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I visited Frank many times while I worked for the Children’s’ Museum. Each time I saw him, we sat in the kitchen, talked about the museum. Then, he would reach over and open that kitchen drawer and pull out a beautifully engraved stock certificate. I would carefully carry this gift back to the museum and turn it into a charitable gift annuity.
In our youth obsessed culture, it’s easy to forget about old people. Old people often have old things. Old furniture, old jewelry, old stuff. And… old investments.
As fundraisers, we all negotiate regularly with staff, our boss, and even donors and prospects. Did you know that the fundamental rules of every negotiation are the same? These interactions are all about finding a compromise among parties with different interests and objectives. Here are seven questions to ask yourself to improve your negotiation skills.
Do you struggle to generate exceptional questions for donor interviews? Then struggle no more: This post will show you a guaranteed way to generate thought-provoking interview questions that generate comprehensive, high-quality answers. And the best part is, whether it’s an interview for a donor story, annual report, board report, newsletter story — even a job or candidate interview — all of these skills will translate. Plus, we’ve included 31 sample questions that you can adapt for your next donor interview.
There are some non-profits where fundraising seems like a constant drag… These non-profits don’t have a strong culture of philanthropy. At other non-profits, fundraising is a source of pride and excitement, where new donations are celebrated, people are happy to lend a helping hand to the development office, and where fundraising programs seem to hum along. These non-profits have a strong culture of philanthropy.
It may be clear that planned giving is worth the time and investment. But how does one begin to develop a planned giving program that will lead to major gifts down the line? Can receiving planned gifts and eventually, major gifts, actually be that straightforward? Here are some simple steps for building a planned giving program that will allow your nonprofit to win big in the future.
When you’ve been working in the philanthropy field as long as I have, you hear some of the same questions over and over. One of them is, “why work for a nonprofit?” It’s a good question. Working for a nonprofit isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. There’s a lot of turnover. There’s a misleading impression that it’s low-paying work. And it can mean long hours.
One of your most important roles as a non-profit fundraiser is to steward your current donors so that they keep giving year after year. The starting point for this process is your donor thank you letter.
Becoming a fundraising consultant requires more than fundraising expertise. This guide outlines the strategic foundations for launching a successful consulting practice, including pre-launch networking, value-based pricing, diversified income streams, and disciplined marketing. Designed for experienced development professionals, this article reframes consulting as a business model—not just a career shift.
The world’s best fundraising programs rely on a strong major gifts program to fund their work. In this article, I’m going to show you how to build a major donor strategy for your organization that raises the money your non-profit needs to thrive.
Making Estate Planning Accessible, Simple, Personal, Secure and FREE!
Bequests are up, cash is down. Empower your donors to plan their will and invest their legacy in the cause they support the most.
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3 days in the trenches: It’s intense, it’s effective. We’ve been perfecting it for 20 years.
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