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10 Tips for Breathing Life into your Stalled Campaign
Your fundraising plan is written, your volunteers have been trained and you are ready to go out to ask for a donation to solve an identified problem in your community. Everybody’s ready to go! Except...
View ArticleI’m a reformed not-for-profit martyr!
Summer’s here! Are you feeling fresh, or frazzled? This week’s video blog is all about ways to avoid not-for-profit burnout. Don’t become a not-for-profit martyr: it’s a lonely road. Feeling...
View ArticleRelationship mapping for fundraisers
We are an increasingly visual society – we choose pictures over articles, we watch video alongside reading the newspaper, we send emoticons instead of texts! My summertime obsession (and I have a few!)...
View ArticleDrapes don’t matter. Donors do!
Where should you spend your time during the day? If you’re a fundraiser, you’ve got to get yourself to a place where the majority of your time is spent focused on revenue generating activities. That...
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When Sell, Sell, Sell feels like Hell, Hell Hell.
Tales of a Not-for-profit Gala You know the drill: rule number one of the “big annual fundraiser” is to SELL SELL SELL. Tickets, that is. And that sure is what it feels like: your volunteers are...
View ArticleFundraisers as Cheerleaders!
What kind of reactions do YOU get when you tell people that you’re a professional fundraiser? I usually get one of two comments: Wow. So you ask people for money for a living? Neat. So what do you do...
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Hi Grandma Josephine. It’s me, Jenny!
Tips for getting that planned giving discovery meeting This article originally appeared in Gift Planning In Canada’s September Edition. A wise fundraiser once told me “Jenny, it’s hard to fall in love...
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Top 5 AFP Congress AHA moments!
3 days, 1000 fundraisers, and a lifetime of learning. That’s what’s so special about AFP Congress – that’s why I keep coming back year after year. As fundraisers, we’ve got to get out from behind our...
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How to play nicely in the sandbox
This post was originally prepared for as session at Ottawa Festivals 2015 PitchFest Remember your days in elementary school? You learned those all-important life lessons like: raise your hand when you...
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Case for Support: what the heck is it and how should I use it?
It’s the cornerstone of any (and I mean ANY) Fundraising Campaign. The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Dictionary defines a case for support as: “The reasons why an organization both...
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20 ways to reduce stress and be happier in 2016
Build a fundraising plan – review your plan weekly and quarterly. Use Monday as your launch day for the week – build a weekly to-do list and block off time to complete your tasks. Drink more water –...
View ArticleMajor Gifts and when you get nervous
In this video blog, you’ll learn about what to do when you get nervous. (Spoiler alert: it’s OK to get nervous. But it’s even better to get the training that will help you and your volunteers be...
View Article21 Amazing Major Gift Conversation Starters
There’s a fine balance between preparing TOO MUCH and TOO LITTLE for Major Gift Meetings. A great phrase I like to use with clients is “What’s the absolute BARE minimum you need to know before going...
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Top 5 Tips for National Major Gifts Officers
Ah, the life of a jet-setting Major gifts officer. Calgary one week, Cornwall the next! Working with donors from across the country has its perks, but it certainly also has its challenges. I reached...
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Vikings, pirates and sponsors – what do they have in common?
I met these two beauties in London, Ontario at my daughter’s fall ringette tournament. What the heck? What’s with the viking hats? There were TONS of parents walking around the arena with these...
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5 tips for getting your board “on board” with sponsorship
“We would have a great sponsorship team if only our volunteers would go out and ASK.” Sound familiar? Whether you’re staff supporting a board of volunteers, or your the Fundraising Chair for the...
View ArticleBlack holes..and why they’re BAD for your fundraising shop
It’s not just Star Wars that struggles with black holes: Fundraising black holes are places where donations go in…never to be seen, stewarded or reported on again! Watch this video to find out what...
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How to collaborate with your Major Gifts officer to raise more money
This article previously appeared in Gift Planning in Canada (February 2016 Edition) Collaboration between Major Gifts and Planned Giving officers results in raising more money for your organization’s...
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49 Ways to Engage your Community
“I know I am supposed to connect with people, but I just don’t know how.” I hear that from my clients a LOT. How do you build an authentic relationship with someone so you can “bring them closer” to...
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What I learned on my journey: 5 steps to a successful digital donor...
This week’s blog is a guest post by Delphine Haslé, CFRE. It’s one thing to talk about donor walls, but it’s an entirely different journey to take it from inception to a successful conclusion. Let me...
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