There is no faster way into our brains than an image. As Peter Temple explains in this post, “We don’t see words as a series of letters. We see them as pictures.” He goes on to say that our brains read words as a series of images. We’re able to quickly (milliseconds) put them together when […] The post How do you connect with donors? Show more. appeared first on Hands-On Fundraising ..read more

First, why does donor retention matter? Ah, donor retention. We talk about it often. But why does it matter? Acquiring new donors is hard and often expensive. (You still need to do it.) So not doing all you can to keep the donors you have is like tossing money out the window. Prioritize retention! Also… […] The post Your donor retention how-to appeared first on Hands-On Fundraising ..read more

Playing cute tricks with donors isn’t the win you think it is I’ve been stewing about a certain kind of gift solicitation. I’ve hesitated to write about it. But I get more annoyed the more I think about the damage these things can do. Want some examples? This is an email I got. (Good organization; […] The post Don’t invoice me when you want a gift appeared first on Hands-On Fundraising ..read more

I’m convinced we’re made of stories And if that sounds a little goofy, then I’m guilty. But I’m sticking to it. The stories we tell ourselves about our lives and loves. The stories we hear from other people that shed light on who they are. And the stories that we read… whether in a great […] The post How to unearth the stories you need appeared first on Hands-On Fundraising ..read more

What sloppy data means to donors Are you ignoring crossed wires? If tending to your donor database is a job passed off on the intern or an occasional volunteer, you’re playing with fire. Why? Because that’s not just “computer stuff”. That information is where your donors live. Those relationships you know you should be building? […] The post What sloppy data means to donors appeared first on Hands-On Fundraising ..read more

Have I ever told you how I became a fundraiser? I’m hesitant to share because I don’t often find myself interesting enough… But I think in this case, there were a few reasons why my first fundraising job became a career lasting decades. And I hope that’s useful to you. My first nonprofit job was […] The post Becoming a fundraiser appeared first on Hands-On Fundraising ..read more

Small organization fundraising You’re not alone. Here in the U.S., most nonprofits are smaller organizations, with nearly one million organizations having annual revenues below 50,000 U.S. dollars. Here are some tips to help small organizations fundraise: 1.      Invest Most small organizations struggle with money. How to get it. What to spend it on. So your financial decisions […] The post Small organization with big dreams? 7 tips to help you grow appeared first on Hands-On Fundraising ..read more

It’s usually an inside job. There you are, minding your own business. Getting the job done. You know the work inside and out. Sure, there are days… and nights, when all you want is a stiff drink and a chance to relax. But there are needs to be met. People to be fed. Or housed. […] The post How to prevent a fundraising crime appeared first on Hands-On Fundraising ..read more

You’ve been working hard on that last campaign. And now, you have new gifts! After the celebration, you begin to wonder. How can you write a thank you that works? Where do you start? Here’s my quick thank you letter how-to First, a confession: I used to write rote, boring, perfunctory thank you letters. And […] The post How to write a thank you letter when you’re feeling stuck appeared first on Hands-On Fundraising ..read more

Do any of these nonprofit fundraising challenges sound familiar? Does any of this sound familiar? I get it. That’s been me, for years, working with small to medium-sized nonprofits, and struggling to build a stronger donor base. Let’s look at some of the root problems that put you in this spot. Fundraising challenge: Starving for […] The post What keeps you up at night? appeared first on Hands-On Fundraising ..read more