Twitter recently increased the number of characters per tweet from 140 to 280. Just because you can say more, should you? The same question holds true for grants. If you're writing an online application and the response allows 300 words, do you need to use all 300 words? If it's a paper application, and you're allowed 5 pages, do you need to fill every page? And what about your donor appeals? What's the right length of the fundraising materials you write for your nonprofit? (read more)

If you're a football fan, then you know that the Big Game is the Super Bowl, and vice versa. This clever wordplay works with this audience. However, you and your nonprofit should be careful. Ambiguous words and vague concepts can confuse your audience. Every time you communicate with your supporters, you want to be clear about what you do...and exactly how you want them to help your cause. (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)

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)

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)

A funny thing happens when you ask donors to "Please send $1000, $500, $250, $100, or $50." Fewer people respond, and gifts are lower. Here's why. Smaller donors might think their gift can't help. (Because they see those big numbers first.) And larger donors, who could give more, often give less. (Because you "only" asked for $1,000. True story.) Instead, there's one number that all of your donors can relate to: your core number. And that one number can help you raise more money. (read more)

For a lot of nonprofits, June 30 marks the end of the fiscal year. Most nonprofits use their bottom line as the primary measure of success. And many will use it as the only way to measure the success of their fundraising program. The thing is, meeting your budget numbers shouldn't be your only fundraising goal. (read more)

After a disaster, people want to help. And donors to the relief efforts are very likely donors to other organizations - including yours. If you're not a relief organization, are you worried how Harvey (and now Irma) may impact your donations? Are you concerned about donor fatigue? That donors will be overasked and overcommitted by the end of the year? (read more)

It's been 5 days, and Harvey is still wreaking havoc across the South. And it will be months - even years - before the area fully recovers. People want to help, and you may be one of them. Consider these options to help the victims of Harvey as well as future disasters. You might be surprised at what you shouldn't do. (read more)

Ah, June. School's out. Pools are open. Vacation season is in full swing. Alas, summer isn't always a picnic for nonprofits. That's because the beginning of June also means the end of June isn't far away. And for many nonprofits, June 30 marks the end of their fiscal year. Regardless of where you are in your nonprofit's "year," there are five things you need to do now. (read more)

Chances are, you missed International Volunteer Day on December 5. And that's understandable. This time of year, most nonprofits are focusing their attention on donors and year-end giving. At the same time, let's not forget the volunteers who make great things happen all year long. Volunteers add a lot of value to your organization – as both human and financial resources. Here are some tips on how you can assign value and show your appreciation to your volunteers. (read more)

The new year. It's a time for fresh starts and new beginnings. It's a time for plans...and priorities. If you're like most people, you probably feel like you have too many things to do. And you wonder how you'll get them all done. There's no doubt that most nonprofit employees are charged with doing a lot of different tasks. So, I ask you, what's your top priority? And what would happen if you focused your time, energy and resources on that single most important thing? (read more)