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times-wrong-about-fundraising 
Amy Eisenstein
NOVEMBER 9, 2023
How do you go about qualifying your donor? For example do you inquire if finance decisions are made jointly with a spouse, in which case the invitation for the meeting should include the spouse as well.
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Amy Eisenstein
NOVEMBER 8, 2023
My biggest mistake: Making an outrageous ask at the first and only meeting of a potential donor because he lived across the country and I knew I would never meet him again. Obviously, I had no relationship nor context for my inappropriate solicitation. I would add to Amy’s advice: Be prepared with numbers.
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Amy Eisenstein
NOVEMBER 8, 2023
You can learn a lot from your past fundraising mistakes, and from my mistakes too. Here are five times I was wrong in my approach to fundraising.
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Amy Eisenstein
SEPTEMBER 23, 2022
Zoom is anathema to about 90% of my donors. You can make some progress over the phone, but now that in-person is back–I feel like fundraising is back. I take a little issue with the in-person bullet. I am a MGO and most of my prospects are older. But that may be just me. ??. Thanks for all you do!
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Amy Eisenstein
NOVEMBER 9, 2022
You should make decisions about adding new donation tools and avenues based on YOUR donors. What I’ve learned is that you don’t have to do/offer everything! Best practices aren’t always equitable or make sense depending on your nonprofits industry and donor base.
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Amy Eisenstein
NOVEMBER 15, 2023
Amy – great and relatable lessons learned!
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Amy Eisenstein
SEPTEMBER 21, 2022
Oh wow–this was exactly the message I needed today. #s s 3, 4, and 5 are going to get me through!
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Amy Eisenstein
SEPTEMBER 21, 2022
I’ve done all of these! Thanks for re-framing them as opportunities to learn and try something else.
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Clairification
APRIL 8, 2024
I find a widespread misunderstanding about the notion of what constitutes being donor-centered. Spending all your time on cultivation, assuming folks don’t need an ask and will simply give spontaneously as a result of being wooed. It derives from two misconceptions: Assuming people don’t want to be asked.
117 
Bloomerang
MARCH 1, 2024
CFRE, our very own Fundraising Coach , also known as Charity Clairity. — Worried about doing the wrong thing Dear Worried, It’s important to be careful to follow donor wishes, so kudos to you for being thoughtful about how you’ll recognize a gift when the donor asks to remain anonymous.
99 
iMarketSmart
APRIL 24, 2024
But here’s the rub when it comes to fundraising metrics – it matters very much which accountability metrics you use. Use the wrong ones, and your fundraising revenue will start trending the other way. The study found that using small-dollar metrics to hold major gifts fundraisers accountable hurt these charities – A LOT!
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Bloomerang
APRIL 15, 2024
But you can make an especially robust case that this is indeed the case in fundraising. What does it take to be successful in fundraising? Fundraising is a profession directed at nurturing friendships that culminate in gifts of time, talent, and treasure. Fundraising ethics isn’t an option but a necessity.
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Bloomerang
NOVEMBER 27, 2023
There are a lot of myths when it comes to fundraising with volunteers: Myth #1 : “Volunteers are already giving us their time so we shouldn’t also ask them for money.” Volunteers are 66% more likely to donate financially to the organization they support than those who don’t volunteer their time.
73 
NonProfit Leadership Alliance
OCTOBER 10, 2023
Whether you are about to embark on your fundraising career or are a seasoned veteran looking to take that big leap into a leadership position, looking for that “just right” fundraising job is likely to create enthusiasm. Now, there is nothing inherently wrong with those job posting statements. Congratulations!
iMarketSmart
APRIL 12, 2024
If something about fundraising makes you uncomfortable, it isn’t because there’s something wrong with you but because there’s something wrong with the way you’re fundraising, or being expected to. Fundraising should be as easy as asking a friend to hang out. And so it should be.
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The Charity CFO
MAY 4, 2022
What role should your board play in fundraising? Linda has trained over 30,000 nonprofit professionals worldwide–from Nevada to Mexico to Egypt–and is only one of about 100 people to hold the prestigious title of Advanced Certified Fund Raising Executive (ACFRE). Why you MUST train your board to fundraise (14:30). Or here ??.
