Author: Janet Levine

Inside Look... This guide will cover the following topics: Introduction Understanding the job description Having clarity about the mission of the organization How the organization is governed The basics of nonprofit law and accounting Where to find needed information How to be a great ambassador for the organization Time Management Summary

01 | Introduction Boards and fundraising, I find, often mix as well as water and oil. You know this. You’ve seen it. Perhaps you are living it, dealing with board members who say “I’ll do anything but fundraise” and who tell you that they couldn’t possibly give you the name of one person who might care enough about what you do to make a charitable gift. Believe me, you are not alone. I do a lot of board training. Typically, I walk into a room full of lively, engaged people. Then I get introduced, and someone says, “Janet is here to talk with you about fundraising.“ And suddenly, these engaged people cross their arms and legs, purse their lips, and resolutely stare at the floor. Boards are...

01 | Introduction Clients, people who read my blogs and newsletters, and those who participate in my training all know that I firmly believe that philanthropy starts with gratitude. Alas, that is the one thing that seems to always get lost. I think of gratitude as “And then?” — those actions that happen after a person says yes. It’s what you do once the gift is given. THESE ARE DONOR RETENTION STRATEGIES AND THEY ARE CRITICAL FOR KEEPING YOUR DONORS HAPPY. Keeping donors happy is just plain good sense. A happy donor is likely to become a donor again. And again. Unhappy donors, however, are likely to become lapsed donors. That is the 60% or so of donors who never make a second gift to an...

In the first blog of this two-part series on How to Launch Your Endowment Giving Program, we discussed the fact endowment is not just for large organizations. Any nonprofit can benefit from having a pool—or pools—of money that could help to ensure the organization’s future. An endowment can fund a program, pay for staff, help to enhance operations. And having an endowment program signals to funders and donors that your organization plans to be around for the long haul.

Over the course of two blogs, you will be guided on how to launch an endowment-giving program for your nonprofit. In this first blog, we will look at what endowment is, what endowment funds are, how endowment funds are given, and—most critically—whether endowment is a good fit for your organization. In Part 2, we’ll look at all those policies and procedures, and consider who your endowment donors are and how you can find them. We’ll drill more deeply into how endowment funds are given and then we’ll look specifically about launching an endowment giving program. Let’s get started by looking at endowment and what it actually is. 01 Introduction When the topic of endowment comes up in...