So why do people give to charity? What are their intrinsic motivations for giving to any charitable cause? Economic benefits such as tax savings are much less a reason than most people realize. Kim Klein in the November/December 2006 issue of Grassroots Fundraising Journal states: Most money given away in the private sector comes from […]

So much of the literature, seminars and talk about fundraising deals with individual strategies. There are many books on how to write fundraising letters, how to plan events, and other “how to” information. Admittedly much of this website tends to focus on “fundraising ideas” and how-to’s. All of this practical information is extremely useful, especially […]

Does your organization serve a rural population?  An interesting study recently revealed several interesting facts about how foundations view rural populations. Grantmakers’ perceptions of rural life, geographical isolation and capacity-building needs greatly reduce rural nonprofits’ ability to secure funding, finds the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy in its latest report, Rural Philanthropy: Building Dialogue from […]

According to a study done by the Giving USA Foundation, individuals were the most generous contributors to charity. Individuals contributed more than 75 percent to the $295 billion in donations received by charities in 2006. Both corporate donations and bequests were down, by 2.1 percent and 7.6 percent. “Even though the 2006 sum, adjusted for […]

The Caring Community Respite Care Program held thier third annual flamingo fund-raiser on Monday, July 9th, 2007. The bright plastic pink birds began their day at 9 a.m. at the Richmond Municipal Building for Mayor Sally Hutton. Hutton then was required to name the next recipient of the birds. Some may wonder how this unusual […]

In Seth Godin’s new book, The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick), he posits that all worthwhile endeavors go through “The Dip.” The Dip helps sort half-hearted attempts from the truly world-class efforts. “Most consumers…,” writes Godin, “wait for something to be standardized, tested, inexpensive, and ready […]

Short answer: no. Publicity such as newspaper articles, PSA’s, television and the like are a supplement to both fundraising and general communication efforts. However they should not be the first or main strategy. To raise substantial money you must ask people in person, regardless of any well-placed stories. Second, most campaigns depend on a relatively […]