2 min read
If you ask most CEOs or Executive Directors whether their organization is relationship-centered, they’ll usually say “yes.” But when you look closer, the reality often tells a different story. For many, being “relationship-based” simply means getting thank-you receipts out on time or adding a...
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2 min read
Over the past several weeks I’ve been reviewing our client’s quarterly results. They are stunning, both for major gifts and mid-level. Today, however, I want to focus on mid-level because not only...
2 min read
In my years of working with hundreds of non-profit organizations, I've noticed a pattern that continues to surprise me. When I ask development leaders about their donor stewardship strategies, they...
2 min read
Let me be straight with you – I'm worried. I'm worried because I see too many good fundraisers getting distracted by the wrong things. And right at the top of that list is this obsession with donor...
2 min read
One of my colleagues in the industry, Jason Lewis, has a phrase for the way that many non-profits approach fundraising: hands-off fundraising. It’s the idea that organizations treat fundraising like...
3 min read
At the end of 2024, I recorded a podcast with my colleagues about the state of relational fundraising and the new strategies and tools we believe will be useful in the non-profit sector. One of the...
3 min read
How did DEI go from a clarion call for change to an acronym no one can even utter for fear of retribution in such a short time? The answer: White men felt they were losing their power — and became...
3 min read
The health of public media is facing another crisis. Over the last couple months, the new administration has challenged the integrity of—and threatened to defund—a valuable national infrastructure,...
3 min read
“I am truly awesome!” That’s what I thought on the way back home from a donor meeting after landing the biggest individual contribution in my non-profit's history. I was ecstatic and couldn’t wait to...
4 min read
Asking someone for a gift. It’s the most intimidating part of fundraising. But most asking strategies are focused on simply getting the money; some of them even border on manipulation. That’s not an...
