Jenny and I like to start our workshop “CULTIVATE: The Art & Science of Major Gifts” by asking people how they see themselves as fundraisers. Are you a stalker? A combatant? A seducer? A salesperson? Or a farmer? We like the metaphor of the farmer. The successful fundraiser is the one who cultivates relationships with …
Committee Wrangling, coined by Carolyn Simmons at our most recent Fundraiser’s Forum, is the process of working with a group of volunteers for a defined purpose. Working with committees can be greatly rewarding, or it can be your worst nightmare. Here are ten questions you can ask yourself about your committee or potential committee that …
Despite reporting high levels of dissatisfaction with current board demographics – particularly racial and ethnic diversity – boards are not prioritizing demographics in their recruitment practices. Nearly a fifth of all chief executives report they are not prioritizing demographics in their board recruitment strategy, despite being dissatisfied with their board’s racial and ethnic diversity.
When work gets you down, you still have to take the high road. Carry the torch. Inspire the next volunteer or donor. Speak to Rotary or present to Angel Charity. How do you keep your spirits up? Music! Songs that inspire, motivate, and energize! Songs that you can sing at the top of your lungs while driving to the board meeting! I asked several of our colleagues here in Tucson to share their secret power songs.
Voila! I found the amazing study, M&R Benchmarks 2017, the11th Annual Benchmarks Study of nonprofit digital advocacy, fundraising, social, and advertising. I’m going to give you a little summary in this blog post, but here’s the whole thing if you are interested: www.mrbenchmarks.com/#. They even have a form you can fill out to benchmark your organization: http://mrbenchmarks.com/#!/benchmark-yourself. If you try this, please email me the results. I’d love to know how our local organizations compare to the national study.
Is your organization prepared for the future?
Clarify and Communicate Your Organization’s Values to Find Your Community of Believers and Create Greater Donor Loyalty
Our way of recognizing the nonprofit professionals in our community who we feel deserve more recognition for their good work!
Our community nonprofit organizations are doing amazing, important work and we are so grateful to be able to work alongside of you.
I am proud to announce our first “Do-Gooder Shout-Out”. This is our way of recognizing the good work of fund development professionals in our community, who we feel deserve more recognition and gratitude for their hard work. They can also teach us a lot about best practice in the field.