What is on your wish list this holiday season? A few years ago, I got into the habit of keeping running wish lists on Amazon and Evernote. It used to be that my mom would ask me for my Christmas wish list around mid-October. I could never think of anything on the spot. Now, I just point her to my Amazon wish list. Or, for things that she can't buy on Amazon, I send her some ideas from my Evernote list. My sisters are great about keeping their Amazon wish lists current and tha

By the time you read this, #GivingTuesday is over. Maybe you're flush with gifts and happy dancing down the hall. Maybe you're disappointed and discouraged because things didn't go the way you planned. Maybe you're a little embarrassed because you didn't even try. Whether you're in the first, second, or third situation, you need to know this: In fundraising, you won't get by today or tomorrow on what happened yesterday. Just like you can't eat healthy today yesterday. You can

#GivingTuesday is less than two weeks away. What are you planning? It's not too late to make it a great day for your small nonprofit and your community of support. How? Instead of asking, asking, asking all day, make it about thanking, thanking, thanking! One of the my favorite experiences over the years is bringing together board members, employees, and volunteer staff members to have a "Giving Thanks Party." At these simple events, we call and write notes to your best donor

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

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 a year-end fundraising campaign by October 1. 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. You don’t have a year-end fundraising campaign unless you have a goal. The right goal is the “X” on the map that leads to buried treasure. The w

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 a year-end fundraising campaign by October 1. 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. I’m sorry. I made the mistake of thinking I could keep working on my year-end fundraising series while on family vacation. I should have known b

This is the second post in my year-end fundraising series. In August and September, you can follow along here to receive training and tools that will help you launch a year-end fundraising campaign by October 1. 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 read the first post of my Merry Year-End Fundraising program, you’re making a list of people who care about you,

This is the first post in my year-end fundraising series. In August and September, you can follow along here to receive training and tools that will help you launch a year-end fundraising campaign by October 1. 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. Let's start here: I don't want your year-end fundraising to just "get by." I want more for you than just a successful yea

I want you to get excited about year-end fundraising. Yes, I want you to get excited about it! Especially if you've never really done it before. If you've never tried running a real year-end fundraising campaign, this is the year I want you to go all in. Why? Energy, money, people, and time. As in more of all four flowing into your nonprofit this holiday season. Maybe you have doubts. I understand. It's peak summer. You don't want to start thinking about the holidays already.