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TACKLING FUNDRAISING EXPECTATIONS WITH YOUR BOARD

Posted by Alison Hansen

Let’s face it: asking board members to help with fundraising can feel as awkward as teaching your parents how to use TikTok. But it doesn’t have to be! With the right mix of clarity, support, and a dash of good humor, you can turn even the most hesitant board member into a fundraising champion.

A board’s role in fundraising is critical because it sets the tone, drives the strategy, and shows everyone else how it’s done. Board members bring credibility, connections, and leadership that no staff member or volunteer can fully replicate.

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Topics: Capital Campaign, Board Development, Donation, Fundraising, Culture Of Philanthrophy, Board Management, Inspiration, Board Leadership, Donor Prospect, Capital Fundraising, Fund Development, Communication, Cultivation, Appreciation, Development, Donor, Attitude, Potential, Resource Development, Donor Identification, Leadership & Boards

CHALLENGING AND ACHIEVABLE GOALS LOOK FORWARD - NOT BACK

Posted by Gary Laermer

When setting fundraising goals—whether for annual contributed revenue or a multi-year campaign—many organizations default to looking at past performance. But here’s the thing: basing your goals only on what’s been done before can be limiting.

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Topics: Capital Campaign, Donor Stewardship, Donation, Fundraising, Goal Setting, Campaign Leadership, Goals, Financial Development, Fundraising Management, Capital Fundraising, Fund Development, Communication, Development, Campaign Planning, Making The Case, Making The Ask, Donor, Online Giving, Donor Advised Funds, CelebratingOurClients

SEVEN STEPS TO SECURE GIFTS FROM DONOR-ADVISED FUNDS

If you’ve been putting off implementing a strategy to secure gifts from donor-advised funds, let this be the year that changes that. Why? The numbers are too big to ignore.

  • Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) contributions represent 8% of all donations in the USA.
  • Total Assets in DAFs in 2023 was $251.52B
  • Total Value of Grants made by DAF fundholders in 2023 was $54.77B
  • Total Value of Contributions made to DAFs in 2023 was $59.43B
  • Average DAF Account size in 2023 was $141,120
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Topics: Capital Campaign, Donor Stewardship, Donation, Fundraising, Major Gifts, Financial Development, Annual, Annual Fundraising, Fundraising Management, Capital Fundraising, Fund Development, Communication, Cultivation, Development, Campaign Planning, Making The Case, Making The Ask, Donor, Online Giving, Donor Advised Funds

NEW YEAR NEW OPPORTUNITIES

Posted by Bruce Berglund

As we turn the page on the calendar and step into a new year, nonprofit leaders everywhere are greeted with a world of opportunity. The new year is more than just a fresh start; it’s a chance to reflect, reimagine, and reignite our passion for the causes we serve.

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Topics: Leadership, Donor Stewardship, Stewardship, Fundraising, Gratitude, Annual Campaign, Goals, Donor Love, Vision, Donor Relations, Fund Development, Fundraising Campaign, Execution, Communication, Cultivation, Development, Campaign Planning, Donor

APPRECIATION AND IMPACT

Posted by Jon Simons

December is a busy time in the life of a nonprofit fund raiser. It starts with Giving Tuesday and continues with year-end appeals and gentle reminders for open 2024 pledges. Nonprofit leaders with fundraising responsibilities have a number in their heads: what do I need to raise to meet my year-end goal?

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Topics: Donor Stewardship, Donor Cultivation, Stewardship, Gratitude, Donor Love, Donor Recognition, End Of Year, Year-End Giving, Donor Relations, Handwritten Notes, Fund Development, Year-End, Execution, Communication, Appreciation, Campaign Planning, Gift Of Giving, Donor, Client Stories

INSPIRING WAYS TO CONNECT WITH DONORS AT YEAR END

Posted by Lindsay Casavant
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Topics: Donor Stewardship, Donor Cultivation, Stewardship, Fundraising, Asking, Gratitude, Donor Love, Donor Recognition, End Of Year, Year-End Giving, Donor Relations, Handwritten Notes, Fund Development, Year-End, Execution, Communication, Appreciation, Campaign Planning, Gift Of Giving, Donor, Client Stories

USING DATA TO STRENGTHEN YOUR YEAR-END FUNDRAISING

Posted by Kali Righter

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.

  1. Step one is identifying the right story and writing impactful copy.
  2. Step two is determining who you will be soliciting and how they will be asked.

Here are strategies to maximize the use of your donor database and wealth screening tools for this process.

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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

PLANNING FOR YEAR-END

Posted by Bruce Berglund

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:

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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

DO LESS TO DO BETTER

Posted by Johnathan Teal

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:

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Topics: Communications, Fundraising, Change, Goals, Culture, Strategy, Inspiration, Fund Development, Communication, Relationships, Appreciation, Attitude, Happiness, Ideas, Curiosity, Presence

HOW TO FUNDRAISE WITHOUT ASKING

Posted by Johnathan Teal

In a blog post from last year, I encouraged fundraisers to break the “rule” that all board members be required to fundraise (you can find that post here). The basic premise being that we should strategically recruit certain board members to actively ask donors for contributions and lean into the fact that other volunteers are on our boards for other skill sets. One of the many follow up questions I received was naturally, “So how do I keep board members engaged in philanthropy if they don’t ask others for money?”

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Topics: Fundraising, Culture Of Philanthrophy, Financial Development, Board Leadership, Fund Development, Development, Leadership & Boards

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