INDUSTRY INSIGHTS YOUR PEERS ARE READING
Brace yourself. . This is a long post because there’s a lot to be said. . I wrote it because digital will-writing tools are popping up to help your supporters facilitate their planning conveniently online. That’s creating both opportunities and challenges for fundraisers. MORE
Recently I saw a question posted on a discussion board that was inspired by a blog (NOT mine) titled: WHY YOU NEED TO HIT YOUR DONOR’S MAILBOX FIRST THING IN 2019. The question was: Planned/legacy giving marketing – when do you mail? Here’s the response I posted. MORE
What is donor qualification? MORE
In case you’ve never heard of it… The Fundraising Report Card is a little application I had my staff build a couple of years ago. MORE
This email wasted my time and annoyed me because… I don’t know this person. I don’t know this organization. I didn’t give her or them permission to email me. I have no connection whatsoever to this cause or this organization. MORE
Let’s face it, your supporters want something in exchange for their cash. But, sadly, many nonprofits don’t give. This compelled me to come up with a simple methodology that I call “ 3-to-1 Major Gift Fundraising. MORE
Engagement calling, not cold calling! About 1 1/2 years ago I introduced the concept of Engagement Calling as the best way to land appointments with highly qualified, major gift donor prospects (much better than cold calling). But back then I failed to provide metrics for managing the process. MORE
A client recently told us she was being asked by her leadership to consider cancelling her MarketSmart subscription. . She told us that last year, during Q4, the organization decided to spend more money on Giving Tuesday and its end-of-year marketing. MORE
Mechanized thank you’s. I’ve been thinking that, perhaps, too many organizations have turned thanking into an automated obligation. They realize it’s something they’re supposed to do. So, they do it as cost-efficiently as possible. MORE
I think fundraisers should recognize that donors are playing a lifelong game of musical chairs. The people you consider to be YOUR donors are circling around many other charities and, from time to time, they ‘sit’ with one that engages them properly and makes them feel good. MORE
If you’ve ever hoped for a digest of my best posts, today is your lucky day! Each year, my staff review the data to determine which posts were viewed and shared the most. Then they pull the copy from the most popular articles to create a brief, easy-to-read digest. You can get it now, for free. MORE
This was a super-fun interview on The Giving Back Podcast. But if you don’t have time to listen to it, here are some notes my staff wrote down after listening. MORE
For the sake of donors, volunteers, advocates, and members everywhere who want to change the world but need an organization bigger than them to get it done, I sincerely hope you’ll consider becoming an engagement fundraiser. MORE
Does polite persistence really work any more? When I first got into sales, my uncle told me that polite persistence was the key to achieving results. He said that I needed to be gentle but tenacious. Like water dripping on a rock again and again until it finally wears away the stone. MORE
Here’s my list of essential major donor needs that you must aim to fulfill: 1. Your best donors want you to do the important work they can’t or won’t do. Your best donors want you to give them the credit and praise for your achievements. They want to be the hero in the story, not you. MORE
Confusing? Too often planned giving newsletters are written by lawyers and the lawyers at nonprofits think they are just dandy. However, most of your supporters are not lawyers. Did they opt-in? Your planned giving newsletter is designed to educate people about planned gifts, right? MORE
The world of fundraising is facing a climate change. For years, the environment has been shifting. The storm clouds have been gathering. I’ve been talking about this for approximately 10 years. And now, finally, the day of reckoning is upon us. MORE
Direct mail is NOT dead! However, ‘ spray and pray ‘ direct mail should be! Long live one-to-one, highly relevant, personalized communications— including direct mail letters! Direct mail letters are powerful because, when done right, they make donors feel good. MORE
I think most campaign feasibility studies leave a ton of money on the table. Here’s a hyper-simplified description of how it usually works. You hire a consultant. Together, you conduct the feasibility study and review the results. MORE
Remember when the Lilly School predicted at least a $13 billion drop in giving due to the Trump Tax Cut (which would have taken us to $376 billion)? Instead, we saw a.7% rise in real dollars to $427.71 billion. They should have egg on their faces for their doomsday prediction. MORE
For decades, fundraisers have sought a ‘magic box’ to identify the most ideal donor prospects for outreach, relationship-building, and solicitation. Of course they do. Who wouldn’t want one? With a ‘magic box’ a fundraiser could become much more efficient and effective. MORE
“I’d like to meet you to update you / tell you what we do / tell you what we’ve been doing , etc.” ” I’ve had fundraisers approach me this way. It’s all about them and their organization. MORE
First, it is not all your fault. Well then, can we blame it on leadership? Leadership should share the burden of blame because fundraisers tend to feel a lot of pressure to do what’s always been done. In many cases they are driven (by leadership) to avoid trying anything new in case it doesn’t work. MORE
