Fundraising Is Beautiful

The right way -- and wrong way -- to thank your donors

A lot of nonprofit thank-you messages say something like this: "Thank you for being our partner...."

That's about as thrilling to the donor as telling her she has nice elbows.

Donors don't give in order to be our partner. They give to have a positive impact on the world in some specific way. And that's what you should thank them for.

Not for what they did in their relationship with you. It's another way to put yourself in the donor's world and not your world. Which leads to better results every time!

Program #103

Play: The right way -- and wrong way -- to thank your donors (right click or "save as" to save the file for later).

Or subscribe via iTunes here:

Time: 8:46

MUST-LISTEN Interview with Scott Harrison of charity:water

Scott Harrison, founder of charity:water (and a fan of this podcast) reveals some of the thinking behind this innovative nonprofit that came on the scene 10 years ago and his virtually re-written the fundraising playbook in many ways.

Get the inside scoop on:

• How charity:water takes its donors on a journey -- every time
• How they manage and market their promise that 100% of a donor's gift goes to the field
• The power of "productizing" (which anyone can do!)
• Charity:water's biggest challenge and how they're tackling it

We learned a lot from Scott. You will too!

Program #102

Click the link to play: Interview with Scott Harrison of charity:water, or right click and "save as" to save the file for later.

Or subscribe via iTunes here:

Time: 39:05

Two super-common errors that can kill your fundraising

There are two opposite impulses that almost all fundraisers fall prey to at some time or another. They are:

• Educating donors
• Abstraction

They are guaranteed response-crushers. And the temptation to do both are powerful.

With real-life examples, we'll show you how to avoid both errors and keep your fundraising strong.

Program #101

Click the link to play: Two super-common errors that can kill your fundraising, or right click and "save as" to save the file for later.

Or subscribe via iTunes here:

Time: 16:19

The upsides and downsides of holiday-based fundraising

Some of the strongest fundraising is connected to specific holidays.

Some of the most ineffective fundraising is also connected to specific holidays.

The special edition podcast will show you how to put holidays to work for you. And when not to do it at all.

Program #100 (!)

Click the link to play: The upsides and downsides of holiday-based fundraising, or right click and "save as" to save the file for later.

Or subscribe via iTunes here:

Time: 20:23

How to create great direct mail fundraising teasers

The most impactful element of any direct mail project is the teaser -- what you put on the outer envelope.

We'll share what works, what never works, and the surprising "most likely to succeed" approach.

We'll also discuss email subject lines -- a closely related topic with some strong similarities to direct mail teasers.

Program #99

Click the link to play: How to create great direct mail fundraising teasers, or right click and "save as" to save the file for later.

Or subscribe via iTunes here:

Time: 17:59

How to succeed at fundraising for a church

Houses of worship are a powerhouse of the fundraising world. But even they face new challenges in getting their people to donate.

We take a practical and realistic look at the challenges churches face and what they can do to motivate their people to give generously.

Program #98

Click the link to play: How to succeed at fundraising for a church, or right click and "save as" to save the file for later.

Or subscribe via iTunes here:

Time: 11:12

It's the donor's story -- not your own

Most fundraisers know that telling stories is the way to reach donors' hearts and minds and motivate them to give. But what's the right story to tell?

It's the donor's story. The story she'll tell after she gives.

This podcast takes a look at what we fundraisers can do to give each donor a story to tell. That's the foundation to lasting relationships with donors who love to give to you!

Program #97

Click the link to play: It's the donor's story -- not your own, or right click and "save as" to save the file for later.

Or subscribe via iTunes here:

Time: 19:00

Fundraising under President Trump

How is fundraising likely to do during the Trump administration? We take a look. We believe it will mean very different things to different organizations. Find out what you can expect in the coming months and years. And what you can do to maximize revenue and donor engagement.

Program #96

Click the link to play: Fundraising under President Trump, or right click and "save as" to save the file for later.

Or subscribe via iTunes here:

Time: 13:40

The ultimate fundraising lesson

The most important thing you can learn about fundraising -- the one thing that can make the difference between mediocrity and big-time success -- it's this: It's not about you. It's about your donor! It's so easy to talk about how great our organization is ... and to forget that donors don't give because you're awesome. They give because they are awesome. That's why successful fundraising is about donors, not about us.

This is one of the hardest challenges all fundraisers face: Talking to donors about donors, and not bragging about ourselves.

This podcast also contains the rarest of elements on the Internet: The hosts admitting they were wrong and apologizing for it. You have to hear it to believe it!

Program #95

Click the link to play: The ultimate fundraising lesson, or right click and "save as" to save the file for later.

Or subscribe via iTunes here:

Time: 12:45

Your 6-word guide to powerful donor newsletters

Here's a super-easy way to look at your donor newsletter and see if it's doing its job:

Dear Donor,

You rock!

Here's why...

Every piece of content in every donor newsletter should fit match this model. When you do that, you'll have a newsletter that raises funds, and improves donor retention by improving your donor relationships!

Program #94

Click the link to play: Your 6-word guide to powerful donor newsletters, or right click and "save as" to save the file for later.

Or subscribe via iTunes here:

Time: 7:20