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

Early in my fundraising career, I was driving to a donor's office to drop something off. It was a featureless office park in Orange County, and I wasn't sure I was in the right place.   Then I saw the donor's car. His unmistakable personalized plate and his gleaming Maserati.   I pulled my humble Honda Civic into a nearby spot and got ready for the meeting. And all I could think was:   "Do I really belong here?"   For a moment, the gap between my world and my donor's world se

Fundraising can feel confusing.   Depending on who you are listening to or what you are reading, you may think you need to add more events, cancel all your events, focus on major giving only, start a grants program, start a monthly giving program, start a board development committee, disband that committee, and change your CRM. Possibly all at once.   Oh, and call Amazon for a gift, while you are at it.   It's not that any of that advice is bad (well, the Amazon one is), but

There comes a time in every fundraiser's life when you are looking at a list of calls to make.   Maybe it's a list of new donors. Or prospective donors.   Maybe it's a list of volunteers who need to be invited to the event.   Or a list of lapsed donors you want to re-connect with.   And, often at the same time, that same fundraiser gets the idea that it's a great time to take one more look at that CRM report.   Or to double-check to make sure the update email has the right li

Y One of the problems with board fundraising is how we talk about board fundraising .   "The board isn't fundraising."   "My board doesn’t want to fundraise."   "Board members aren't interested in fundraising."   I've used all of those phrases and it wasn’t until late in my career that I realized the problem.   "The Board."   Fundraisers fall into the habit of treating the board like a collective. Like a single unit that we can communicate with, work with, and inspire using a

You've heard the stories: event plans driven not by strategy, but by a board member's preference. Committee meetings devoted to in-depth discussions about table linens. New event concepts introduced the night before showtime.   But you've probably also heard the stories of meaningful, thoughtful events with clear follow up.   And those stories often happen because board members are working with staff to put on an effective fundraiser.   Here are three roles board members can

Some corporate donors stay with your organization for the long haul.   Others may change their philanthropic focus and drift away from your mission.   And then there are the corporate supporters that make the news for decisions and announcements that, suddenly in some cases, run counter to your organization's values.   There's two ways to look at this potential problem.   The first (and the more common in the nonprofit space) is to react. This forces you to make some tough de

From event sponsorships to in-kind donations, Your fundraising program needs corporate giving.   Of course, it's not as simple as sending a solicitation letter to every business within a few square miles of your office.   Corporate giving - like every channel for sustainable giving - requires some strategy and thought.   So, how can you make your corporate giving program stand out?   Start with volunteers.   Corporate giving and volunteering are like two peas in a pod. Some c

Still thinking about your New Year's resolutions? Well, step away from that language learning app, put down the fad diet, and let me give you three resolutions that are perfect for any nonprofit leader!   #1 Focus on generosity, not systems If 2025 taught us anything, it was that the underpinning systems of philanthropy can be slowed down, stopped, or mangled by bad actors. Generosity, however, is harder to stop. If we mistake one for the other, we run the risk of assuming th

Here's a little re-gifting to wrap up 2025   Try This First is an occasional video series that I created to give nonprofit leaders some practical advice on fundraising topics. Often, we hesitate to get started on a new project or strategy because we think it needs to be perfect (or at least needs to be a major success right out of the gate).   Getting started with something new can be scary - so I sat down with some of the fundraising superstars I know to talk about taking th

Hand-crafted social media content the week of December 15?   A week that, for many people, is kind of a slow motion loss of momentum contrasted with a growing sense of urgency (for year-end giving, family obligations, etc.)?   It's a time of the year where we often feel pulled between a desire to celebrate the present and to prepare for the prospects of a new year.   Heck, even my local hardware store has consolidated most of the holiday lights and decorations into a small se

Lots has been written about individual giving - I'm certainly spent a lot of time writing and thinking and talking about it. It's the key to a sustainable and strong fundraising program - and it's often the type of fundraising that nonprofits shy away from.   I'll save my thoughts on the importance of a cultivation plan and a stewardship strategy for another post. This time, it's all about notetaking.   You might call them action items, or activity reports, or meeting notes,

While my kiddo is on a study abroad trip in Dublin, I take their car out for a drive every few weeks. Nothing major, just to make sure everything is working as it should (or at least as well as a 15 year old Mazda should work).   Last week, I started the car to be greeted by the ominous clicking noise that suggests a problem has arisen. As with my experience with cars suggests, this could be a problem that ranges from the inconvenient to the expensive.   I took a look at the

s we teeter on the precipice of Thanksgiving, holidays, and a new year, I wanted to share some thoughts about last week's National Philanthropy Day celebration. Thanks to all of you for reading - and for all the good work you for your organizations and missions.   Last week, I attended the National Philanthropy Day celebration hosted by my local AFP Chapter (the Association of Fundraising Professionals - South Sound Chapter).   While this was only my second NPD event in Washi