The Illuminati is the name given to real and fictitious secret society groups claiming special knowledge or enlightenment. . In the nonprofit sector, such groups of ‘experts’ exist; make no mistake! MORE
No one likes getting cold calls and you probably don’t like making them. MORE
There are eight components of my innovative fundraising methodology : 1. Accepting the Pareto principle. We’ve called it the 80/20 rule, but it’s more like the 90/10 rule when applied to fundraising. MORE
What’s in a name? In my book (titled Engagement Fundraising ) I briefly described the changes affecting nonprofits and their fundraising staff. The label I applied to the trend was ‘Fundraising Climate Change.’ MORE
Sadly, I’ve witnessed all of these but I truly believe #1 is the worst. Here are my top 10 traits of terrible fundraisers that drive major donors away: . Showing up late; 9. Failing to do something that was promised; 8. Talking about how great they are at raising money; 7. MORE
Alignment. Have you ever met someone for the first time but felt like you had known them forever? Like you had a mysterious connection instantly? That’s how I felt when I first met Richard Perry and Jeff Schreifels (from Veritus Group) in Philadelphia years ago. MORE
Always add value. The best way to ensure that you have a job all the time is to make it a point to consistently try to add value to the lives of all the people with whom you come in contact. Everyone! Always! That includes the waitress, the janitor, and the guy who parks your car. MORE
Let me know what you think about my top 10 reasons why some fundraisers might be uncomfortable making the ask : 10. They are in the wrong job and should be doing something else; 9. They are poorly trained (or not trained at all) and, therefore, don’t know how and when to do it; 8. MORE
She told me others would say I was unprofessional. I was asked to lead a roundtable discussion at a conference recently. So I did. And afterward one of the attendees approached me as I got a cup of coffee in the sponsorship expo room. MORE
Essentially, there are two types of face-to-face fundraising. When fundraising staff meet with highly qualified, major and or legacy gift donors and/or prospects; When part-time staff stand on street corners interrupting passersby asking them to give (I call this ‘street spam’). MORE
Greg interviews Erin Troia about her “Engagement Fundraising” experiences. Erin recently finished reading an advanced copy of Engagement Fundraising and tried out some of the concepts she read about in the book. Learn more about MarketSmart at [link]. MORE
First things first. Too often fundraisers, board members, and nonprofit leaders spend way too much time thinking and talking about their organization’s or their employee’s process for raising major gifts (including legacy gifts). MORE
First, it is not all your fault. Well then, can we blame it on leadership? Leadership should share the burden of blame because fundraisers tend to feel a lot of pressure to do what’s always been done. In many cases they are driven (by leadership) to avoid trying anything new in case it doesn’t work. MORE
I think too many nonprofit leaders don’t really know how to lead. Instead they just boss people around. Having a title means you have authority. But authority isn’t the same as leadership. In fact, too often people get into positions of authority only to become dictators, not leaders. MORE
At MarketSmart, we don’t close sales and we don’t close deals. When it comes to how to ask for a gift, you’ll see there’s a parallel with how we conduct sales, and how nonprofits should raise funds. MORE
Something about the term moves management has always made me feel uneasy. When I first heard the phrase I figured it was all about managing the moves fundraisers make to get donors to move forward in the decision-making process, and I was right. MORE
From bad to worse. When I first saw the pictures of the flames engulfing Notre-Dame, I thought to myself, “That’s terrible.” ” But now, that the fire has been extinguished, I’m feeling like something else is even worse. MORE
OUT: Making donors feel bad , twisting their arms, telling them to give ’til it hurts and shaming them. IN: Making donors feel good , treating them like people (not ATM’s), partnering and giving them the value they want. MORE
This is a first! I’ve never had anyone write a guest post for my blog. But when I saw what Daphne Powell was doing to grow relationships with her donors, I reached out to her to see if she might consider telling you her story. MORE
A few weeks ago I hosted a webinar about Fundraising Climate Change (a term I developed some time ago and included in my book titled Engagement Fundraising ). MORE
I get things wrong all the time. Back in 1993 when I quit my first ‘real’ job in the newspaper business I predicted printed newspapers would be gone by now. Sure, they are having a hard time these days but they are still kicking! MORE
iMarketSmart
AUGUST 20, 2019
At MarketSmart, we don’t close sales and we don’t close deals. When it comes to how to ask for a gift, you’ll see there’s a parallel with how we conduct sales, and how nonprofits should raise funds.
iMarketSmart
AUGUST 14, 2019
Brace yourself. . This is a long post because there’s a lot to be said. . I wrote it because digital will-writing tools are popping up to help your supporters facilitate their planning conveniently online. That’s creating both opportunities and challenges for fundraisers.
iMarketSmart
AUGUST 7, 2019
Direct mail is NOT dead! However, ‘ spray and pray ‘ direct mail should be! Long live one-to-one, highly relevant, personalized communications— including direct mail letters! Direct mail letters are powerful because, when done right, they make donors feel good.
