The Fundraising Authority — Tools and information for schools, churches, and other non-profits…

Welcome to The Fundraising Authority! Be sure to check out our Fundraising Basics and Article Archives for tons of great fundraising information.

One Big Happy Family

How do your donors see themselves? Do they seem in “awe” of your program staff, or thank your staff for the work they are doing when they meet them at events? Do your donors say things like, “I’m just glad to be able to help out… you guys (the program staff) are doing the real […]

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How to Supercharge Fundraising at Your Non-Profit

Are you ready to supercharge fundraising at your non-profit? Do you want to maximize your fundraising events, engage new major donors, raise more money online, and write fundraising letters that make donors want to give? In other words… are you ready to raise more money than ever before? If so, then join us for our […]

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A 5 Minute Guide to Making Better Fundraising Asks

Lots of fundraisers get worried about making fundraising asks… they’re not sure the best way to do it, they feel under-prepared for making in-person asks, and they get nervous when it comes time to “pop the question.” Making asks in-person (and on the phone) is one of the most valuable skills any non-profit fundraiser can […]

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3 Smart Strategies to Boost Your Online Fundraising

The following article by Fundraising Authority founder Joe Garecht first appeared as a guest post on The Guidestar Blog: Gone are the days when non-profits wonder if they really can raise money online. Case studies, news reports and personal experiences have shown that organizations can raise significant amounts of money through websites, e-mail, crowdfunding campaigns […]

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In Fundraising, Remember to Dance with the One that Brung Ya

There’s an old saying in politics: “Remember to dance with the one that brung ya.” It’s poor grammar, but a good reminder that if a politician gets into office and ignores those voters who helped him or her get there, then those voters won’t stay loyal for very long. Did you know that the same […]

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The Ultimate Guide to Finding New Prospects for Your Non-Profit

Every non-profit organization needs a steady stream of new donor prospects. In this article, I’m going to tell you how to find them. There are a lot of links in this article – each of them leads to a complete article on particular aspects of the prospecting process. Before we begin, it’s important to understand […]

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3 Provocative Questions to Ask about Your Non-Profit’s Fundraising

Today, I want to stir the pot a little bit. In this post, I want to ask 3 questions about your organization’s fundraising… 3 questions that need to be asked at every non-profit, in order to make sure they are on the right path to development success. Why do I call these questions provocative? Because […]

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How to Find Amazing Items to Sell at Your Next Silent Auction (Part II)

Silent auction events are an integral part of the yearly fundraising cycle for many non-profit organizations. In this two-part series, we’re taking a look at how non-profits of any size can find amazing items to auction off at their events. In Part I, we discussed how to get your board, donors, volunteers and event committee […]

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How to Find Amazing Items to Sell at Your Next Silent Auction (Part I)

As any organization that holds silent auction events can tell you, one of the most difficult aspects of holding amazing silent auctions is finding amazing items to sell at your event. While finding large sponsors and getting people to come to the event are both more important in terms of overall dollars raised, ultimately, if […]

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