Some Thoughts on Budgeting for A New Nonprofit

By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on April 1, 2015

This is a follow up to last week’s post on “special event income.” The person who asked the question that engendered that posting didn’t provide enough information for me to be able to address her specific circumstances. So, I got another note, expressing disappointment … and maybe a little annoyance. This time my correspondent wrote: […]

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Income From Events

By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on March 25, 2015

A recent email asked: “What percentage of a non profit’s budget should come from fundraising events?” I have a problem with the word, “should.” That implies that all nonprofits should be raising money through events. That is so wrong!! That is a question that is (so) often posed by people new to the nonprofit world, […]

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What Nonprofits Should Know About Bequests

By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on March 18, 2015

Unlike all of the other planned giving mechanisms, a bequest program doesn’t require major technical expertise and specific financial instruments. It’s easy, it’s fast, it can pay off substantially, and the dollars from bequests comprise close to 90% of all planned gifts. Many non-profit organizations refuse to get into planned giving because of the perception […]

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A For-Profit Corporation Hosts An Event to Benefit a Non-Profit

By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on March 11, 2015

A recent communication asked: “I have a potential non-profit client that was approached by a for-profit corporation, with a similar mission, that wants to contribute to the non-profit all or some of the net proceeds from a Gala Anniversary Event organized by and for the for-profit entity. The structure is not yet in place so […]

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Who Should Raise The Money? – Part Two

By Tony Poderis on March 4, 2015

(Continued from Last Week) Surely, anyone can see that there is a huge difference between selling a Ferrari, and “selling” a nonprofit institution. The automobile salesperson is responsible for selling cars. In “selling” a nonprofit institution to its (potential) donors, the development professional has the dual responsibility, along with volunteer leadership, for helping to keep […]

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Who Should Raise The Money? – Part One

By Tony Poderis on February 25, 2015

Not long ago, I received an email from the CEO of a large nonprofit medical center. She referred to an article I had written that was completely at odds with what she was told by the president of a major fundraising consulting firm the hospital is going to hire. The consultant was advising the hospital […]

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Dear Boss, Let’s Try This

By K. Michael Johnson on February 18, 2015

Get ready because they’re coming. Not only the Millennial generation, but their ideas. Thoughts about how to do things better, thoughts about incorporating new technology, crazy ideas with no grounding in past success or industry-wide best practices. These folks want to make an impact – that’s why they’re working for your non-profit – and they […]

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Development As A Profession vs. Development As An Activity

By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on February 11, 2015

A couple of weeks back (on January 28th) Tony Poderis addressed his concerns about the evolution (or devolution) of the fundraising field. Where I agree with Tony, wholeheartedly, I want to address the distinction between the two concepts … as in the title of this piece. All professions, by definition, involve some level of special […]

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Development Staff As “The” Fund Raisers (According To Shakespeare)

By Tony Poderis on January 28, 2015

What would we do without Shakespeare’s quotes to fit any occasion or mood? Thus it is with my seeming futile battle against the ever-mounting rise throughout the non-profit sector where development staff members become nothing more than paid solicitors. Whenever I’m impelled to remind anyone who the fund raisers should be in their organizations, keeping […]

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Direct Mail: Getting To Know “YOU”

By Jonathan Howard on January 21, 2015

Every time I sit down to write a fundraising letter, or one of these posts, I suffer a period of anxiety. I’m worried that readers will reject my writing. Reject me. At first my writing is flat, a collection of information and phrases with no life or meaning. But after a little while I get […]

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