What do fly fishing and fundraising have in common? More than you think! To be successful - whether fishing or raising money - it helps to follow the AIDA formula. Even if you have no interest in fishing, this post will tell you why you want to get Attention, keep Interest, build Desire, and drive Action. Follow the formula and you'll get the results you want from your donors. (read more)

Does your nonprofit have 100% board giving? If you do, is every board member making a personally meaningful gift? While 100% giving participation is an important goal, how much each board member actually gives is important, too. Everyone can't give at the same level, and they shouldn't. So, rather than suggesting a "board minimum," this post offers a better way for each board member to identify the right amount for them to give. (read more)

Chances are, so__ething is missing from your f_undraising appeals. Here's a formula: simply combine 'you' copy, 'me' copy, and 'it' copy with two envelopes, and you're on your way to a winning appeal. This post explores those three types of copy and the two envelopes you need, using a real-life example from my mailbox. (read more)

Just like April showers bring May flowers, May brings a host of Spring Giving Days. These fundraising events are popping up all over. And it's not surprising, given the success of #GivingTuesday. These events are designed to drive donations, crowdfunding-style. Not only do your donations help other nonprofits, your gifts can actually help you understand and improve your own fundraising efforts. (read more)

If you work for a nonprofit, and you're involved with fundraising, chances are someone has said, "What about Bill Gates? He has a lot of money." He does, and he's very generous when it comes to giving it away. But that doesn't mean he'll support your nonprofit. Here's what you need to know before you approach someone like Bill Gates (or another major donor) for a grant or an outright gift. (read more)

When you think about grammar, you probably think about subject-verb agreement, correct comma usage, and such. The problem is good grammar doesn't make for very good fundraising writing. Of course, there are still rules and best practices that fundraising writers should follow. But other rules were made to be broken. This post addresses the latter. (read more)