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Clairification
JANUARY 4, 2024
Let’s begin with a question: What do you spend more time on? I’ll bet you devoted a lot of time to this endeavor. Now… you should be devoting at least as much time to thanking the donors who responded to your appeals, with the goal of retaining and upgrading them over time. Asking or thanking?
112 
iMarketSmart
MAY 15, 2024
Far too many gift officers and other fundraisers give up too easily when they don’t get a positive response from their donor prospects. This is true in the sales world and in the fundraising world. Why would fundraising be any different? If that’s not the case, then reaching out is probably a waste of time.
Bloomerang
MARCH 13, 2024
Typically, when you make a solicitation, you hear one of three responses: “ Yes ,” “ No ,” or “We need more time.” This is like a fundraiser’s Bermuda Triangle. I sure have in my 30 years as a practitioner and several years as a fundraising trainer/consultant to a wide range of nonprofits. This has taken me time to appreciate.
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Nonprofit Tech for Good
AUGUST 14, 2022
When time and resources are scarce, it’s easier to send out the same fundraising message to everyone in your community. This person fears offending donors by asking at the “wrong” time. What has Research Shown About Why Donors Give? About the Sponsor. How Can you Encourage Your Donors to Give?
114 
Bloomerang
JANUARY 20, 2023
CFRE, our very own Fundraising Coach , also known as Charity Clairity. Today’s question come from a fundraiser and donor who wants advice on how to handle poor donor engagement: Dear Charity Clairity, I’m a fundraiser, but also a donor. I like a little human connection and recognition of who I am; what I care about.
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Clairification
OCTOBER 16, 2023
The job of the smart fundraiser is inspiring passionate philanthropy to make people’s lives better. But none of us is born with a fundraising gene. And no one ever really teaches us how to write a smart fundraising appeal. The truth is writing a compelling fundraising appeal can be tricky. We copy from our predecessors.
108 
Candid
MAY 1, 2024
With the combined resources of Foundation Center and GuideStar, we at Candid have a unique opportunity to build the most effective solution for providing information for and about nonprofits and funders. For example, we heard that funders want more information about fiscally sponsored organizations and their sponsors.
Candid
DECEMBER 14, 2023
But does this traditional approach to toolkits make sense given the amount of time and effort it requires? Let’s talk about the return on investment with the traditional approach and an alternative way of building out your library of materials that could result in greater benefit. What were we doing wrong?
105 
iMarketSmart
APRIL 10, 2024
You know that feeling when you’re talking to someone, and you realize they’ve already made up their mind about you? When you make assumptions about your major donors and prospects, the damage is even more severe. Using humor, his goal was to draw attention to equally incorrect assumptions fundraisers make about major donors.
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Bloomerang
SEPTEMBER 25, 2023
I don’t give to people who can’t even tell if they’re boys or girls,” an irate long-time donor said before slamming down the phone. As a fundraiser, I am not allowed to do that. How can I reconcile the angry feminist, the budget-aware fundraiser, the yogi, and the activist? Nowadays, it’s a little more complicated than that.
107 
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
OCTOBER 19, 2023
It’s all about how your nonprofit communications team and your organizational as a whole work together. Integrate marketing and communications goals with programmatic and fundraising goals. Nonprofit communicators constantly complain about how busy they are and how time holds them back. C is for Collaborative.
Clairification
FEBRUARY 13, 2023
Alas, nonprofits spend too much time thinking about the right way to ask people for donations, yet not enough time thinking about who the right people are to ask. Folks, success — in fishing and fundraising — takes more than toiling, tackle, and time. I’d be a wealthy woman.
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Fundraising Coach
FEBRUARY 8, 2023
It’s as though they see fundraising as a “stop gap” solution. As though fundraising were at odds with “sustainability.” ” What if this seeking of sustainability were all a waste of time? Done well, fundraising from the community is 100% about furthering the nonprofit’s mission.
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Clairification
DECEMBER 19, 2022
What looks good about the mail package? What looks not so good about all these package elementsl? First, I’d like you to think about your answers and jot them down. Really take the time to notice what you like and don’t like. What’s wrong or right with this envelope? If yes, why? If no, why? The letter?
74 
iMarketSmart
FEBRUARY 22, 2022
Five or ten years ago, it seemed like everyone in fundraising suddenly started talking about storytelling. Tons of vendors serving nonprofits began to write blog posts instructing fundraisers to learn how to tell better stories. It shows that we sincerely care about them and their interests. It happened so fast.
