How many special event fundraisers have you attended – this year, last year, the last decade? I’ve been to so many that it would take all the fingers and toes of a roomful of friends to count them all. None stand out; they blend together in my mind. Now before you bale on this post, let me explain. My purpose is not to help the nonprofit be better at their particular br ...[Read More]
How to Make the Most of Your Time at Fundraising Events
Do You Know the True Cost of Success for Your Favorite Nonprofit?
What keeps you reading when you open the envelope and find a fundraising letter? Do you scan for the client numbers – people served, sheltered or fed? Do you look for program costs – how much the program costs per client? Or do your eyes catch the story and pictures? If the nonprofit organization is smart, they put their best story right up front, early in the letter. Stories capture our attention ...[Read More]
How One Family Brings Their Faith to Work and Changes the Lives of Children!
Listening to someone talk about family is always full of emotion – funny, sad, uplifting, surprising. Such a conversation is a gift; there is so much to learn. I had just such a conversation with Carrie-Ann Jasper recently. She shared from the heart their family story and how Jasper Ventures became the success it is today. And especially how they changed a decision to make an anonymous and signif ...[Read More]
How to Give Well When a Nonprofit is in Transition
A recent five-hour drive to my dad’s home was more than enough time for thoughts to drift in and out about work over the last several weeks. First, there was a phone conversation with a couple exploring a list of nonprofits and navigating how to make large donations to safe, stable organizations. I reflected on the hard work of being intentional about the giving list and their next steps. T ...[Read More]