Wanted Dead or Alive: Direct Mail

Actually the headline should be more like this . . . WANTED: Answer to the question, “Is Direct Mail Alive or Dead?“ Jeff Brooks had a good post – Yet again: Is direct mail dead? – on this yesterday in his blog, Future Fundraising Now.  And I added my 2-cents worth with a comment. Bottom line: Direct mail […]

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Flying Relief to Haiti . . . since 1980

Here’s a nonprofit – Agape Flights – that uses general aviation as the primary tool of its mission.  They have been flying critical supplies and mail to missionaries in Haiti (and also the Dominican Republic) since 1980.  Today I’m focusing on Agape Flights for two reasons: I’m an aviation buff (i.e., I’m a private pilot) and I […]

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How do you build trust for your nonprofit?

If you want people to donate to your charity then they must trust you.  Trust that you’ll spend their money wisely and you don’t have any “crooks” on your staff.  (No offense intended; you know as well as I how often the news has a story of corruption in a nonprofit.  Sad but true.) If […]

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Forcing people to give to charity is un-American

My viewpoint may not be too popular with some of my nonprofit friends and colleagues.  But for me it’s the bedrock of what our country was founded on – freedom.  Specifically freedom of choice. An article on the National Public Radio website has the headline: Should bank execs donate part of their paychecks to charity? The […]

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Fundraising Formula: Problem + Proof = Donations

That’s an incredibly simple formula for raising funds, yet it has a lot of merit. Consider this: Your letter opens with a story that highlights a problem.  Say, a veteran named Sarah who is struggling to fit back into civilian society.  You talk of her challenges and what she needs to become a happy and […]

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Why Do People Donate to Your Nonprofit?

Do you know the answer to this question: Why do people donate to your nonprofit?  How confident are you that you really know the top 6 reasons donors give?  Or even the top 3 reasons? In other words, what matters MOST to your supporters? The answers to all these questions vary from one organization to […]

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Happy Prospecting in 2010!

My best wishes to you and your nonprofit charity or membership association for 2010.  To help launch your acquisition efforts for the New Year I’m sharing a bit of fun. These verses that follow won’t pass the “structure test” with my high school English teacher, but here goes anyway . . . Charity Hail to […]

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Increase response in 2010 with your holiday spirit

As you prepare your acquisition and renewal campaigns for 2010, reflect on the holiday season.  What is it that you personally – not your charity or nonprofit association – enjoy most about Christmas or Hanukah? Is it reuniting with family and sharing traditions? Is it creating new memories? Is it recalling precious memories of years […]

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Creative Fundraising – Santa look-a-likes raise money for charity

A firefighter from Dorset, England organized a seasonal fundraiser to benefit “Julia’s House” – a hospice for terminally ill children. About 500 people chased a man dressed like “Christmas pudding” along the beach in Weymouth, England.  Nearly everyone was dressed in a Santa suit, plus a Christmas tree and a few of Santa’s elves joined […]

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Sing a Christmas Fundraising Carol

The inspiration for this festive post started with something I read on Jeff Brooks’ Future Fundraising Now blog – Almost everything I know about fundraising I learned from Christmas carols.  In Jeff’s blog, he draws strong correlations between Christmas carols and fundraising strategies, concepts, and principals. I’ve written a variation on that theme.  I selected two […]

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