How to impress the wired wealthy and capitalize on the rise in online giving

It probably comes as no surprise to many of you that online giving is growing. What may be surprising, however, is that the very wealthy (a reported 1% of donors that are responsible for 32% of nonprofits’ annual gifts) are...

Philanthropic Trends Quarterly: What’s in store for you?

It's an interesting time to be a philanthropist. On the one hand, the sector is slowly emerging from a debilitating economic downturn. On the other, opportunities for innovative and other promising solutions are giving organizations reason to hope for the...

Fundraising Q&A: What you need to know about development audits

What would be useful for us to know before we initiate a development audit for our organization? Don’t be intimidated by the "A" word! Auditing your development program can be an excellent way of taking a snapshot of your current...

Eyes on the prize: The state of prize philanthropy in Canada

Who doesn't love winning a prize? Think of a time you went to a carnival or event where prizes were abundant and all you had to do was outsmart or out-skill the challenge before you to get the coveted item...

An introduction to grant reports

The grant proposal you spent weeks writing has finally paid off, securing much-needed funds for your nonprofit's latest project. Yet even though you have acquired the grant, your obligation to your funders isn't over. Once your organization accepts a funder's...

Four key roles your supporters can play in fundraising and marketing campaigns

Your supporters can be your best marketers Whether your goal is filling training slots, after school programs, or endowment coffers, the old saying, "people buy from people," is as true as ever. A postcard, phone call, or e-mail from someone...

Fundraising Q&A: Creating an individual donor base: Part II

How do we build an individual donor base for our organization? Step one Last month's article outlined the first steps that are necessary for your charity to build its individual donor base by starting with "the family". The energy you...

Gift acceptance issues: Dealing with difficult donors and restrictions

The intense competition for donor dollars creates a difficult enough environment for fundraisers. Unfortunately, certain gift acceptance issues add innumerable obstacles to the already challenging path of finding and retaining donors. The topic was recently explored at a conference, Good...

Uncertain times calls for certain measures: Charity fundraising in difficult times

The word "charity" may be synonymous with "doing good" but how effective are organizations in achieving that goal? The question was at the heart of a recent conference organized by the Charity Law Information Program (CLIP), a project of Capacity...

Fundraising Q&A: Creating an individual donor base

How do we build an individual donor base for our organization? I’m glad that you want to strengthen your approach to individuals because statistically, they are the most engaged and generous source of donors. According to Giving USA 2009 (with...