Meet the Blog’s Host
Hank Lewis with Development Consultant Associates has over thirty years as a fundraising consultant and is a specialist in Board and Leadership Development, Capital Campaign, Bequest Program and Major Gifts. [Read more ...]Fundraising: The Combined Federal Campaign
CFC and Planning for the Fall, Part I
It’s now spring, which is an interesting time for charities in the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), because this is when the overlap of getting the results from the fall campaign and preparing for this fall’s solicitation period occurs. Even though the CFC solicitation periods occur each fall, the books on one year’s campaign don’t close [...]
The CFC: Leveraging National Volunteer Week – April 15-21, 2012
In the 7 Keys to CFC Success, Key #3 is “Use all 12 months of the Year.” By the time you get to the actual CFC solicitation period in the fall, you’ll need to have already planted the seeds of awareness in the minds of your current and potential new donors. Communication and marketing professionals [...]
The CFC: Choosing Your Leadership Development Team
It’s almost spring, and now’s the time to start planning your non-profit’s CFC campaign for the 2012 campaign season. The best-selling author, Jim Collins, who wrote Good to Great, has five key principles for organizational success; and, in his own words, the single most important principle is to “Get the right people on the bus.” [...]
The CFC: Leadership Development & Charity Fairs
In this and the next several CFC posts, we’ll examine some of the steps that you and your organization can take to benefit from participation in the CFC, in addition to those activities that generate revenue. One challenge that many non-profits face is how to provide real opportunities for their staff members to develop their [...]
Applying to The CFC — Local Charities
Previously, we looked at some of the important considerations for a nonprofit in deciding if it wants to enroll in the CFC for the 2012 solicitation season. For local charities, however, the application deadlines vary among the more than 200 regional CFCs, with charities in the Washington, DC metro area having the earliest deadline of [...]
A CFC Hint for National and International Charities … and Local NPOs
Consider a DBA This is especially important for national and international charities, where if you are a small national or international non-profit, everyone may not recognize your name. The national and international lists are rigidly alphabetical; if your official name is “The Best Charity” you will be listed in the “T”s for “The” not in [...]
Applying for The CFC — National & International Nonprofits
The Combined Federal Campaign for the 2012 solicitation season begins on September 1, 2012 and runs through December 15, 2012. For national and international charities, regardless of whether they are members of a federation or an independent charity, the deadline for all application materials is Tuesday, January 17, 2012 by 5pm (EST) and applications later [...]
The First Step in Applying for the Combined Federal Campaign:
The CFC Deadlines Are Not That Far Away If you believe that the CFC would be a good fit for your charity, both in terms of your mission and your non-profit’s capacity to handle an additional method of fundraising, this posting and the postings on Nov xx and Dec xx will outline the process for [...]
Staying Visible To Your CFC Donors … And To Everyone Else
While the Internet has not changed “everything,” it has changed how we shop, how we get directions, and most relevant to the CFC … and all nonprofit fundraising, it has changed where we get our news and information. And even though video is an increasingly important method of sharing information, the written word is how [...]
In The Combined Federal Campaign, Little Things Mean a Lot
Relationships Are Key. Those three words summarize all practical and academic research about fundraising. It takes a great deal of effort, thought, capability, energy, systems, and committed people to actually develop a sustainable, growing, and effective development program, but the idea that relationships are key is one that is at the root of all successful [...]
