Practice Makes Perfect – Or At Least Able to Do the Job
Below is an excerpt from Fundraising for the Long Haul, recently published by Chardon Press. In this book, I explore the particular challenges of older groups and share with readers […]
First Steps to a Capital Campaign
A “capital” campaign is a two-to-five year effort to raise money for a one time need over and above the annual budget. They are usually used to buy, build or […]
Raising Money for Progressive Arts and Culture Organizations
Discussions about the difficulty of raising money for certain issues are generally started by people who feel sorry for themselves. Nevertheless, progressive arts and culture organizations face challenges that can […]
The Executive Director and Development Director Relationship
This article is for development directors (DD) and the executive directors (ED) who supervise them. The executive director can be a development director’s greatest ally or biggest challenge, but rarely […]
Approaching Corporations for Funding
For more than 30 years, the American Association of Fund-Raising Counsel has published an annual report called Giving USA, which analyzes trends in philanthropy and measures the extent of giving […]
Collaborative Fundraising
My grandmother, when she wanted to describe a scary but potentially important undertaking (such as going on a trip to another country, or opening a business, or adopting a child), […]
When Fundraising Strategies Wear Out
Nearly all organizations have three fundraising fantasies: Fantasy 1: The Council on Foundations will declare their group, “The group to fund now and forever” and, using one simple proposal […]
Why Do Grassroots Fundraising?
Organizations working on housing issues often suggest that the work of building a base of individual donors is out of proportion to the amount they bring in. “Compare,” says one […]
Raising Money on the World Wide Web
Anyone who knows me will probably laugh at the idea of me writing an article about using the “web” to raise money. I am one of the least technical people […]
The Board and Fundraising
The broad purpose of a board of directors is to run an organization effectively. Board members are bound to ensure that their particular organization is operating within state and federal […]
Using Letters Effectively
Like most Americans, you probably buy or give by mail occasionally. You order from catalogues, you respond to credit card promotions, and once in a while you open mail appeals […]
Hiring a Consultant
There are times in the life of almost every group when a fundraising consultant can be helpful. These times are characterized by one or more of the following situations: You […]