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THINK LIKE A DONOR

One of my favorite DBD axioms is “Listen the gift.” We use this as we coach our clients through a major or transformational gift ask. Listening to our prospect is an important piece of the puzzle in creating a meaningful outcome for the donor and the organization.

After the disruption of the past four years, it seems a great time to pause and think differently – not just about the organization, changing demographics, AI, or the shifts in technology that are all affecting our fundraising, but about our donors. They are the heart of it all. 

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Topics: Donor Stewardship, Stewardship, Fundraising, Financial Development, Annual Fundraising, Donor Engagement, Donor Relations, Fund Development, Development

THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE DAF

Posted by Mary Ramirez

Many nonprofits wonder how to identify people who have DAFs and how to get their cause in front of them. It can be a little complicated but with some investigation into how the DAF is administered, you can find the person behind the DAF and start to share your mission and impact with them. Let’s explore...

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Topics: Fundraising, Financial Development, Annual Fundraising, Donor Engagement, Foundation, Donor Relations, Fund Development, Development, Donor Advised Funds

SILENCE CAN LEAD TO GOLD

Posted by Thom Peters

I knew a nonprofit director who moved from the big city to work with an organization in a small, coastal community. She left behind traffic, sirens, and hordes of people, to what most of us would call serenity. Six months into her tenure I asked how she was enjoying the small-town life. Her reply surprised me as she said the quiet was very difficult for her, even making it hard to sleep at night. Within a year, she was back to the big city.

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Topics: Fundraising, Donor Engagement

Leveraging Fundraising Basics: Lessons from Giving USA 2022

When the Giving USA 2022 report was released earlier this year, this key finding left many nonprofit professionals concerned: Total dollars given was down 10.5%* to $499.33 billion.

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Topics: Donor Cultivation, Fundraising, Annual Campaign, Donor Communications, Financial Development, Donor Management, Donor Engagement, Giving Usa

CONNECTING IN UNCERTAIN TIMES

Posted by Jan Brogdon

When you consider all the things you have no control over right now, it can be overwhelming. However, there is one thing you can control. People need authentic, caring connections with others now, maybe more than ever. And you, as a non-profit leader, can role model how to display that warmth and concern over the next couple of weeks.

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Topics: Donor Engagement, Donor Relations, Relationship Building

SEEING IS BELIEVING

Posted by Kim Hinrichs

This year as a Christmas present, my incredible in-laws made a donation to provide tuition to students in Tanzania. The generous gift will pay for 20 children to attend school for the next year. I can only imagine the happiness felt by the children who received this gift.  

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Topics: Donor Engagement

THE QUESTIONS AFTER THE ANSWER

Posted by Jason Fry

When you get a chance to speak with a donor, one of the most important things you can do is to listen. Because when you do, you’ll realize that the answer to one question can take your conversation in a whole new direction.

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Topics: Donor Engagement

INFORMATION VS AFFIRMATION

Posted by Jon Simons

Recently, I met with a client to prepare for a feasibility study. We were reviewing a list of potential key community leaders to interview as part of the study. As we assessed each of the potential study participants (rating them based on their potential interest, access, influence and affluence), it became clear that each person identified was a big fan of the organization and most had also been recent donors. Great, right?

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Topics: Feasibility Study, Donor Cultivation, Donor Engagement

TELL ME EVERYTHING

Posted by Peggy Vinson

Often non-profit leaders get caught up in anxiously telling donors “everything.” They blurt out stats about programs and stories. They hasten to show impact and community need. As non-profit staff and volunteers, they have great pride in the mission so it’s easy for them to go on and on about what’s happening with the organization.

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Topics: Donor Cultivation, Donor Engagement

END OF YEAR FUNDRAISING STRATEGIES

Posted by DBD Team

Thanks to our partners at Gabriel Group, we have some advice to help you make the most of the last month of 2018.

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Topics: Donor Engagement, Tax Law

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