Winston & Winnie slacking by the pool.By Alyce Lee Stansbury on tallahassee.com
It’s summertime and the living is easy — or so it used to be. Early in my fundraising career, I looked forward to summer because the fundraising work slowed down and I had time to reflect, evaluate, organize and plan.
Those days are over. Fundraising has become a steady 12-month blur of events and campaigns. Today, all the nonprofits I know are actively fundraising on a year-round basis. That said, summer is still a good time to position your nonprofit for greater fundraising success. Here are a few suggestions.
First, summer is a great time for stewardship visits. I’ve mentioned this before and I encourage everyone to get out of their office and visit donors. Yes, you’ll have to work around vacation schedules, but July and August are still good times to talk informally with donors about their interest in your cause and the goals of your organization.
When making these visits, your job is to listen. Listen to their ideas, concerns and interests. Listen for what motivates them to give to your organization and where their real passion for the mission begins. Talk about ways to engage them in your organization beyond giving money... Read More >
