Relationship-Focused Fundraising: Building Authentic Donor Connections
Fundraising jargon has to be translated before you can use it with a real person. That is the tell. Five concrete actions for building relationships that lead to giving.
Articles
Writing for people who run nonprofits
Notes from the work: what we see going wrong, what tends to fix it, and the research worth knowing about.
A Lesson in Trust: When Public Confidence Falters
A school board meeting in Claremont, New Hampshire became an unexpected lesson in what happens when an organization goes quiet — and what happens when the community answers anyway.
The Unspoken Power: How a Nonprofit's Words Shape Its World
Jargon doesn't only confuse people — it makes them suspicious. How the words a nonprofit chooses shape its donors, the people it serves and the public conversation.
Are You Doing What You Say You Are Doing?
Only about a third of nonprofits evaluate their programs properly, while donors increasingly demand evidence. The case for taking program evaluation seriously — and for bringing in outside eyes.
Death, Taxes, and the Great Wealth Transfer
An estimated $124 trillion changes hands by 2048, and roughly $18 trillion of it goes to charity. What that means for small, community-based nonprofits — especially rural ones.
Do You Need a Financial Audit?
When grants and donors are stretched thin, funders ask for audited financials. What triggers an audit, what one costs, and why you shouldn't wait until you're required to have one.
Riding the Waves: Navigating Job Uncertainty in the Nonprofit World
Funding shifts and economic pressure make nonprofit work feel precarious. Practical ways for staff to stay grounded — and for leadership to be honest about what's coming.
The Making of a Robust Volunteer Development Program
Training, teaching, mentoring and coaching are not the same thing. A guide to matching the right kind of development to the volunteer in front of you — from middle schoolers to retirees.
Welcome 2025, Now What? Fundraising in a Year of Change
Tax law changes, the rise of AI, a shrinking donor base and the complexity of donor-advised funds. Five forces fundraisers need a plan for.
Supporting Our Heroes: How Tailored Organizations Help Veterans
Why veteran-specific organizations exist alongside general ones, a map of who serves which need, and what your nonprofit gains by bringing veterans in as staff, volunteers and partners.
Volunteering: More Than Just a Feel-Good Activity
Volunteering lowers blood pressure, reduces loneliness and builds resilient communities. What the research says — and what it means for the organizations recruiting volunteers.
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