| The Role of Facebook (9/1/10) |
| We live in exciting times when technology like Facebook can help or hinder our raising of funds. There is a right use of this tool and a wrong use of Facebook. |
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| The Confidence Issue (8/10/10) |
| I have often said that one of the keys in raising funds is to reduce the fear of asking for funds. From my perspective, it’s a confidence issue that must be addressed. |
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| A Defining Fund Raising Issue (7/14/10) |
| It is downright critical how we build our fund raising strategy. Here is one of those defining fund raising issues if properly applied can make a huge difference. |
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| 5 Steps in Preparing for the Ask (6/10/10) |
| When making an ask for funds the last thing you want to do is be unprepared. Whether asking for personal or organizational support here are 5 steps in preparing for the ask. |
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| 3 Disturbing Fundraising Trends (5/20/10) |
| As a fund raiser you want to measure your results and especially look for trends. There are 3 disturbing trends you need to be looking for. |
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| 3 Fatal Fundraising Fears to Overcome (4/13/10) |
| In fundraising, fear can be fatal. There are at least three main fears to overcome. Ask, ask, and follow up. |
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| 3 Fatal Traps to Avoid in Your Fund Raising (3/29/10) |
| If you are like me, you want to avoid those things in fund raising that are simply fatal. I can thing of 3 fatal traps to avoid in your fund raising. |
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| 3 Key Questions to Ask (2/18/10) |
| When it comes to your fund raising, "If It’s Broken You Better Fix It." Take a look at these 3 key questions that you need to ask yourself. |
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| 4 Ways To Collect Valuable Data On Your Prospects And Donors (1/11/10) |
| If you are to be successful in fund raising (People Raising), it is critical that you be able to build a relationship with your prospects and donors. One way to do that is to collect personal information on those you contact. There are 4 ways you can begin the process of gathering valuable personal data. |
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| Building Confidence in Fund Raising (12/1/09) |
| Each of us wants to be confident in our fund raising but where does confidence come from? Answering this question will put you on the right track and on the way to greater success in raising funds. |
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| The #1 Fund Raising Sin (11/12/09) |
| As a fund raiser, there are a lot of things you can have right. But the #1 fund raising sin is FAILING TO TAKE ACTION and it could be wrapped up in one word -- PROCRASTINATION. |
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| 3 Critical Factors (9/29/09) |
| When you get down to it, there are 3 Critical Factors in Raising Funds. I will guarantee you that if you don’t have these in view, you will never successfully raise funds. |
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| 3 Action Steps (8/24/09) |
| Scenario: You receive your first gift from a major donor prospect. The gift is very small and you might not verbalize it, but inside you are disappointed and yes, somewhat discouraged. |
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| 4 Reasons Why Donors Stop Giving (8/1/09) |
| In this day and age, the last thing you and I can afford is to have our donors stop giving. There are 4 reasons why donors tend to stop giving but there is one in particular we can control. |
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| 10 Seconds of Silence (7/1/09) |
| As you make the ask, are you prepared for the 10 seconds of silence? |
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| The Value of Establishing Deadlines (6/17/09) |
| Whether raising individual support or funds for your organization the use of deadlines is absolutely crucial. I see 2 key benefits that will make a difference in your fund raising: |
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| 3 Criteria in Preparing for the Ask for Funds (5/5/09) |
| You are preparing to ask for funds. I am proud of the fact you have discovered the importance of personally asking people for funds, but before you leave for that appointment you need to be reminded that there are 3 criteria in preparing for the ask. Here are 3 questions you need to ask |
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| 3 Steps Following the Ask (4/1/09) |
| You have made the ask and your prospect has agreed to support you and your ministry. Your job is not complete. There are 3 more steps you need to take following the ask. |
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| Three Key Steps in Making the Ask (3/23/09) |
| It has been my experience that we could do everything right in preparing for our fund raising appointment and fail in making the ask successfully. I have found there are 3 key (critical) steps in making the ask. You certainly don’t want to drop the ball here. |
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| 3 Steps to Handling the “No, I can’t support you at this time.” (2/24/09) |
| In an economy like we are facing, there will be times when prospects and donors will respond to your request for funds by saying, “No, I am not able to support you at this time.” |
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| Go For the Rebound (1/12/09) |
| In an economy like we are facing we are all scrambling to secure more funds. There are many options at your disposal, but here is one you can put to work today. |
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| 3 Bits of Vital Information (11/4/08) |
| As a fund raiser you are in the information business. What I mean by that is you are constantly trying to get more information on your prospects and donors. It is an endless process. I believe there are 3 bits of vital information you must get if you are going to be effective in raising funds. |
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| The Perfect Ask for Funds (10/14/08) |
| Someone has said that the perfect ask for funds is... |
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| Very Best > Best > Good (9/3/08) |
| As you do People Raising, it is to your advantage to begin with your VERY BEST option, and if that is not possible and practical, you move to your BEST option and then down to your GOOD option.
