FundRaiser Blog

The FundRaiser Software Blog is an excellent resource for nonprofit organizations looking to learn more about fundraising, donor management, membership management, and much more.

Board Member Paying Staff Member Extra

Ananias

Dear Kim,  

I chair the board of a small religious organization.  Each employee has to raise a certain amount toward their salary and this amount is set by the board, as are the salaries. Recently it came to my attention that one employee is receiving additional support from a board member who provides a designated gift for that individual’s support. I was caught off guard to find that this individual is making more money than we knew and that a particular board member is providing it.  This seems like money laundering to me. The board member is making a financial gift to a family, and running it through the non-profit so that it can be tax deductible. Is there an IRS rule, or a piece of governance that would prevent this sort of thing from happening? 

Continue reading
1847 Hits

When Should a Non-Profit Organization Hire its First Development Director? Part 2

When Should a Non-Profit Organization  Hire its First Development Director? Part 2

 

So, how do you know from within an organization when and if you should hire a development director? The answer is simple, and it starts with knowing the costs of running the organization as it carries out its mission as set out in the its long-range strategic plan. It continues with the development of a fund-raising plan.

Continue reading
3492 Hits

When Should a Non-Profit Organization Hire its First Development Director? Part 1

When Should a Non-Profit Organization  Hire its First Development Director? Part 1
 

The short answer is sooner rather than later! If a non-profit organization is beginning to ask whether it needs a professional development director, it probably should have hired one months, even years ago.

The biggest mistake non-profits make in hiring their first development director is waiting until the board, executive director, and other key personnel have arrived at a consensus that one is needed NOW. An organization that waits until it is necessary to hire a development director has waited too long.

Continue reading
3404 Hits

Know Your Organization, part 1

Know Your Organization, part 1

You start the process of becoming a fund-raiser for an organization when you first become involved with the organization. That’s when you begin to acquire knowledge about an organization, and acquisition of knowledge is the first step in preparing to raise money. To sell any product, it is important to know just what the product is and what it does. It makes no difference whether you are a waitress explaining the intricacies of the specials of the day, a computer salesperson pitching the new improved model, or a solicitor in a fund-raising campaign.

If you are the person running a campaign, you must make sure your solicitors have access to information about what the organization is, what it does, and why money is needed in the furtherance of what goals. If you are the person asking for the money, think about how you would go about making your request without that information. Yes, you will on occasion find people who will give because you ask rather than give to the cause, but that is the exception and –this can’t be said often enough—you cannot rely on the exception to support your organization.

Continue reading
3617 Hits

Asking for the Money: "If you don't ask, you don't get" -- Part 1 Preparing for the ASK

Asking for the Money: "If you don't ask, you don't get" -- Part 1 Preparing for the ASK

Generally, the first step in asking prospects to make a donation is to send them a letter. This is true no matter the type of campaign or potential size of gift. In the small-gifts division of an annual campaign the letter may be the only step, although I would recommend having it followed up by a telephone call, if at all possible. Even in door-to-door solicitations, a letter should be sent first announcing the date of, reason for, and, in most cases, the suggested amount of the request. In the case of larger gifts, the letter announces that a solicitor will be calling for an appointment. We refer to this kind of letter as the proposal letter because it proposes that the prospect become a donor to an organization.

Proposal letters are usually signed either by the solicitor or by the campaign chair. In the case of the latter, the status and power of the chair are lent to what is essentially a request of the prospect to meet with a solicitor. If signed by the chair, you can also be sure the letters all went out by a specific time. This also forces solicitors to act by the time the letter says they will be calling for an appointment. However, not every solicitor will be able to make the initial calls in the same time frame. One or more solicitors may be out of town when the letter hits. Consequently, there is less likelihood of being in error as to when solicitors will be calling if the timing of proposal letters is left in the hands of the solicitors.

Continue reading
6918 Hits

Accepting 'No' & Moving On

Accepting 'No' & Moving On

Dear Kim,

I am the executive director of a small environmental justice organization focused on organizing a community to stand up to a large and highly polluting CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation.) We have recently had some victories but need to keep pushing. One of our board members comes from quite a wealthy family and he has been very generous himself plus raised a lot of money from family and friends. But recently we needed an extra $10,000 very quickly so I went to him and he said he couldn’t give anything right now. I didn’t say anything but I was really upset. The man has more money than all of us put together! I need to get him to change his mind. How can I do that?

Continue reading
3972 Hits

Changing from Membership to Non-Member Organization

Changing from Membership to Non-Member Organization

Dear Kim,

I am the director of a membership nonprofit and our board is thinking about changing us to a non-member organization to help us refocus our efforts to serve our clientele, clean up organizationally and become more streamlined and efficient. Would this be a mistake and how tough is it to do this? What is the real question we should be asking ourselves to help determine whether we should be a non-member or member nonprofit? —Members Only

Continue reading
23247 Hits
Wait a minute, while we are rendering the calendar
tribute gifts campaign appeal letters operational costs Thanksgiving giving history personalizing letters Facebook campaign overview corporate sponsors office lapsed donor membersip benefits role of nonprofits accounting software publicity materials welcome packet Excel training tip importing csv happiness technical support case study donor engagement custom page Tickles planning vacation board members social media add ons communications Reporting to IRS tech tip donor slip event management community arts nonprofits passwords donor recognition donor prospects backing up data membership benefits In-Kind gifts New Year change of address updating arts Facebook giving levels Task List support endowment campaign Snow Birds donor profile Personalizing donor source community supported gardens Company culture reports banquet disaster relief texting donors customer service #GivingTuesday ticketsales Network for Good targeted mailings fundraising letters mode code volunteering gift notes field PayPal premiums annual maintenance plan email donor GoFundMe project new nonprofit new donors SYBUNTS flash sales Resiliency merge notes in honor of donations upgrading donors customer portal upgrade user spotlights National Change of Address relationship tracking volunteers brick campaign donor contact information product news fundraising Thank You mission driven online donations adding personal notes to letters correspondence prospects follow up annual campaign auction solicitors mailing gift acceptance policy understanding giving trends Importing Data on site training online donations anonymous donors word processor pledges correspondance salutation advanced tab community broadcasting motivation monthly giving holiday letters new version phoning donors raffle donation history grants increasing giving amounts holiday giving announcements major gift prospects donor retention rate Codes appeal direct mail donor attrition rate memorial giving GivingTuesday campaign management grassroots campaign large donations development director LYBUNTS donor preferences alumni legacy giving spare fields donor advised funds Constant Contact new leadership repeat donors building donor relationships Volunteer module transparency charity golf tournaments donor attrition major donors capital campaign small donations End of Year Letters holiday spreadsheets foundations data conversion government grants gift entry how-to videos pictures merge fields entering auction gifts letter templates Groupings donor retention FundRaiser Spark planned giving moves management how to handle auction gifts donor relations updates password protection the Ask Donor Portal FundRaiser Basic Congratulations donor targeting FundRaiser Hosted letter training tax summary letters Cloud user interface Alternative Addresses motivation code ROI segmenting donors thank you letters nonprofit fundraising membership programs operating systems NCOA processing look and feel general Crowdfunding Campaign ticket sales data analysis budget animal rescue security recurring gifts Reminders donor loyalty data entry features new features

Connect With Us

  800-880-3454 ext 3
  Email Us
  Request More Information
  Monday-Friday
      8:30AM-5:30PM CST

Customer Portal Login Form

User Name:
Password:

If you are not sure about your Customer User Name, please call 800-543-4131 and we will be able to help you.

Or you have lost your password, Request Password