1. Focus on your deep spiritual conversion and create your clear, compelling mission before you even think about making an ask: As put forth by former monk and popular consultant Charles LaFond. Lean in together and think about what you’re asking for.

2. You’ll Never Know if you Don’t Ask: As Jerold Panas so eloquently puts it, “The most heinous sin of all – you didn’t ask.” Lean in and ASK.

3. You’ve got to talk to the decision-maker: So “start at the top” says fearless fundraiser Anne Garnett. She further advises, “It’s a lot faster than trying to work your way up from the bottom.” Lean in and ask the one who holds the key to the bank account.

4. Don’t fill the Silence: Roxanne Hinds and Dana Lucka say, “He who speaks first looses”. Lean In and Listen.

5. And finally, I fearlessly Iean in by taking myself out of the equation and taking the focus away from the fundraising word by exchanging it with “Advocating and telling your story for the Cause”. The change in ones mindset is extraordinary when you lean in as an advocate rather than a fundraiser. Lean in as an Advocate, tell your story, and the money will follow.

Three years ago, I didn’t even know fundraising was a profession. (Some of the contributors to this blog have been raising money for charity since I was a baby!) But when I arrived, I threw myself into the deep end and have consequently learned a great deal in a short time.

Most of all, I’ve learned that no amount of study can replace years of experience. So while I wait for the time to fill me with wisdom, I’ve learned to improve my fundraising in more immediate ways. Here are seven ways I’ve discovered. Feel free to challenge them or add your own in the comments.

1. Brush up on your teamwork skills

Working as part of a team is necessary in nearly every type of fundraising role. And sadly, almost all of us are stuck with at least one colleague who is far more concerned with number one (it might even be you). I can be a bit of a lone wolf, so this is something I’ve had to make an effort to improve, but goodness, is it ever important. The quality of your work, and your office morale, depend on it. So join an after-work sports league, or club, go out and meet new people. Practice listening, compromising, and working towards a common goal. You might be surprised how good the result can be when you let go of a little control.

2. Write letters to people you love

By hand. With real stamps and everything. I find this especially useful as a direct mail copywriter, but all fundraisers write to donors at some point, whether it’s emails, social media, or thank you cards. Writing real letters is a great way to remind yourself how special the written word can be. Your communications will become more conversational, personal, and heart-felt. And chances are, you’ll get an equally thoughtful response in your mailbox before long. Then you’ll have the chance to see how much it’s possible to connect with an outer envelope (my best friend addresses her’s to ‘Miss Margaux Smith’ and my Grandpa types my details straight from his old-timey typewriter). You’ll experience the joy of tearing it open to reveal the care and consideration enclosed, knowing they took the time to sit down and create something special, just for you (I like to add cute animal stickers to my letters for a bit of visual flare). It will just make your whole day.

So try it. Remind yourself why direct mail isn’t going to ‘die’ anytime soon. Because it’s awesome.

3. Donate and volunteer

This one’s a bit of a no-brainer. You should donate to your own charity fairly often as a mystery shopper to ensure your donors are having a good experience. Major gift fundraisers should be donors so they can solicit with genuine conviction. And I’ve already written about why it’s so important to get away from your desk and out to your front lines to reconnect with the emotion of your work.

But I also think it’s vital to do this outside of the office. Give your money and time to causes close to your heart, where you can separate yourself from the internal politics and paperwork. This job can be frustrating – it takes effort to keep from becoming jaded. But it really helps to revel in the sheer joy of being a donor. Damn, it feels good.

4. Fill your brain bank

We’re all creative beings. And the process of putting ideas to paper becomes easier as our brains become more full. If you’ve seen an experienced creative at work, you’ll know their brilliance seem to come out of thin air. You can present them with a problem that you’ve been trying to solve for hours and, within 30 seconds, they make a suggestion that leaves your ideas look like a sack of turds.

Of course, it’s not unattainable for any of us, but it does take a great deal of effort and practice. What they’re doing is pulling from the vast wealth of knowledge filed away in their mind – everything they’ve ever read, watched, learned, and experienced. The trick is to practice pulling from it, and like many aspects of fundraising greatness, this takes years to develop.

