do You Have a Vision?
For years, Richard and I have been saying that a non-profit should consider half of their mission to be about donors. In other words, your mission should be just as much about your donors as the work...
3 min read
Why Do You Need a Coach?
If you are a frontline fundraiser, you need a coach. It’s doesn’t matter if you are brand new to the profession or you have over 20 years of experience. I have seen first-hand, over and over again,...
2 min read
You’re Using Campaigns as a Crutch!
If your non-profit has done more than two capital campaigns in its history, it’s most likely because you don’t have a strong major gift program and/or you’re using it as a crutch not to develop...
4 min read
Get Your Donor Calling Muscles with this Checklist
This is the perfect time to sharpen your donor connection skills. And one area I want to focus on today is what we typically call “cold calling,” although I’d like to advocate that we rename this...
