The Business Behind Fundraising

What's in our head determines how we use our voice. Today we are graced by world-renowned voice expert, Tracy Goodwin, as she shares her prowess in how you can utilize your voice to attract more major donors and unrestricted revenue. She teaches us the importance of expression vs. words and the impact of mindset on the outcomes of your nonprofit conversations. Tune in to The Business Behind Fundra...

Everyone knows that the way to fundraising growth is by putting relationship-building with donors first. After accepting a role as a fundraising director without prior experience, Tre Moore reached out to me, followed my advice, and has reached  his organization's revenue goals every year since. Freeing your organization from the spin cycle is possible if you know what to stop doing to align your...

With a small staff, the pressure and exhaustion were mounting on Amy Fass to keep up with her nonprofit's multi-million growth. As the Executive Director of Shoes That Fit, she needed a thought partner to dig down issues with and craft a program that allows her to scale, support more kids, and invite unrestricted revenue. Working with Sherry was a life-changing decision. Tune in to The Business Be...

Stewardship is simple if you just treat people with respect. When donors are deeply connected to your organization's goals and vision, their support doesn't end in death. Tony Martignetti discusses the importance of tackling planned giving or "gifts by will", how it benefits your organization long term, and fostering donor relationships. Tune in to The Business Behind Fundraising — Where To Start...

Everything is sales. Whether you're selling a product or a vision for the future, you want people to connect and feel its urgency and importance. Putting a focus on forming lasting donor relationships took Emily Norton's organization, the Charles River Watershed Association, to new heights. Listen as she walks us through her experience working with me, building her confidence, and thinking big. Tu...

Do you know exactly what to say to inspire your donors? Nonprofits have solid, metric-based missions, but putting those activities into words that the average person can understand can be tricky. Hiring a short-term writer may help. Or even giving the task to the development team. But this won't work in the long run. So what can you do to attain clarity on communications? Tune in to The Business B...

One of the biggest factors contributing to the Great Resignation is professional development being the first thing to get cut from the budget. Because of this, our fundraisers aren't equipped to handle investment-level conversations and lead donors to major gifts.  So what should be done? Investing in your staff is the top priority. Tune in to The Business Behind Fundraising — When Professional De...

I love talking about time allocation. Your organization may be spending too much time on the wrong solutions.  Even if you think you know so much, you still need someone to tell you, "Have you tried this? Have you thought of it this way?" For me, my coach helps me see what it looks like to actually have the money to accomplish a client's strategic plan. So what have I learned from looking through...

Let me guess. Right now, you're looking for your next developmental director. It's pretty crazy. And I admit, it's the most difficult hire for an organization. The worst-case scenario would be ending up with the wrong person on the bus. And we don't want that, right? But today, let's make it a little bit easier as I share the things you need to watch out for in your next fundraiser so your organiz...

Welcome to Season 3 of The Business Behind Fundraising! For this season, we'll be going in-depth on a few of the factors impacting the Great Resignation that I want you to reflect on. Today's episode will be all about why you should invest more money into overhead, especially your fundraising staff.  Spoiler: No new grant appeal, board member, or celebrity shout-out is going to fix your insufficie...

According to Greg Warner's MarketSmart 2020 Major Gift Benchmark study, 81% of donors take 6-24 months for prospect identification. Building a pipeline is frustrating for most fundraisers. It requires time and consistent effort to find donors. However, your patience is definitely worth it if you're looking to scale by the millions. Tune in to The Business Behind Fundraising — How Consistent Pipeli...

The real question right now is . . . Who ISN'T hiring?  This means I've sat in tons of interviews for high-level development professionals who'll be leading organizations to substantial revenue growth. And I'm noticing a few trends and very interesting answers to interview questions that I'm sharing with you today. It all boils down to time allocation. In this episode, I'll be discussing why you s...

An amazing client of mine that I've been coaching for years has told me that it only takes him 30 hours a week to reach his seven-figure revenue goal. I repeat, 30 hours! You might think I'm kidding, but it is indeed possible. So just like him, how can you hit your target number in less time? Prioritizing the right things and slowing down. Tune in to The Business Behind Fundraising — Successful No...