iMarketSmart
AUGUST 5, 2019
This is a first! I’ve never had anyone write a guest post for my blog. But when I saw what Daphne Powell was doing to grow relationships with her donors, I reached out to her to see if she might consider telling you her story.
iMarketSmart
AUGUST 1, 2019
Alignment. Have you ever met someone for the first time but felt like you had known them forever? Like you had a mysterious connection instantly? That’s how I felt when I first met Richard Perry and Jeff Schreifels (from Veritus Group) in Philadelphia years ago.
iMarketSmart
JULY 31, 2019
In case you’ve never heard of it… The Fundraising Report Card is a little application I had my staff build a couple of years ago.
iMarketSmart
JULY 26, 2019
This email wasted my time and annoyed me because… I don’t know this person. I don’t know this organization. I didn’t give her or them permission to email me. I have no connection whatsoever to this cause or this organization.
iMarketSmart
JULY 16, 2019
I think most campaign feasibility studies leave a ton of money on the table. Here’s a hyper-simplified description of how it usually works. You hire a consultant. Together, you conduct the feasibility study and review the results.
iMarketSmart
JULY 10, 2019
If you’ve ever hoped for a digest of my best posts, today is your lucky day! Each year, my staff review the data to determine which posts were viewed and shared the most. Then they pull the copy from the most popular articles to create a brief, easy-to-read digest. You can get it now, for free.
iMarketSmart
JULY 8, 2019
Something about the term moves management has always made me feel uneasy. When I first heard the phrase I figured it was all about managing the moves fundraisers make to get donors to move forward in the decision-making process, and I was right.
iMarketSmart
JUNE 25, 2019
Does polite persistence really work any more? When I first got into sales, my uncle told me that polite persistence was the key to achieving results. He said that I needed to be gentle but tenacious. Like water dripping on a rock again and again until it finally wears away the stone.
iMarketSmart
JUNE 24, 2019
I think too many nonprofit leaders don’t really know how to lead. Instead they just boss people around. Having a title means you have authority. But authority isn’t the same as leadership. In fact, too often people get into positions of authority only to become dictators, not leaders.
iMarketSmart
JUNE 18, 2019
Remember when the Lilly School predicted at least a $13 billion drop in giving due to the Trump Tax Cut (which would have taken us to $376 billion)? Instead, we saw a.7% rise in real dollars to $427.71 billion. They should have egg on their faces for their doomsday prediction.
iMarketSmart
JUNE 17, 2019
First, it is not all your fault. Well then, can we blame it on leadership? Leadership should share the burden of blame because fundraisers tend to feel a lot of pressure to do what’s always been done. In many cases they are driven (by leadership) to avoid trying anything new in case it doesn’t work.
iMarketSmart
JUNE 17, 2019
First, it is not all your fault. Well then, can we blame it on leadership? Leadership should share the burden of blame because fundraisers tend to feel a lot of pressure to do what’s always been done. In many cases they are driven (by leadership) to avoid trying anything new in case it doesn’t work.
iMarketSmart
JUNE 11, 2019
A few weeks ago I hosted a webinar about Fundraising Climate Change (a term I developed some time ago and included in my book titled Engagement Fundraising ).
iMarketSmart
JUNE 4, 2019
Essentially, there are two types of face-to-face fundraising. When fundraising staff meet with highly qualified, major and or legacy gift donors and/or prospects; When part-time staff stand on street corners interrupting passersby asking them to give (I call this ‘street spam’).
iMarketSmart
MAY 29, 2019
For decades, fundraisers have sought a ‘magic box’ to identify the most ideal donor prospects for outreach, relationship-building, and solicitation. Of course they do. Who wouldn’t want one? With a ‘magic box’ a fundraiser could become much more efficient and effective.
iMarketSmart
JUNE 6, 2018
She told me others would say I was unprofessional. I was asked to lead a roundtable discussion at a conference recently. So I did. And afterward one of the attendees approached me as I got a cup of coffee in the sponsorship expo room.
iMarketSmart
MAY 21, 2019
Engagement calling, not cold calling! About 1 1/2 years ago I introduced the concept of Engagement Calling as the best way to land appointments with highly qualified, major gift donor prospects (much better than cold calling). But back then I failed to provide metrics for managing the process.
iMarketSmart
MAY 15, 2019
What’s in a name? In my book (titled Engagement Fundraising ) I briefly described the changes affecting nonprofits and their fundraising staff. The label I applied to the trend was ‘Fundraising Climate Change.’
iMarketSmart
MAY 13, 2019
Confusing? Too often planned giving newsletters are written by lawyers and the lawyers at nonprofits think they are just dandy. However, most of your supporters are not lawyers. Did they opt-in? Your planned giving newsletter is designed to educate people about planned gifts, right?
