STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR 2021 (Part 2): Defining a Successful Donor Visit

by Eddie Thompson | Sep 21, 2020 | Development Management, Donor Communications

My conversations with nonprofit leaders over the last few months have focused on where to go from here and the strategic planning process for 2021. With that in mind, I’ve decided to revisit the essential elements of a long-term fund-development strategy. As I wrote...

OVER-RELIANCE ON ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS: What It Can and Cannot Accomplish

by Eddie Thompson | Jul 20, 2020 | Development Management, Donor Communications

Over the last months, the COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented increase in electronic communications with staff and stakeholders. That has in many ways been a lifesaver for nonprofits. Imagine how difficult it would be to stay in touch without Zoom or...

OPTIMISM: The Essential Ingredient in Desperate Times

by Eddie Thompson | Apr 29, 2020 | Development Management, Donor Communications

Over the last few weeks, I’ve presented a dozen or more webinars for our clients and other organizations on fundraising in a pandemic. Make-A-Wish Foundation, Adventist West, and Texas Community College Foundations were among the participating organizations the last...

FUNDRAISING OBJECTIVES IN A PANDEMIC: Great Challenges and Great Opportunities

by Eddie Thompson | Mar 23, 2020 | Donor Communications

Several months ago, I posted two articles; the first listed five strategies that would prepare nonprofits for difficult times—how to harden your organizations against storms that will eventually come your way. The topic of the second article was what to do when the...

EFFECTIVE DONOR COMMUNICATIONS: How Warren Buffet Makes Less Become More

by Eddie Thompson | Feb 10, 2020 | Donor Communications

Written communications in the form of newsletters, emails, or social media posts have become standard practice for all nonprofits. The assumption that seems to drive some organizations is that if some is good, then the more the better. There is, however, a diminishing...

IN THIS TOGETHER: Creating a Sense of “We-ness” Among Donors

by Eddie Thompson | Dec 25, 2019 | Donor Communications

Persuasion researchers note that people are highly motivated to favor individuals when convinced that those persons are truly for or with them—not merely like them. The same thing is true for organizations, and as a consequence, nonprofits typically refer to donors as...