Donors Planning
Why Rating Sites Matter to Your Donors
Nonprofit rating sites like Charity Navigator matter because many donors will look up your online rating site before making a gift.
Board Planning
Board Mid-Year Review of Your 2026 Plan
Summer is a great time to assess your fundraising plan with your board or fundraising committee. As we get close to the middle of the calendar year, two things happen in fundraising. We hit a milestone in our budget and annual fundraising plan: we’re either halfway through our 2026 fiscal Read more
Grants Planning
Still Focused on Grants? Do It on a Budget
I used to write grants for the small nonprofits that we help with fundraising. (In fact, we used to be called Community Grantwriters, because so many organizations wanted that kind of fundraising.) But guess what? We don’t write grants anymore. (And we’re so serious about this that we changed our Read more
Donors Planning
What to Say When Donors Ask: How Can I Help?
Every nonprofit needs more than just donations. So be ready with a list to answer this important question from someone who loves what you do: How can I help?
Donors
Sincere Donor Appreciation
Giving is an art. So is sincere donor appreciation. In fundraising, this can be dicey business: platitudes of thanks or a plea asking donors to keep on giving?
Board Donors
Scripts to Help Your Board Share an Ask
Your board is key in reaching your revenue goal this year. If they seem uncomfortable asking, here are two tools that will make it easy for your board to share an “ask” with potential new donors. Share an Email Appeal (like Giving Tuesday) Giving Tuesday is always the Tuesday after Read more
Board Donors Planning
Rethink Your Year-End Direct Mail Ask
Direct mail is my least favorite kind of fundraising. Why? And yet, at some level, it works or nonprofits wouldn’t spend all the time and money sending mail appeals. Fear of losing donors is real. It can be easy to forget that donors are just people. So year-end is also a time Read more
Board Donors Grants
An ED’s Experience in Nonprofit Success
I have strong ties to West Marin, a stunning region of two dozen small towns and many ranches. When Shelley Rugg attended one of my fundraising workshops for small nonprofits (hosted by the West Marin Fund), she really wowed me! Read on to learn about her home-GROwn story as a new executive director Read more
Board Donors
4 Tips for Easier Donor Events
Rethinking Donor Events This week I was honored to teach fundraising at a United Way nonprofit capacity-building program. The room is always filled with organizations doing amazing work, and I learn so much from them! We were talking about finding ease in donor engagement. One group had planned a breakfast Read more
Board Planning
5 Steps to Get Your Board On Board With Your 2025 Fundraising Plan
I mentor a new development director at a wonderful, small-staffed nonprofit. This new DD was promoted from the program side into a fundraising role. (I LOVE this!! Who better to tell the story??) Now, the executive director has asked them to present their 2025 development plan to the board. Here Read more