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 overshot the mark once in a donor thank you letter. This was in my first full time fundraising job, and I was writing a thank you...

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...

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

I got my fundraising start in employee giving. It was a great place to learn about fundraising -- the messaging, the planning, the...

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: steak fries are highly overrated. More to the point, however, individual giving is the key to...

I’ve got some new subscribers, so I wanted to re-send some info about a free fundraising video series – Try This First ! All too often,...

How do we talk about fundraising? How do we talk about the art of asking? How do we talk about the work - especially to folks outside...

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

There’s always a reason to say “no” to a solicitation. For example … Timing. A lack of interest. A lack of resources. A poorly worded...