By Tony Poderis on October 8, 2014
On June 18 & 25, Lynne deLearie wrote about “Reason and Emotion in Grant Proposals.” Coincidentally, I’ve recently been involved in some discussions in which some folks were leaning much too far in one direction or the other. Those conversations were prompted by what one participant reported as an interesting article in The Chronicle of […]
By Two Blog Contributors on August 20, 2014
1. Four Major Donor-Retention Sins by Jonathan Howard You know that the key to net gains and year-to-year growth of your direct mail fundraising lies with your donor retention rate. Helping first time donors become loyal friends can generate as much as an 80 percent return on investment. That’s a pretty great business model. But […]
By Two Blog Contributors on July 30, 2014
1. A Different Kind of Scheduling May Help Improve Your Grant Proposals by Jayme Sokolow As grant proposal professionals, we are very focused on schedules. In fact, it is one of the first things we do when making a decision to bid. There is, however, another kind of scheduling that we often slight when developing […]
By Two Blog Contributors on July 2, 2014
1. April 27th was National Tell a Story Day by Jayme Sokolow What, you may ask, is the connection between National Tell a Story Day and grant proposals? A great deal, at least from my perspective. Stories are universal because we use stories to create meaning. When you cite a statistic or make an argument, […]
By Two Blog Contributors on June 25, 2014
1. Donor-Centered Planned Giving – Part I by John Elbare Planned gifts almost always result from strong donor relationships, yet many non-profits fail at this. When a donor feels a part of your charitable mission, planned giving become almost inevitable. But when donors feel neglected or ignored, planned giving is very difficult. Do you work […]
By Two Blog Contributors on June 18, 2014
1. Using Both Reason and Emotion in Grant Proposals – Part I: Reason by Lynn deLearie Successful grant proposals are often carefully crafted using both reason and emotion. This week I’ll address…The Use Of Reason. Grants are NOT no-strings-attached gifts. Grants are contracts between grantors, who provide the funds, and grantees, who perform the tasks […]
By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on June 11, 2014
June 18: Reason and Emotion in Grant Proposals – Part I: Reason by Lynn deLearie Successful grant proposals are often carefully crafted using both reason and emotion. On one hand, proposals must, logically, show how non-profits will use grant funds to effectively…. June 18: The U.S.-Style of Fundraising Can Work in Other Countries – […]
By Two Blog Contributors on June 4, 2014
1. Successful Proposals Find Common Ground with Funders by Jayme Sokolow In a recent issue of the Chronicle of Philanthropy, Daniel Pink, the author of To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others (2012), discussed what he found in his research about fundraising. His advice is refreshingly clear and straightforward. The following is […]
By Two Blog Contributors on May 14, 2014
Preserve Institutional Knowledge to Ensure Better Proposals by Jayme Sokolow Most of us work in or with institutions that pride themselves on their ability to identify and access information quickly, but those institutions very often have short memories. As Ron Ashkenas has pointed out in the Harvard Business Review Blog Network, although organizations “spend a […]
By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on April 16, 2014
April 23: Keeping Your Bucket Full … With Direct Mail by Jonathan Howard The national average rate of donor retention (that’s the number of donors who gave in two consecutive 12-month periods) is a horrendous 35 percent. April 23: Events In Private Homes: Part II by Hank Lewis Education, Cultivation & Stewardship – What can/should […]
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 ...]