So in the mean time, we can fill our brain with as much variety as possible and get to filing it away for future use. Read. A lot. Not just about fundraising, but about anything that interests you. Let your imagination run wild as often as possible. Go on adventures. Get uncomfortable. Travel. Challenge yourself. Watch old movies, new movies, television that makes you laugh and cry and think. You can even benefit from unintellectual smut. I’ve been able to write in the voice of a teenage mother because I watch MTV’s Teen Mom, and the voice of a young girl with Asperger’s after I learned about it from an America’s Next Top Model contestant who lived on the spectrum. Yes, really. You’d be surprised what you can pull out of that ol’ brain bank. The more you vary the contents, the more interesting and diverse your work will become. So be interested in as much as possible. (I’m still waiting for the appeal where I can put my extensive knowledge of ornithology and paleontology to good use…)

5. Make mistakes

I put my foot in my mouth on a near-daily basis. But it sure does speed up the learning process. (As long as you’re not repeating the same mistakes.) And as a bonus, it also gives you the opportunity to show people that you can eagerly admit when you’re wrong and apologize. This proves you’re human, and seems to be one of the most endearing qualities a person can possess. So take risks, put yourself out there, and recognize that it is OK to be imperfect. (Donors will love you for it too.)

6. Don’t be a snob

Following on from above, recognize that, in a sector this vast, there is always more to learn. Even if you’ve been around these parts for more than 20 years and you’ve seen it all, you can’t see into the future. (If you can, call me. I want to know you.)

It’s impossible to know what’s around the corner in this ever-changing fundraising world. These days, mobile’s growing, online/offline integration is becoming increasing crucial, and baby boomers are taking over the traditional donor base. These problems were hardly talked about a decade ago (from what I can gather), and we’ll certainly be concerned with other things a decade from now. So I don’t care who you are, you don’t know everything and you never will.

By all means, please bring all the knowledge and experience you can to the table. But be open to what others are bringing. We’ll all be stronger for it. Be confident but adaptable, and remain a great listener – you’ll stay relevant until the day you die. The people I look up to most in this sector are the ones who embody this mindset.

7. Give a damn

I reached a point last spring, around my 6-month mark as a copywriter, where I was boiling over with self-doubt. Struggling and convinced I’d be fired any day, I was stuck in the creative gap, as Ira Glass describes it. But at that crucial point, I got a pep-talk from one of my bosses. I confided my fears, telling him I didn’t feel I was a very good writer. My ideas weren’t interesting enough and I wasn’t sure I could cut it in this business.

He looked me straight in the eye and said (with his Geordie conviction and much more cussing than I’ll include here), ‘Well, no. You’re not very good. But you will be. Because you give a damn and that’s something nobody can teach.’

He’s right. In this business you have to care. Really care. With every fiber of your being. So much that it hurts. That you get angry and you cry and you do something about it. Whatever you can, every day.

It sounds simple but we all know this sector can be tough. Outside, people don’t understand us. They think we’re money-grubbing, manipulators. Inside, it’s not always better. You hear ‘no’ so often, it can sometimes feel like the whole world is trying to knock you down. So please don’t stop giving a damn. And if you do, kindly get out.

“has been published prior on 101fundraising – Crowdblog on Fundraising, http://101fundraising.org/“

1. Foundation Directory: Place you criteria in and make certain to click the button which tells them to exclude ‘unsolicited’ applications. This is your first list.

2. Review Prospect List: Review the above prospect list by looking at each funder to find out who they are making grants to. Make a list of those nonprofit organizations who have been recipients of grants from List one. This is now your second list.

3. Review Non Profit Grantee’s: Look at the non profits grantee’s page within the Foundation Directory; make a list of other organizations that have granted to them. You should also take the time to visit their website to see if you can download their annual report. If so, capture even more funders who have granted to them. This process makes up your third prospect list.

You now have three prospects lists by searching the front end within the Foundation Directory through a typical search; but you have created a second and third prospect list (the second list simply leads you to developing your third prospect list) by searching the back end of the Foundation Directory – seeking out grantee’s similar to your organization and finding out who is funding them. This 1-2-3 process can all be accomplished within the Foundation Directory search features.

Now that you have two solid prospect lists which accept unsolicited grant proposals – qualify them and place them into categories of P1 (Priority One), P2 (Priority Two), and P3 (Priority Three); you can qualify by how closely the guidelines match your organization or by grant deadlines. Create a spread sheet to assist you with the next step. Your spreadsheet should include: Name of Organization, Contact Information, Guidelines, Grant Range, Deadlines, Application Information, Grant Submission Date, Ask Amount, Outcome and then a place for Notes.

