I ran across this Women Give 2012 (slightly dated) study comparing giving behaviors of women and men thanks to Gail Perry this evening. The study compared only single adult households...
Engaging Major Donors in a Campaign Year
Engaging major donors is a critical component to any nonprofit's fundraising success. BUT, it's even more critical in an election year. Why? Think about it this way. Regardless of party...
Are You Ready For Year-End Fundraising?
It's August. Have you planned your year-end fundraising efforts yet? If not, what's keeping you from it? This is the most crucial fundraising season, and now's the time to start...
Direct Mail Fail – Alumni Acquisition Package
The minute I saw this envelope I knew the package was doomed. The OE (outer envelope) had a huge flaw. Unfortunately, the OE wasn't the only thing wrong with this...
13 Ways To Engage Major Donors
Chronicle of Philanthropy recently reported that big gifts from major donors are on the decline. Their analysis of recent studies confirms giving patterns of wealthy donors today mirror those of...
63 Fatal Fundraising Mistakes to Avoid
With competition for donors and charitable dollars at an all-time high, and the economy still keeping many donors on the sidelines, it's more important than ever to focus on getting...
Instinct vs. Insight
As a fundraiser you'll have a lot of people offer you suggestions on how best to do your job. Well intentioned board members, executive directors, program staffers, volunteers and supporters...
Qualifying major gift prospects is a lot like fishing…
I’m not a big fisherman, but I know enough to get by. Here’s why I think fishing and qualifying major donor suspects is similar... When you’re out in the boat...
Communicating differently via mail with middle and major donors (Tip #14)
Middle and major donors require a different treatment in the mail than your regular donor base. These donors tend to prefer longer letters. Closed-face envelopes, higher quality paper, First Class...
Take major donors out of your mail program at your own risk (Tip #12)
Don't take your major donors out of the direct mail stream. This is one of the worst things you can do for your organization. Typically this happens for one of...