"Have to..." burns up a lot of energy, money, and time. "Want to..." generates limitless resources. "Have to..." waits until the last minute to do something and then only to get it over with. "Want to..." can't wait to take action. "Have to..." gives as little as it possibly can. "Want to..." always wants to give more than it reasonably can. "Have to..." hates to see you coming and eventually stops coming around. "Want to..." always shows up and wants to know about next time.

Fundraising done right is one of the kindest, most generous things you can do. A few years ago, a young couple was going through a hard time. Both of them had difficult health problems that cost a lot of money to treat. Both of them lost their jobs at about the same time. In no time at all, they were out of money. They couldn't afford food. They received an eviction notice from their landlord. About the same time, my wife and I bought a new house. We were holding onto our old

This post is part of my year-fundraising series. This fall, you can follow along here to receive training and tools that will help you launch your own year-end fundraising campaign. The lessons I'm offering are best for small nonprofits (five or fewer employees). Ready for an amazing and successful Giving Season? Rock 'n' roll. If you’re following along with the Merry Year-End Fundraising program, you now know: With whom you need to communicate (partners, friends, acquaintanc