Tips on Advanced Fundraising
- Donor Retention
Has Donor Trust in Charities Changed?
By Guest blogger Roger Craver In this age of “fake news”, “alternative facts” “hyper partisanship” and what seems to be a general erosion of trust, why should we even care? And if we care what can we fundraisers do about it? Of course, every fundraiser should care because trust is the lynchpin of a solid and sustainable relationship with a donor. And because there are ways to measure trust,...
Read More - MacKenzie Scott
MacKenzie Strikes Again
By Laurence A. Pagnoni, MPA Launched on March 21, 2023, the $250 million MacKenzie Scott “Yield Giving Open Call” is an initiative focused on elevating organizations working with people and in places experiencing the greatest need in the United States: communities, individuals, and families with access to the fewest foundational resources and opportunities. The registration period is now open. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You probably won’t recognize most of the names on...
Read More - Assessment and Strategy
Donor Distraction Destroys Fundraising Returns: Here’s What to Do About It.
By Laurence A. Pagnoni, MPA It’s no surprise that we live in very distracting times. The number of interruptions, tedious processes, and double security verifications is utterly vile. And those distractions are negatively affecting your fundraising bottom line. It’s not just the usual distractions either…the stain on your shirt that you didn’t notice until you’re on your way to a meeting, the higher curb that we trip over, the...
Read More - Leadership
The CEO as Chief Fundraiser: A Role That Should Never Be Delegated
By Laurence Pagnoni Our recent posts have lasered in on fundraising perennials--retention of fundraising staff, annual funds, and why donors give. Another perennial stacks up as equally worthy of thoughtful commentary, and that’s the role of the chief executive officer in fundraising. A short definition of a CEO is he or she who makes decisions. Nowadays, we recognize the value of consensus decision-making, and that’s fine. But the kinds...
Read More - Thought Leadership
How To Improve Fundraiser Retention
By Laurence A. Pagnoni, MPA That disturbingly high turnover rates and low morale plague fundraising professionals is nothing new. Research going back almost two decades shows this to be true. One study in particular found that the “average fundraiser stays on a job only 16 months.” In fact, just last year, author Rob Webb called on us to act on fundraising turnover right here in NonProfit Pro. The past...
Read More - Annual Funds
Reports of the Demise of the Annual Fund are Greatly Exaggerated
By Laurence A. Pagnoni, MPA The annual fund is an internal phrase fundraisers use to refer to the drive(s) held during the 12-months of a calendar year to raise the revenue to cover your organization’s operating expenses. Many readers of the LAPA blog have asked me if the annual fund is dead. Why are they concerned? Well, they’re aware of the declining share of US households that make charitable...
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