Posts Tagged ‘fundraising tips’
Dream Big with Your Capital Campaign
Our Custom Development Solutions (CDS) staff are constantly talking with many nonprofit organizations across the US and Canada. We provide our clients with feedback on how they can best conduct their fundraising and capital campaign operations. That professional objectivity is a luxury for us and a resource for our partner organizations. Why Should You Dream…
Read MoreA Couple of Heartwarming Fundraising Stories
Fundraising can become such a mechanical process, in which we focus on rating prospects, writing proposals and scheduling logistics. This is never truer than in the midst of a capital campaign, when the pace of activity must be very high and everyone is focused on the bottom line of the campaign’s financial goal. In these…
Read MoreThe Forensics of Fundraising: Study, Research, and Analysis
My youngest daughter is a big fan of crime scene investigation shows. She tries to solve the mystery before the solution is revealed at the end of the show. While watching television with her one night, it occurred to me that fundraising was a lot like crime scene investigations, except, of course, for the corpses…
Read MoreAnniversaries and Capital Campaigns: A Winning Combination
Is your organization celebrating a special anniversary in the near future? Are you considering a capital campaign? If you answered “yes” to both of these questions, you have the potential to increase awareness of your organization and add or upgrade donors! The celebration of your fifth, tenth, twentieth or another anniversary can attract increased media…
Read MoreThe Power of a Positive Suggestion for a Fundraising Gift
Asking for money is, for many people, one of the most difficult things to do. For those of us involved with not-for-profit organizations, however, it is a critical task. We have to continually work to identify and assess new prospects. We must also hone our skills as solicitors. Even the most experienced fundraiser needs to…
Read MoreThe Ask — There is a Way to Ask, and then there is a RIGHT WAY to Ask
Perhaps the most critical part of a capital campaign is ‘‘the ask’’ing process, especially with major gifts. Each solicitation is an opportunity to close another great gift, but it is also possible to make some critical errors. We have all made the mistake of low-balling a potential prospect with an “ask” that was too easy…
Read MoreWhy People Give
Of all the critical elements to a major gift solicitation, perhaps none is greater than the idea of preparation. The ideal goal is to learn enough about your prospect so that you can predict their response and have a ready answer for all of their questions and concerns. If you can eliminate all, or most,…
Read MoreWho Asks Whom and for How Much?
In the beginning of any campaign, there are many important decisions to make, but none is more important than who is asked first, and for how much money. Those of you involved in classic major gifts fundraising know that it is crucial to start with the largest gifts first, before moving gradually through medium sized…
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