By: Erin Williams, Fundraising Auctioneer As professional fundraisers, we hear all too often from nonprofit leaders, “My board doesn’t have an active role when it comes to the gala” or “My board doesn’t participate in fundraising.” The nonprofit’s financial stability is a primary responsibility of the board and fundraising is a huge part of [...]
Send a handwritten letter There’s something special about handwritten notes in the digital era. A handwritten note will really stand out in a mailbox, grabbing the attention of your supporters. A thoughtful note can be sent out any time of the year and for any occasion: Right after a donation For your donor’s [...]
Scott Jones, CFRE, CAI, BAS Senior Consultant & Auctioneer The purpose of reporting on your fundraising results is to fulfill the accountability and transparency requirements associated with the acquisition and utilization of donated funds and convey to your stakeholders that implementation is progressing, and that the organization knows what it is doing. Who are [...]
In The Complete Guide to Fundraising Management, Weinstein and Barden share there are five major fundraising principles. I believe we can apply these principles to special fundraising events. "People give to people to help people." The reason donors give is because they love what you do and who you do it for. They believe [...]
With an abundance of options from over 40 consignment companies, choosing the best travel experience for your event may seem like a challenging task. We've observed that most companies offer similar products like Napa or Mexico leaving you wondering which one provides the best value. Enter Mission First - the solution to this need. [...]
By Scott Jones, CFRE, CAI, BAS Senior Consultant, Raising Paddles Quite often I am asked to share with board members strategies on “How to begin the conversation.” Specifically, how do I ask guests to participate in the giving the day of your biggest fundraising event? It’s simple. We must help each board member to [...]
By Shannon Eason, Senior Partner, Fundraising Auctioneer You’ve probably received an email inviting you to one of our workshops. If you’re near Kansas City, St. Louis, Detroit, Chicago, or Tulsa you’ll want to put this on your calendar. Why? Ahhhhh..let us count the ways! 1. You’ll be treated like a guest and see how [...]
The short answer is….BOTH! While most non-profit galas include both a live auction and a paddle raise, some will stick with one or the other. You will see one organization that is uncomfortable asking their donors who support them throughout the year to give again at their gala. Another organization will express concern that [...]
One of the first questions we have when we start consulting with an organization is, “Which should we do first, the live auction or the Fund A Need?” That’s like saying, which came first, the chicken or the egg? Ask any auctioneer and you’ll probably get a different answer on which to do first. [...]
By Scott Jones, CFRE, Senior Partner Raising Paddles You might not be aware of this, but tennis and golf are some of the most popular sports in the United States. It also happens they can be some of the best fundraising opportunities for nonprofits. That’s because tournament fundraisers are a great way to appeal to what [...]
