Written By: Kali Righter and Sarah Breece
With nearly 31% of annual donations coming in December, crafting a strong appeal is essential for your nonprofit organization.
Here are strategies to maximize the use of your donor database and wealth screening tools for this process.
Topics: Donor Cultivation, Fundraising, Asking, End Of Year, Year-End Giving, Fund Development, Fundraising Campaign, Year-End, Execution, Communication, Data Management, Campaign Planning, Making The Ask, Donor
The time between Thanksgiving and year-end offers a prime window for fundraising, as people often feel a heightened sense of generosity and motivation to support causes they care about. This season can be a tremendous opportunity to engage donors, share your mission’s impact, and inspire end-of-year contributions. Here are some practical fundraising strategies and tactics to maximize your campaign success during this season:
Topics: Donor Cultivation, Fundraising, Asking, Donor Communications, Change, Strategy, Best of DBD, Year-End Giving, Fund Development, Fundraising Campaign, Year-End, Communication, Planned Giving, Development, Campaign Planning, Making The Ask, Gift Of Giving, Donor, Ideas, strategic planning
Nonprofit boards often find themselves stuck in a rut, performing the same old tasks with the same agenda month after month, with little impact. This "old work," as described by board expert Richard Chait in his 1996 article "The New Board Work of the Nonprofit Board," remains highly relevant today. I had the opportunity to rediscover this valuable resource in my files, and it reaffirmed that boards have the potential to move their work toward a more impactful and relevant approach.
Topics: Communications, Board Development, Goal Setting, Change, Goals, Culture, Strategy, Board Management, Board Leadership, Execution, Communication, Relationships, Development, Collaboration, Attitude, Ideas, strategic planning, board governance, Curiosity
What are things you might stop doing that could improve the quality of your day-to-day life? Harvard professor and researcher Arthur Brooks calls this a “to don’t” list: things that you find yourself doing out of habit or obligation even though they lower happiness and productivity.
As you consider your own list, I encourage you to try the following:
Topics: Communications, Fundraising, Change, Goals, Culture, Strategy, Inspiration, Fund Development, Communication, Relationships, Appreciation, Attitude, Happiness, Ideas, Curiosity, Presence
As soon as I sat down at the table for the executive staff team meeting, I could tell there was tension in the air.
Topics: Volunteer Leadership, Board Development, Fundraising, Big L Leaders, Culture, Volunteers, Inspiration, Board Leadership, Big L Leadership, Leadership Cabinet, Leadership Recruitment, Leadership & Boards
Bob Goff, author of the wonderful book “Love Does,” loves to remind us that “you can quit anything on a Thursday.” Bob is a lawyer, leads a non-profit, is a best-selling author and highly sought-after speaker, and even serves as the Honorary Consul to the Republic of Uganda. It’s fair to say, Bob Goff is a busy guy!
Each week on what he calls “Quit Thursday,” Bob challenges us to take inventory of what we are giving our finite time, energy, and resources to. What commitments fill our buckets, align with our values, and bring us purpose and joy?
Topics: Fundraising, Gratitude, Culture, Inspiration, Career Growth, Appreciation, Development, Attitude, Clarity, CEO Coaching, Bob Goff
The Great Wealth Transfer is underway. Up to $90 trillion is expected to be passed on from wealthy, older generations over the next twenty years. $60 billion of that is predicted to be gifted in 2024.
If you’ve been neglecting your planned giving efforts - or putting them off entirely – it’s time to stop.
Besides the potential for transformational gifts, your organization should absolutely invest time in seeking planned gifts now for several compelling reasons:
Topics: Fundraising, Endowment, Donor Communications, Endowment Development, Financial Development, Fundraising Management, Planned Giving, Development
In the aftermath of a natural disaster, timely, clear, and compassionate communication is essential for nonprofit organizations seeking to raise support for recovery efforts. Whether you are in this situation now or in the future, here are things to consider to help you stay connected to your donors – both immediately after you have assessed the damages, and in the months following as you continue to rebuild.
Once you have assessed the damages and identified urgent community needs, it's time to initiate your communications. But don’t wait too long. You don’t have to have all the answers before you start to reach out. Prioritize transparency and urgency in your outreach, while also offering hope and tangible ways for donors to make an impact. Early communications should focus on immediate needs and establish a foundation for ongoing updates as recovery efforts continue.
Topics: Fundraising, Donor Communications, Financial Development, Annual Fundraising, Fundraising Management, Planning, Development
Over the last four years American nonprofits have benefited from unprecedented amounts of federal funding.
The impact of the Covid pandemic on our lives, our society, and our charities and nonprofits, was unimaginable. Nonprofits had to find ways to address community needs in new and different ways.
Topics: finance, financial management, federal funding, government funding
Whether you’re looking to finish strong on an already successful year, or you’re looking to close a gap to goal, this story of a high school wrestling tournament offers four ways to help any team reach their goal in the face of adversity.
First, let me set the stage…
Topics: Success Stories, Fundraising, Major Gifts, Annual Campaign, Donor Communications, Campaign Leadership, Financial Development, Purpose, Annual Fundraising, Fundraising Management, End Of Year, Planning, Fundraising Campaign, Development, Preparation