Laurence recently had the good fortune of spending some time with Michael Clark, the CEO of The Nonprofit Coordinatin
Posted on Wednesday, May 22, 2013 - 2:28pm
Posted on Friday, May 17, 2013 - 1:23pm
A conversation I recently had with George, a colleague who works on the corporate side of philanthropy, sheds light on the role your Board can play in securing grants from corporate foundations as well as the more lucrative corporate sponsorships. For several years, George had been on the staff of an insurance colossus, evaluating proposals submitted by nonprofit organizations.
Posted on Tuesday, May 14, 2013 - 1:36pm
PhilanTech and GrantStation just released their 6th semi-annual State of Grant Seeking report. The basis of the report was a survey of nonprofits of all size to learn more about their grant seeking activities.
A summary of the findings follows:
Posted on Thursday, May 9, 2013 - 11:02am
Nearly 95% of all planned gifts are made through bequests. These gifts in someone’s last will and testament come to your organization well after the donor’s initial commitment was made and usually without you having been aware of the designation. But there are many other ways to encourage your donors to make planned gifts. It is important for you to be well-versed in various planned giving options. Let’s take a look at one of those options: how a donor’s life insurance policy can be turned into a major gift.
Posted on Thursday, May 2, 2013 - 1:59pm
It is rare that an organization truly integrates the work of program officers and fundraising staff. They usually work as two different teams in parallel functions, goals, and outcomes. Typically program and fundraising staff work in a silo, which not only makes everyone’s job more difficult, but it also can lead to duplicated efforts and a misunderstanding of each other roles in the bigger picture. Program staff is essential to developing a fundraising strategy and fundraising staff is essential to sustaining and expanding the organization’s programs and services. One cannot survive without the other.
Posted on Friday, April 26, 2013 - 8:46am
Have you left money on the table by asking for it in the wrong way? Like most of us, whether or not you know it, the answer to that question is almost certainly “Yes.”
Posted on Thursday, April 18, 2013 - 11:20am
Like most Americans you have probably just filed your taxes. And like more than two-thirds of us, you likely took the standard deduction rather than an itemized deduction. This means that the tax deductibility of your charitable donations to qualified nonprofits, and those of your peers, had no bearing on your tax bill. Yet, the last time you wrote an appeal letter to your donors we’re betting that you included the phrase “tax-deductible donation.”
Posted on Friday, April 12, 2013 - 9:42am
Q. I have a list of prospects I’m supposed to call, but I always “conveniently” find something else to do. I become paralyzed when I think of having to ask for money. How do I deal? --Stephanie, executive director in Westchester, NY
Posted on Wednesday, April 3, 2013 - 2:54pm
Sara Kirkwood Associate for Campaigns answers a readers question about what is needed for an effective appeal letter.
Posted on Wednesday, April 3, 2013 - 9:15am
An "Outside the Lines" investigation of 115 charities founded by high-profile, top-earning male and female athletes has found that most of their charities don't measure u
Posted on Wednesday, March 27, 2013 - 12:04pm
Before you begin research on donor prospects, you may need to find some prospects! You may be surprised by how many places you can look:
Posted on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 - 11:08am
A neighborhood youth-development agency reaching 1,000 children and families a year may not seem like a candidate for significant corporate sponsorship dollars. Last month’s blog mapped out a new strategy for positioning a national organization to secure a corporate sponsor. The basic principles of that strategy—partner with larger organizations, enumerate the ways the partnership can offer a corporation wide exposure, build on more and more media opportunities—can work just as well for your neighborhood nonprofit.
Posted on Thursday, March 14, 2013 - 11:22am
A critical step in securing major gifts is learning about your donors. Approaching donors as individuals, not bank accounts, humanizes the major gifts process and takes the sting out of “the ask.” What is the linchpin to getting to know your donors? Research!
Posted on Monday, March 11, 2013 - 4:04pm
You’ll often hear Laurence saying, “The fundraisers' product is the program outcomes and their impact on the nonprofit’s clients." Without that data and reporting, we cannot in good conscious ask donors and funders for repeat support.
Posted on Wednesday, March 6, 2013 - 3:38pm
The difference between donor and member is one we have always struggled with. If you make any donation to
- 1 of 6
- ››