Accepting “No”& Moving On
Dear Kim, I am the executive director of a small environmental justice organization focused on organizing a community to stand up to a large and highly polluting CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding...
View ArticleActivating the Social Media Grassroots: Lessons in Cultivating Online...
From the Jan-Feb 2015 Grassroots Fundraising Journal, Starting the Year Off Right Activating the Social Media Grassroots: Lessons in Cultivating Online Communities Cayden Mak shares how 18 Million...
View ArticleAre Small Gifts a Waste of Time?
Dear Kim, I am writing to you as a donor. I give away 10% of my income every year and support about 25 organizations with donations in the $20-$50 range with a few at $100. I live on social security...
View ArticleOral Dockets
Dear Kim, Our organization has been asked to present our request for funding in person to a panel of decision makers, along with a number of other organizations. They call it an “Oral Docket.” Have you...
View ArticleClik here to view.
10 Years, 10 Days, $10K
From the Mar-Apr 2015 Grassroots Fundraising Journal By Kiara Boone, Autumn Hubbard & Trish Tchume Staff and board of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network set out to mark their 10-year...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Our Mulitpronged Approach to Crowdfunding: Melding the Old & the New
By Noelle Hanrahan & Lyla Denburg From the May-June 2015 Grassroots Fundraising Journal. Read how Prison Radio staff and supporters came together to raise $60,000 to defend free speech rights for...
View ArticleSpending Money to Raise Money
Dear Kim, I was hired about a year ago as the development director for a small organization (budget $750,000), which raises most of its money from individuals and fees for service. The executive...
View ArticleTooth Fairy Fundraising
Dear Kim, How would a small nonprofit go about securing a major gift of $500,000-1 million? I know it’s not impossible. My organization is almost 30 years old and we haven’t really grown since 1990. I...
View ArticleThe Psychology of Fundraising Goals
Dear Kim, My organization is in the middle of our fall campaign and each staff and board member has committed to reaching individual goals. I was close to reaching my goal last week and entered some...
View ArticleA Kind & Common Sense Approach to Donor Relations
Dear Kim, I solicited many of my personal contacts for my organization a couple of years ago. About ten of them gave, and of those ten, two or three have continued to give in response to appeals from...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Shape the Future of the Journal
Whether you just signed up or have subscribed for years, we invite you to help shape the future of the Journal by completing our Reader Survey. The survey should take about ten minutes to fill out. We...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Starting a Major Gifts Program
From the Jan-Feb 2016 Grassroots Fundraising Journal. Check out the full issue here. Kim Klein walks us through the necessary steps to starting a major gifts program, from setting goals to preparing...
View ArticleRebalancing a Top-Heavy Annual Giving Program
Dear Kim, Our fundraising team has worked hard to build a strong major gifts program. We receive 80% of our revenue from just 9% of our donors. But I’m not sure if this is healthy either. I’ve heard...
View ArticleBuild Your Fundraising Team to Expand Your Reach
Dear Kim, I am a development director in a big, if still civil, disagreement about the allocation of my time—should I spend less time reaching out to annual fund donors giving unrestricted donations...
View ArticleKey to Successful Fundraising: Appreciating Our Donors
Dear Kim, I am new to development and I have heard several contradictory things about the kinds of acknowledgements I should be sending to donors. Someone said we are required by law to send a thank...
View ArticlePitfalls of Multi-Year Pledges
Dear Kim, I recently started work at an organization that deeply relies on the pledging process, but unfortunately has neglected to cultivate those donors who pledged in the first years of these pledge...
View ArticleData, Donor Retention, and the Secret to Fundraising Success
Heather Yandow surveyed 119 small nonprofits with revenues under $2 million to identify our fundraising strengths and challenges. Here’s what she found.
View ArticleRe-asking In Honor/Memory Donors
Dear Kim, We receive a significant number of donations in honor/memory of individuals. Most are one time donations. Is it proper to add these donors to our ask list? ~Alone with My Memories Dear...
View ArticleIf You Build It They Will Come: Creating a Culture of Fundraising
Does creating a culture of fundraising seem like an insurmountable task at your organization? Beth Rayfield shows us how we can overcome challenges and get on the path towards greater financial...
View ArticleUsing Surveys to Strengthen Relationships with Donors
Helpful tips from Stephanie Roth on how surveys can deepen our connection with donors.
View Article