4. Contact Prospects: Now that you have your prospect lists well organized, you must contact (when allowed) your prospective funder. Remember this, what the guidelines indicate on the foundation directory are only guidelines – call the funder to discuss the guidelines to ensure they truly fit your organization before you write a grant to this organization. This gives you an opportunity to pitch your project and the funder will be more than happy to let you know if it is something that would be of interest to them or not. If they are interested, you submit your grant or letter of intent. If they are not interested you take them off your prospect list.
One of the most common errors in grant research is taking a prospect list and blindly submitting grants to organizations on this list. If you follow the above steps you will be better serving your non profit or clients. You will ensure that you have the most comprehensive list by searching the back end and looking at similar nonprofits and adding their funders to your initial Foundation Directory list. Then you create your spreadsheet so you can easily track your contact with your prospects and finally you call your prospects to ensure they want to receive a grant from you and your organization or client.

Like many of you, most of my new business is driven by people searching Google for a fundraising professional, so I’m always curious what the best and most current ways are to increase your Google ranking. I recently came across Chiranjeev Kumar’s blog who explained it in a manner that I understood; which means he kept is simple/stupid. This is a bit of what Chiranjeev shared:

1. Write Quality Content:

As you know “Content is King” in Blogging because your chances are higher to get a link back.

2. Write Guest Post:

Guest Posting always comes first when we talk about how to build back links. Guest posting is the best way to get back links for free. Find a blog/website with a high Google Page rank which accepts guest posts. Make sure the blog you’ve selected for guest posting is relevant to your blog niche.

3. Article Submission

Submitting your blog article to various social bookmarking sites like Google plus, Facebook, Twitter etc. is a great way to get back links for your articles. Just use social bookmarking buttons on your blog and start submitting your posts to these sites yourself or your readers can submit.

4. Submit Blog to Directories

As you know high quality back links are useful for a good Google Page rank. Submitting your blog/website to various Blog directories is the best way to get back links from PR sites. So this is a good practice to get high qualify back links by submitting your blog to the best blog directories.

5. Use No follow Links effectively

For a good Google page rank you must maintain all outgoing links from your blog by using “No follow” tags wisely.

6. Update Your Site Regular

Google likes websites that updated regularly. A regularly updated blog has more a greater chance to get a high page rank.

7. Interlinking Your Webpage

Many blogs interlink their webpage in each blog post. Even You should also interlink your current blog with other blog posts.

8. Submit Website on RSS Directory

Submitting your website to various RSS directories helps increase your blog’s Google Page Rank. Alltop, Blloggs, Myblog, Blog.com are some of the best RSS Directories

9. Comment on Dofollow Blogs

Commenting on Dofollow blogs is quick and easiest way to get Dofollow backlinks for your Blog or website. You just need to find some dofollow blogs relevant to your niche and start commenting.

10. Post links on Forums

As you know Forums are updated most frequently. Posting on various forums helps you to increase Google Page Rank for your blog. Getting a backlink from these forums is the best way to increase your Google Page rank. I recommend you to join various high PR forums and start posting links from your site.

“Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.” – A. A. Milne

You got the grant. You thanked the funder. You notified all the involved parties. You and your team celebrated. You are ready to roll. Next comes the action – starting the project or activities that were funded!

Setting up your record-keeping system doesn’t sound quite as exciting, but it’s also important for many reasons. For example, it will help you find important information quickly, and you’ll be able to oversee the fulfillment of grant obligations.

Here are eight tips to help you get – and keep – it all straight.
1. Start your record-keeping system right away.
2. Scan copies of all paper documents and keep them in your computer files.
3. Electronic folders and subfolders will become your primary filing system. I usually suggest structuring the folders in six or seven major categories:
 o Grant Proposal – the original proposal, amendments, etc.
 o Budget Information – the original budget, any budget amendments, and budget      worksheets and notes
 o Financial Reports, including documentation of required matching funds
 o Correspondence, including relevant emails
 o Progress Reports
 o Evaluation Information – statistical information, reports, analysis
 o Collaboration Documents (if the grant is for a collaboration with other             organizations) – agreements with the collaborators and relevant information          about them and their programs

4. Use a unique name and date for each electronic document. So, rather than simply calling a document “report,” name it “Monthly Report June 2013.” Then you can tell what is in each document by looking at the name, rather than having to open every document to see what it contains.
5. Back up your computer files regularly. Don’t forget. Back up your files. Regularly.
6. Consider keeping copies of each grant file on its own flash drive for portability when needed.
7. Start a file in your email software for this grant. Sub-files may also be helpful. Keep copies of emails relating to the grant and grant program.
8. Maintain a paper file. Yes. A paper file. Organize all paper relating to the grant in one file. When you meet with the funder or others who are involved with the grant program, bring the folder with you so you can quickly access the information you need. You can use a partition folder, a heavy pressboard file that use two-hole punches at the top of each sheet, or a heavy-duty three-ring notebook. While your electronic files may contain much more information, this hard-copy file will include the basic and relevant information.

