iMarketSmart

JANUARY 24, 2024

Your biggest major donors simply cannot be treated like all your other donors. If you’re like most mid-size and larger nonprofits, they are funding the great majority of your operation. It’s about alignment with what a major gift represents. At one level, $100,000 would be the biggest gift ever received by a nonprofit.

Values 52

Values Activism Associations Fundraising 52

iMarketSmart

FEBRUARY 8, 2023

If you’re a major gift officer, brace yourself, because this article might rile you up a bit. What do you know about those people – anything useful at all? If new people get added with no explanation or insight as to what makes them a good prospect, then your caseload is probably filled with bad prospects.

Nonprofit Administration and Development 52

Nonprofit Administration and Development Finance Values Universities 52

iMarketSmart

JULY 17, 2023

Some gifts may help reputation, while others won’t. Theory: The monomyth Showing that “people like me make gifts like this” matches the primal-giving game. That cycle is, Showing that “people like me make gifts like this” connects ● Original identity→ Challenge Who is “like me?” .” – Latin proverb[1] It’s simple.

Psychology 98

Psychology Altruism and Helping Public and Nonprofit Management Fundraising 98

iMarketSmart

MARCH 3, 2023

What is the ideal caseload size for gift officers? Is it based on research? Did they ask gift officers how many fundraising prospects they can realistically work with at one time? So where does this 150 figure for the ideal gift officer’s caseload size come from? Gift officers are humans too.

Nonprofit Administration and Development 52

Nonprofit Administration and Development Universities Management Values 52

Bloomerang

AUGUST 30, 2023

These advancements mean you have the budget available to invest in new fundraising software that can streamline your fundraising tasks and empower you to raise even more. Now, you’re probably wondering how to find not just a robust fundraising platform, but buy fundraising software that serves your organization for the long term.

Fundraising 87

Fundraising Fundraising Public and Nonprofit Management Management 87

Top Nonprofits

MARCH 4, 2024

In a multichannel fundraising strategy , corporate giving is one of the most effective fundraising avenues for nonprofits. With that in mind, how can your nonprofit earn more from this lucrative fundraising avenue this year? With that in mind, how can your nonprofit earn more from this lucrative fundraising avenue this year?

Philanthropy 52

Philanthropy Values Construction Homelessness 52

Top Nonprofits

MARCH 4, 2024

In a multichannel fundraising strategy , corporate giving is one of the most effective fundraising avenues for nonprofits. With that in mind, how can your nonprofit earn more from this lucrative fundraising avenue this year? With that in mind, how can your nonprofit earn more from this lucrative fundraising avenue this year?

Philanthropy 52

Philanthropy Values Construction Homelessness 52

iMarketSmart

MARCH 13, 2024

Fundraising Waste This is what I am talking about. They do this using a variety of increasingly expensive methods such as: Direct mail Fundraising events Social media advertising Other digital advertising TV and radio advertising Do these work? Is there a better way? How Much Should Nonprofits Spend on Fundraising?

Fundraising 52

Fundraising Fundraising Universities Advertising 52

iMarketSmart

MAY 17, 2023

Why do gift officers quit their jobs so frequently? Gift officer turnover is holding so many nonprofit organizations back. Gift officers are feeling burned out, ignored, pressured, and that their time is being wasted. This is not the way to develop or sustain mutually healthy, productive, and beneficial relationships.

Nonprofit Administration and Development 52

Nonprofit Administration and Development Leadership Fundraising Fundraising 52

iMarketSmart

AUGUST 16, 2023

Getting that initial engagement from a major donor prospect is a big hurdle. Yes, we all want to meet with donors, have great conversations, build relationships, and win big gifts. But getting started with new prospects isn’t easy. As a gift officer or outreach administrator, you are a total stranger to them.

Values 52

Values Finance Education Education 52

iMarketSmart

MARCH 29, 2023

There are two languages in fundraising – donorese, and organizationish. Are the words you’re using in your planned giving language the most effective way to communicate with donors? Let’s see what the research says! But those words aren’t always the words most donors use and understand. What does that tell us?

Insurance 52

Insurance Fundraising Fundraising Associations 52

iMarketSmart

JANUARY 4, 2023

That’s the nature of major gifts fundraising. There is often preference among nonprofit administrators, directors, and board members for gifts of cash. You get it immediately and can use it right away. Gifts of assets, on the other hand, tend to be more complicated. You can’t use it right away.

Insurance 52

Insurance Nonprofits Philanthropy Fundraising 52

iMarketSmart

AUGUST 23, 2023

The more you can learn about major donors before you meet them, the more effective you will be at that first meeting. A good first meeting is more likely to lead to a second meeting, and eventually a transformational gift for your organization. The best way to learn the most you can about donors is through surveys. These work.

