Author: Virginia Davidson

As the calendar turns to autumn each year, fundraisers at nonprofits of all sizes and missions shift their focus to their year-end fundraising appeal. It’s a big endeavor, and with good reason—most donors choose to make their charitable contributions in December. We’ve compiled this collection of 10 resources that offer practical tips and suggestions to help […]

Read More… from 10 awesome resources on how to raise more money at year-end

Will your year-end fundraising appeal bring in the results your organization relies on in order to carry out its mission in the year ahead? The work you do in the months leading up to your appeal can lay the groundwork for great results. Follow these four steps to get your appeal off to a strong […]

Read More… from How to lay the groundwork for a successful year-end appeal

When you’re job-seeking, it’s natural to focus on demonstrating how you’re a good fit for the organization. But, it’s also important to feel confident that the organization is a place where you can succeed as a fundraiser. Asking these four key interview questions will help prepare you to make an informed decision about whether the […]

Read More… from 4 key questions to ask in a fundraising interview

A well-planned fundraising event can boost your organization’s revenue, raise awareness of your mission, and cultivate relationships with supporters. We know it takes a lot to plan and execute a successful event, and we’ve rounded up these resources to offer help as you tackle your to-do list. Planning and managing your event Events are expensive […]

Read More… from 6 resources for a successful fundraising event

When you’re hiring a new member of your development team, it is important to get a good grasp of your current development operations so you’ll be better able to hire the right candidate. Before you delve into the interviewing process, there are four important questions to ask yourself:   Question #1: How is your development […]

Read More… from How to ensure the success of your next fundraising hire

Fundraisers always strive to write appeal letters that inspire donors to contribute, but even the most compelling appeal letter won’t bring in results if donors don’t receive it. As you plan your next appeal mailing, consider running your database through the National Change of Address Registry to ensure that you’re sending letters to current addresses. […]

Read More… from How to avoid losing touch with your supporters using NCOA

Development committees have the potential to turbocharge your development efforts, but managing them can sometimes feel like a tedious chore. One time, I hit a point where I felt like the committee chair and I were stuck in a rut. We spent most of our time preparing for and reporting to the development committee at […]

Read More… from 4 strategies to make the most of your development committee

Once you’ve successfully secured sponsorships for your fundraising event, how can you increase the likelihood that they’ll continue to offer their support? In this blog post, we offer a plan for before, during, and after your event to help you retain your sponsors. What to do leading up to the event: Ensure accuracy Make sure […]

Read More… from A simple plan to help you retain event sponsors

  Managing the details of event sponsorships can quickly dominate a fundraiser’s time in the weeks and days leading up to your organization’s special event. Luckily, you can save yourself the stress of dealing with last-minute event sponsorship details by following some or all of these suggestions.   These 5 simple hacks can help you […]

Read More… from How to avoid the stress of last-minute event sponsorship details

How can you decide if launching a membership program is right for your organization? To gain some insights, I talked with Gayle L. Gifford of Cause & Effect Inc. With over 30 years of experience providing consulting services to nonprofits, Gayle has seen many organizations grapple with membership programs and I was eager to pick her […]

Read More… from Should your organization start a membership program?