Blog
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Essential Major Donor Toolkit Workshop
On June 2nd in Portland, I’ll be offering a special 3 hour workshop I’ve put together on the essentials of an effective major donor program. It will be tailored for…
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Should your nonprofit use a Resource Council?
A Resource Council. A Council of Leaders. These are two names I’ve experienced as alternatives to an “Advisory Board,” which is more common in the nonprofit world. What I like…
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What makes something a “strategic” plan?
What do we mean by strategic planning in the nonprofit context? In my mind, there are three key distinguishing characteristics. First, it’s long term. Certainly more than a year. It…
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Donor Stewardship Basics and Beyond
I recently put together a presentation for The Databank on effective donor stewardship, which some people call donor cultivation. You can check out the slides from the webinar below. …
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Preparing for an Executive Director Transition
Often times Executive Director transitions are abrupt, taking place within a 1-2 month period when an E.D. moves onto another professional opportunity. Â Rarely, they are even more abrupt after a…
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Your organization is an intermediary
One of the more interesting words I recently heard used to describe nonprofits is as “intermediaries.” Under this way of thinking, your organization isn’t the protagonist in your story. Instead,…
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Questions from Joan Garry to ask candidates for your fundraising job
Joan Garry has some superb questions to ask those interviewing with you for a fundraising job, as well as what types of answers you should hope they provide. I particularly…
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Donor meeting locations
One of the truisms of fundraising, corroborated by expert fundraisers across nearly every type of nonprofit is that meeting in-person with donors almost always provides the best way to upgrade…
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Science fiction and my call to service
I was recently asked why I felt called to service. As it was asked, the question related specifically to my career’s focus on helping nonprofit organizations, either by working for…
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The power of asking good questions
When I’m asked what are the most important attributes for an effective major donor fundraiser, I often say: “nothing beats being naturally curious.” Because a good fundraiser doesn’t talk at…