Monthly Archives: November, 2010
Step Up, Step Over or Step Out
Before the December holiday events get in full swing, take time to evaluate strengths and weaknesses of each member of your board. Start by meeting with the chair to analyze each one’s performance over the past year. Then, meet individually with them just as you would with employees. Consider it an appraisal interview, conducted informally over lunch, in the development [...]
Ten Tips for the Asking
How can you be a better fundraiser? Try these simple tips: 1 – Make your own gift first. Asking someone to do something you have not done weakens your appeal. 2 – The solicitor should make his or her own appointments. This conveys a much greater sense of importance. 3 – Meet in person. Face to face [...]
Where Have All the (Planned) Donors Gone?
A mere 21% of Americans have a will and an expectation to leave money to charity through it, according to a recent national survey by Opinion Research Corporation (ORC) for The Non Profit Times. This is down sharply from a similar study in 2007, which showed just over half either without wills or charitable intent through their estate planning provisions. Women [...]
What’s In It For Me?
Businesses budget dollars for marketing, advertising, sponsorships and charitable gifts. As a non-profit seeking donations, it’s helpful to recognize and capitalize on their luxury of options. An initial barrier to overcome with a prospective business donor is their ”what’s in it for me” position. So, what IS in in for them, and how can charities motivate and inspire businesses to give? [...]
Can You Come Out To Play?
Are your volunteers comfortable asking for charitable gifts? A face to face ask for money from a friend or business associate can be awkward and even threatening. Fortunately, simple strategies exist to reduce the stress level and even encourage reluctant fundraisers. How can you motivate volunteers to ask for your organization? One time-tested strategy is to engage them in a role play that simulates the [...]
Planning for Planned Gifts
$10-$15 trillion? The largest ever transfer of intergenerational wealth happening now? Every fundraiser’s ears perk up at these kinds of statistics, but the reality is that most charities will not be flooded with estate gifts because 90% of donor mortality simply results in lost current giving. In fact, in a recent nine-year study that tracked 20,000 Americans over the age [...]
