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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Nonprofit Blog Carnival: Handling Objections

June 29, 2011

I am hosting this month’s Nonprofit Blog Carnival featuring common objections. Each of the authors below has provided some great content for us. The question I asked was, “What are common objections you hear at your organization and how do you respond to them?” “Most of our employees just don’t make enough to give to charity.” [...]

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Sending on Behalf

June 27, 2011

The most effective kind of referrals are those where a board member or friend of the organization directly introduces you to someone else. You will be the very most successful meeting new people if your board members take the time to prepare the individual you’d like to meet. However, that is not always the way [...]

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Solicitation Pre-Knowledge?

June 22, 2011

When you schedule an ask are you always clear that you will be asking for money? When I’m preparing and scheduling solicitations I find that it is a bit of an art in having the conversation about why I am looking to schedule time to talk with a donor. When it is someone that I [...]

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Using Video During A Solicitation

June 20, 2011

Video is an incredible tool and can be used to tell a compelling story in a very short time. In today’s world of technology and new media we too often look at video as the answer to all of our problems. If you need to fundraise with a compelling message, create a video. If you [...]

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Scheduling Your Solicitations

June 13, 2011

Everyone has a different style of making a solicitation. Some people like to script out every word that could possibly be spoken and others like it to feel natural and it can feel like they are unprepared. Regardless of how comprehensive your preparation, taking time to schedule your solicitations can be very helpful. Most often [...]

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The Whole Life Offering

June 10, 2011

We are all on a quest for significance whether it is through our work, giving, or service. When I first met Eric Foley I was impressed by his vision for and understanding of philanthropy. He spoke of the development process as transformational not transactional. His newist book, The Whole Life Offering: Christianity as Philanthropy, is [...]

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What are Your Ice Breakers?

June 6, 2011

Everyone has special tricks to get the conversation started. Some people love the excitement of meeting new people and others dread it. What kinds of ice breakers do you use to start and sustain a conversation? Here are a few that I’ve tried; I’d love to add more to the list. What first connected you [...]

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Carnival Submissions: Handling Objections

June 2, 2011

I’m hosting the Nonprofit Blog Carnival for the month of June featuring links and summaries of the top posts from around the blogosphere around handling objections. I also wanted to reach out see if anyone from the A Small Change community had anything to add on an earlier conversation. Every nonprofit professional has a list [...]

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