Category: Fundraising tips

By Laurence A. Pagnoni, MPA Do you spend a lot of time revising documents produced by fundraisers? Many CEOs have complained to me privately about this. I’m talking about drafts of grant proposals, LOIs, donor appeal letters, fundraising reports, cases for support, newsletters, even donor emails—documents like that. If so, this brief guidance is for you. Over the years I’ve observed that before marking up the entire document, the executive’s role is to first make a determination as to its overall quality. A first determination is a quick assessment. This is where the time-saving aspect comes in. Here are three

By Laurence A. Pagnoni, MPA I would bet that your fundraising program is the same year-after-year and that its performance has flatlined. I also know that you can and want to do better. With 30+ years behind me in transforming fundraising programs, I suggest that you consider infusing imagination into your fundraising program to vastly enhance its performance. I am not speaking in the abstract, but from years of observing thousands of fundraisers. I’m talking about a specific skill that fundraisers can develop, a skill essential for securing the largest donations; without it, both the fundraising program and the implementation of the

By Laurence A. Pagnoni, MPA “She has good instincts.” So said the trustee referring to one of LAPA’s major gift consultants. What did he mean? I’ve heard this phrase often regarding fundraisers and other professionals, and have used it myself. Derek Jeter was said to have good baseball instincts. “Good instincts usually tell you what to do before your head has figured it out,” said business executive Michael Burke. Oprah says, “Follow your instincts. That’s where true wisdom manifests itself.” Or consider this from British statesman Stanley Baldwin: “I would rather trust a woman’s instinct than a man’s reason.” Do

By Laurence A. Pagnoni, MPA Inspector Columbo, the star of the 1970s TV series by the same name, was a curious man. Columbo, Played by Peter Falk, was the famous senior homicide detective marked by his rumpled raincoat over his working class suit and tie, a tired worn look that only working for the the Los Angeles Police Department could make. Even more iconic than his look was how he completed his investigative interviews, just when he thought he had all the information he would start to walk away, but then he would stop, sharply turn around, and ask, “um,

By Laurence A. Pagnoni, MPA Having worked as a professional fundraiser for more than two decades I am convinced that a better understanding of our work is needed. People generally know what an accountant or bookkeeper does. By virtue of television, people think they know what a lawyer or forensic scientist does. But when it comes to fundraising there are two common misperceptions. One: high-end fundraisers who work for the most distinguished hospitals, universities, and museums are thought of as miracle workers who weave magic spells over wealthy philanthropists and mysteriously produce large sums of money for the institutions that

By Daniel Doucette In my 20s, I made a colleague cry. That was some 30 years ago. At that time I was in finance and she was in development. I held fast to accounting requirements and she insisted on satisfying a donor’s request. Since then, I’ve witnessed time and again the balancing act that fund raising professionals perform. Fund raising professionals are uniquely suited to step into difficult conversations because of our appreciation for human behavior and our desire to find common purpose. Allow me to explain why. Success as a fundraising professional depends on openness to the nuances of

By Laurence A. Pagnoni, MPA So let’s leave it alone ’cause we can’t see eye to eye There ain’t no good guy, there ain’t no bad guy There’s only you and me and we just disagree Ooh ooh ooh, oh oh oh Dave Mason of Fleetwood Mac, “We Just Disagree.” Central to nonprofit finance is risk reduction, safety, and appropriate accounting controls. Do you agree? In contrast, nonprofit fundraising seeks to seize opportunities, explore donor/funder interests, and deal with uncertainties like funders changing their priorities, donors failing to honor their pledge, or the campaign stalling. Do you agree again? If