The Nonprofit Mentor

Elephants Have Excellent Appetites Boards feed elephants in all kinds of ways. They postpone difficult conversations. They soften uncomfortable language. They create committees. They commission another study. They put...

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...

Your Board Isn't Working: Why a Board Retreat Might Be the Best Investment Your Nonprofit Makes This Year Most nonprofit leaders know the scene. You're sitting in a board meeting watching the same three people carry the...

Building a Donor Pipeline BEFORE You need It! 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. Not because your mission...

Board Retreat Blunders and Mistakes that Sabotage Retreats Board retreats are supposed to be powerful. They're supposed to create clarity, alignment, momentum, unity, and ownership. They're meant to be the moment when a...

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

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

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

If you've spent any time in fundraising, you know this moment well. You send the email, make the call and follow up—politely, professionally, thoughtfully. And then… nothing. No reply. No acknowledgment. No signal of...

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

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 when...

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...

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...

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 for...