A fundraising event isn't a moment in time. It's the start of a journey of discovery and impact, one that could lead someone to make a commitment of support to your mission. Organizations often think of events as one-day affairs, but I would argue that they're missing the most important steps after the event, which makes them even more worthwhile. So I always ask, when talking to clients, "What's your follow-up? What's the journey after the event for the donor?" Answering tho

Everybody loves to win. Everybody loves that big announcement. But, sometimes, when we focus on the big wins, we forget about the smaller pieces that build toward something even bigger. You have to have the whole picture. And that’s why we always talk about integrated fundraising. An integrated fundraising strategy means looking at the whole picture, not just major gifts, or events, or even annual giving alone. Everything, together, and all the time! Not just once a year, or

Giving circles are having a moment. If you haven’t run into one yet, you’re going to! So let’s get ahead of it by getting into it… At its core, a giving circle is about collective action. It’s a group of individuals combining their efforts to make an impact. And it’s proof that generosity can be small and all together. As I’ve seen it play out, there are two distinct kinds of giving circles, but they often get lumped together. And I think it’s worth teasing them apart: The Gr

Major gifts aren’t a quick fix. Pursuing them doesn’t immediately create new cash in the door. It takes time to build relationships and to cultivate those donors. And sometimes that’s the most stressful part, isn’t it? Cultivating relationships with major gift donors at the right pace for them and your organization. Over the past year, we’ve seen major gifts take longer to close because of economic uncertainty. Major gifts went from taking 12-18 months to more like 24-36 mont

In Integrated Direct Response, the smallest change on an envelope can make or break whether a donor’s going to open it. Like the colours used, or just the angle of the stamp, implying a human touch. And then once they open it, the smallest details can influence how much of it they read. That’s why we teach our clients to always include a P.S. in their letter. Always, always, always. Because the donor is going to read it first. And if they like what it says, they’ll go back to

Many fundraisers go into donor meetings on instinct and come out hoping for the best. Training changes that. It helps you rethink your strategy, your approach, and how you show up. When you pair training with coaching, you start to notice what’s working in real time, reflect on it, and adjust. That cycle of doing and noticing is how good fundraisers become great ones. A good fundraising coach helps you think about your language before you walk into a conversation. And afterwa

I think a lot of us in this sector have been there. You hire a great fundraiser, hand them a portfolio, give them their targets, and say: go get 'em. And then you wonder why they're struggling six months later. That's how you learn the hard way that teaching people how to fundraise is not the same as coaching them to be great at it. And that difference really, really matters. Fundraising is deeply personal work. You are inviting someone into a relationship — asking them to

In Major Gift fundraising, one of the biggest fears is hearing no. We've hosted several sessions lately about major gift fundraising, and every time we talk about fears, the top one is rejection. And I get it. No matter what type of no — there are nine by the way — it’s hard to hear. So, that’s one of the things we train fundraisers to practice hearing. The more you practice, the better you are at identifying the no, responding, and keeping the relationship moving forward.

When people hear the words “major gifts,” it can feel intimidating. You know the gifts are bigger. You know there’s more riding on the relationship. But the actual how-of-it can feel unclear. I remember feeling that way early in my career too. One of the biggest shifts for me was realizing this: Major Gifts is a system, not a mystery. There’s a structure to the work. And once you understand the structure, you stop feeling like you’re guessing all the time. At its core, major

How do you make a piece of mail feel personal when you’re sending it to thousands of people at once? It doesn’t start with a name at the top of the page. It starts with a story. Not the organization’s story. But a real story—about a real person, a real family, a real moment. Told simply. Honestly. The way you’d tell it to someone sitting across from you at the kitchen table. Then this story is the spine that holds the entire campaign together. Every version. Every line that