In considering the creation of a Corporate Solicitation Program (a CSP), the first questions I’d ask of a nonprofit is whether they realize that only five-percent of all “charitable” giving to nonprofits comes from corporations, and (considering “return-on-investment”) how much of their time, energy and assets do they want to dedicate to this effort? That …

As previously noted, if your phone program is primarily a fundraising solicitation tool, then the goal must be to raise as much money as possible. That happens when all of the elements in a phone program support/enhance each other. We’ve talked about caller recruitment, training, scripting and pre-call mail or email. We’ve also talked about …

Our apologies. Circumstances precluded our posting last week … first non-holiday week we’ve missed in five years. We continue, now, with our series on Telephone Solicitation. And, by the way, our use of that term excludes telemarketing, robocalling or whatever you call those intrusive, unwelcome calls that always seem to come at inopportune times. Telephone …

The key ingredient of an in-house telephone solicitation program is the person making the phone call. [And, btw, with all the (misplaced) emphasis on the use of social media to raise money, keep in mind that the telephone is a “social medium.”] Last week I noted that pre-call mail (snail mail or email) discusses the …

As noted last week, to optimize a caller’s effectiveness, prospects should be prepared for the call. They must know it’s coming, that they will be asked for a specific dollar figure, and what that figure will be. They must understand the need for their support, and they should (hopefully) be made to look forward to …

This posting, and the follow-ups, are all about two concepts that push my buttons. The first, “Annual Giving”, makes me grit my teeth; the second, telephone solicitation, makes me twitch in frustration…. The term “Annual Giving,” and the resulting mind-set, have become accepted as part of the environment of (mostly) educational institutions, without awareness of …

Privacy changes a healthy move for social network reputation Widely blasted by regulators and users alive for a lack of effective privacy settings or respect for the sanctity of users’ information, Facebook is far from the cutting edge of the confidentiality movement. However, a recent change is a surprising step in the right direction and …

Leaving room for confusion is a crisis management mistake Not having clear policies, and training your employees on what to do when a situation falls “outside the box” can create a need for crisis management. A historic Cincinnati cemetery found itself in a pickle after initially allowing, then removing, a headstone featuring a seven foot …

In every fund-raising campaign, toward the end of the drive, we always must address any number of proposals and presentations which were made seeking donations, but for which we’ve still not gotten a definitive response. We were not given a “Yes,” or a “No.” Mostly we were told, “I’ll let you know,” … or something …

I take the strong and unwavering position that members of the board of trustees and other volunteers are the people who must raise all or most of the money for a non-profit organization. These days far too many boards and eager-to-please development professionals are starting down the slippery slope of relying on staff to be …