I have a confession to make. I’m not a big fan of Valentine’s Day. (Except for those little boxes of candy hearts—the orange hearts are my favorite.) But don’t get me wrong, I’m not anti-Valentine either. Love is awesome, and it powers a whole lot of good in this world. Maybe I don’t like it … Continue reading
Coming soon to a ballroom near you
2012. Otherwise known as the year I made that awesome event trailer. Talk about creating a buzz. This little teaser was a big ol’ beehive! Pretty cool, right? I thought so. And so did other people. Because after we shared it, they shared it. And then this happened: A record number of first-time guests were … Continue reading
Giving your donors a gold star
You know those boring end-of-year tax receipt summaries you send to donors? Stop sending them. Okay, not really. Rather, make them a bit more delightful and then send them. Most likely, this little summary is the first thing your donors will see and read from you this year. So bring the happy! Or as my … Continue reading
Can you hear me now?
You’re a good fundraiser. You do what you can to spread more good. But do you want to be a great fundraiser? Then spend some quality time with your phone. The phone call is back in style. Between the endless texts and never ending emails, donors ears are perk up at the sound of a … Continue reading
A must-have live auction item
Rarely do I ever talk about auctions. Why? Because I don’t do them (it’s one of my soapbox issues). But if you do have bid numbers at your event, and you would love a cool, new way to raise money with them, then feast your fundraising brain on this clever idea. Last week, I was … Continue reading
Many, many, many thanks
Everyone has something they need to hear. For donors, it’s thank you. But let’s say you have one particular donor, a crazy awesome, your generosity is out of the world, kind of supporter. What kind of thank you could you possibly extend that is as delightful as they are? Two words: card shower. A fundraiser … Continue reading
Singing the post-conference blues
I’m curious. If you could bottle a feeling, what would it would be? For me, it’s either that can-do attitude I feel post-workout or the nothing-can-stop-me-now inspiration I feel post-conference. (Wow, that’s a lot of hyphens.) But since no one has figured out how to do that, the trick is leveraging those bursts of awesomeness … Continue reading
Focus on Fundraising
It’s Monday. Even worse, the Monday after the Superbowl. All those carbs you ate? Still slowing you down. Way down. But you have a job to do. You’re a fundraiser, a solid one at that, and you have 3 things you need to get done today: Send a thank you note to Gary the Donor … Continue reading
Putting the Thanks in Thanksgiving
Here’s what I love about Thanksgiving. No, not the turkey (I’m more of a stuffing kind of gal). Gratitude! Giving it, sharing it, receiving it, all of the above—it’s just an all-around feel good kind of holiday. And considering the message, it’s the perfect time for nonprofits to say, thank you oh super fabulous donor, … Continue reading
Stop with the Gala Bashing Already
I’m a big fan of Seth Godin. I mean, who isn’t? The man creates content (amazing content) faster than we can read it. And when we do, we all nod our heads and think, ‘I’m with you, Seth. Excellent point.’ But this time? Not so much. His recent rant about galas drives event fundraisers like … Continue reading
Do good, feel better. 