iMarketSmart
AUGUST 23, 2018
Greg interviews Erin Troia about her “Engagement Fundraising” experiences. Erin recently finished reading an advanced copy of Engagement Fundraising and tried out some of the concepts she read about in the book. Learn more about MarketSmart at [link].
iMarketSmart
NOVEMBER 5, 2018
Here’s my list of essential major donor needs that you must aim to fulfill: 1. Your best donors want you to do the important work they can’t or won’t do. Your best donors want you to give them the credit and praise for your achievements. They want to be the hero in the story, not you.
iMarketSmart
MAY 9, 2019
The world of fundraising is facing a climate change. For years, the environment has been shifting. The storm clouds have been gathering. I’ve been talking about this for approximately 10 years. And now, finally, the day of reckoning is upon us.
iMarketSmart
MAY 5, 2019
This was a super-fun interview on The Giving Back Podcast. But if you don’t have time to listen to it, here are some notes my staff wrote down after listening.
iMarketSmart
MAY 2, 2019
I think fundraisers should recognize that donors are playing a lifelong game of musical chairs. The people you consider to be YOUR donors are circling around many other charities and, from time to time, they ‘sit’ with one that engages them properly and makes them feel good.
iMarketSmart
MAY 30, 2018
Sadly, I’ve witnessed all of these but I truly believe #1 is the worst. Here are my top 10 traits of terrible fundraisers that drive major donors away: . Showing up late; 9. Failing to do something that was promised; 8. Talking about how great they are at raising money; 7.
iMarketSmart
APRIL 29, 2019
From bad to worse. When I first saw the pictures of the flames engulfing Notre-Dame, I thought to myself, “That’s terrible.” ” But now, that the fire has been extinguished, I’m feeling like something else is even worse.
iMarketSmart
APRIL 21, 2019
What is donor qualification?
iMarketSmart
JANUARY 2, 2018
OUT: Making donors feel bad , twisting their arms, telling them to give ’til it hurts and shaming them. IN: Making donors feel good , treating them like people (not ATM’s), partnering and giving them the value they want.
iMarketSmart
APRIL 14, 2019
A client recently told us she was being asked by her leadership to consider cancelling her MarketSmart subscription. . She told us that last year, during Q4, the organization decided to spend more money on Giving Tuesday and its end-of-year marketing.
iMarketSmart
NOVEMBER 19, 2018
Recently I saw a question posted on a discussion board that was inspired by a blog (NOT mine) titled: WHY YOU NEED TO HIT YOUR DONOR’S MAILBOX FIRST THING IN 2019. The question was: Planned/legacy giving marketing – when do you mail? Here’s the response I posted.
iMarketSmart
APRIL 7, 2019
First things first. Too often fundraisers, board members, and nonprofit leaders spend way too much time thinking and talking about their organization’s or their employee’s process for raising major gifts (including legacy gifts).
iMarketSmart
DECEMBER 11, 2017
No one likes getting cold calls and you probably don’t like making them.
iMarketSmart
JUNE 1, 2018
“I’d like to meet you to update you / tell you what we do / tell you what we’ve been doing , etc.” ” I’ve had fundraisers approach me this way. It’s all about them and their organization.
iMarketSmart
MARCH 31, 2019
Always add value. The best way to ensure that you have a job all the time is to make it a point to consistently try to add value to the lives of all the people with whom you come in contact. Everyone! Always! That includes the waitress, the janitor, and the guy who parks your car.
iMarketSmart
MARCH 27, 2019
Mechanized thank you’s. I’ve been thinking that, perhaps, too many organizations have turned thanking into an automated obligation. They realize it’s something they’re supposed to do. So, they do it as cost-efficiently as possible.
iMarketSmart
MARCH 22, 2019
Let’s face it, your supporters want something in exchange for their cash. But, sadly, many nonprofits don’t give. This compelled me to come up with a simple methodology that I call “ 3-to-1 Major Gift Fundraising.
iMarketSmart
MARCH 20, 2019
The Illuminati is the name given to real and fictitious secret society groups claiming special knowledge or enlightenment. . In the nonprofit sector, such groups of ‘experts’ exist; make no mistake!
iMarketSmart
MARCH 13, 2019
I get things wrong all the time. Back in 1993 when I quit my first ‘real’ job in the newspaper business I predicted printed newspapers would be gone by now. Sure, they are having a hard time these days but they are still kicking!
iMarketSmart
MARCH 11, 2019
There are eight components of my innovative fundraising methodology : 1. Accepting the Pareto principle. We’ve called it the 80/20 rule, but it’s more like the 90/10 rule when applied to fundraising.
iMarketSmart
MARCH 6, 2019
For the sake of donors, volunteers, advocates, and members everywhere who want to change the world but need an organization bigger than them to get it done, I sincerely hope you’ll consider becoming an engagement fundraiser.
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