Fundraising is focussed on the bottom line. Hard, tangible cash. Facts and figures. Brand is about perception. The heart and mind of the audience. Intangible feelings. OK, so I’m being purposefully black and white. But everyone of my friends in the sector feels that brand and fundraising teams need to work better together. And with … Continue reading Where brand and fundraising meet. The case for a case for support.
Experts on How Technology Is Changing the Future of Fundraising
Five key figures in fundraising tech reflect on how technology has changed fundraising and what's next. With contributions from Mike Gianoni (President and CEO, Blackbaud), Bill Strathmann (CEO, Network for Good), Mike Geiger, M.B.A., C.P.A. (President and CEO, Association of Fundraising Professionals), Steve Spinner (CEO, RevUp Software) and Jean-Paul Guilbault (President and CEO, Community Brands). … Continue reading Experts on How Technology Is Changing the Future of Fundraising
4 Steps to Strategic Communications
Picture this: a wealthy donor opens up the daily newspaper at her kitchen table and sees a heart-warming story about a school-age child benefiting from your nonprofit’s services. On her drive to work, she hears your executive director interviewed on morning news radio. Before an afternoon meeting, the same donor scans her Instagram and Facebook … Continue reading 4 Steps to Strategic Communications
Alumni Engagement: What We’ve Gotten Wrong And How To Fix It
At some level, every fundraiser knows that alumni engagement is an important driver of alumni giving. At the same time, the advancement profession seems perpetually perplexed by how to measure engagement and apply those measures to increase philanthropy. Why is that? Generally speaking, advancement offices have access to a pretty accurate picture of who alumni … Continue reading Alumni Engagement: What We’ve Gotten Wrong And How To Fix It
7 simple steps to qualify your donors
Unsuccessful fundraisers don’t understand qualification. They don’t recognize its power. They wait for the next wealth screened list. They fiddle with it in Excel or in some other database. They make a few calls. They don’t get any appointments. They give up. Then they say the list was no good. Unsuccessful fundraisers don’t use the … Continue reading 7 simple steps to qualify your donors
Direct Mail – Dead or Alive
These are dark times for direct mail fundraising. Response rates are down (and have been trending lower for more than a decade). At the same time, costs of paper, printing, and postage keep going up, usually faster than inflation. So direct mail is dead, right? The sooner you stop using it for fundraising, the better. … Continue reading Direct Mail – Dead or Alive
Asking on the first meeting: good practice, or scandalously impolite?
Shaun Horan starts this thought piece with: "Nothing splits a room like asking this question: should you ask for a gift from a prospective donor on the first meeting?" So, what are his reasons? Click below to find out. https://halpinpartnership.com/debate/asking-first-meeting-good-practice-or-scandalously-impolite
Three steps for Boosting your Fundraising Confidence
Stephanie Harvey, fundraising manager from Little Village, shares her thoughts on this year's Status of UK Fundraising 2019 Benchmark Report. One outcome is the decreased confidence in charities. Stephanie elaborates: "We have all seen the negative news with various stories being uncovered of late, and like others we were disappointed and angry about what was … Continue reading Three steps for Boosting your Fundraising Confidence
Why is the cost of raising funds rising so fast?
The cost of acquiring a pound of charitable income has grown swiftly since the start of the century. The latest edition of the UK Civil Society almanac contains a section on the cost of generating funds, which shows that in the year to March 2001, adjusted for inflation, the charity sector spent a total of … Continue reading Why is the cost of raising funds rising so fast?
10 Common Myths About Our Visual Brains
Brain science is commonly taken into consideration when developing marketing and communication strategies, particularly concerning visual content. After all, the best way to influence behavior is to understand its drivers. And behavior is driven by our psychological brains. At the same time, basing a strategy on invalid data can quickly waste time and resources. Unfortunately, … Continue reading 10 Common Myths About Our Visual Brains
Propper Fundraising 