DBD Team

When people think of fundraising, they usually are thinking about The Ask – and that can be very intimidating. Today, we’re digging into the archives for some of our best advice on How to Ask.

January is nearly to a close, but we wanted to take a moment to recognize clients who’ve reached important milestones in their campaigns. Whether they are at the beginning of their campaign or celebrating the final ribbon cutting, each of these organizations has shown vision and perseverance as they work to bring their mission to life.

We’re taking a break in our Resolution Series to consider the implications of the recent U.S. tax law changes on non-profit fundraising. Both clients and donors alike have been asking us what the changes mean for them.

As we reach the end of the year, we wanted to recognize several clients who are working with their communities to “think outside the box.” Whether it’s creating new partnerships, or taking programs out into the community, there are always new opportunities to make a difference.

We don’t say it enough: we’re so proud of our clients. They do great work and, once they get the chance to share their stories with their communities, the communities respond in a big way.

In our work with non-profits, faith-based and youth-serving organizations and other charities, we often have conversations about urgency, be it in a case for support or a project timeline. For a lot of nonprofit volunteers, the difference between “urgency” and “emergency” is a bit unclear. When it comes to fundraising, this is a very important distinction.

We don’t say it enough: we’re so proud of our clients. They do amazing work day in and day out. When extraordinary times come – whether that’s an ambitious campaign or an act of nature – they meet the challenge.

Recently, Michele Goodrich and Peggy Vinson from our team interviewed Jen Kruel from the YMCA of Dodge County as part of the NAYDO 365 podcast series. With their permission, we’re posting it here as well because the conversation tells the story of a small organization climbing out of a paralyzing debt situation. How they did it, and how their community rallied around this Y, has lessons for any organization considering taking on debt… or working to get out of it.

While Jen’s remarks come from her recent experiences in a YMCA, any non-profit can be served by reframing how they think – and talk – about debt with donors, with the community and even to themselves. 

This month, the Donor By Design Group is challenging you to take action, moving from resolutions to results. Today’s topic? Teaching youth to embody the spirit of giving.

It’s time for the last post of 2016. It’s very appropriate that this post is all about saying thank you…