Practicalities

Planning for December in June: a path to year-end fundraising success

It’s never too early to start strategizing for year-end fundraising. In turbulent economic times, a fine-tuned direct mail strategy is more important than ever.

What to highlight in direct mail

99% of the letter’s recipients will NOT read the letter carefully. So if you’re not using highlighting to show them instantly what’s up, they’re not going to understand your appeal at all.


foundation
Thoughtful foundation outreach: putting your proposal to good use

The streamlined journey from foundation prospect identification to inquiry, follow-up to requested proposal, and proposal submission to funding.

credit card fees
Why isn’t it a good idea to let your donor cover the credit card fees?

Asking donors to cover credit card fees dramatically reduces conversion rates because it disrupts the flow of charitable thinking.


foundation proposal
Revising foundation proposals: comprehension for the skimming reader

The key to a good proposal is readability. Do the hard work for your reader to avoid confusion and help them catch the gist on a quick skim.

foundation proposal
How to take your foundation proposal to the next level

You’ve got a foundation proposal completely drafted—congrats! What’s the next step to take your proposal from good to great?


governance
Incorporating the vision: Mechanisms in nonprofit governance to ensure founders’ rights

The removal and resignation of Project Veritas’s founder is an occasion to consider different ways to structure nonprofit governance.

unsolicited proposal
When to send an unsolicited proposal

Building a relationship is certainly the preferred route for getting a grant. But short of that, an unsolicited proposal may be just the trick to get a grant.


campaign
Fundraising when times are bad: Navigating campaigns

Capital campaigns put a lot of stress or an organization—when the economy is healthy. How do you navigate a campaign when times are bad?

appeal
The stories you need to tell

You’re ready to stop telling happy stories in your fundraising appeals, so how should your letters look? The second in a two-part series.




MORE ARTICLES