“We have to start planning the gala for next year!” These are dreaded words. Many people I know who work in fundraising can’t stand special events. Others see them as a necessary evil. Some of the reasons fundraisers don’t like special events include: they take too much time, they are the same thing every year…

Now I’ve got your attention. How can finding new donors be a mistake? When you spend more time and money on finding those new donors than you spend on cultivating your existing donors. Acquisition of new donors is always more expensive than cultivating the donors you have. Every organization needs to have opportunities for new…

I decided to start my blog with short articles about mistakes I have seen many nonprofits make, and identify some things that will work better. Number one was “Focus on Grants and Corporate Sponsors” instead of individuals. Today I want to focus on the second biggest mistake: Failing to ask volunteers for a cash donation.…