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Steier Tips

After nearly a quarter century of helping nonprofits plan, reach and exceed their fundraising goals, we’ve accomplished a lot – and learned a thing or two. Our Steier Tips page features the latest Steier Group fundraising advice from our team of experts, case studies and helpful insight to consider as you plan your next campaign.

Mar 01 2018

Eight capital campaign strategies that work

By Steier Tips

Every capital campaign is different. The organization’s mission and vision, the campaign goals, the donor base, the availability of willing volunteers – all of these factors contribute to making each project unique. However, there are techniques that apply to almost all organizations. Here are eight capital campaign strategies that work: Campaign planning studies: Even before a decision is made about whether to conduct a campaign, a thorough campaign planning study will set you on the path for future success. A study will test support for the proposed projects, help you establish realistic goals and identify potential donors and volunteers. Beyond…

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Feb 01 2018

Motivate donors by sharing your nonprofit’s success story

By Steier Tips

While your organization is dedicated to doing good in the community and serving a particular set of needs, it remains true that you also have another group to serve – your donors. Their continued generosity is what empowers you to fulfill your mission. How can you ensure that your donors will dedicate their resources to your organization, year after year? At its heart, this is a question of motivation. How can you motivate donors to continue to give to your organization? The 2016 US Trust Study of High Net Worth Philanthropy revealed that 54 percent of wealthy donors gave because…

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Jan 04 2018
How can a capital campaign consultant help guide you through this fundraising process? Think of the three A’s of consulting - assess, advise and act.

What do capital campaign consultants do?

By Steier Tips

As a nonprofit leader, you know the extraordinary effort you and your staff put forth to fulfill your mission. It takes passion and determination to serve your community. You must also cultivate, solicit and thank donors to meet your organization’s current needs while always keeping an eye to the future. Add in strategic planning, hiring and budgeting and it can be an overwhelming task! Now consider launching a full-scale capital campaign and the phrase “there are not enough hours in the day” comes to mind. You will need help to do the job right, and that’s exactly what a capital…

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Dec 06 2017

Three ways to boost your year-end fundraising

By Steier Tips

As the year draws to a close, it’s important to take a look back at 2017 and take stock of your organization’s successes and struggles. For nonprofit leaders, it’s a busy time focused on year-end fundraising and 2018 strategic planning. It can be difficult to set aside time for reflection, but it’s necessary in order to develop your organization and fulfill your mission. This kind of discernment and purposeful follow-up action are what distinguishes top-notch organizations. Here are a few things to keep in mind: Evaluate your performance: Look back at the goals you set for 2017. Were expectations unfulfilled,…

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Nov 01 2017

Four ways to improve your planned giving program

By Steier Tips

Strong planned giving is the hallmark of a high-functioning development program. While many organizations are able to meet their needs through annual fundraising and capital campaigns, planned giving is often the final element that allows a program to reach its full potential. Deferred gifts offer peace of mind to both the donor and the organization. They allow the organization to escape the hand-to-mouth budgeting cycle and plan for the long term. Is your planned giving program meeting its full potential? Here are four ways to boost the power of your deferred gifts: Catalog the planned gifts that already exist: If you…

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Oct 16 2017

Research demonstrates the value of personal visits to fundraising

By Steier Wire

For 20 years, the Steier Group has relied on data analytics to manage our successful campaigns. Our statistics show what we know from experience: People give more to religious and community organizations when they are asked in person for support. The Steier Group recently embarked on a major, two-year research project to quantify exactly how much more effective personal visits are than other solicitation methods. We tracked 51 campaigns and 22,757 donor decisions, analyzing the size of gifts relative to how prospective donors were asked for support. We found that donors, when asked in person, give 54 percent of their…

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Oct 04 2017

Three ways to express your gratitude to donors

By Steier Tips

“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorns have roses.” ― Alphonse Karr (1808-1890) As I look back over the Steier Group’s 20 years, I could easily focus on the setbacks, struggles and heartaches. In other words, I could focus on the thorns. But I’m glad to say that when I look at the amazing relationships the Steier Group has developed with our clients, when I survey the good that we’ve achieved together for such noble causes, when I consider the projects accomplished that have borne such fruit for so many, I cannot help but concentrate…

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Sep 06 2017

Why do development directors only last 18 months on the job?

By Steier Tips

Let’s face it: Not everyone is comfortable asking others – especially people they know – for money. It’s an acquired skill, and it takes a bit of courage. It typically takes someone with an outgoing personality who isn’t afraid to hear the answer “no.” Leaders of nonprofit organizations, including religious ones, often find themselves in an endless cycle of replacing their development directors or stewardship coordinators. Many times they believe they have found the perfect person – only to see him or her leave within a year. Sometimes the grass is greener somewhere else, but often losing a quality development…

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Aug 08 2017

Why do a capital campaign feasibility study?

By Steier Tips

When leaders at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Osage, Iowa, retained the services of the Steier Group, they hoped a capital campaign feasibility study would answer two primary questions. First, do their parishioners support plans to build a new, handicap-accessible church? And second, can they raise enough money to fund the project? The answer to both questions was yes, but with a pair of caveats. Parishioners indicated that they would back plans to replace their 89-year-old church building, but only if the cost was feasible. The capital campaign feasibility study revealed significant financial support – the Steier Group projected that…

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Jul 11 2017

What is capital campaign management?

By Steier Tips

“There just isn’t enough time in a day.” How many times have you found yourself speaking or thinking this statement? How many times have you heard that from your organization’s employees or volunteers? Within your organization, chances are good your devoted employees log more than 40 hours each week so that your organization can continue to serve your community. Now imagine adding an additional full-time job – requiring another 40 hours per week – to your employees’ or volunteers’ plate. That’s what capital campaign management is: a full-time job. Managing a capital campaign includes a variety of jobs that exceed…

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