Matthew Mielcarek, the VP of Consulting at Charity Dynamics, recently submitted an article to the company I work for http://www. softwareadvice.com/nonprofit/crm- software-comparison/ with some pretty timely, pretty fantastic, and pretty prescriptive advice for nonprofit organizations entering the New Year. Bringing in the December giving trends — and the New Year, Mielcarek’s article outlines donor retention strategies — specifically, how to retain the newly acquired holiday donors.

With a third of annual donations collected in December, many by first-time donors to an organization, finding a way to keep as many of those as possible going into a new year is a retention strategy proving quite valuable over time. A 2011 donorCentrics Internet and Multichannel Giving Benchmarking Report https://www.blackbaud.com/files/resources/downloads/WhitePaper_Multi ChannelGivingAnalysis.pdf shows that 70 percent of first-time donors won’t donate again. Here are five steps Mielcarek suggests to foster lasting relationships with as many of them as possible.

1) Mielcarek says, “First time donors are qualified leads.” Therefore, consider first donations an acquisition gift. He goes on to suggest implementing a new donor conversion plan with the end-goal being to establish an ongoing relationship

2) Secondly, he says to be mindful of what a new donor may be communicating with you. He suggests the following metrics to gain insight to constituent behaviors: gift amount, billing city/state, solicitation campaign, and giving channel. He says that analyzing these key points is valuable. “Online acquired donors, for instance, generally have poor online retention; we know that a multichannel communication strategy will be important. In contrast, offline acquired donors are far less likely to cross the multichannel bridge and a single channel communication strategy may be appropriate.”

3) Mielcarek also emphasizes the importance of showing gratefulness to donors. One NTEN and Charity Dynamics study shows that 21 percent of donors say there were not thanked for giving. He says that follow-up thank yous are also of immense value. Tell them how your year ended in terms of its goals. Show them they’re donation made an impact to their overall mission.

4) He adds, “Engage relevantly.” Beyond thank-yous, communicate with your donors and supporters on an ongoing basis. Personalize messages based on constituent interests, affinities, and locations. Keeping websites up-to-date and engaging is a key element to achieving lasting constituent interest too.

5) Lastly is the actual conversion to the next stage of giving, Mielcarek says. This stage involves suggesting an affinity-driven gift — whether that be a “renewal gift, or an upgrade or graduation to a monthly or mid-level giving program.”

2.Direct-Mail Fundraising: While the ‘trend’ is on-line
fundraising – Direct-Mail remains the go to year-end fundraising tactic. November was flooded with hints and tips on how to move your direct mail from good to great. Top articles and blogs included: Best Direct Mail Teasers, Direct Mail Follow Up, Personalize Your Audience, and If You Want People to Read Your Appeals Remember This…

3. Creating your Fundraising Plan for 2013: Headline leaders include: Preventing Donor Attrition, Mobile Giving – What is it? How to Use it?, and One Thing you can do to Raise Money in the New Year.

4. The Fiscal Cliff!: According to the Non Profit Times and every major news network, we are abundantly aware of the looming “fiscal cliff”. Prepare for the fall or fall-out in January. The Non Profit Times writes, “charities are wary of not only losing direct federal funding for some programs but also fear being overwhelmed to make up the difference in potentially lost services.” More to come on the imminent back-lash in January.

5. Crowd Funding: Crowd Funding takes the prize for what was trending in 2012. From what I can tell, the term went viral when the Obama Administration began using it. I believe it’s best defined by what Fundly, Kickstarter and indiegogo are doing to raise money for small to large non or for profit organizations.

1. Lance: The saga of cyclist Lance Armstrong’s fall from grace continues to grace the news this October as he steps down from his LiveStrong Foundation now that he’s been found guilty of doping by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and stripped of his seven Tour de France victories. He’s also facing a lifetime ban and the foundation has experienced a dip in donations.

