Even seasoned fundraisers sometimes have trouble initiating a conversation. However when you possess the ability to have an effective, engaging conversation, your prospects suddenly turn into donors; your donors turn into repeat donors; planned gifts increase, along with major and annual gifts; and your reputation grows (along with your career).
"The appeal letter has had a huge impact! We are starting to get in responses to the appeal — some very positive ... and some very angry. We can't do this again.”
The year-end giving season is coming fast, and there’s a lot to get done if you’re a fundraiser. After all, at least half of all nonprofits receive the majority of their annual donations during the holiday season. And according to studies by Network for Good, 12% of all giving happens in the last three days of the year! Use these tips to learn how to build a great year-end fundraising strategy for your non-profit.
Online will planning is the latest tool in fundraisers' arsenal—and it’s taking over the internet by storm as more nonprofits realize its potential. But online will planning tools can not replace your planned giving website. Instead, focus on using both tools as part of an integrated planned gift strategy for your non-profit.
Year-end gifts usually make up the bulk of most nonprofits’ yearly cash donations (about 31% in December; 12% in the last three days of the year). Which is why it literally pays to keep your donors up-to-date on tax-law changes. Now, more than ever, helping your donors stay up to date with their tax planning can have huge year-end fundraising benefits for your non-profit.
Don’t write your will and when you die, you’ll be declared “intestate” ... a fancy word that essentially means, “they didn’t think a will was important, so now the government gets to decide what to do with all their stuff.” Read this article to learn why you should write your will today!
When charities refuse to accept donations of life insurance, they miss out on a multi-trillion-dollar asset class and a valuable alternative to cash gifts. Likewise, when policyholders surrender or sell their insurance policies, they often miss out on the opportunity to support charities that they care about.
Do you have an estate plan? Many people think estate planning is unnecessarily complicated - but it doesn't need to be. A qualified estate attorney or easily accessible online tools can help you create a will that will make things easier on your heirs and ensure that your wishes are known to those who follow you.
Not so long ago, the outlook for fundraising reflected the sunny optimism of the overall economy. Our donors had secure, well-paying jobs (often two per household); the value of their McMansions and vacation condos was projected to follow an endless upward arc; and when they opened their retirement-plan statements, the ending balance was always gratifyingly larger than the previous month’s.
I’ve written before about the dangers of the DIY (do-it-yourself) mentality in nonprofit fundraising. The most frightening thing is the amount of time you’ll spend doing everything but meeting with donor prospects. Here's how you can make your fundraising more successful by outsourcing some of your development needs to outside fundraising experts.
Endless texts, tweets, emails, calls, chats, IMs, Facebook updates… What do all these things have in common? They're all fundraising work interruptions! When it comes to development, you need to put the hours in. Here's how to avoid all the interruptions that are stopping you from raising the money your nonprofit needs to thrive!
Today, fundraisers are faced with a battery of e-marketing tools. They are tempted to put their hands on everything they can get. "I can contact 2000 prospects with the push of a send key. And it's cheap!" Well, not quite that cheap. Too much reliance on fundraising technology can hurt your development program. That's why you need to focus on human-centered fundraising!
Cole Eason, JD, is Vice President of Advancement at the Truman Heartland Community Foundation, where he works with donors and advisors to encourage philanthropic partnerships. We recently sat down and chatted with Cole about the ways in which financial, legal and tax advisors can help clients create tax-efficient charitable gift plans that achieve their client’s philanthropic goals while still allowing advisors to manage that client’s portfolio.
Even the most socially adept among us need a little help to get the conversation started. That’s why we’ve developed these 15 donor conversation starters along with the "why" behind each one. Use them the next time you meet with a donor or prospect. They’ll help break the ice, establish trust, and get you started on the path to building a meaningful, mutually beneficial relationship.
As more uncertainty rattles the markets and the economic downturn deepens, donations will dry up. Even your most consistent donors will reevaluate their charitable giving as the threat of a recession looms. And the Wall Street roller-coaster will affect stocks as well as cash.
Why do only rich people have wills? Because they have the luxury to afford it. NOT. I think you’ll be surprised at the number of rich and famous people who died without a will —or didn’t have an updated will—when they left this earth. Each eventually left behind a fortune, but millions (and millions!) of dollars was wasted on lawyers, avoidable taxes, and lawsuits.
Many churches focus only on the collection plate... meaning they are leaving millions of dollars on the table. Major donor efforts (and church planned giving programs) are essential to the financial health of your congregation. Read this article to learn why planned giving is essential for your church.
One of the most frequently asked questions in planned giving is whether or not a planned gift donor needs a lawyer to write their will. In this article, we answer the question, and give some important fundraising tips for your non-profit.
Achieving trust doesn't happen overnight. Yet it is the most important element of fundraising for your nonprofit organization. Building trust takes time, persistence, consistency, and dedication. It also takes audience awareness of your “brand.” And creating that awareness means consistent marketing — an investment far too many nonprofits are afraid to make.
On average, 88% of a nonprofit’s revenue comes from the top 12% of its donors. This shows how crucial major gifts are to an organization’s overall fundraising strategy. Additionally, major donors not only provide nonprofits with sustained financial security but are often co-creators of many programs and initiatives. Learn how to track major gift metrics to succeed with your major donor program.
Making Estate Planning Accessible, Simple, Personal, Secure and FREE!
Bequests are up, cash is down. Empower your donors to plan their will and invest their legacy in the cause they support the most.
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