Articles Index

Fundraising - Tips for Choosing Fundraising Products
Fundraising comes in many forms. Here are frequently asked questions about fundraising products, and how to find fundraising products that you can use for your school or church.

The Young Are Wired for Social Media: Is Your Nonprofit?
A good question that is floating around among nonprofit professionals is "How can nonprofits use social media?" I'm not sure what the answer is and probably few people so far really know. But we all need to get educated because the young are already there.

The Rules of Engagement: How to Make Your Letter of Inquiry a Winner
Many foundations prefer or even require grant-seeking nonprofits to submit an LOI, or Letter of Inquiry, before sending a complete proposal. The LOI allows the foundation to quickly screen potential candidates for funding, making sure that they do not waste time on ill-conceived ideas or those that do not fit with the foundation's mission. Make your LOI a winner.

Fundraising Fundamentals
Fundraising is the life blood of any nonprofit organization. But, where do you start? Here is a briefing on the major methods of fundraising and sources of those donor dollars.

The Art of Recognizing and Thanking Your Donors
Instead of fancy baubles or plaques, find inexpensive and personal ways to thank your donors and connect them to your mission.

Cause-Related Marketing: What You Need to Know
Cause-related marketing, or CRM, has exploded in recent years even though it is a relatively young concept. It began, on a national scale, in the early 1980s when American Express joined with the nonprofit group that was raising funds to restore the Statue of Liberty....

A Donor's Guide to Global Emergencies
The Middle East is the hot spot right now, but there are more than enough emergencies around the world today. We all want to help but are sometimes confused about how.

Before You Start a Direct-Mail Fundraising Program
Before a small or startup nonprofit gets into direct-mail fundraising, it should establish some basic procedures and regular mailings.

How to Build a Gift Chart
What is a gift chart? It’s a planning tool to tell you how many gifts and prospects you will need to raise a specific amount of money.

How to Make the Most of Your Special Events
Special events are not a way to raise a lot of money immediately, but they can be a part of your strategic plan to cultivate future donations, and to boost your profile in the community.

Giving Circles Are Looking for Good Nonprofit Brands
Giving Circles, sometimes referred to as Shared Giving, comprise philanthropic-minded people who come together to give together to support charitable organizations. In the coming years they have the potential to swell into a tsunami of grassroots philanthropy.

A Holiday Take On the Online Nonprofit Auction
Coming up with fresh and creative ways to build a charitable auction is the key to enticing bidders, driving up earnings, and raising more money from your fundraiser. One way this can be done is by running “theme” or “concept” auctions.

Why Online Fundraising Auctions Work
With the help of the Internet, online auctions break the barriers of time and geography and allow organizations to reach a broader audience and increase their fundraising potential. Online auctions also offer a more quantifiable value proposition to donors and sponsors. They also dramatically expand the marketing reach for organizations as a whole, creating a greater awareness of the cause and a greater fundraising capability.

How to Raise More Money Through Online Auction Fundraisers
Online auctions are a cost-effective way for charities to expand their reach and engage supporters willing to donate but who for reasons of geography, babysitters or other conflicts find themselves unable to attend the annual gala or other live event.

Creating a Successful Preauthorized Gift Program
Would you like to reduce your fundraising costs, increase the lifetime value of your donors, while making it as easy as possible for your donors to give on a regular basis? It may seem too good to be true, but by creating a successful preauthorized gift program, you really can achieve all these benefits for your organization.

How to Break Into Corporate Employee Giving Programs
Not every charity is a good candidate for such programs, but don't count them out if you are a new charity or a small one. Here are some tips to pursuing corporate employee donor programs.

Finding Prospective Donors for Bequests
If you are prospecting for donors who might be willing to leave a bequest to your organization, look no further than your own list of annual givers.

How to Market Your Planned Giving Program
Planned giving is not just about setting up the many planned gift vehicles. It is also about marketing your program to donors and prospective donors.

Safe Giving Guide for Donors
The most frequent questions we get about charitable organizations are, "How do I know if an organization is legitimate?" and "How do I report a possible fraudulent nonprofit?"

How to Work with Young High Net Worth Donors
The demographic profile of high net worth (HNW) donors has changed rather dramatically in recent years. First, there are more of them, and second, they are younger.

What You Need to Know About Donor Disclosures
501(c)(3) nonprofits must abide by many IRS rules in exchange for their considerable tax advantages. The most common rules have to do with donor disclosures.

Three Ways to Identify a Major Donor
We all dream of the ultimate goal in fundraising, a major giver who endows our organization with millions. We hope he or she will walk into our door one day and plop down a check.

Breaking the Mold: Ashoka's Citizen Base Initiative
Ashoka, known for its work in identifying and fostering social entrepreneurs, has an entire program dedicated to helping organizations working on social change achieve sustainability through a broad engagement of their communities beyond the usual seeking of grants and traditional fundraising.