Chris B.

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 want Jesse to...

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 expectations can help...

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," you might be...