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| 4 Way to Collect Valuable Data on Your Prospects and Donors (8/4/08) |
| If you are to be successful in fund raising, it is critical that you be able to build a relationship with your prospects and donors. One way to do that is to collect personal data. There are 4 ways you can collect valuable data. |
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| 3 Questions on Your Donors Mind (7/9/08) |
| As a fund raiser, it is downright critical that you think from a donor’s perspective. After all, you need to engage them and I am convinced that there are 3 key questions on a donors mind that you absolutely must be prepared to address as you do your fund raising. |
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| 4 Reasons To Meet With Your Prospects (6/10/08) |
| We live in an age where we look for shortcuts, for speedy solutions, for doing what is convenient. Yes, sending an appeal letter or even an email asking funds from your prospects can get your message out there quickly but if you are to be successful you must meet face to face with your prospects... |
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| 3 Common Fund Raising Mistakes (5/20/08) |
| When I raise funds, the last thing I want to be caught doing is making mistakes that could cause me to sidetrack my plan to raise needed funds quickly.
It has been my experience that there are 3 common fund raising mistakes that we need to avoid... |
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| 4 Steps to Move Your (4/15/08) |
| All of us as fund raisers need to be able to count on sustained, regular support. We tend to call it “Pledged Support”. But it has been my experience that there are those people who stay away from pledged support and simply give a “special gift” (one time gift) from time to time. There are 4 steps we can take to move them from a “special gift donor” to a “pledged donor”. |
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| 3 Occasions to Upgrade Your Donors (3/11/08) |
| Everyone I talk to loves to see their donors upgrade their giving. I can think of 3 occasions when you need to seriously consider contacting your donors and asking them to upgrade their giving. |
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| 3 Misconceptions Regarding Fund Raising (2/7/08) |
| It is so easy to keep raising funds and then to find out later we have made some wrong assumptions. There are 3 misconceptions regarding fund raising that are important for us to consider. |
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| 3 Ways Negative Thinking Impacts Our Fund Raising (1/17/08) |
| It is very easy for us to allow doubt, fear and negative thinking to creep into our fund raising activities. The mind turned negative can be fatal to anyone raising funds. There are 3 ways negative thinking impacts our fund raising: |
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| Four Critical Mistakes to Avoid in Raising Funds (12/11/07) |
| Recently I was asked “What are some of the mistakes people make in raising funds?” If you want to be truly successful in raising funds, there are 4 critical mistakes you will want to avoid. |
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| Three Questions which Guarantee a 'YES' (11/14/07) |
| As you present your vision, it is important that you have your prospect respond by saying "YES" through your presentation. There are 3 types of questions that you can use to get a "YES." |
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| Three Donor Reactions (10/15/07) |
| As a fund raiser, your job is to ask and challenge people to invest in you and your ministry. As you do that, you need to be prepared for 3 donor reactions... |
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| Two Strategies to Find Major Donors (9/1/07) |
| All of us as fund raisers hope, pray, and work toward the goal of uncovering major donors. There are a number of places to look in your search, but I want to focus on 2 simple and practical strategies you can use to find major donors. |
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| 2 Options for Wording Your Ask (8/1/07) |
| During your fund raising appointment, it is extremely important that you end well. With a goal of asking people to play a financial part in your ministry or organization, it is down right critical that you handle "the ask" well. There are 2 options at your disposal for wording your ask. |
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| 3 Moves Donors Make (7/12/07) |
| As our donors interact with us, they are in the process of making decisions in their giving that have an impact on us. There are at least 3 moves they make that require action on our part. |
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| 4 Benefits to Going 1 on 1 (6/21/07) |
| As a person who has raised funds for over 35 years, I cringe when I see people take short cuts as they attempt to raise ministry money. From time to time I find it extremely helpful to review the benefits of going one-on-one as you raise funds. I can think of at least 4 benefits to going one-on-one.
