When the Donor's Agenda Needs to Replace Yours
Sometimes the most donor-centered thing you can do is put the ask away and simply stay in the conversation.
When Relationship Fundraising is Really Direct Mail in Disguise
Great fundraising programs need excellent direct mail and strong relationship fundraising. They should work together. But they are not the same.
Ask, Don't Tell: What the Best Donor Calls Have in Common
Try to shift your conversational strategy: you're not there to tell the donor what her gift means; you're there to learn.
Your Emergency Donors Went Quiet. Here's Why (and How to Bring Them Back)
Most emergency donors don't lapse because they stopped caring; they just need to feel the ongoing need.
Don’t Miss the Ocelot (hint, it’s a small cat), But Don’t Miss the Joy Either
As you’re getting to know donors, don’t focus so much on your predetermined goal that you miss the joy of the relationship along the way.
Don’t Propose on the First Date
In fundraising, just like dating, moving too fast rarely ends with a ring.
The Velvet Dart
Take a moment that could have created distance and turn it into something that builds trust instead.
Your Donors Shouldn’t Be Floating Around
When systems are clear and consistently followed, donors move. They don’t stall out. They don’t sit unseen.
They Didn’t Stop Caring - They Just Stopped Giving
Reaching out to a lapsed donor is not about checking a box or clearing a report. It’s about reopening a conversation that likely never needed to close in the first place.
A Story in Four Words: Call Your Lapsed Donors
If someone is assigned to you and they’ve lapsed, they’re not “less important.” They’re just… waiting.