A Small Change- Fundraising Blog — Making sense of fundraising for non-profits.

Working the Room

August 22, 2011

A good development officer understands the value of working the room. Whether it is a small house party, a large gala or luncheon, or even just a tour it is important to make a special connection with your guests. Everyone has a different capacity of how many new people they can meet at one time. [...]

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How to Maximize the Revenue from Your Next E-Appeal

August 15, 2011

As more and more non-profits have dipped their toes into e-fundraising, whether through e-mail, social media, or on their websites, many are wondering how to maximize the revenue they receive from these efforts. E-fundraising isn’t the same as direct mail fundraising, though there are some similarities: you have to make it emotional; you have to [...]

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You Have Influence

August 8, 2011

Everyone has influence of some kind whether it is over your friends and family or over business and community leaders. The longer you work in your community the more people that you have an opportunity to meet and get to know. As you begin to build your reputation and build your relationship with these people, [...]

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Constituencies

August 1, 2011

According to Giving USA in 2010, more than $290 billion was given of that 73% or $211 billion came from individuals and only 5% came from businesses. It constantly surprises me how much time organizations spend with grants and businesses when there is so much more money in individual giving. As you can see from [...]

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A List of Soft Touches

July 25, 2011

My last post featured the importance of soft touches over the course of a year in building a relationship with your donors. Here are a few examples of the kinds of touch points that you can use as a great way to build relationships. Send a card on your donor’s birthday and have everyone in [...]

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Soft Touches

July 18, 2011

Most people do not like being asked to give money. Donors do not often look forward to the solicitation or asking experience. Many organizations don’t talk to their donors at all or the only time they talk with them is when they ask for a contribution. This kind of action is what makes people dislike [...]

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Fundraising in World of Abundance

July 13, 2011

When it comes to fundraising, there are two basic types of people in the world: There are those who see the world as a place of great scarcity, where a limited amount of money and resources are fought over, where one person competes against another for a dollar from a donor or an hour from [...]

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Sharing Stories

July 11, 2011

Using stories is essential for all development work. Donors connect with stories often more than they connect with anything else. If you have a donor that is not involved as a volunteer, their most powerful connection to your organization will be the stories that you share. Use stories differently with annual fund donors than with [...]

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Regular Tours

July 5, 2011

The very best way to help people understand and find meaning in the work of your organization is to provide them with first-hand experiences; many of our greatest donors come as a result of volunteering with the organization. Another great way to give people this first-hand experience is to provide them a guided tour of [...]

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