In this brilliant blog, Mary Cahalane shares mistakes she made early on in her career and what she learnt from them. Mary closes her blog with this brilliant quote, which I absolutely love…: “Writing to your donors isn’t about you or your organization. Writing to your donors is about your donors. “Give them a problem […]
Read More Why sincere is better than cleverThis blog by Mark Phillips from Bullfrog Fundraising Limited was written just before Christmas but holds up just as well as we return to work in 2020 – an excellent time for a little retrospection. What are we proud of? What’s great? What (or who) has been a right pain? And how’s the fundraising profession […]
Read More The Twelve Appeals of the YearWorking at a nonprofit is hard. You need to do whatever it takes to stay positive and optimistic in your quest. Some days, that means taking a good look at yourself in the mirror and seeing yourself for what you really are: a nonprofit Jedi Master. It’s nearly Christmas and with a new Star Wars […]
Read More 13 Ways Working at a Nonprofit is Like Star WarsRichard Branson needs no introduction and there is no doubt that he has heard thousands of pitches. What can fundraisers learn from Richard when it comes to us pitching to wealthy individuals? Richard states: “Throughout my career, I have heard thousands of pitches: formal business sit-downs, opportunist moments in elevators, and some very inventive incidents […]
Read More Three things I look for in pitchesGetting buy-in is imperative to doing our jobs properly, regardless of the function. Buy-in comes in different shapes and sizes, from donors, but also colleagues, senior leadership and the board. In this blog, Lizzi Hollis looks at some of the techniques you can use for gaining buy-in. https://hub.blackbaud.co.uk/blackbaud-europe/go-fast-go-alone-go-far-go-together-tools-and-thoughts-to-gaining-buy-in-for-successful-projects-by-lizzi-hollis
Read More Go Fast? Go Alone. Go Far? Go Together: Tools and Thoughts to Gaining Buy-In for Successful Projects“You are what you think; So just think big, believe big, act big…” the words of Andrew Carnegie, the Scottish American industrialist and philanthropist summarise the essence of successful fundraising – make friends and think big. No one gives to a cause that promises to do the ordinary. People want to feel they are contributing […]
Read More You are what you think; So just think bigA Case for Support is an oft-used tool in fundraising to set out your stall; its purpose to communicate the ‘Why’ of your campaign. It’s a working document designed as a group/workshop exercise to provoke discussion, tease out the campaign’s identity and find its most compelling elements. It constantly evolves and very, very rarely ever […]
Read More Disrupting the Case for SupportEver since humans first gathered together under a tree, we’ve told stories to one another. Stories that move us, scare us, illuminate our minds and inspire us to see the world anew. So why, when it comes to moving and inspiring people to give to a charitable cause, do so many in our industry resist […]
Read More Why fundraisers need to master the art of storytellingIn recent years, more attention has been paid to the value of mid-level donors. But many mid-level programs still underperform, with fundraisers uncertain about how to engage with these donors. Lawrence Henze, principal consultant at Blackbaud Target Analytics, has over 38 years of development and marketing experience in the nonprofit sector. In his latest white […]
Read More Finding Value in the Middle: An Examination of Mid-Level GivingHere’s the challenge – you’ve developed close, friendly, easy connections with your major gift prospects. You’re investing tons of time with these special major donor prospects — visiting with them, listening to their ideas, sharing your work with them. They are getting high-touch, very personalized treatment all the time, and they’re feeling like insiders at […]
Read More Should You Include Major Donor Prospects in Your Year-End Appeal?
