by Andrew Olsen, CFRE Well, that’s not really a question my two-year-old daughter asked me. But it is a question that, over the last few months, a number of nonprofit development professionals and C-level executives have asked. Interestingly, each person has shared a...
Roy Jones
Don’t Run Your Not-for-Profit Like Dunder-Mifflin or You, like Michael, Will Be Out Of A Job
At the risk of trivializing “good advice” I could NOT resist drawing upon the contrast of a poorly run company, TV’s Dunder-Mifflin, and an excellently managed not-for-profit organization. MICHAEL SCOTT’s management style of the make-believe paper company’s...
Why Fundraising is so Important to YOU
Fundraising today is very important to your future. As a leader of a non-profit organization you should be known for your stewardship, caring heart and your fearless courage in asking for additional support for your cause.
Don’t waste a good crisis: tough fundraising requires action!
the words of Rob Emanual, President Barack Obama’s Chief of Staff, who told a reporter, “Never let a serious crisis go to waste“. This is the advice I give to charitable fundraisers staring at a service crisis, summer slump in revenue or budget cuts. Crisis can be an opportunity for your organization if you take decisive steps.
Direct Mail and Major Gifts: What is the biggest mistake in fundraising?
Asking multi-millionaires for $25 bucks... Roy C. JonesFundraising is always difficult, but when you are considering gifts with five, six, and even, seven figure checks the task can sometimes seem gargantuan. Some development folks are prone to only use the mail to...
Does Your Organization Have Enough Rungs On the Donor Ladder?
Most organizations use "ask handles" (sometimes called an "ask table") in order to do upgrade giving through their direct mail fundraising. When the economy is good most charities will use the donor previous highest gift to calculate the three or four ask amounts...
Are Major Gifts Still Sitting on the Table?
In a challenging economy the best way to improve your net revenue is to identify your top one hundred annual fund donors and GO VISIT THEM. All major donors begin their relationships with a charity by giving just 20 bucks. The key to growing revenue is to identify...
Jesus Was In Los Angeles Today…
JESUS WAS IN LOS ANGELES TODAY. The media did not report His sighting, only the evidence of the lives that were changed by His presence at the L.A. Mission. I joined hundreds volunteers on Friday, many of whom began arriving to the LA Mission at 4 a.m. in the...
Holiday Times are Critical to Development
GET RID OF THE SUGAR PLUM VISIONS... I know many professionals in the development industry that literally take the last six weeks of the year off. They move into autopilot mode. They get off the road and nestle snug in the offices (and beds), with visions of...
