Welcome! If this sounds like you...
- You are passionate about the work and mission of your nonprofit.
- You're working super hard to bring in funding but never seem to be raising enough money.
- You're losing sleep thinking about asking for donations face-to-face.
- You would love to feel more confident about your fundraising plans and approaches.
- Bottom line, you wish you could raise more money with less hassle!
Photo credit: Sarah skeen
If any or all of the above sounds like you, I would be honored to help you and your nonprofit succeed!
As a start, you're invited to sign up here to receive a free step-by-step guide, Conquer Your Fear of Asking for Money. You'll also receive fundraising tips each week in your inbox.
By the way, wondering what "arroyo" means? Arroyo (pronounced ah-ROY-oh) means a waterway in an otherwise dry climate. Arroyo serves as a metaphor for raising funds where there's a need - perhaps at your nonprofit?
Is your organization recruiting new board members with promises of “only a little bit of work,” or “you don’t really need to come to all the meetings?” And is everyone disappointed when board members fail to participate fully and really engage in your fundraising efforts? [...]
Donor cultivation and stewardship – are there two more important concepts in fundraising? We regularly throw these terms around—after all, they are both steps in the fundraising cycle—but what do they really mean? And how can cultivation and/or stewardship help you to raise more money for your mission? [...]
If you are starting up a major gifts program, you know that the most promising prospects for major donors is that pool of people who ALREADY donate to your organization. After all, as current donors [...]
Imagine this: You and your board chair are sitting across the table from a major donor to your nonprofit. You have just asked for $5,000 to support your new ABC program. Your donor is deep in thought and you are on pins and needles waiting for her to respond. Finally she takes a breath and says, [...]
You’ve probably heard it before: Storytelling will help you raise more money! Why? Because storytelling is one of the ways human beings connect to each other. Stories help donors feel a stronger connection to you and your organization. That sense of connection leads to greater empathy, which incites the desire to give. [...]
I was talking with the founder and board chair of a local nonprofit last week. We were talking—as we often do—about ways to raise more money for her beloved organization. [...]
You’re sitting at your desk planning your next donor visit. You wonder what information about your nonprofit is best to share. Your folder filled with client stories sits atop your folder packed with data and statistics about your organization’s impact. Stories or statistics? Which are best to share? [...]
Fact: Asking for a donation in person – face-to-face – is more effective than any other way of soliciting funds (including events or direct mail).
But, sheesh, asking in-person can be scary! Here are six tips to get you started down the road to YES [...]
Imagine this: You’re working with a start-up nonprofit organization and scrambling for every dollar you can raise. Along comes a big philanthropist, passionate about your mission, who offers to donate $1 million to your cause.
Wow! Is this generous gift just the thing you need to build a stable and sustainable financial future? Or is it the beginning of the end? [...]
Welcome to another installment of Quick and Easy Tips for Fundraising Success. You can read earlier posts in the series here.
Picture this: It’s Monday morning and you have a donor meeting scheduled for 7:30 am. You get yourself out of bed, navigate rush-hour traffic, score a parking spot only two blocks away, order your coffee, and wait. [...]
Has it ever been suggested to you to raise money from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation? Or perhaps Mark Zuckerberg, or a wealthy individual in your community? The logic goes like this: 1) Mark Zuckerberg is wealthy; 2) He donates a lot of money; 3) We need money – and he donates money! – so maybe he’ll give some money to us [...]
If you have ever created a vision board, you know that they help you make things happen in your life. (Amazingly so, really.) And if you haven’t yet tried a vision board, let me just say that they can be life-changing! [...]