Fundraising and development best practices

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,…

Sometimes, you simply must ask. We all know that volunteers are the lifeblood of any nonprofit. We ask them to pitch in at events, to stuff envelopes and to help clean our facilities. But when it comes to recruiting volunteers to assist with capital campaigns, organizational leaders sometimes get cold feet. They create reasons for not asking: She’s too busy. We rely on him for too many other important roles. She may not want to ask people for money. The key to successfully asking people to assist with fundraising is grounded in getting to know them. Familiarity leads to knowing…