December 18, 2017
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about an experience I had at the Nonprofit Storytelling Conference in San Diego back in November. I met some really wonderful people (shout out to A.J Steinberg from Queen Bee fundraising – great lady!). But there’s one person, one story, that has really stayed with me. If you […]
December 4, 2017
It’s hard to believe that the Nonprofit Storytelling Conference was just two weeks ago, because it kind of feels like two months. (I say that tongue in cheek, because the fall is such a busy time in this sector.) The truth is, the conference experience still lives on in my head and my heart. I’ll […]
August 8, 2017
Donors are no longer interested in hearing corporate-speak: that is, your self-promotional, infomercial-sounding, advertising age slogans and jingles. It’s a sea change going on in the philanthropic marketplace. In fact, it’s already happened. Rather, donors want to hear authentic truth from you – and then judge for themselves whether that truth is sufficiently relevant and compelling for them to take action. […]
July 4, 2017
STEWARD: One whose job is to manage the property or finances of another. I want to bring you into a classic conversation I’ve had over and over with my fellow fundraisers over the years. Someone has invited me into her office to talk with her about her organization’s bequest income potential. I’ll do some pretty […]
June 5, 2017
The to-do list of a fundraiser never ends – and our budgets don’t always quite line up with all the tasks we need to complete. Thankfully, we live in the digital age, where awesome free tools abound! Whether you’re trying to find time for design, data crunching, or social posting, these 5 totally free tools […]
May 8, 2017
One of the first things I talk about with clients is the stories they have to tell. I ask them to think about who their best storytellers are, and the variety of stories that speak to the impact of their work. With that in mind, I also suggest that they give some thought to which […]
May 1, 2017
After decades of being embarrassed to tell people what we do, likened to used car salesmen, and facing myths that ‘surely you aren’t paid to do that,’ fundraising is finally being recognized as a vocation. Thank goodness for that. I think back to the early 1990s. I was a recent graduate, proud of my Master’s […]
February 6, 2017
I was on a flight home to Ottawa last week. I’d had a long day of meetings, so decided to delve into the travel magazines that I’d brought along. Have I mentioned how much I love to travel? My secret indulgence is subscriptions to all of the best travel magazines. I sat back, ordered a […]
January 9, 2017
Writing is vital to fundraising. Direct mail, thank you letters, emails, social posting, brochures, event invites – you name it, it needs copy. But many of us fall into writing ruts. How many times have you followed a template or re-used wording, not because it’s effective, but because it’s quick, comfortable, and gets that task […]
November 2, 2016
Many, if not most, of us who are watching the American presidential campaign are bewildered. We’re totally perplexed and confused at how an ignorant, racist, misogynist egomaniac like Donald Trump can possibly be competitive as a serious candidate for the Presidency of the United States of America. As I write this, Trump (44%) is trailing […]
