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Yay or Nay: Will Election Year Fundraising Affect Your Bottom Line?
Well, it depends. For the most part, election year fundraising is a temporary and not very significant player in the solicitation scene. Philanthropic giving in the United States accounts for close to $300 billion every year. Political fundraising in an election years adds up to only about $3 billion, a mere one percent of philanthropic donations. More than 70 percent of Americans give to charity, while only one or two percent give to political campaigns. Really, there’s not much competition. In some cases, however, it… Read the rest…
- 16 May 2012
- Category: Fundraising General,Internet Fundraising,Trends in Fundraising,Uncategorized,Year-End Fundraising
- 0 Comment
- Written by: Ann Goldman
Three Things Some Fundraisers Find Hard to Believe
Ann and I work with groups that range from multi-million dollar enterprises to small grassroots fundraising efforts. And we like it that way. It means we can bring some of the learning from the big organizations that can afford to try things (and fail sometimes) to our smaller clients. But frequently, when we carry that learning to development directors and executive directors working at the smaller end of the scale, we get some funny looks, some dubious scowls, and some shaking heads. Here are the… Read the rest…
- 03 May 2012
- Category: Donor Cultivation,Donor Retention,Fundraising General,Individual Giving,Internet Fundraising
- 0 Comment
- Written by: Leslie Allen
What Not To Do: A Stunning Example from the Brooklyn Museum
You may have read that the Brooklyn Museum recently ousted a women’s fundraising group, the Community Committee, that had been raising funds for the Museum since 1948. At their peak, the group was raising $850,000 through a single gala. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Executive Director announced the split and ordered the volunteers out of their Museum-based office. He gave them each a pin from the gift store (yup, you read that right) and encouraged them to volunteer in other ways. As you… Read the rest…
- 26 April 2012
- Category: Individual Giving,Major Gifts Fundraising,Volunteers
- 2 Comments
- Written by: Ann Goldman
Executive Director Transitions: Good for Fundraising?
Recently, a development director called me very worried. The executive director at the organization where she worked was leaving. She was worried about losing the relationships he built over time. She was worried about losing all the good will he has in the community. What will the donors think, she asked? Will they all jump ship? Hold up, I told her. This is an opportunity. While the transition at the top of an organization can be a time of change, it can also present the… Read the rest…
- 19 April 2012
- Category: Corporate Giving,Donor Cultivation,Donor Retention,Foundations,Individual Giving,Major Gifts Fundraising
- 1 Comment
- Written by: Leslie Allen
Seven Ways to Show Board Members the LOVE (and get some back in return)
“Treat each and every board member exactly as you would any other major gift prospect.” This was Ann’s parting comment in her post last week. I have one amendment. You should actually treat your board members BETTER than any other major gift prospect. Why? Because not only are they your biggest fans, but they can also be your most loyal donors and a dependable source of flexible, unrestricted money. They LOVE your organization and most will make as big a gift as they can. But… Read the rest…
- 13 April 2012
- Category: Donor Cultivation,Working with Boards
- 0 Comment
- Written by: Leslie Allen
Board Members Are People, Too
There’s a tenet in the nonprofit world that every board member should give financially to an organization at the maximum of his or her ability. I agree! But far too often, board giving becomes a rote requirement that undermines a board’s potential to give – and get – as much as they might. Sometimes board gifts are treated as if they are simply “dues.” A letter may be blasted out by the board chair or executive director saying, “it’s that time again…pony up, people.” Sometimes… Read the rest…
- 05 April 2012
- Category: Fundraising General,Individual Giving,Major Gifts Fundraising,Uncategorized,Working with Boards
- 0 Comment
- Written by: Ann Goldman
Spring Break Roundup: A Little Beach Reading
Your friends at Front Range Source are enjoying spring break and catching up on some fundraising reading. Here are some interesting articles for your enjoyment: Young People These Days Penelope Burk talks about retaining young fundraisers. It’s an important topic. According to her research, the average under-30 fundraiser stayed in their last position only 16 months. One of her tips…managers must stop insisting that younger fundraisers “act and think like I did at your age.” We couldn’t agree more! The Top 100 NGO’s The Global… Read the rest…
- 29 March 2012
- Category: Fundraising General,Trends in Fundraising
- 0 Comment
- Written by: Ann Goldman
What’s in a Name? How One Nonprofit Breathed New Life Into Its Brand
Just last month, Special Transit announced a name change. This after more than 30 years of serving the community, recent success in a capital campaign, and a client base of more than 2,600 people. And the new corporate name is….Via Mobility Services. The brand name is Via. The tagline is Mobility for Life. So just call them Via. Why did they do it? How? What did they learn in the process? What should you know if your organization is considering a name change? To find… Read the rest…
- 22 March 2012
- Category: marketing,Nonprofit Management
- 1 Comment
- Written by: Ann Goldman