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.

Don’t Fall Into the Trap of the Shiny New Fundraising Thing

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Modern fundraisers are bombarded with marketing messages, sales pitches, and ideas for new fundraising strategies. I don’t know about you, but I sometimes feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of possibilities, tactics, and products available to non-profit development teams. When I first became a Development Director, I was shocked by the number of letters, e-mails […]

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The Story of Your Non-Profit

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How well are you telling your non-profit’s story? No… I’m not talking about that boilerplate “History of our Organization” that you have on your website. And I’m certainly not referring to the mission statement that committee of your board members hammered out 15 years ago. I’m talking about story, in its truest sense… Good. Evil. […]

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How to Write a Successful Fundraising Plan

Many non-profits, particularly smaller charities and start-ups, operate without a fundraising plan. When someone has an idea for an event or a campaign, these organizations simply put together a host committee or volunteer group and go for it. They may send out a letter here and there, and do some donor meetings, and when the […]

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How to Raise More Money at Your Next Fundraising Event

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Does your organization hold one or more fundraising events every year? If so, keep reading… Each year, thousands of non-profits hold millions of fundraising events, but most of those events raise less than they should, and cause far too much hassle and stress for fundraisers and volunteers. If you’d like to learn how to raise more money from […]

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Why Isn’t Our Organization Raising More Money? (A Simple Exercise for Non-Profit Leaders)

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If you’re on a non-profit board, or serve as an Executive Director, Development Director, or in another leadership role with a charitable organization, and you’re wondering why your non-profit isn’t raising more money, then read on… Today, I want to present a simple, step-by-step checklist for non-profit leaders who are asking themselves that question. If […]

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Overwhelmed With Fundraising? Try This…

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If you’re working for a small or mid-sized non-profit, there’s a good chance that you often feel overwhelmed with fundraising. There’s so much to do, and so little time (and money) to do it that the odds can seem stacked against you. Your board and executive director are probably supportive of your fundraising efforts. But, […]

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Harnessing Your Non-Profit’s Secret Fundraising Weapon

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There are two constants in non-profit fundraising. They are: (1) Every organization wants to raise more money, and (2) Every organization is stretched thin on fundraising resources, including staff and budget Because these two constants hold true in 99% of non-profits, every non-profit I have ever talked with feels like it has a ton of […]

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Do You Recognize the 4 Early Warning Signs of Donor Withdrawal?

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We’ve all been there… There’s a donor that is extremely interested in your work. He or she gives regularly – at almost every opportunity – and is one of your organization’s biggest boosters. This donor invites friends along to events, makes a major gift commitment, and posts appeals for your organization on Facebook. In short, […]

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The 60 Minute Plan for Increasing Your Fundraising by 100% this Year

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A number of years ago, while serving as the Executive Director of a non-profit, I faced a crisis. I had come on board 4 months before and could tell the ship was sinking. Most of the staff was gone, the bookkeeping was a mess, reports weren’t filed. Luckily, we had a small reserve of annual […]

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5 Tips for Raising More Money Online for Your Non-Profit

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Many non-profit organizations feel like they are spending far too much time online trying to raise money, with far too little return on that investment. Everyone is telling them what a great tool the Internet is for fundraising, but they are frustrated and ready to throw their hands up. I can tell you from experience […]

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Do Your Donors Want Your Fundraising to be More FUN?

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As non-profits, we tackle some serious issues: disease, homelessness, education, and everything in between. Because we want donors to believe in our mission and support our work, we spend a lot of our time impressing the seriousness of that work on our donors. And rightly so. People need to understand the story behind your non-profit, […]

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Non-Profit Storytelling for Fun and Fundraising

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Did you know that every good non-profit fundraiser is a storyteller? As development professionals, we cast real life stories for donors that excite and intrigue. We show the world as it is, and as it could be, and then ask our listeners/prospects to jump right into the story and take the reins by investing in […]

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Maximizing Your Donor Relationships

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Have you, and your non-profit team, thought about how well you are maximizing your donor relationships? I’ll bet the answer is “no.” And that’s ok – you’ve got a lot on your plate. But today, I want to suggest setting some time aside to think it through. Here’s how I think about it: donor acquisition […]

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How to Get a 2nd Gift from New Donors

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Did you know that the second gift you get from a new donor is almost as important as the first? Seriously – in large part, it is the second gift that determines whether or not this new donor will become a lifelong giver to your non-profit, or remain just a one-time donor. According to the […]

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What Every Non-Profit Ought to Know about Direct Mail Fundraising

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Most non-profits I know are skittish about direct mail fundraising, because it requires an initial investment of time and money. Picking up the phone to call a donor takes courage, but it doesn’t cost money. Sending out an e-mail is easy and free. With direct mail, on the other hand, there are lots of costs […]

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