Category: Fundraising tips
Four Ways Marketing & Fundraising The Same
By Laurence A. Pagnoni, MPA There are strong similarities between nonprofit fundraising and marketing, especially in the basic skills and insights both require. I have worked in both worlds and, over the years, I’ve observed these connections task by task, pitch by pitch. The more I see these connections, the more I recognize that there are bigger principles at work. I come back to these principles often, sometimes to remind myself, other times to relearn them with new eyes, but always so I can better serve my clients. My goal in sharing these principles is to spark a dialogue, so
On Being the Best Fundraiser Possible
By Laurence A. Pagnoni, MPA “When we treat a person as he is, we make him worse than he is; when we treat him as if he already were what he potentially could be, we make him capable of becoming what he could be.” — Goethe, d. 1832 I write many challenging weekly blog posts railing against our fundraising profession’s lack of innovation, how executive directors don’t understand fundraising, how undercapitalized the development function is, to name a few of my frequent themes. That you don’t quit me is amazing, and, even more beautiful, is that our collective audience
Five Ways That Pressure Benefits Fundraising
By Laurence A. Pagnoni, MPA Fundraising requires pressure, but it has to be just the right amount: too much pressure and we implode, too little and we underperform. Mother Nature shows us the benefits of pressure. Consider the pressure that a forest is under from the threat of wildfires. The ecological benefits of wildland fires outweigh their negative effects. A regular occurrence of fires can reduce the amount of dry debris thereby lowering the likelihood of large wildland fire. Fires often remove alien plants that compete with native species and remove undergrowth, which allows sunlight to reach the forest floor,
Ten Steps for A Powerful Fundraising Appeal
What makes a powerful fundraising appeal?
This week, I offer ten easy steps for a powerful appeal.
The Myth About Fundraising for Overhead Expenses
By Laurence A. Pagnoni, MPA To tweet this article, click here. The fourth common roadblock is an (ill-informed) acceptance of the notion that “no one wants to fund overhead, and development is overhead.” While this is fundamentally a structural problem within our sector, it nonetheless arises in the individual interactions between fundraisers and donors, and therefore bears scrutiny. I believe the vast majority of nonprofits are in it for the long haul to remedy the social dilemma that they set out to solve. That long-range vision must be reflected through leadership, particularly in the area of fundraising. Bill Shore, the
When Complexity Stands in the Way of Fundraising
By Laurence A. Pagnoni, MPA To tweet this article, click here. A third frequent impediment to successful fundraising that bares mentioning, even when taboo and the fear of making a mistake can be overcome, is the issue of complexity. In a fiercely competitive environment, fundraisers steel themselves while they try to figure out how to get more money. But often a breakdown occurs when they enter that uncomfortable corporate office, say, or that of a government bureaucrat for a meeting. Suddenly, they’re faced with a steep learning curve, as cryptic acronyms are batted around the room like menacing flies. Feeling overwhelmed,
The Most Common Roadblock to Successful Fundraising
By Laurence A. Pagnoni, MPA If your organization lacks revenue, your best program ideas can’t be implemented. It’s as simple as that. When it comes to fundraising, I’ve observed four particular roadblocks that tend to arise. For the next four weeks, I will talk about each of these roadblocks. This week, I’ll start with the most common. The first and most prevalent of these obstacles is the taboo that surrounds asking for money in the first place My own personal evolution as a fundraiser began with this conundrum. When I was fifteen years old, I went to a peace conference
Tip #4 – Thank You Calls
By Laurence A. Pagnoni, MPA This is part three of a four part series on year-end giving tips. To read Tip #1, click here. To read Tip #2, click here. To read Tip #3, click here. Many nonprofits receive 40 percent or more of their annual fundraising in the final weeks of the year. Start planning now – don’t wait until it’s too late. I have a few really hot “tips” for you about year-end giving, but first, here’s the data supporting the “tips.” By sharing these first, my “tips” will be self-evident. Charitable gifts were up 3% last year,