One of the biggest challenges in fundraising is how we think about fundraising. Here's an example A client of mine received a major gift from a foundation. It was the kind of gift that energizes a fundraising plan and seems to come at exactly the right time. It was also an unsolicited gift. No grant application, no solicitation letter. Just the gift. Much later, this client was reviewing her fundraising progress and was left feeling disappointed. She had hit her goa

Leadership lessons can be found in unlikely places. For example, Star Trek. I love an episode of Star Trek when a character brings a wild idea to the rest of the crew. Something untested, unknown, and possibly unsuccessful. The crew embraces this new idea in a flurry of activity and technobabble. They take a chance because they trust each other and assume that their colleagues are committed to the mission. This, of course, reminds me of nonprofit teamwork. Flash back

When I was a full-time fundraiser, I would read industry reports like Giving USA with some degree of apprehension. Reading about national fundraising trends made me wonder if my plans needed to change. After all, once the report was released, there was a flurry of headlines and findings: 😟 Number of donors is declining. 😟Mega donors are on the rise. 😟Giving is flat (or dropping). So I would read the reports and the analysis of the reports and try to determine what (if

Stop me if you've heard this one. You're planning a fundraising event. Maybe it’s a gala, or a breakfast, or a competitive round of Hungry Hungry Hippos. Your goal for the event is $100,000. Or 10, or 25 or whatever. But you but that dollar amount on your registration page, you invitation, you social media page. "Join us to raise $100,000 for XYX." That's your goal. But is that the goal of the actual event? If the only goal of your event is to make money, then it

There are a lot of tools and approaches that make you a more successful fundraiser. But the big one? It’s mentorship. A fundraising mentor is someone to challenge you, support you, and connect you to the bigger world of nonprofits. I know that my career, and my passion for working in nonprofits, owes a huge debt of gratitude to my first mentor, Frank Hall. Frank did more than teach me about fundraising. He showed me what it meant to be a full-time fundraiser and taught me les

The only thing I love more than an insightful report on donor behavior is an insightful report on donor behavior that supports what I've been telling clients for a while now. So you can imagine my joy upon reading Bloomerang's latest - "The Giving Signals Report: 2026 Fundraising Trends for Nonprofits." There's a lot of good stuff here, but what jumped out early on was this: "Donors are motivated less by transaction and more by meaning, identity, and the desire to make

I have a ... complicated relationship with nonprofit fundraising events. I've organized my fair share - even some that I am proud of almost 10 years later. But I also think that events are often an expensive and inefficient way to raise funds. Many nonprofits are stuck in a cycle of putting on generic events that don't celebrate their mission or engage their supporters - but make just enough money to make it difficult to pull the plug entirely. There are some remarkable n

I've been thinking about nonprofit myths lately. Those stories we tell each other in the industry that seem true, that drive decisions, and that sometimes cause some harm. Here's one that I used to really believe. The ultimate goal of every nonprofit (I was told) was to go out of business because the mission has been accomplished. That story was a story of selflessness. The minute we aren't needed, we'll close up shop and go do something else with our time. Now, this

Fundraising is driven by stories. Stories from donors, volunteers, clients, board members, and community members. Stories of impact, of generosity, of triumph. But while there's no shortage of advice about how to get stories, we don't spend enough time talking about what do with the stories after we get them. For a lot of my career, I was convinced that stories were fleeting and fragile, and that the audience for my stories only wanted to hear new stories, every time.

I had a great time at the NAWA annual fundraising conference in Tacoma. As is my way, I did not take any pictures, so you'll have to trust me on this one. I learned a lot at the conference -- about board structures, staff engagement, and the connection between values and systems. But the thing that stuck with me was a comment from my friend Jesse. They said: "If one more person tells me to diversify my fundraising stream, I'm going to jump into the Sound." Now, I don't

This week, I had the opportunity to present at the Nonprofit Association of Washington's fundraising conference. I presented on creating a fundraising board - the tactics and mindsets that can help your board members move from stuck to success. For those of you who couldn't attend, I thought I’d share three key takeaways from the presentation in the quick video above. The importance of treating your board members like individuals, not as part of a collective How clear expec

A wise man once said "I love it when a plan comes together." And while this particular wise man was talking about a very specific type of plan (one unique to 1980s action shows*), I like to take this enthusiasm and apply it to fundraising plans. A fundraising plan is more than a list of donors (that's a prospect list, and that's another post). A fundraising plan gives your organization customized action steps to get to what you are trying to create. "Hold on, Chris," yo

I've been to a lot of fundraising events. Big ones, little ones, strange ones. Galas, golf tournaments, breakfasts, lunches, building rappelling, construction contests, races, walks, concerts, comedy shows, wine tasting, cooking classes … all things, both live and virtual (fundraising in 2021 was hard, folks). These events ranged from inspiring to insipid. (That might be a little strong, but I love some alliteration). And regardless of venue, budget, or size the events that

Early in my career, I was asked to make a wallet card. This request came from a board member, so I took it seriously. Per his request, it was going to be the size of a business card and will be chock full of information: Mission Vision Values Impact numbers Program details (Yes, this was before smartphones. Don't get off topic) The idea was simple. When a board member was asked questions about this organization, they could produce this card and BAM. All the answers

One of the reasons I love nonprofits is because they are asking the big questions. What if everyone had a decent place to live? How can we help queer youth thrive, not just survive? How can we bring the arts into every classroom in our community? When so many institutions are encouraging us to stay small, scared, and quiet, asking questions like these is an act of optimism and bravery. For many organizations, these questions were present at the very beginning of their s

Last week, I heard about a nonprofit hiring their first full-time fundraiser. They wanted someone to build a program, start donor outreach, and focus on individual giving. They also wanted $1 million in their first year (from $0 the prior year). Oh, and the fundraiser would also be responsible for entering gifts in the CRM and managing that system. This organization was having some trouble finding someone to fill this role (as you might imagine). This headache-inducin

I have written my fair share of elevator pitches. Something short, memorable, and capable of expressing the impact and mission of an organization. I've helped board members practice their elevator pitch. A message that can inspire curiosity, generosity, and support. Now, I'd like to retire the elevator pitch. We had a good run. But now, it's time to move on. Because an elevator pitch is based on some faulty assumptions: It centers facts, not feelings: the pitch is abo

I love to overcomplicate things. Honestly, it's right up there with holding grudges, worrying, and other unhelpful habits. But sometimes, just sometimes, I can take a step back and simplify a problem. So while I have written a lot about board fundraising - and will continue to do so - let me make this post uncharacteristically short. Share your fundraising expectations with your board. If you want them to each raise $100,000 and personally donate twice that, tell them

I spend a lot of time talking about and thinking about nonprofit board members. I think about how organizations benefit from engaged, passionate volunteers. I think about boards that seem stuck in habits and traditions that no longer serve the mission. And I think about the beliefs that are keeping most of our board members from feeling like they can truly help the mission of the organization. You see, once upon a time, nonprofits believed that the most important attrib

An effective fundraising system is not just about your donors or your revenue. It's about employee retention. Recently, the Social Impact Staff Retention Report was released. It's not a lot of good news. According to the report ... 70% of the nonprofit workers surveyed are looking for or considering a new job, or will be, this year. Thirty five percent plan to stay in the nonprofit sector. And 22% are rarely or never fulfilled in their work. I'm no statistician, but