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Bloomerang
MARCH 17, 2023
Winning fundraisers know how to handle it. Bottom line: Fundraisers typically hear one out of three responses to an ask: Yes, No, or Maybe. First and foremost, hearing no is all part of the fundraising business. First and foremost, hearing no is all part of the fundraising business. ” This scenario occurs every day.
114 
Bloomerang
AUGUST 7, 2021
CFRE, our very own Fundraising Coach , also known as Charity Clairity. Dear Charity Clairity, Every time I attend a conference or webinar on the subject of major donor development I learn about the importance of meeting with major donors in person. Dear Fear of Being Held Back, You are right to be concerned about this.
121 
Stanford Social Innovation Review
APRIL 25, 2024
Literally, within five minutes of my arrival, I was hearing tales of anxiety and exasperation about “Big Bet Philanthropy.” Here, from my conversations in Oxford, are a few sobering observations about big bet philanthropy that I hope will provide some useful fodder: 1. Done well, it’s way less risky and way more productive over time.
97 
iMarketSmart
MARCH 8, 2022
In this post, we’ll start by briefly recalling what storytellers get wrong. Most people involved in fundraising think transactionally instead of relationally. Now only about 50% do. Because too many transaction-minded fundraisers misunderstand how fundraising stories really work. Why is this happening?
89 
Candid
OCTOBER 4, 2023
If you’re approaching them about a grant or donation to your nonprofit, there’s a strong chance that they’ll look at your organization’s LinkedIn Page , too. Outdated information or incomplete sections on your profile or your nonprofit’s Page may send the wrong signal, making decision makers less likely to want to connect.
104 
The Charity CFO
JULY 14, 2022
A lot of nonprofit leaders are asking us about how to prepare their organizations for the possibility of a recession. Having a grasp on your cash flow is ALWAYS important, but even more so in the face of economic and fundraising uncertainty brought on by a global or national recession. 6 Steps to Recession-Proof Your Nonprofit.
105 
iMarketSmart
DECEMBER 8, 2023
” It’s been cited as one of the two most important quotes about business. It is also cited to justify any and all fundraising metrics. A man was fastidious about preparing for his practice. When we overmeasure or measure the wrong things, we render fundraising mechanical, awkward, unsatisfying, and unsuccessful.
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Fundraising Coach
MARCH 11, 2020
The media is full of stories about how this Covid-19 coronavirus is impacting the economy. Last month, I shared some ideas on fundraising in an age of the Covid-19 coronavirus. What is a nonprofit fundraiser to do? These times are not fun. As we're in this uncomfortable time, remember to avoid these three things.
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Jeff Brooks
MAY 10, 2023
Testing is one of the great advantages of doing direct-response fundraising. Here’s a helpful post from the Heroic Fundraising Blog, at When to Invest in a Fundraising Campaign Test? If you you lose sight of the why (believe me, this happens all the time), you can wrongly interpret test results. Be specific about it.
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Ann Green
JUNE 30, 2022
The mid-point of the year is always a good time to see if you’re meeting your fundraising and communications goals. In this continuous time of uncertainty, your fundraising may be down. Yes, we’re seeing Inflation and a possible recession , but that doesn’t mean you should stop fundraising. Don’t fly blind.
114 
Fundraising Coach
MAY 14, 2024
Your organization has just made a compelling fundraising ask to a potential donor. In fact, for donors to support your nonprofit online at all, you need a payment processor, and you’ll usually only notice if something goes wrong, like a data breach. Now that one of the hardest parts is over, what are the next steps you should take?
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Jeff Brooks
OCTOBER 19, 2022
He replied with some ridiculous mumbo-jumbo about keeping bad smells from the sewer line from getting into the house. That's just outmoded old "best practices" you're clinging to that don't make sense in these times," I told him. I'm calling a different plumber to figure out what he did wrong. Fight for good fundraising!
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Jeff Brooks
DECEMBER 20, 2022
As a fundraiser, you may have been told by someone who has authority over your work to try again; it's not right: I'll know it when I see it. But more than that, it's an illusion created by the fact that we see finished, proven projects all the time; we know what they look like -- so we think we know good when we see it, right?
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