There's no doubt that 2020 will go down as one of the most remarkable years in our history. A global pandemic. Record unemployment. A pivotal election. And now, the aftermath of a hurricane along with raging wildfires. You might think it's a perfect storm - that rare combination of events or circumstances, creating an unusually bad situation. I think it's a perfect opportunity for fundraisers. This post offers a bit of inspiration to help you navigate the rest of the year. (read more)

Before you sit down to write your next fundraising letter, think about this. It's more than a "letter" - it's a package. Yet there are key elements that many nonprofits overlook when writing their appeals and putting the package together. I've written before about small things that can make a big difference in your next fundraising appeal. This post will look at four big things that can make an even bigger difference in your campaign results this year. (read more)

Legal experts in the U.S. and Canada report there has been increased interest in updating and writing wills since the coronavirus outbreak. Why? It's a little like toilet paper hoarding. It's about being in control. We can't control a global pandemic. But we can put our affairs in order. And lots of people (including your donors) are doing that now. And you can help them. This post will show you how. (read more)

Early reports are that last month's #GivingTuesdayNow raised more than $500 million - just a tick lower than last December's #GivingTuesday. These results prove that donors are as charitable as ever. They haven't stopped giving during the coronavirus crisis. However, many nonprofits stopped asking. But all is not lost! Here are 5 areas where you want to focus your efforts to raise money in the second half of the year. (read more)

Test, Treat, Track. Chances are, you hadn't heard this phrase before the coronavirus outbreak. The protocol has been around since 2012, and countries that adopted this approach had an early edge in the fight against coronavirus. I share this bit of science because there are some valuable lessons there for fundraisers. You can apply the same three concepts to raise more money. Test. Treat. Track. Learn how here. (read more)

If you're worried about how the coronavirus crisis and a pending recession might impact your nonprofit's fundraising, you're not alone. So much has changed, in such a short time, but one thing remains the same: the important work that you and your nonprofit are doing. How will you keep doing that work? Now and into the future? With those questions in mind, I've curated a list of the best advice I've found. You'll find excerpts here, along with links to the full posts. (read more)