Here's a little fundraising inspiration from the football field. Bear Bryant, legendary coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide, once said, "Little things make the difference. Everyone is well prepared in the big things, but only the winners perfect the little things." That's true for your fundraising appeal, too. Yes, there are best practices in letter writing - those are the big things. This post shares 5 simple "little things" you can do to make your next fundraising letter stand out. (read more)

There's a saying in fundraising: You'll raise more money when the right person asks the right prospect for the right amount at the right time. While that's true for major donors and capital campaigns, it's also true for your general donors and your annual fund as well. This post explains 4 "right" ways to make sure you're writing a terrific fundraising letter, every day. You'll learn how to write a better fundraising letter for your year-end campaign - and any campaign, any time of year. (read more)

There's a saying, "If you've met one foundation, you've met one foundation." It's true. Funders have different priorities. They're different sizes. They all have different trustees and different sized staffs. They also have different ways of making decisions. Yet one thing that all funders have in common is this: there's usually a method to the madness when it comes to their decision-making. Understanding the process from a funders' perspective can help you in your overall grantseeking process. (read more)

How often do you fall into the "fact trap" when writing grant proposals? Do you even know when you're in it? Learn what the "fact trap" is and why you want to avoid it when writing grant proposals. (read more)

The start of a nonprofit's new (fiscal) year is always an exciting time, with new fundraising goals to meet or exceed. Yet far too many nonprofit leaders rely on the budget - the bottom line - to measure annual success. In fact, there are many ways (and reasons) to measure various components of your fundraising campaigns. This post explores 9 essential metrics and offers tools to help you calculate and track them - so your fundraising stays on track all year long. (read more)

Charitable giving in the U.S. reached an all-time high in 2017, crossing the $400 billion mark. (Yes, billion with a "b.") This is one of the findings from the most recent Giving USA report, which tracks annual giving trends. Here are five highlights from the Giving USA 2018 report and why these takeaways matter to you. (read more)