I previously wrote about how to select bequest prospects for planned giving marketing and I’d like to amend my recommendations and suggest including your Loyalists and your Recruiters, too. Thank you, Roger. They are conscious about sharing a variety of perspectives, so you can learn from others’ experiences. One of our biggest hurdles is that many people believe that the 2% transfer tax they paid when buying their home goes to our organization instead of to the County. The book is about the Oakland Athletics baseball team and its general manager Billy Beane. For the 15 years of the Agitator’s history we’ve noted with more than a little dismay and concern the statistics of decline—our sector’s crumbling infrastructure of lower and lower retention rates, fewer and fewer donors, and more and more nonprofits chasing a shrinking base of trust and support. I’ve been trying to rally my clients to think strategically about how to fundraise during this time, but many are unwilling to change their approach (too many appeals focused on the org rather than the donor) and are uncomfortable with out-of-the-box thinking. Clairification. In short, we sure won’t meet the challenges we face by adding an extra three appeals, a couple of matching gift challenges, and an endless stream of digital goodies all pumped out by overworked, under-trained staff overseen by uninvolved boards intent on saving a buck. I want to stop the practice because I think it’s expensive and shallow. If you’re not already taking advantage of their generosity and knowledge, today is the day to start. His 3 rules: He also co-hosts (with Steven Screen) a great podcast called Fundraising is Beautiful. .

How can you identify them without the benefit of surveying them? P.S. It's already here. Mediocre, same-as-before leadership won’t cut it for what I believe will be a vastly different and more difficult future. But I continue to have hope.

Can you point me towards that research? In this blog, you’ll learn about: Social Media Marketing & Measurement, Network Building, Tech Tools for Nonprofits, Company Culture, Donor Engagement, and Data Science. We often hear arguments both for and against from fundraisers we work with. Q: I came across a very interesting appeal from UNICEF: “Make one gift to save a child’s life…and we’ll never ask for another gift again.” Great way to get an envelope opened. © Copyright 2005 - 2020, The Agitator. The blog posts regular articles on tips to improve your fundraising results. I read Kiki’s article from May 8 about rewards, and my primary take-away is that I should thank my donors verbally with sincere appreciation and gratitude. • So many fundraising problems are actually governance problems/board and board member problems. Is the key in the messaging (there is always more to be done) more so than the statement of the goal itself? Her fundraising blog is one of the longest running on the web and focuses on networking, social media, marketing, data and social engagement as the keystones to successful fundraising in today’s interconnected world.