Tell Me More!
In your next donor conversation, pause before moving to the next question or topic. Try asking “tell me more.”
Love > Fear
Fear may be part of being human, but it doesn't have to be the thing driving us.
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.
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.
Grief Isn’t Linear. Neither Are Relationships.
Relationships, like grief, aren’t linear and predictable. They weren’t meant to be.