Activism 52

Activism Psychology Environmental Communication 52

iMarketSmart

JULY 14, 2023

Here’s the situation: You’ve been tasked with finding a fresh batch of potential major donors to engage. You’ve been given an arbitrary and unreasonably short timeline to find them and secure some big gifts. Propensity means just what it sounds like – an inclination to make big gifts to causes like yours. What do you do?

Disaster Relief 52

Disaster Relief Participation and motivation Finance Fundraising 52

iMarketSmart

MARCH 1, 2023

So many nonprofits seeking major gifts keep doing what they’ve been told by the so-called experts, consultants, and traditionalists. Are those the strategies and the ways of communicating and understanding your major donors that best connect with them? Why Do Major Donors Give? Ask, ask, ask. Stick to the script.

Activism 52

Activism Values Fundraising Fundraising 52

iMarketSmart

DECEMBER 5, 2022

Fundraising metrics can’t do everything. So, let’s look at some hard stuff when it comes to fundraising. Fundraising math v. fundraising emotion. Each has capacity to make a $10,000 gift. Each has a 75% chance of making that gift. Each has capacity to make a $1 million gift. The right metrics.

Fundraising 52

Fundraising Fundraising Public and Nonprofit Management Nonprofit Administration and Development 52

Bloomerang

JUNE 7, 2021

For those of you on a different fiscal year, skip down to “Cleaning up your Prospect Database” and save this checklist for whenever the time is right for you. For those of you on a different fiscal year, skip down to “Cleaning up your Prospect Database” and save this checklist for whenever the time is right for you.

Nonprofits 137

Nonprofits Retention Psychology Foundations 137

iMarketSmart

JANUARY 18, 2023

And while foundations are typically self-funded at first, many of them end up doing traditional fundraising and accepting donations, often from other wealthy individuals. Recent data revealed that private foundations received 11% of all donations in the US, adding up to over $45 billion. Just $5 billion. That’s a lot of money.

Foundations 52

Foundations Values Culture Nonprofits 52

iMarketSmart

NOVEMBER 13, 2020

You know major gift fundraising is a marathon, not a sprint. Next, you send a letter to your prospect and promise to follow it up with a phone call. So you think to yourself, “There’s got to be a better way!”. And I’m here to tell you that the better way is with LinkedIn. Your prospects are using LinkedIn.

Psychology 52

Psychology Values Fundraising Fundraising 52

iMarketSmart

JUNE 4, 2021

In my previous post I outlined the reasons why nonprofit fundraising operations need marketing automation so they raise money more cost-efficiently. In this post you’ll learn how marketing automation can take tedious tasks off your plate while supporting your major gift, planned gift, and mid-level fundraising efforts. .

Marketing 52

Marketing Marketing Technology Values 52

iMarketSmart

MAY 22, 2023

Lead with a gift: The primal-giving game Biologists model sustainable giving in nature with a game.[1] He explains, “An example is one which on each move models the behavior of the other player as a Markov process, and then uses Bayesian inference to select what seems the best choice for the long run.”[3] Bring a gift.

Altruism and Helping 52

Altruism and Helping Non-Profits Universities Participation and motivation 52

iMarketSmart

MAY 4, 2022

Fundraising is not an operation. And it’s especially important for major gifts and planned giving fundraising. Hall of Fame fundraising researcher Dr. Russell James calls follow-up questions “magical,” because they show donors that you care and want to understand them. Use this to get them to keep talking.

Values 52

Values Technology Foundations Fundraising 52

iMarketSmart

MAY 4, 2022

Fundraising is not an operation. And it’s especially important for major gifts and planned giving fundraising. Hall of Fame fundraising researcher Dr. Russell James calls follow-up questions “magical,” because they show donors that you care and want to understand them. Use this to get them to keep talking.

Values 52

Values Technology Foundations Fundraising 52

iMarketSmart

MAY 1, 2023

But biologists often model these using a simple game.[1] Thus, if a gift’s audience can’t reciprocate, giving always loses. If other players never see my gifts, they can’t respond to them. It starts with a question In nature, sustainable giving to unrelated others does occur. But it happens only with reciprocal alliances.

Altruism and Helping 52

Altruism and Helping Law Psychology Food 52

Top Nonprofits

JULY 24, 2023

Your school needs a strong fundraising strategy to bring in extra revenue, engage your community members, and power your school’s mission. Whether you’re hosting an auction in-person, virtually, or as a hybrid, you can rally supporters around your fundraising goals and engage students, parents, teachers, and community members alike.

