Have you begun your second fundraising push? I know what you’re thinking. It’s not yet the end of January. You’ve just done mass-unsubscribing from marketers who find you like Team Seal Six found Osama. Heck, you’re not even done paying off the holidays and I want you to think of fundraising?! Yes. And here are […]
5 Reasons to Fundraise in January Read More »
“If aliens landed on earth, they’d think homelessness was only a problem between November 1st and the end of December,” says Brian Carome, executive director of Street Sense in DC. His observation is not without humor, but it’s laced with deep frustration. I ask why homelessness isn’t covered more often by the media given the
Street Sense: Homelessness Doesn't End December 31 Read More »
And now let us praise cash donations. The unrestricted kind, that is. I was in elementary school, insisting on helping my mom, who wasn’t letting me. And I’ll never forget her words: “Help people as they need you to, not the way you want to.” It was one of those first, early life lessons that
Why Unrestricted Cash Donations Really Help Nonprofits Read More »
How do you teach kids to be generous? How do you inculcate empathy and charity when need is absent, or more often, hidden in their daily routines? It’s a question well-off parents struggle with everywhere, and especially during holidays–when you have plenty, and you realize your kid has no idea it could be any different. Because
How Do You Teach Your Children Generosity? Read More »
There are no quick fixes to something like a massive hurricane. Several weeks after Sandy plowed through, thousands remain homeless, some still awaited power as a Nor’easter hit a week later, as winter approaches, and as I write this post, gas rationing has finally ended–in New Jersey. And for many more who were lucky enough not
Disaster Relief, When It Isn't What You Do Read More »
So you want to start a nonprofit? God bless you! And yes, I really do mean that. I don’t want to live in a world that is only about the bottom line. But a world run only by passionate mission-focused visionaries poses it’s own problems. We need both. And neglecting basics about the bottom line
Six Questions To Consider Before You Start A Nonprofit Read More »
Here are some sobering statistics about world hunger and food insecurity: — Hunger kills more people than HIV, malaria, and TB combined. It’s the world’s #1 health risk. — 870 million people do not have enough to eat. — Women make up a little over half the world’s population, but they account for over 60
World Hunger Is Not Insurmountable Read More »
Fall! For most nonprofits it’s like someone shot off a gun for the fundraising and dollars race that keeps going all the way until, oh, Valentine’s Day. So without further ado, here are the things that cannot be overemphasized if you’re going to develop a real relationship with supporters, and have a successful fundraising campaign.
Fundraising: People First, Dollars Next Read More »
Remember when August used to be a slow month? When everyone went on vacation? That last pause of summer before everyone dived back into the fall? Yeah, me neither. August is now when you get it together before the insanity of the fall fundraising season begins. It’s your last window of opportunity to get these
August: Time to Get Your Ducks In A Row Read More »
There’s nothing like a power outage to make you wonder about all the things you take for granted, such as those reams of data your seemingly small but very active NPO generates every day through email campaigns, the Facebook and Twitter feeds, and blog. On top of that are all your internal communications like documents,
Entrances, Exits, And Passwords Read More »
