Achieving the cash goal that your organization expects is of paramount importance. However, increasing the number of donors is also important – you’re pouring water into the long-term pipeline.
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For many professional fundraisers, especially at smaller nonprofits, the idea of a shift in focus or priority can be daunting and the ability to make that change may be out of your control. So, when nonprofit leaders think about establishing a culture within your organization where data is respected, embraced, and acted upon, it can seem like a daunting task.
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"What's the next, best, really cool trend that's coming in fundraising?". My response, "Nothing is as cool as sitting down with a donor and asking them for money". Of course, this quickly took the wind out of their sails, which was not my intention, but I wanted to make a point.
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One of the frequent questions we are asked by our clients is, "What does a good Board of Directors do?". That answer, of course, is rarely a simple answer. But it's important for well functioning non-profit organizations to ask the question and be able to answer it for their organization.
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I've always advised clients that they should raise more money the weeks AFTER their gala than they do during their gala. Yes, tell your donors about what you do - but leave them wanting to learn more. Follow up with prospects after the event, asking if they have any questions or would like to hear more.
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This past weekend my wife and I had the opportunity to attend a fundraising gala for an organization I support. It is important to point out right away that this is an organization that is close to my heart - not my wife's!
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Does your organization have a strategic plan? Do you have an idea of where you want your organization to go in the next three to five years? This is imperative to ensure success - you can’t guess where you’re going, you have to plan to get there.
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In this “lull” before “gala season”, now is a good time to look at your data and clean it up! Run a duplicate record search, run your data through the NCOA (National Change of Address) database, perform an e-mail append, etc.
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With the new year upon us, non-profit organizations too often tend to use the first few weeks of the month to recover from the holiday giving season, clean out old e-mails, organize their offices, and stress about the months ahead. But during this “downtime”, non-profit executives should perform important tasks and ascertain critical information to ensure their organization is on the right path.
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