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

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

For me, year-end giving season was always an anxious time. There's that creeping feeling that your year-end giving strategies aren't enough - or that you should be doing something more. There's so much out there about year-end giving (advice, webinars, workshops, tips, tricks, etc.) that it's easy to feel overwhelmed.   But like all fundraising, starting is the hardest part. If you're not sure how to get a year-end giving strategy up and running, here are four things you can

Fundraisers, as a rule, love to complicate things.   We put barriers between the donor and their giving. (Why ask directly when we can have 15 live auction items and 25 silent auction items?).   We use jargon and industry terms to define and limit acts of generosity. (Your donors don’t consider themselves to be LYBUNT or SYBUNT or annual or major.)   We ask easy questions instead of helpful ones. ("Did it work?" is a different question than "Does this serve our mission and go

It’s a chicken and the egg thing.   Do donors give at year end because of tax reasons / holiday reasons?   Or do they give because we ask...

I wanted to start this message off with some inspirational quotes about the importance of a plan - but most of the quotes I found were...

Speed is often the enemy of effective fundraising.   It's frustrating, right? Because we need the money today (if not yesterday). And...

It’s easy to get confused about donor cultivation. When it works, it seems simple, even magical. You meet with a prospective donor, start...

It’s been true since the 80’s. The A-Team has the best theme song ever. Also true since the 80’s? Individual giving is the heart of...

All my favorite TV shows are about communities. They can be about found families (Mad Men), about communities tied by place (Deadwood),...

I started this post by asking Microsoft Co-Pilot to create draft of a LinkedIn post on monthly giving. And it was … ok. My first...

Not too long ago, I worked with the Gig Harbor Harbor Waterfront Alliance here in Washington. I helped them build their first fundraising...

I used to hoard impact stories. Some stories were so good, I knew that I had to save them for a special occasion, like events or board...

The best fundraising plan can still fail. Not because of a lack of talent or willpower, but because none of us know what’s coming down...

I used to talk a lot about building a culture of philanthropy. It was a popular topic in the fundraising space and had the advantage of...

What do all major gifts have in common? They are meaningful to both the donor and the organization. They should be celebrated. They stem...

“At some point, nonprofit leaders have to ask themselves if the mission is worth the work, the fear, and the risk. If it's not, then what...

One thing you can always count on in the nonprofit space is a plethora of nonprofit industry reports. The other thing you can count on is...