Following up on Lori Rice’s article, Customize Communications to Increase Donor Loyalty, I’d like to explore three practical ways that you can personalize your fundraising letters. In other words, the logistics of how to get away from “Dear Friend” and other impersonal elements that take away from the power of direct mail. Steve Maggio of […]

The largest fire in LA County so far has burned 220 square miles and devastated hundreds of families. There’s a centralized volunteer response team organized by L.A. Works, in partnership with the Volunteer Center of Los Angeles. Find out more at the L.A. Works website. Whether you are currently job hunting or not, volunteering can […]

I spent most of this afternoon watching the live video from the Social Media for Social Good conference.  Here’s a blog post with some tips from the presentation and more links: Roundup: Social Media for Social Good If you are on Facebook you’ve probably recieved “gifts” from your friends.  Anything from virtual plants to cupcakes, […]

It took some arm twisting, but I managed to get Sandy Rees to agree to join me for a one hour teleseminar, just for Step by Step Fundraising readers.  — For Free! — You see, Sandy is one busy, in-demand gal. In addition to the 7 Essential Steps to Raising Money by Mail, the book […]

Need some inspiration?  New fundraising ideas from other successful fundraisers?  Here’s a list of great fundraising success stories and case studies.  These range from huge formal balls to small house parties and one-on-one donation requests. I challenge you to find at least one strategy from these stories that can make a big impact for your […]

I’d like to extend a thank you to our July premium sponsors. They provide terrific services for nonprofits and those wishing to raise funds for a good cause, so be sure to visit their websites. Starfish Marketing offers a complete, professionally written and laid out mail package.  They provide a basic framework, which you customize […]

One of the most frequent questions related to auction fundraisers is how to get auction items donated.  In the audio seminar series Secrets of the Charity Auction Experts Karin Costa gave many great ideas for auction items. She also described in detail how to get those items donated.  This approach to getting items takes away […]