One of the most important tools available to any leader of a non profit organization is the fundraising letter. With a finely-crafted missive, the leader will be able to clarify the mission, excite the audience, and deliver on the stated need. However, getting the letter to the point where it is “finely-crafted” is the hard […]

In my research for this blog, I come across some really interesting newspaper articles, websites, and blog posts about the subject of non-profit fundraising. While I do my best to comment on these stories as much as possible, I simply can’t get to everything that catches my eye. Therefore, every so often, I will post […]

Today I had one of those “proud parent” moments. A photo of my six year old daughter in her swim cap, Speedo race suit, and goggles was splashed across the front page of the sports section in our local paper. The paper had done a large story on our youth swim team. My daughter just […]

Earlier this month, I re-introduced myself to the readers of StepByStepFundraising. I have written a number of articles for this blog in the past, and as of December 2010, I have become the managing editor and chief content producer of SBSF. In addition, I also hold the same post for two other blogs, as well. […]

While it’s common to hear about non-profits that serve the under-privileged or disadvantaged segments of our society, you don’t hear as much about the organizations that provide services or experiences for those not under any immediate financial stress; in other words, the people with plenty of disposable income. I have actually worked for two such […]

It’s always helpful to study how the big boys do it, even though most of us aren’t in that league. Most of us struggle with small budgets and only a local outreach. However, if we look carefully enough, the “big boys” do teach us many important lessons that we can scale down and apply to […]

We’ve all seen the news coverage. An earthquake hits in Haiti. A Hurricane savages the Gulf Coast. A Tsunami wipes out Indonesia. News anchors fly to the scene and broadcast live. Tragic events. Horrifying images. Unimaginable grief. Your heart pours out to the victims. There’s a number on the screen to call if you want […]