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Melanie Hamburger

Passionate about the flow of capital to social change. Fighter for justice, equity, opportunity. Grateful for community, mountains, shared meals, and digging in on big problems (and solutions)—together.
Board Donors

Scripts to Help Your Board Share your Giving Tuesday 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

By Melanie Hamburger, 12 months ago September 16, 2026
Photo of 2 hands with blurred background. One is handing a small paper heart to the other.
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

By Melanie Hamburger, 1 year ago September 16, 2026
Board Donors Grants

An ED’s experience in creating 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 with how she build leadership and fundraising success for her nonprofit! Read on Read more

By Melanie Hamburger, 2 years ago September 16, 2026
Board Donors

4 Tips for Easier Fundraising 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

By Melanie Hamburger, 2 years ago September 16, 2026
Board Planning

5 Steps to Get Your Board On Board With Your 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 fundraising plan to the board. Here Read more

By Melanie Hamburger, 2 years ago September 16, 2026

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