What should be a fair battle between quantity and quality is far too often, and too easily, won by sheer numbers. We should all be recruiting fewer higher-quality donors, instead of more lower-quality donors. Yet, year in and year out we are replacing very large numbers of donors with large numbers of too low quality. That can be done differently. That has to be different. Because it yields too little. And it costs too much.
Read MoreMore than 36 years ago, the most beautiful fundraising song ever was released: We Are the World, by the charity supergroup USA for Africa. The proceeds of the single went to the victims of the famine in Ethiopia. In the absence of end-of-year drinks, it seems a very good idea to sing We are the world in your last online meeting of the year. For more fun, divide the roles per singer(s)! So, put your volume on 10 and sing along with all your heart. Happy holidays and see you in 2022!
Read MoreI am a big fan of the TV program The Profit. In this show the successful entrepreneur Marcus Lemonis sets out to rescue ailing family businesses. Ideally, he sees a bright future and invests his own money in exchange for a share in the company. In the process of making such an offer, he tries to get all the information on the table. And the numbers are always a part of that.
Read MoreThe success of your fundraising is largely determined by the experiences you give to your donors. At least once a year you should try to really touch your donors. A wow-moment, a 9+ experience, a goosebump-moment, or whatever you want to call it. And World Vision has created something impressive like that.
Read MoreOnline fundraising has been the next big thing for years, but it also seems to have failed to live up to its potential for years. There are several underlying problems. I'm going to highlight two. The results are still too focused on the short term. And we are not investing enough.
Read MoreA sad message. Last Sunday Simone Joyaux, fundraising consultant, gifted author and speaker passed away. She appeared at fundraising conferences worldwide to wake up people. With her death, the fundraising world loses a beautiful and unique person.
Read MoreThe new year has started some time ago. Although it seems as if 2020 has been extended and we are now in month 15 ... But we are looking ahead. What should we do in the new year? I have a few suggestions.
Read MoreBecause it is the time of year I would like to give you a warning. I regularly come across something in market research or long-term strategies I donβt like: fundraising potential within a target group (or channel, or segment) that, so far, has brought convincing success to hardly anyone in the market. And why? Because the organization has been convinced of its own exceptional characteristics, or because of the little competition in the market on this so called potential. Sometimes this comes from internal voices, but often this comes from external consultancy firms or exotic freelancers.
Read MoreHave you heard about Dan Pallotta's new online training? In line with his views as presented in his now famous TED talk (The way we think about charity is dead wrong) and book (Uncharitable) he has given trainings to nonprofit boards and directors worldwide in recent years. He has now translated that training into an online format.
Read MoreThe readers of my Dutch blog have chosen the top 10 most harmful statements for fundraising that they encounter in their day-to-day work. The responses I received unanimously showed that fundraisers feel hugely hampered by these statements. Fundraisers are fed up. Itβs never great when someone interferes with your expertise. The nice thing about fundraising is that everyone has an opinion about it. Especially the non-fundraisers.
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