Investing in major gifts is one of the most powerful ways nonprofits can accelerate growth and deepen their impact. While annual giving provides essential support, a strong major gifts strategy creates the financial stability and meaningful donor partnerships that fuel transformational change.
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38 days…just 38 days until December 31. My dear fundraisers, deep breaths. We’re all sprinting towards the end of the calendar year and stretching for our fundraising goals. What a year it’s been for nonprofits and funders. Am I right?!
Even with a year of ups and downs, it’s still a good idea to pause and ask yourself, “Is our fundraising strategy working as hard as we are?” If you aren’t crushing your fundraising goals, it’s not too late to course correct over the next 38 days.
Read MoreDo you know your organization’s “why?” I’m sure you know what your nonprofit does, and even how it does it, but could you describe why? More importantly, could you articulate it to a potential major donor? What about a new board member? A fellow fundraiser?
If the answer is yes, let’s go further: do you think if that same major donor asked the same question to three different people in your organization, they would give the same answer?
Read MoreIn the nonprofit sector, we face a constantly shifting landscape of funding. Government funding waxes and wanes with every change of political office. Private funders change priorities in response to current events. Individual contributions rise and fall with the stock market.
So, how can organizations maintain financial stability in the midst of change? Diversifying revenue is the key. When your organization has support from multiple sources, it can weather uncertain times.
Read MoreJuly 1 marks the new fiscal year for many of us. A former colleague would remind me, “You start back at zero and get to do it all over again!” He said it light heartedly, but he was right.
The new year (calendar or fiscal) brings on anticipation of what could be, plans that you get to implement (like a great vacation or how you are going to reach your goals), and…the clock resets and you get to dream and do something new and different in the new year. This is true for our personal selves and for our professional selves. We are development officers. We get the thrill of connecting the passions and interests of our donors with the incredible work we do to change our cities and world. It’s a new year. A new beginning. A new You.
Read MoreThe start of the new year brings a chance to refresh our habits, set or reset goals, and start with a clean slate as we enter 2022. I don’t know about you, but I’ve had more years than I can count that I’ve set big audacious personal goals and proclaimed them proudly out loud on December 31, only to have them be forgotten about 12 months later or only accomplished for the first part of the year.
Read MoreThere’s nothing like the end-of-year push to the goal to get your heartrate up, is there? Hopefully, you’re just a few thousand away from reaching the pinnacle – the point at which you can rest – for at least a moment – in the knowledge that you’ve completed your main task as a fundraiser. You. Hit. The. Goal!
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