Soliciting a gift is a performance, isn’t it? Why not prepare the way a performer does? Pragmatic suggestions from this opera-singer-turned-major-gift-fundraiser will help you be your best self at a solicitation meeting.

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.

Sometimes, humor and candy can make all the difference in motivating your colleagues and changing the culture of your nonprofit. Read on to see how we used it to inspire conversations about planned gifts.

Did you know that Martin Luther King, Jr and Mahatam Gandhi were great fundraisers? Learn what goes on behind the scenes of a social justice movement.

Our social and physical movements have changed during Covid but basic human relationship needs have not. Are you still practicing the tried and true methods of fundraising?

I’ve spent the last two decades as a professional fundraiser and fundraising consultant, and during these years I’ve tried out many different methods of getting in to see a prospective donor in person (the gold standard for fundraising prospect visits). I’ve cold called, cold emailed, sent letters, used LinkedIn, you name it.

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.