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

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

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 done the board training, now what? After all, it's easy to get excited about fundraising during a board training session. You're...

Last week, I had the opportunity to present at the AFP Advancement Northwest conference in Seattle. There, I talked about some of the...

Just like that, we’re in mid-May. If you listen closely, you can hear my fellow consultants pulling together LinkedIn posts about...

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Fundraisers know that fundraising is not just the ask. It's the invitation, the connection, and the gratitude. Board members don't always...

Nonprofit board members can be world-class fundraisers – but only after you’ve overcome three common challenges and mindsets. By focusing...

“My board doesn’t know what they are doing.” “I joined the board, but I don’t know what to do now.” “We’ve got a good board … but I feel...

A nonprofit board plays a key role in fundraising. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the board members are directly asking for...

Recently, I had the chance to screen Uncharitable – the upcoming movie based on Dan Pallotta's TED talk and book. I’ve been a fan of the...

For a nonprofit organization, board giving can be a tricky topic. How much should they give? Can they bring their friends to the...

The post-it note in my notebook reads “LN post – Valentine’s Day – message to leaders/funders” Today, on the 15th of the month, I read...

Your board members can be champions for your cause, but only if you give them the right tools. Board members don’t need to be experts....

Fundraisers - let’s talk about board giving. 🎁 Your board loves your organization. ❤ Your board wants you to succeed. Your board members...