Like a huge percentage of this country, I too got caught up in the news surrounding our recent presidential election. I was amazed by the size and the scope of the two campaigns and the way each chose to communicate to the American public. I have done my best to take note of strategies that […]

I recently read a great donation request letter from Cristo Rey High School.  They are a Catholic, college prep school that provides a quality education for students from low income families.   Some of these kids may otherwise not finish high school and have an altogether different life, if it were not for this opportunity. Now […]

Like a fine wine, the idea of actually hosting a fundraiser needed to age for a bit.  Initially, I had visions of hosting a gala event, replete with a full bar, servers, a band, table linens, and a little black dress. But a few weeks into the aging process, after making a few calls, asking […]

I have had several discussions with non-internet people, i.e. those who don’t spend hours everyday online or make a living because of the internet, about whether technology is bringing people together or isolating them.  For me it’s a no-brainer, I can name so many examples of how the web is connecting people from distant lands […]

An additional 600,000 people became millionaires last year according to the World Wealth Report issued by Merrill Lynch and Capgemini U.S. The number of rich folks isn’t shrinking even with all the talk of doomed credit markets and rising oil prices.  What does this trend mean for your fundraising? There are at least three new […]

Though giving from U.S. foundations was up in 2007, the investment market isn’t looking pretty for anybody. We can expect that numbers for 2008 will be quite different. Foundations effected by declining investment markets are likely to give less and you may be on the other end of some letters declining funding this year. So […]

Today I’m focusing the roundup on how non-profits can connect with Gen X and Gen Y (aka Millenials). By definition these two groups combined encompass a wide range from age 10 to 43. Though some generalizations about even this range of ages can be made. For example, many people younger than the boomers want to […]