Many years ago, when I was about to embark on a new job that involved raising funds for a nonprofit organization, the practice was still called fundraising and donor management systems were just becoming common. I found myself in this situation after being encouraged by the Executive Director to branch out from my original responsibilities, and I had agreed with no small amount of trepidation.
Guest Post: 2 Tips for Charity Auction Success
By Karrie Wozniak, VP of Sales and Marketing at BidPal
Charity auctions can be some of the most successful fundraising events when it comes to both raising a lot of money and engaging your donors. Read More
Nonprofit Technology: An Investment for Good
If you’re working for a nonprofit, it’s likely that you are operating under a very tight budget. You may have to make do with outdated nonprofit technology, limited staff and not the most ergonomic office equipment. When it comes to making a big purchase, it takes a lot of planning, negotiating, discussion and possibly a large pros and cons list.
Weather or Not, Nonprofit Technology Change is Inevitable
A storm blew through yesterday afternoon, complete with ominous clouds, heavy rain, thunder and lightning. It’s an awesome thing to watch the lightning jump from sky to ground before your brain even registers that it happened.
Nonprofit Technology: ‘Be There’ or Be Square
It seems that there is some new technology available to development professionals nearly every day. Phrases like ‘data-driven decisions,’ ‘mobile optimization,’ ‘cloud-based computing’ were not even on our horizons just a few short years ago. And yet here we are, using terminology like this in our planning, strategy, and day-to-day discussions. It appears that we just won’t be able to survive in the future if we don’t adapt to and take advantage of all the technological developments that are currently available.
Rubies for Nonprofit Newbies: Gems of Wisdom for Getting Started
I belong to a list serve of people in the senior-services sector of the nonprofit industry, some of whom are fairly new to the world of fundraising and development. Today someone posed a question to other members of the group, seeking advice on how to get started:
Nonprofit Storytelling: The Why
Take a second to think about the organizations that you are drawn to the most. Which would you be more inclined to give to: The local nonprofit that sends a generic letter asking for a donation for their upcoming event? Or an organization who details their mission through photos, videos and personal details to give you a sense of the urgency and need for your donation?
5 Steps to Major Donor Cultivation
As a fundraiser, it’s important that you recognize that your donors fuel your mission and you want to appreciate the donors you have, acquire new ones, convert prospects and help existing donors increase their impact on your organization. Many organizations do this through a major gifts program.
Big Brother Versus the Big Apple?
There is a fascinating discussion beginning to play out in the media regarding data privacy and security. It’s a battle between the FBI and Apple over a cell phone used by one of the attackers in the mass shooting at the San Bernadino County Department of Public Health on December 2, 2015.
Read MoreDatabase Housekeeping: Can you Dig It?
We just survived another snowstorm here in Minnesota, using our trusty shovels and snow blowers to dig ourselves out. With the right tools, some elbow grease, and a bit of persistence, we’re usually able to get our sidewalks and driveways cleaned up in no time.