Donor recognition in the economic meltdown age

In the best of times, many nonprofits struggle with donor acquisition, retention, and, worst of all, lapsed donors. Now, with the North American financial markets imploding from the sub-prime mortgage fallout in the US, experts predict that voluntary sector organizations...

Hosting a ‘giving circle’: Finding new donors and new dollars

My $500 donation is important, but when it gets pooled with the $500 donations of several other people, the total impact of our giving grows. When we commit to making this level of donation over a few years, the impact...

Recession-ready fundraising: Recommendations for surviving hard times

Sales guru Zig Ziglar said, "If you have enough push, you don't have to worry about the pull." In our economic climate, cutbacks on the part of grantmakers and donors will likely affect your ability to raise funds, requiring you...

Social Finance: A hopeful alternative for mission success

A recent report graced the pages of CharityVillage, giving the nonprofit community reason for pause. Titled, Strengthening Organizational Capacity, it drew its findings from an online survey of 235 nonprofit professionals in Canada, the US and the United Kingdom. Co-authored...

Appealing to donors for their dollars

In the ultra-competitive world of charitable enterprise, the communications quest for donor dollars often takes a path that circumvents focus on the pocketbook and instead appeals to the area just behind the breast pocket: the heart. Getting your attention Sandy...

Corporate vs. individual donations

On the surface, the difference between a corporate and an individual gift might seem quite negligible. However, it is important for charities to be aware of the differences between these two types of gifts so that they can ensure they...

With fundraising software, it pays to be exclusive in data entry

The most valuable thing in direct mail fundraising isn't your donors, but your donor data. Your building could burn down this afternoon, and all your staff could quit, and you'd still be able to recover if your donor data remained...

Wills and charitable bequests as a planned giving option

One of the most popular forms of a planned gift is a charitable bequest. But often charities don't fully understand the legalities involved in accepting a bequest. In this installment of our miniseries about the legal side of planned giving,...

Governance Q&A: Ending the foundation and nonprofit relationship

My organization funds a charity to carry out programs that serve both our missions. We have been giving core support plus project funding, some of it multi-year, for about ten years now. Our priorities have changed and their programs are...

Private securities as a planned giving option

Planned (or deferred) giving can be an excellent way to donate to charity, but not everyone understands the many options available to them...and that includes the charities! In this installment of our miniseries about the legal side of planned giving,...