The Fundraising Coach

Every board has an elephant. Maybe it's the board member who dominates every conversation. Maybe it's the beloved CEO whose performance has quietly slipped. Maybe it's the fundraising problem everyone discusses but...

For many nonprofit leaders and fundraisers, making the initial donor call feels about as comfortable as parallel parking a boat. Even highly confident professionals suddenly become nervous, overly formal, or strangely...

Board members say it all the time. "We're just not ready to make that decision." It sounds thoughtful. Responsible. Even wise. After all, no one wants to rush an important decision. But after facilitating hundreds of...

<p>The Importance of Building a Donor Pipeline BEFORE You need It!</p> <p>Here's a truth most development directors don't want to admit out loud: Your donor base is quietly shrinking. Not because you're doing bad work...

<p >Board Retreat Blunders and Mistakes that Sabotage Retreats</p> <p >Board retreats are supposed to be powerful. They're supposed to create clarity, alignment, momentum, unity, and ownership. They're meant to be the...

<p>Part 3 of 3: Ask Better, Raise More Money -- Fundraising Ask Tactics and Strategies</p> <p >Most fundraisers spend far too much time worrying about the "perfect ask," as if somewhere out there is one magical sentence...

<p>Part 2 of 3: Ask Better, Raise More Money -- Fundraising Ask Tactics and Strategies</p> <p > Most fundraisers spend far too much time worrying about the "perfect ask," as if somewhere out there is one magical...

<p > Part 1 of 3: Ask Better, Raise More Money -- Fundraising Ask Tactics and Strategies</p> <p >Most fundraisers spend far too much time worrying about the "perfect ask," as if somewhere out there is one magical...

<h3 >The "Notify First" Trick</h3> <h3 > There's one move that can turn your ho-hum year-end appeal into a home run: notify first!</h3> <p > Before you send a single email or stuff a single envelope, reach out to...

<p > Let's be honest: most nonprofits don't need another event. They need better ones. The kind that doesn't drain staff, exhaust volunteers, or leave donors wondering why they just spent two hours listening to speeches...

<p > Every nonprofit eventually hits a moment of polite stagnation. Board meetings are full, calendars are packed, and everyone is working hard—but progress feels heavier than it should. Conversations repeat themselves...

<p > Fear not! To raise money, you and your fellow board members don't have to cold call strangers (or worse, friends), or suffer through awkward donor coffees where you feel like the people at the table next to you are...

<p >Fundraising—it's part charm offensive, part emotional trapeze act, part caffeine-fueled chaos. Some days you feel like a philanthropic superhero, and other days you're crying into your donor database while searching...

<p >Your first face-to-face meeting with a donor isn't a sales pitch or interview. And it's definitely not the time to comb through the details for your 30-page strategic plan. It's a discovery conversation—a delightful...

<p >Here's a crash course in what "not" to do when fundraising, what donors secretly loathe, and a short list of how to ask for money without breaking into hives.</p> <p >Listen in and learn . . .</p>