We’ve all done something – given in just enough – to get someone to stop doing something – to stop “bugging us” about something and go away. Perhaps it’s the dog begging for human food – you might toss fido just a bit, to get him to go away. Or your child begs for another hour on the swings – you might give her 10 more minutes, just to stop the badgering. And you might give a “go-away gift.” A gift that is just enough to get the solicitor to go away. That is a transactional gift.

No matter the size of your development office, the essentials remain the same. Ignore them at your peril! Use our list to consider whether or not your nonprofit has fundraising fundamentals in place, and how they might be improved.

How does your nonprofit decide who is an acceptable donor? Read about two huge gifts that Lincoln Center (NYC) accepted and see what you think about the divergent politics.

No one knows for sure what will happen this year. I sincerely hope we don’t experience a repeat of 2008-2009. Not only was my fundraising job extremely stressful, but my husband got laid off in October 2008 as well. So, yeah, I’m not excited about doing THAT again. That said, I thought this might be a good time to share my experience of raising funds during that awful time known as “The Great Recession.”

Research shows that a handwritten thank-you note sent immediately after you receive a gift helps ensure a repeated—and often increased—gift. We live in a time when everything is automated: you buy something online and immediately you get an email saying how important your business is… yeah, yeah, yeah.