Your organization’s mission matters.  You know that.  Your staff knows that.  Your donors know that. So… are you acting like your mission matters?  Do your fundraising activities reflect that knowledge?  Most organizations start-off with their mission front and center in their fundraising activities and appeals… but over time, too many non-profits turn to asking their [...]

I’ve received a great deal of interest lately from novice and experienced fundraisers about what happens after you receive a rejection letter for your proposal. I have never hesitated to tell people that I’ve received plenty of rejection as a grant writer. What this rejection has done is made me a better, more strategic fundraiser [...]

Do you ask more than one donor for the same thing? We are in the beginning stages of grant proposal writing, but we got a reply back recently that said the foundation would make a decision in November. So, do we wait, or send the same proposal to others? If we get a positive response [...]

Staying up to date with news related to the non profit sector and your interest area in particular can boost the success of your group. By scanning these three publications you can: Discover information about your key supporters Identify possible new donors Stay up to date with current events that impact your cause Review case [...]

Grace Groner lived through the Great Depression, so saving money was her expertise. Nobody knew just how much she had saved until she died in January at age 100 and left $7 million to Lake Forest College, her alma mater…. “She could have lived in any house in Lake Forest but she chose not to. [...]

In the past six months my daughter has lost 45 pounds. She watches her diet, runs several times a week (she’s surpassed me – a runner or over 30 years – in that department!) and looks and feels amazing. The other day I suggested to her that her experience would be prime fodder for a [...]

If you’re going to ask people for money, you’ve got to learn to love objections. Or at least be comfortable with them! Working on a session for the APRA conference in Boston, I’m relearning how fun objections can be. Seriously, if there were no objections, we wouldn’t be needed. It would be so clearly self-evident [...]