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2013Ten Insights into Fundraising Among Boomers and Elders
A Post from James V. Toscano As a person born before 1946, I am part of that group referred to as the “lost,” “quiet” and some of us, “greatest” generation. Marketers often call us “seniors” or “elders.” Given the great American Indian tradition of respect for elders, I prefer that term and will use it throughout. The Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, subject of a mountain of studies and opinion pieces, are now coming into their own. They’re the richest generation ever, thought to have over $40 trillion to leave to the next generation. They, with my generation, make…
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2013Guest Post – A Virtuous Cycle
A post by Jon Pratt To paraphrase St. Paul, Minnesota native F. Scott Fitzgerald, “Let me tell you about rich nonprofits. They are different from you and me.” Underdeveloped — A National Study of Challenges Facing Nonprofit Fundraising identifies several ongoing, and challenging facts of life for the development staffing of the nonprofit sector, particularly for small organizations. Clearly these factors makes it more difficult for organizations to gather consistent or adequate resources – what we don’t know is what improvements or declines have occurred over the last 15 years, but I suspect that little is different.
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2013
Guest Post – Functionality Plus Fit Equals Better Fund Raising
A Post by Dawn M. Fish, M.A., CFRE Reading the recently released report, Underdeveloped: A National Study of Challenges Facing Nonprofit Fundraising by Jeanne Bell and Maria Cornelius, I reflected upon my 25 years as an executive, development director and gift officer raising funds in social service, health care and higher education institutions. The report contains no surprises, but did fail to address two major issues related to nonprofit fund-raising failures: the traits and skills necessary in an effective director of development (DOD) and the relationship between the executive director (ED) and the DOD. DOD traits and skills An effective…
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201310 Questions A Development Director Candidate Should Ask Once Offered But Before Accepting the Position
A posting by Dania Toscano Miwa and James V. Toscano 1. How many different individuals have held this position in the last 5 years? If one, proceed to the next question. If 2, ask why each left. If 3 or more, run in the other direction. 2. How is the development goal determined? Has it been met in the last three years? If the goal is set by the difference between expected expenses and anticipated revenue, and if it hasn’t been met in 2 or 3 of the last three years, ask for a change in the way it is…
02
2013
A Recap – The Most Popular Posts in 2012
Happy New Year! In looking back over last year, Jim and I were interested to see what resonated with our readers the most and are eager to hear what topics our readers wished we’d written about. (The comment box below is a great place to let us know what you’d like to read more about, or if you’d prefer, send me an email at Dania(@)ToscanoAdvisors.com.) These are the top five most read posts of last year. 1. 5 Myths about Social Media for Nonprofit Organizations 2. Why Does a Nonprofit Board Need Young People? 3. The Ten “Must” Agreements Between…
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2012A Baker’s Dozen Development Officer’s New Year Resolutions
A post from James V. Toscano 1. I resolve to understand that I am part of my organization’s brand. 2. I resolve to understand that donors give to our mission, not to me. 3. I resolve to never say that I raised millions but say that I assisted in raising millions for our mission.
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2012
Guest Post from the UK – Is Offline Fundraising Needed in The Current Online Era?
Post by Alison Richmond Where do you go to raise money? Traditional wisdom says TV commercials, mail-in forms and even door-to-door. But things are changing in the age of the internet – virtual giving is growing. Once considered a luxury, online fundraising is now a standard procedure for most charities and other non-profit organizations. Online fundraising has netted over €15 billion since 2010, a number that only continues to rise with the increasing prevalence of paperless banking.* So what’s the appeal? For one, online fundraising is easy and convenient. It requires no “sales pitch” and no haggard afternoons standing on street…
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2012Donor Stewardship Mnemonics
A post by James V. Toscano mne·mon·ics: the process or technique of improving or developing the memory. The Four R’s: Retention = Reporting, Rewarding, Renewing Donor retention is one of the most important tasks in the development responsibilities of a nonprofit organization. After substantial effort in terms of time and resources, translating suspects into prospects and prospects into donors is one of the great accomplishments in fund-raising. Cultivation and solicitation of new donors are among the great skills of the fund-raising community. To retain and upgrade the donor becomes the significant ongoing task, and many organizations fail in this essential activity….
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2012Advanced Fundraising Mnemonics
A post by James V. Toscano mne·mon·ics: the process or technique of improving or developing the memory. In this outing, we go from alliterative letters, e.g. WWW, PPPP, to catch phrases to capture more complex fundraising concepts. We often use catch phrases to provide the key to lists or formulations, e.g. “”My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas,” gives us the clues we need to list the planets in order from the sun, at least the old order of planets before Pluto got thrown out! The Roles of the Board Prince Paul Favors Fresh Oranges There is frequent…
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2011A Baker’s Dozen: New Year Resolutions for the Development Officer
Post By James V. Toscano 1. I will always remember that it’s the donor’s money. 2. I will always remember that fundraising is about the donor, not me. 3. I will always remember that donors need to be thanked and feel wanted as a vital element in the organization. 4. I will learn to cherish volunteers.