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
Creating a DIY wealth spreadsheet
Wealth advisors need to understand wealth trends in relation to their client’s investment strategies. Their companies have the necessary resources to provide that insight for them in the form of studies and surveys. Surveys dealing with wealth allocation are particularly useful for estimating wealth. In this blog, Kenny Tavares has come up with a list … Continue reading Creating a DIY wealth spreadsheet
Wealthy Britons don’t match the generosity of Americans – here’s why
What's it like to give away a billion dollars? One of the few people who know is Stephen Schwarzman, co-founder, chairman and chief executive of Blackstone, one of the world's biggest private equity firms. He has given away more than that already, mainly to causes related to education, culture and the arts, but - with … Continue reading Wealthy Britons don’t match the generosity of Americans – here’s why
6 assumptions you should make about donors
Jeff Brooks takes guidance produced on customer experience and reviews it through the lens of a fundraiser because it's a look at how people think and decide. Here are the "6 components of human beings" with what each might mean for fundraisers to give you a powerful advantage. https://www.futurefundraisingnow.com/future-fundraising/2018/03/6-assumptions-you-should-make-about-donors.html
What Donors Want When It Comes to Communication
The fine art of donor communications is a constant topic of study and analysis. But while nonprofits don’t always know what type of communications donors want, common sense would dictate that donors are looking for some kind of feedback about how their money is used. But what kind of contact do they want and how … Continue reading What Donors Want When It Comes to Communication
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
Fake News, Research, and Fundraising
Propsect researchers should already be adept at verifying their sources but is that good enough to spot fake news? In this blog, Jennifer Filla shares her method (including a Venn diagram). https://www.jenniferfilla.com/fake-news-research-and-fundraising/
Five Identifiers of a High Quality Fundraising Prospect
Discovering your best fundraising prospects does not boil down to a single piece of criteria. There are several qualities that can help identify the potential donors who can give the major gifts that will lead to your organization’s success. Here, Kim Becker Cooper - Marketing Director at DonorSearch, shares her five key identifiers. http://twbfundraising.com/blog/five-identifiers-high-quality-fundraising-prospect/
Propper Fundraising 