2. #GivingTuesday: The Tuesday after Thanksgiving, November 27, 2012 has been dubbed and branded as Giving Tuesday and widely marketed throughout the month. The campaign encourages giving which supports your preferred nonprofit organizations.


3. Sandy’s Wrath and Aftermath: The outpouring of support for Sandy’s devastation had been the promotion of the celebrity-filled and widely promoted live one-hour special on Friday, November 2 in response to the disaster caused by the storm. Hosted by NBC “Today” anchor Matt Lauer, the broadcast was presented from the New York studios of NBC at 30 Rockefeller Plaza and raised a very worthy $23 million.

4. Breast Cancer Awareness Month: In my humble opinion, it’s simply the preeminent branding success story in the US perhaps the world.

5. Holiday Fundraising: Check out donationpage.org. You will find the clever “pre-holiday on-line work out” which includes: ‘warming up’ your landing page, ‘strength’ training for your story, social media ‘cardio’, ‘stretch’ to keep your fundraising limber, and an analytical ‘cool’ down.

1. Kickstarter 101

Kickstarter is a funding platform for creative projects, everything from films, games, and music to art, design, and technology. Kickstarter is full of ambitious, innovative, and imaginative projects that are brought to life through the direct support of others. Since its launch on April 28, 2009, over $350 million has been pledged by more than 2.5 million people, funding more than 30,000 creative projects, now that’s a kick-start!

2. JustGiving

Allows fundraisers to keep track of what they are raising in real-time, it alerts you each time a donation is made and you can easily share with your contacts. Furthermore, if you know who just gave, you can thank them in real time as well! Nifty.

3. Rally.org

Set up a social donation page in minute’s using Rally’s fundraising platform to share your story in a new way. Easily customize a cause donation page with your own design or use one of their templates. It rids you of the cost and burden of needing to create a merchant account for your nonprofit in order to accept donations.

4. The Razoo iPhone App

Razoo enables you to manage your fundraisers and engage your donors. You can keep track of each donation, view your fundraising progress, ask people to give, and thank everyone who makes a donation. A one-stop iPhone fundraising app!

5. Fundraising Basics

This app is perfect for those just starting out in fundraising or those needing fresh ideas for the events they are coordinating. Full of tips and tricks, Fundraising Basics provides you with time saving methods and information to tackle the obstacles you may encounter. In this Android app you will find: 10 things your fundraising plan must include and how to put it together, 12 things your website must tell your visitors, and 6 common-sense but overlooked ways to find untapped pools of donors – among other advice.

1. How to Raise Money via Facebook: We’ve got the “21 things you should know about facebook” type of articles, how nonprofits can use facebook ads effectively, and my favorite, separating your personal facebook page from your non profit page; sounds simple – not necessarily so….

2. Year-end Fundraising: Just yoga’d the Autumnal Equinox and simultaneously my in-box is over-loading with solicitations to prepare for year end. It’s reminiscent of school supplies showing up in Target the day after the 4th of July. What was out there in September: how to do it, start it now, get your board to help, hire someone to do it for you now!, help your donor’s say ‘yes’, and year-end mistakes to avoid. It’s some good stuff; read up on it NOW!

3. The Iphone 5: Not so much fundraising, but certainly trending and with that there are new fundraising apps and fundraising-use chatter. For example: “think face to face – think mobile”. Or this new app: Shoparoo has partnered with Proctor & Gamble and Unilever, who produce brands like Dove, Suave, Ragu and Skippy, to raise money for schools. Consumers essentially donate (report) their purchasing habits. You use the app to submit receipts from super-centers, groceries, clubs, pet stores, dollar stores, convenience stores and drug stores- a portion of the proceeds arrive at your designated school; but beware OR prepare for coupons galore filling your in-box.

4. Saying “Thanks”: Clearly this September trend is securely attached to many nonprofit’s rounding the corner to their fiscal year-end. From the “art of saying thank you” to “anyone can say thank you – just have someone do it”.

5. Political Fundraising: This could very well remain on the ‘what’s trending’ short list long after November 4th. A couple new ones to be mindful of: The Chronicle added, “Where the 2012 Presidential Candidates Stand on Key Nonprofit Issues” by Suzanne Perry. The Non Profit Times included, “With Election Around The Corner, Charities Must Tread Carefully” by Janice Ryan & Ronald Jacobs. I encourage you to read both if you haven’t already.

If you want to contribute to ‘what’s trending in fundraising’, give me a holla at
marcie@wagnerfundraising.com.