Fundraising 52

Fundraising Fundraising Participation and motivation Nonprofit governance and management 52

iMarketSmart

JANUARY 30, 2023

It uncovers capacity for a major gift. Major gifts are gifts of wealth, not disposable income. To encourage these gifts, we need to have wealth conversations.[10] Strategies from research For some, their wealth is a sensitive topic. Research suggests two useful approaches.

Public and Social Policy 52

Public and Social Policy Psychology Insurance Ethics 52

iMarketSmart

OCTOBER 10, 2022

In major gifts fundraising, this works. It works for the fundraiser. The fundraiser is the guiding sage. But a nonprofit is not just a fundraising organization. It might deliver healthcare, research, or education. Embracing the donor-hero story inspires fundraising. It works for the donor.

Nonprofit Administration and Development 52

Nonprofit Administration and Development Nonprofit governance and management Culture Public and Nonprofit Management 52

iMarketSmart

NOVEMBER 28, 2022

Want to start a fight in a fundraising comment section? 1] Another writes, “Fundraisers need to focus MORE on creating memories and moments with their donors … and LESS about hitting those wacky metrics or year-end goals.”[2]. Yes, they’re all talking about fundraising. But fundraising isn’t one thing. Fightin’ words.

Fundraising 52

Fundraising Fundraising Public and Nonprofit Management Management 52

iMarketSmart

DECEMBER 12, 2022

A charity can provide value to many people in many ways. But fundraising provides value to the donor in just one way – by delivering an enhanced identity. The audience for the gift can be simply the donor himself. The gift can enhance personal meaning. The gift can enhance reputation. It fits the story.

Public and Social Policy 52

Public and Social Policy Universities Values Law 52

iMarketSmart

FEBRUARY 1, 2022

First: when we talk about cost, we’re not talking about fundraising expenses. But it doesn’t have to be that way. I also reminded you to have empathy for your top donor prospects. Rather, 1 out of 5 people with $50 million or more feel extremely financially insecure and 1 out of 10 feel somewhat financially insecure.

Values 52

Values Philanthropy Governance Finance 52

iMarketSmart

NOVEMBER 7, 2022

The “one big thing” in fundraising is always the same: Advance the donor’s hero story. Returns to the place of beginning with a gift to improve that world. The compelling fundraising challenge will make each link. All story uses a narrative arc. Or why not just collect a list of fundraising tips and tricks?

Altruism and Helping 52

Altruism and Helping Fundraising Fundraising Public and Social Policy 52

Bloomerang

DECEMBER 19, 2023

67% of nonprofits use a constituent relationship management system (CRM) to track donations and manage supporter communications. According to a National Council of Nonprofits report , the vast majority of nonprofits operate at the grassroots level, and 88% have budgets less than $500,000. Is it worth it to spend the money?

Public and Nonprofit Management 84

Public and Nonprofit Management Nonprofits Management Public and Social Policy 84

iMarketSmart

JULY 10, 2023

Sharing helps “us.” The congregation will use the new building. This gift is sharing. This gift is sharing. The gift helps those in another country rebuild after an earthquake. This gift will likely be much smaller. When players interact repeatedly, research shows the winning strategy.

Altruism and Helping 52

Altruism and Helping Psychology Fundraising Fundraising 52

iMarketSmart

FEBRUARY 20, 2023

We thoughtfully craft and stage the fundraising ask. This emotional experience is all too common for fundraisers. It can make fundraisers avoid asking. The prospective hero always faces a “call to adventure.”[1] The prospective hero always faces a “call to adventure.”[1] We put in the work. We put in the planning.

Universities 52

Universities Nonprofit governance and management Fundraising Fundraising 52

iMarketSmart

OCTOBER 17, 2022

The prospective hero must choose: Stay in his small, self-focused, ordinary world, or. The prospective hero must choose: Stay in his small, self-focused, ordinary world, or. Along the way, a guiding sage will help the hero. He will return victorious, bringing a gift to enhance his original world. Fundraising challenge.

Fundraising 52

Fundraising Fundraising Values Universities 52

iMarketSmart

OCTOBER 20, 2014

You know major gift fundraising is a marathon, not a sprint. Next, you send a letter to your prospect and promise to follow it up with a phone call. So you think to yourself, “There’s got to be a better way!”. And I’m here to tell you that the better way is with LinkedIn. Your prospects are using LinkedIn.

Psychology 78

Psychology Values Fundraising Fundraising 78

iMarketSmart

APRIL 18, 2022

1] This may be particularly true in fundraising. If the cost feels smaller, a gift is more likely. One way is by subtraction. Lowering the real cost of a gift can help. Objective discounts like tax benefits make bigger gifts possible. Result: The gift makes a $2 impact but costs the donor only $1.

Philanthropy 52

Philanthropy Psychology Participation and motivation Public and Nonprofit Management 52