Introduction To Government Grants

By Jayme Sokolow on February 10, 2011

Every year, government agencies around the country provide over $200 billion in grants … for specific services to local communities. Today, there are approximately 2,000 federal grant programs and over 40,000 state grant programs. But before you get all excited about all that government money, you must really understand what government grants are and who […]

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So, You Want To Raise The Money To Build A Playground !! #2

By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on February 7, 2011

Naming Opportunities (This post is Part 2 of a 2 Part Response to a Submitted Question) The other first step is to make a list of potential “purchasers” of those naming opportunities. These must be people with the (significant) resources to be able to afford the “purchase” – people to whom you have or someone […]

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So, You Want To Raise The Money To Build A Playground !! #1

By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on February 3, 2011

Naming Opportunities (This post is Part 1 of a 2 Part Response to a Submitted Question) When I think of a playground, I picture swings, a set of see-saws, a jungle gym and various other pieces of equipment; and, I see multiple opportunities to raise money. There are many ways to raise money, but I […]

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Fundraising and The New Executive Director

By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on February 1, 2011

A Note From a Reader: “I will begin my new position as an ED in a non-profit next month and I would like to meet our sponsors and donors. We do not begin our campaign drive for another few months. What is the best approach to introduce myself to donors? Would it be appropriate to […]

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Listening to Donors

By Rick Christ on January 28, 2011

The web may be the most powerful broadcast tool of all time, but too many nonprofit organizations miss the even more important power of the web – a way to listen to their donors! Why is listening so important? • People like to be listened to…. So few people   really listen these days – most […]

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Endowment “Campaigns”

By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on January 25, 2011

Endowment Campaigns are often thought of as another type of Capital Campaign, but there are two major (and some minor) differences between these types of fundraising efforts. •   A capital campaign primarily raises funding     for tangibles – bricks-and-mortar and     equipment, sometimes programs. An     endowment is a “savings account” from which an organization typically uses     only the […]

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A Change Of Pace

By Natalie Lewis on January 20, 2011

Whoever said an event had to be a dinner or a luncheon to work? The key to making any event succeed is to learn, well in advance, what will bring out your audience: existing donors, new donors, corporations, government officials, community leaders, etc. Almost every event can benefit from an occasional change of pace … […]

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Donor Recognition vs. Donor Privacy

By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on January 18, 2011

You can’t/shouldn’t assume that donors are OK with having their names (and the amounts or ranges of their gifts) made known to anyone outside the NPO they are supporting. Donors have a right to assume that such information is confidential. The Codes of Ethics of the various organizations of professional fundraising staff and/or counsel unequivocally […]

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Good Email Subject Lines

By Rick Christ on January 14, 2011

People may not judge books by their covers, but they certainly judge your email before they open it. If your email message has an uninspiring subject line, it will never get opened. Go into your “deleted items” folder in your email program, and scan the emails that you never opened. Odds are, none of those […]

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Capital Campaigns #14: Recognizing Your Leaders & Donors

By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on January 11, 2011

As noted earlier, the first official announcement of the campaign is about the person who has volunteered to Chair the Campaign and who has made a significant (pace-setting) commitment. That is one way in which the Chair is recognized. The Chair, who is often (one of) the largest donor(s) to the campaign, is recognized initially […]

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