Objectivity has been a huge part of growing my business. I'd think things are all going great. But when I invested in a business coach, they offered new ideas and views that made me go, "Oh, I never thought of it that way." We can't always see the answer. That's why, in this episode, I'll be talking about three areas where objectivity is most needed for nonprofit leaders too.  Tune in to The Busin...

There are so many things that impact your team's ability to reach and exceed their revenue goals every year. And these have very little to do with traditional fundraising. One of them is your ability to take risks. Imagine attracting major donors who are on the lookout for visionary missions and plans that incorporate risk. Tune in to The Business Behind Fundraising —  Embracing Risk Within Your S...

Welcome to the first episode of season 2. And we're going in strong. Now that we've laid out the fundamentals in season 1, it's time to discuss growth. I'm talking by MILLIONS – those nonprofit leaders who have navigated growth and scaled tremendously. We know 2020 was indeed hard for many nonprofit organizations. But we also know we can use this time as a catalyst for change. Let's not look back....

There are three groups that partner your nonprofit's revenue generation. Your Executive Director/CEO Your Fundraising Staff And, your Board If one of those is not doing their job, reaching and exceeding your annual need is going to feel like you're climbing a hill with a cannon ball strapped to your leg.  If you do fundraising the right way or go at it from a different perspective, you'll actually...

In these past two years in the midst of this pandemic, content has become king.   Believe me, I've been in so many webinars and podcasts that I've actually stopped counting.   And in nearly every one, there was a question that drove me crazy:   "What's the most creative thing you're seeing in fundraising right now?"   Well, I'm not saying there isn't any amazing stuff that came out of the pandemic...

Inevitably, when I'm working with fundraising teams and digging into their major gift processes, a familiar question pops up: "Are you soliciting major-level donors?" What I'm really asking is are you sitting down (one-on-one) and having a conversation and then asking. . . But too often fundraising teams answer "yes" . . . followed by their list of asks they make in seasonal appeals and events. Bu...

My mission has always been to help nonprofit leaders and fundraisers to get their donors giving their best gift every year.   This mindset shift is a gamechanger. And the best news is that you, as the fundraiser, have so much more control of the pacing, the timing, and the size of the gifts than you think. But, this is only possible if you intentionally shift your fundraising activities from a rea...

If you're a brand expert and are offended by today's topic, hear me out.   Storytelling is definitely an important aspect of nonprofits. But you may be wondering - how do we take our donors on a journey to their best gift?   By going beyond traditional storytelling.   Maybe you've booked that meeting with that sought-after donor. It went great. You shared their mission, the photos, and the stories...

"I don't know any major donors. Where do I find them?" This is one of the most common questions I get so often. And I challenge you to take a step back and look at the situation in a different light. Today, I encourage you to stop chasing after major donors and start thinking of ways of how you can draw them in. Tune in to learn more 🎬 watch the full episode of The Business Behind Fundraising — H...

Nonprofit CEOs - do you know why major donors aren't giving to you? I've been excited to talk about this topic for a while now, and you may be curious about my answer. Oftentimes, I hear from nonprofit CEOs who say: "Our board members don't know any major donors." "Donors don't give to organizations that don't do direct service work." "I don't know anyone who could afford to give us the funds." In...

In the book, The Road Less Stupid by Keith Cunningham, there is a wise nugget that goes: "We acted like it was a sin to miss a revenue opportunity. And that makes as much sense as needing to eat everything at the Sunday buffet." That hit a bullseye in me because so often, I'd hear fundraising teams being handcuffed by events, appeals, and campaigns - saying yes to everything, even if it makes the...

I was having conversations with two prospects, and I always ask: "How much more money do you need? How much would they want to grow?" Organization A - with confidence - aimed to grow by 5x. Organization B, after some hesitation, answered 5 to 7%. The latter surprised me. People usually come to me because they want growth by millions so they can invest fully in all three areas of their organization...