A 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 … Continue reading Disrupting the Case for Support
Why fundraisers need to master the art of storytelling
Ever 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 … Continue reading Why fundraisers need to master the art of storytelling
Finding Value in the Middle: An Examination of Mid-Level Giving
In 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 … Continue reading Finding Value in the Middle: An Examination of Mid-Level Giving
Should You Include Major Donor Prospects in Your Year-End Appeal?
Here’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 … Continue reading Should You Include Major Donor Prospects in Your Year-End Appeal?
13 Ways to Write Better Fundraising Asks
When you’re only six weeks into your new fundraising job and your boss suddenly assigns you the task of writing your organization’s year-end fundraising appeal, due tomorrow, what the heck are you going do? Instead of copying and pasting last year’s letter, how about you carve out some time to create your very own masterpiece? … Continue reading 13 Ways to Write Better Fundraising Asks
How Donors Choose: One choice that’ll increase revenue
Many nonprofits already know the value of giving concrete examples for what donations of different amounts are worth. You know, things like…$25 feeds a shelter dog for three weeks…$60 pays for a counselTina Cincottiing session at the legal aid clinic…$100 provides five hours of tutoring help… Whether people donate and how much is greatly influenced … Continue reading How Donors Choose: One choice that’ll increase revenue
How to respond when they challenge your fundraising appeal
Does your appeal letter really need to be two pages long? What about that serif font? Sentence fragments? Mary Cahalane answers common questions about writing successful appeal letters. https://mcahalane.com/how-to-respond-when-they-challenge-your-fundraising-appeal/
Where brand and fundraising meet. The case for a case for support.
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.
More Than Just Data: Why Actionable Insights Matter
There’s no question that customer experience (CX) is a data-driven discipline. After all, at the foundation of most CX programs are close-ended surveys designed to capture and analyze customer feedback. Yes, metrics are a crucial element of every successful CX program. With metrics, you can establish a clear performance baseline and track trends based on … Continue reading More Than Just Data: Why Actionable Insights Matter
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
Propper Fundraising 