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| 3 Diagnostic Questions to Ask (5/14/07) |
| I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have had people ask me such questions as:
"We have been raising funds for 2 years and have only 25% of our funds raised. What can we do?" |
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| 3 Perspectives on Handling the "NO" Response (4/2/07) |
| As I raise funds, one thing I hate to hear is the word "NO". I am happy to report that I simply do not hear the word, "NO", on a regular basis, because I focus on people that know, trust and care for me. But when I hear that word, "NO", I have found it is important that I put the "NO" into perspective. |
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| 3 Steps to Maximize Special Gifts (3/1/07) |
| It doesn't take long for a person raising funds to realize that all donors are not necessarily willing to commit to monthly giving. Many are more than willing to commit to supporting you or your organization through "Special Gifts". |
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| 3 Helpful Reminders for Your Donors (2/1/07) |
| In working with donors who give special annual gifts, it is extremely important that you provide them with 3 helpful reminders. |
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| 2 Types of "No's" (1/17/07) |
| When asking for funds there will be occasions when prospects asked for funds will say "no" to your request. But there are 2 types of "no's" that require different responses. |
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| How to Respond to the 4 Donor Responses (12/19/06) |
| In our November 2006 newsletter, I identified 4 typical responses you’ll hear from your prospects or donors. Within this newsletter I want to tell you how to respond to each of these 4 responses. |
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| 4 Responses to Expect As You Raise Funds (11/27/06) |
| As you ask for funds, I’ll guarantee there will be 4 typical responses you’ll hear from your prospects or donors. |
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| 3 Types of Pledges (10/19/06) |
| Whether raising individual support or organizational funds, we all live and die on those who provide regular, consistent, ongoing, pledged support. There are at least 3 options in securing a pledged gift. |
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| 5 Keys to a Good Ask for Funds (9/1/06) |
| When seeking to raise funds, many people walk out of their appointment having had a nice conversation but never really being successful in asking for funds. There are 5 keys to a good ask for
funds. |
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| 3 Common Fund Raising Problems (8/1/06) |
| When raising personal funds, organizational funds or coaching others, trouble shooting your ask is critical. When doing so, I have found 3 common problems. |
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| 3 Phrases to Avoid Using (7/18/06) |
| When it comes to asking for funds, wording is everything. Using the wrong wording can result in a lost opportunity and a loss of needed funds. When asking for funds there are 3 phrases you will want to avoid like a plague. |
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| 3 Steps to Take with Lapsed Donors (6/27/06) |
| What's the best way to follow up with donors who have stopped giving? Should I send them a letter? Should I wait it out? Should I write them off? |
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| 3 More Donor Personality Types (5/22/06) |
| As we make contacts with donors and prospects we can expect to find different personality types. Here are three more personalities you are bound to meet during your fund raising experience. |
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| 3 Reasons to Go Back for More Funds (4/18/06) |
| When do you go back to an existing donor and ask for more funds? I can think of at least 3 scenarios that offer you the opportunity to go back to a donor and ask them for more funds. |
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| 3 Ways to Capture Information on Your Donors (3/1/06) |
| If you and I are to be effective in People Raising, we need to be in the business of getting to know our donors and prospects. There are at least 3 ways you and I can capture information on our donors and prospects. |
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| 4 Donor Responses (2/7/06) |
| As we work with our donors, there are 4 ways they can respond to us through their giving. |
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| The 3 P's of Fund Raising (1/19/06) |
| Any effective fund raiser needs to consistently practice these 3 key things if he or she ever wants to be successful in raising funds for ministry.
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| 4 Reasons Why People Stop Giving (12/6/05) |
| For every 100 people that stop supporting you, there are 4 reasons why they chose to stop supporting you or your ministry. |
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| 3 Funding Sources + 1 Principle (11/8/05) |
| There are at least 3 primary funding sources we can approach as we raise funds, but 1 guiding principle. If we are going to be successful it is vitally important that we apply this 1 guiding principle to these 3 sources. |
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| 3 Different Donor Personalities (10/4/05) |
| As you raise funds and meet with prospects and donors, you will encounter many different personalities. Here are 3 that you will undoubtedly encounter. |
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| 4 Fund Raising Habits to Avoid (9/2/05) |
| Habits can be either a blessing or a curse. There are at least 4 fund raising
habits you need to avoid if you are going to be effective in raising funds. |
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| 3 Values of Setting Fund Raising Goals with a Deadline (8/5/05) |
| Setting stretching goals with a realistic deadline is invaluable. For the fund raiser there are 3 values to goal setting.
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| 3 Types of Face-to-Face Meetings (7/20/05) |
| Sometimes we can be under the impression that every face-to-face meeting with our prospects or donors has to involve asking for funds. That simply is not the case. |
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| 3 Homework Assignments for the Fund Raiser (6/28/05) |
| When you sit down with a prospect, it is extremely important that you are prepared and do your homework. There are at least three important homework assignments on your part as a fund raiser. |
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| 3 Reasons to Ask for the Gift Now (5/24/05) |
| Scenario: You are making a call on a person that knows, trusts, and cares for you.
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| 3 Reasons Why You Need to Tell a Story (4/29/05) |
| As we communicate about our ministry it is important that we tell a story of an individual or individuals being impacted by our ministry. And there are at least 3 reasons why.
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| 3 Disturbing Trends (3/17/05) |
| As a fund raiser you want to measure your results and especially look for trends. There are 3 disturbing trends you need to be looking for:
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| 3 Choices Faced By Your Donors (2/24/05) |
| Our job as fund raisers it to bring a person to a decision. When it comes to that, there are only three choices prospects or donors have at their disposal.
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| 3 Sources for Generating More Funds (1/25/05) |
| When the need comes to raise more funds, we naturally focus on brand new prospects who can join are team. It makes sense to begin there, but we can be short-sighted by focusing on only that one source. It has been my experience that there are at least 3 sources for generating more funds. |
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