Category: best-fundraising

When cell phones became mainstream (and even more so with the rise of smartphones), text-to-give fundraising jumped onto the scene.

The Nonprofit Guide to Sell More Event Tickets

Free Nonprofit Fundraising Skills Webinar: Asking Styles: A Revolutionary Concept in Fundraising 0:00 Today, I'm delighted to be here talking about the asking style. 0:04 I am a lifelong asker nonprofit person. 0:08 I did not grow up saying, I wanted to be in the nonprofit world, and certainly not a fundraiser, but I fell into it, like many of us do. I went into the nonprofit world. And the next thing, I knew someone asked me to help with a special, then, somebody asked me to help with a grant, and I became a fundraiser. 0:28 And I spent 25 years at nonprofits, either being the head fundraiser, or being the executive director. 0:35 Before developing, asking matters. Because I thought that I...

Are You Afraid to ‘Make the Fundraising Ask’? Many fundraisers are, but it’s a fear worth overcoming Everyone loves a juicy urban legend, right? Here’s one that, like most, may or may not be true. But it makes its point.

A quick word of advice: Don’t panic! Times are tough, but it’ll be OK Sometimes you just need a little assurance that everything’s going to be OK. That may be especially true for you, for fundraisers and change-makers, during these chaotic times. Here’s a bit of advice from fundraising maven Ellen Cobb Church, CEO at Thrive Marketing Group Virginia. Ellen has been a fundraiser for more years than she probably cares to say, so she has a pretty good feel for the heartbeat of the sector these days. “Don’t panic,” Ellen is quick to advise. “Yes, we are living in an unprecedented time for fundraising. And just as we have in other difficult times, nonprofits will continue to connect with donors...

Honest Storytelling Deepens Your Impact Picture it: A trendy New York City restaurant crowded with hungry fundraisers fresh off a day of learning at a big annual conference. The chatter inside combined with the noise of a busy NYC street outside is deafening. That is until a voice rises above the crowd to say, “There are about 5,000 cases of leprosy in the United States. Most of them are caused by armadillos." All conversation fades out, wine glasses stop clinking and even the traffic outside silences itself. Or so it seems. Almost immediately the chatter begins again, traffic starts moving, waiters resume serving. Things get back to normal, but everyone within earshot is riveted. The...

Finally, I’ve sorted the ideas by type, so you can easily find the kind you’re looking for. Then further divided them into these 4 groupings: Chapter 01 | 18 Food and Drink Event Ideas Chapter 02 | 21 Active Event Ideas Chapter 03 | 29 Social, Community, and Other Events Chapter 04 | 28 Mega Event Fundraising Ideas Dig in, and enjoy! 01 | 18 Food and Drink Event Ideas Many of the classic fundraising ideas rely on big events. Here are all the ones we could find to help you out! 1. Bake Sale Overhead Cost: $ Complexity to Plan: 1 Expected Return: $ The bake sale is a classic. It’s something everyone knows how to do, and your audience knows what to expect from it. Also, since you’re dealing in...

This is a guest post by Brian Saber Most fundraising professionals would prefer to do just about anything than ask someone for money face-to-face. Even for those who find it somewhat “easy,” it can be awkward and anxiety-inducing to ask for money, regardless of how good your cause is. Yet, deep down, we know asking for donations face to face for your nonprofit will end up making a huge impact… and the facts back that up. Asking in-person is proven to have the highest rate of success among all methods. Kent Dove of the Indiana University Foundation analyzed different ways of giving. Direct mail has the lowest success rate of the traditional fundraising methods –just 1-2%. Phone calls – not...

This a guest blog post by Kathie Kramer Ryan, founder of Arroyo Fundraising Would you ask someone to marry you on your first date? Chances are, no way! It’s just as unlikely that you—as a development professional—would ask a prospect to make a major gift to your organization during your first meeting. If you are planning or implementing a major gifts program, it’s a great time to review these 4 Steps to Fundraising Success. Step #1: Identify First, you’ll want to identify prospects who have the potential to become donors to your organization. Prospects may include friends and colleagues of your current donors, board members, committee members and other stakeholders. Consider former board...