Good decision-making requires good data. But most nonprofits never invest in the kind of tools that can allow them to capture and categorize their data to support better decision-making.
Do this one thing to integrate brand and fundraising effectively
If there's one person who "gets it" when it comes to the intersection of brand and fundraising, that's my friend Olga Woltman, Founder of Lemon Skies, and host of the...
The future of fundraising is relational
The idea that the future of fundraising is relational should not be revolutionary. In the world of major and mega gift fundraising, all of our work is relational. But for far too...
Mission Impact or Personal Comfort? You Pick.
I often encounter nonprofit leaders who tell me that they refuse to use a certain effective fundraising technique or channel because they "don't believe in it" or they "don't like...
Leaders Must Learn Hard Lessons
A mentor of mine recently asked me, “What’s the hardest lesson you’ve had to learn in your career?” That question stopped me in my tracks. There are so many lessons...
Nonprofits: Understand Your Customer
I posted the following statement on LinkedIn and it got a TON of feedback. A lot of that feedback was negative, with people telling me that my idea was entirely...
Nonprofits Need a Better Way to Fundraise
https://youtu.be/LEwTJW5bNRY Nonprofits continue to struggle with fewer donors giving every year. The economy plays a part in that. But more than anything, our social contract with donors is broken. If...
Use failure to create future successes
I once sent 60,000 pieces of one nonprofit's direct mail to another nonprofit's audience by mistake. As the head of annual gift fundraising at a children's hospital I was an...
Know Your Calling. And Do It.
Tracy Thomas is a rabblerouser. A change leader. A force. She's also a loving mom, a caring wife, and a committed believer. Tracy and I sat down to have a...
The Role of Nonprofit Boards
Hey Nonprofit Board Members: Your job is to set policy, help advance the mission of the organization through personal advocacy, volunteerism, supporting fundraising by giving and/or using your influence, and...