CATEGORY

Donor Behavior & Stewardship

How donors think, decide, and engage over time. Motivation, trust, communication strategies, and the long-term relationship between donors and the organizations they support. Written for fundraisers who want to understand what drives giving — and what sustains it.

CEO-Lovel-Job-Interview
Major Gifts
Viken Mikaelian

Preparing for a High Profile Major Gifts Job Interview

With a high profile job interview coming up, it’s important to practice some effective, job-winning strategies that can help you outshine your competition. Use these tips and strategies to prepare for – and win – the job of your dreams.

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Mission-Positioning
Effective fundraising
Viken Mikaelian

Mission Positioning During Tough Times

Figuring out your mission positioning can be tough during down markets and time of economic uncertainty. Cutting marketing activity right now is risky, contrary to what you might think. You’ll save on the short term, but lose in the long-term.

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planned giving appeal letter
Stewardship and Relationships
Viken Mikaelian

The Planned Giving Appeal Letter

The planned giving world is inundated with so much legalese and technical jargon, a simple planned giving appeal letter usually reads like a privacy statement sent out by a credit card company. It’s enough to send a corporate lawyer straight to sleep — and those are the folks who write privacy statements! Appeal to emotion.

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planned gift program
Stewardship and Relationships
Viken Mikaelian

The 40-70 Rule: Finding the Sweet Spot in Donor Research

Has something like this ever happened to you? You’re at a development conference, sitting at a table with a stranger. You introduce yourself … and the person takes your friendliness as an invitation to go all in. Next thing you know, they’re telling you about a recent operation (including all the gory details) and finish it off by yanking up their shirt for a grand reveal of a very large incision scar. The same thing can happen when a nonprofit tries to track down donor information – you don’t need to know every little thing! Here’s how to find the sweet spot!

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Crypocurrency-Nonprofit-Gifting
Giving
Viken Mikaelian

Cryptocurrency: The Next Gifting Frontier

Ethereum. Doegecoin. Ripple. Litecoin. Stellar. Bitcoin. Unless you’re familiar with cryptocurrency, those names probably look like something straight out of a science fiction story. But it’s no fiction: Cryptocurrency presents a huge—and largely untapped—opportunity for nonprofits.

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Acknowledging Donor Mortality
Stewardship and Relationships
Viken Mikaelian

Acknowledging Donor Mortality

For years, these individuals have been in the background dressed up at your galas. They have introduced you and your staff to their peers and professional colleagues and have assisted at the registration tables for your events. They highlight articles in newspapers or trade journals relevant to your sector and share them with your communications and development staff. They may even go out of their way to send you marketing materials from other organizations that solicit their hard-earned dollars. But you need to acknowledge donor mortality.

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Empowering Career Thoughts
Self Improvement & Career
Viken Mikaelian

Career Thoughts

I do not recall where I collected this information, but I just found it in the “back of my drawer.” Good motivation to start off the week. Here are some empowering career thoughts for you!

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nonprofit board meeting agendas
Stewardship and Relationships
Viken Mikaelian

Nonprofit Board Meeting Agendas: A Quick Guide for Success

Executive directors looking to host more productive board meetings at small to mid-sized nonprofits with budgets ranging from $1-$10 million. Overall, this will focus on how software can help engage leadership in board meetings.

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Yelp-what-can-we-learn-from-them
Effective fundraising
Viken Mikaelian

Donor Testimonials: What Can You Learn From Yelp?

Burgers and marketing: Years ago, you would have hopped in the car and searched for a restaurant with a full parking lot and plenty of local license plates. Now you start surfing the internet using Yelp and TripAdvisor. So what? Did you know that your donors are doing the same thing… going online, looking for donor testimonials?

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Keep-the-Romance-Alive
Stewardship and Relationships
Viken Mikaelian

Keep the Romance Alive

How does your organization retain its donors? Do you stay in touch frequently, letting them know what’s happening in your quest to make the world a better place. Do you show them how their support is changing lives? Do you keep the bond you initially created with them strong? Do you send thank-you cards or postcards “just because?” Here’s how to really focus on donor stewardship.

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Giving Magazine, Karen Alonso on Cover, United Way Las Vegas, AFP Chapter President

Giving Magazine

For those who drive change — not watch it. Join the top 1%.