PinnedMember-onlyFundraising Tip — 10 Daily ActionsTry these and see the difference they make. — Fundraising is such an important part of a compassionate, caring, cultural world and I am grateful that I get the opportunity to do it. Before Altrui, I led several fundraising teams. My first was a smaller nonprofit with a fundraising team of three. …Nonprofit2 min readNonprofit2 min read
1 hour agoMember-onlyFundraising Tip — 3 Actions for Fundraisers When Having a Tough DayWe all have them. We don’t have to stay in them. — I recently had a phone call with a friend who is in the nonprofit fundraising world and that conversation inspired me to write this post. They were having a rough day. We talked it through and we both felt better afterwards. My point in writing that is whenever I support…Nonprofit2 min readNonprofit2 min read
5 days agoMember-onlyFundraising Tip — Mr. and MRS.?How is your donor data? — In nonprofit fundraising, we hear it all of the time: talk with your donors about their personal information. How do they want to be thanked? Is this the correct spelling of their name? Are they married? Who is the main donor? Are we thanking the right person(s)? I’m sure we…Nonprofit2 min readNonprofit2 min read
Published inCrow’s Feet·6 days agoMember-onlyWill I Even Make it to Old Age?A couple incidents in the last month have me wondering! — At 57, I spend a lot of time thinking about retirement, and aging. With the type of work I do, and my love for it, I already feel like I am partly retired, if that’s a thing. Aside from the financial part of retirement (which takes a lot of my…Aging2 min readAging2 min read
May 30Member-onlyFundraising Tip — Don’t Fear the AskAsking a donor for a donation is what we do, and is what they want us to do. — I’m attending a nonprofit conference on planned giving and am super excited for it! I have had the chance to meet with former colleagues and the topic of fundraising professionals fearing the ask, asking a donor for a donation, came up as still being an issue in nonprofit fundraising. I…Nonprofit3 min readNonprofit3 min read
May 27Member-onlyHappy Memorial DayIn loving memory of US Navy diver Robert Stethem. — Happy Memorial Day. Robert Stethem was a US Navy diver who was tortured and killed in June of 1985 after his flight home from an assignment in Greece was hijacked by terrorists and he was identified as US military. I remember following every second of the hijacking. Back then I…Memorial Day2 min readMemorial Day2 min read
Published inAdvancing Social Impact·May 23Member-onlyFundraising Tip — Thanking DonorsIt’s always impactful to take the time to thank your donors. — When boards and nonprofit leadership talk about fundraising, individual donors are typically, and easily, talked around or even not thought about. Meanwhile, so many of us have donor retention rates under 40% and direct mail response rates are under three percent. I can see why many in our world don’t…Fundraising3 min readFundraising3 min read
Published inCrow’s Feet·May 20Member-onlyMore Veggies and More ExerciseHaving 27 years of being vegan behind me is preparing me for getting older. But I also need to exercise! — They have been telling us to eat more veggies for as long as I can remember. Even being vegan (one who consumes no animal products) I have to remember to eat my veggies. We grow a lot of our own food. And still there are times when I realize I…Health2 min readHealth2 min read
May 19Member-onlyAnother Loss For the Nonprofit Fundraising WorldAnother shining star decides to leave. — I love being in the nonprofit world. I love being a consultant in the nonprofit world, being able to work with so many missions that are embedded in my heart. I talk up our world all of the time. Nonprofits need good PR. Recently, someone I highly respect, decided to…Nonprofit2 min readNonprofit2 min read
May 16Member-onlyBeing Inclusive in FundraisingMaking sure our data (and actions) reflect all we need to know about our donors. — I recently met with a development person from an organization that we support financially. They were one of the first organizations we donated to upon our arrival to Los Angeles almost eight years ago. Our first donation was not our last, and now we are “members” as well as being…Nonprofit3 min readNonprofit3 min read