How Much Cultivation Is too Much?

Every donor and volunteer should be cultivated. However, some donors should be cultivated more than others.

Since 80% of the funds come from 20% of a nonprofit’s donors, it is tempting to think that 20% deserve 80% of the cultivation. When one of the 20% reaches their capacity to give, intense cultivation is unlikely to […]

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Winning a Donor’s Heart and Mind

Winning a donor’s heart is relatively easy. A well told anecdote with strong emotional content and key points that engage the donor’s emotions is usually enough. That is almost a sure formula for obtaining a gift. However, it may only be a single token gift. It is a start but there must be much more […]

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Listen to Donors, Hear New Ideas

Clients and donors are sources of funds for most nonprofits. Therefore, there are times when the best way to treat one group is also best for the other group. Because there are some differences, there must be some variations in the process. This article and its companion articles about clients and students highlight the differences […]

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A Personal Relationship

The relationships between most donors and the nonprofits they support are transactional. The nonprofits ask for support, the donors write checks, and the nonprofits express gratitude. The nonprofits ask again and if the donors respond, the relationships continue at that level until they end. The nonprofits assume that since they receive checks, the relationships are […]

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No Small Talk

Here is how to cultivate nonprofit donors without invading their privacy. […]

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Need a Capital Campaign?

Your nonprofit and your donors should be ready to have a capital campaign tomorrow. […]

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What Is Your Appeal?

Some nonprofits feel like their fundraising is limited because of who or what they serve. Perhaps that is not the problem. […]

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Fundraising Is Like Dating

It is possible to know when a donor has been sufficiently cultivated. The goal of cultivation is to ensure the donor is comfortable enough to as generous as his or her heart will allow. […]

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