Do you struggle with how to prioritize your day? Often at the end of a day, do you think, “Where did the time go? I feel like I haven’t gotten a thing done!”

When is the right time to hire a grant writer for your nonprofit? I have seen organizations hire grant writers in the first year of the organization’s existence, in the last year, and at every point in between.

Last week I received an email from a nonprofit organization I support. It was a recruiting email for the organization’s annual fundraising breakfast—specifically asking me if I would serve as a table host.

Does anyone make phone calls anymore? With the prevalence of emails, texting, and instant messaging you might feel like the old fashioned telephone is obsolete.

Not so fast!

Defined as the percentage of donors who give to your organization one year and then—of those same donors—who give again the following year, donor retention is a key measure of the overall health and efficiency of your fundraising program. It costs your organization far more, in both money and staff resources, to find new donors than to retain your current donors.

The key to maximizing funds raised lies with business or corporate sponsorships. Sponsorships can be more lucrative than ticket sales, auctions, and even paddle raisers.

When you place a call to a donor or prospect, I encourage you to STAND UP before you dial. Here are 5 reasons why standing up will help you build strong relationships with your donors, and in turn, raise more money.

As a fundraiser, chances are you are pulled in many directions and juggling multiple responsibilities. More and more, in both our personal and professional lives, we are all trying to do more things in less time, because there is so much to do! It can be exhausting. [...]

A great way to raise funds for your organization is to hold a fundraising party in someone’s home. Read on for 9 tips to help ensure your next party is a home run.

1. Set a Goal

Knowing your fundraising goal is your first step to success. You will plan differently—and invite differently—if your goal is to raise $5,000 vs. $500. [...]

Are you a development staffer, trying to figure out how to work with a CEO or executive director who knows less about fundraising than you do? How can you decrease her stress about fundraising? How can you get her to trust you, buy in to your ideas, and not derail your efforts with her own limited personal experience? [...]

According to Tracy, if the first thing you did each morning was to eat a live frog (yuck!), you could go through your day pretty sure the worst part of the day was behind you.

Of course your frog isn’t an actual frog; it’s your biggest, most important task, the one you are most likely to keep putting off. It is also the one task that can have the greatest positive impact on your work. [...]

“Next step?” This is a phrase I often see written in donor cultivation plans—including my own! You may be waiting to see how things go with a donor in the near term before scheduling a series of cultivation activities down the line.

Or, you may be stalled. We all sometimes hit an impasse when the best next step in building a relationship with a donor is simply not clear. [...]