Give and Take

“Transparency” is just a trendy term for “operational openness.” Openness can work in a nonprofit’s favor. It allows donors and prospects to see that your organization is being run responsibly. It assures them that the money it raises is being used to further its mission. But a charity that tries to keep too many secrets may end up with the feds imposing a little “transparency” of their own. In the legal system, this is sometimes called “discovery.” Case in point: The Kabbalah Centre International. Just to recap, the IRS and a grand jury in the U.S. District Court of the

Listen: there’s a grassroots rebellion against direct mail marketing. For example, CatalogChoice.Org, a nonprofit “do not send” registry for consumers and companies who want to stem the flood of unwanted catalogs and other junk mail they receive, has served more than a million individuals and businesses since its founding in 2007. And while — at least from your viewpoint — your planned giving newsletter is anything but junk mail, to your prospect, it’s just part of the daily avalanche of unwelcome arrivals. And that means it’s quite likely your messaging is going straight from the mailbox to the recycling bin,

Personalization is the key to attracting prospects, optimizing donor relationships, and maximizing the donations that result from them.

A beautiful sunny autumn day in Southeastern Pennsylvania and the local strip mall was crowded with shoppers enjoying themselves… All except one.

Donors don’t leave legacies to grey flannel suits. Donors want to see the face of the person wearing the suit — which is why fundraisers need well-written biographies.