2 min read
A while back, I was scrolling through Apple News on my phone, and a headline from People Magazine caught my eye: “Carl Reiner's One Simple Question to 'Dick Van Dyke Show' Writers Changed the Way...
2 min read
Do you find that first conversation with a donor you haven’t met to be a bit, well, scary? I don’t mean shaking in your boots terrified. But enough that you have to inhale-exhale before you start...
2 min read
How many times has someone asked “How are you?” in greeting? How often was there any real interest in your answer? Now, I realize that there may be some caveats to that, especially for southerners...
2 min read
Gifts of stock are not as complicated as you might think. Yes, there are some technical aspects. But just like every other kind of gift, it starts with knowing your donor: what they care about, what...
3 min read
There are some significant shifts coming to charitable giving rules, but many donors haven’t heard a thing about them. Beginning with the 2026 tax year, new deduction limits and opportunities will...
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...
1 min read
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...
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2 min read
There were two events last month I want to tell you about.
4 min read
One of the privileges I have in my work is that I get to review every donor assessment that we do. Over the last 15 years, I’ve reviewed well over a 1,000 of them. I love reviewing them because it...
4 min read
It’s here! That donor meeting you’ve been prepping for where you will be asking your donor to increase their giving significantly. This is exhilarating and a bit terrifying all at the same time!
2 min read
OK, not as catchy as Katy Perry’s 2008 debut single, but hopefully it got your attention!
