Monthly Archives: September 2011

We may think that older, wealthy Americans already have developed their estate plans, but research shows that 40 percent of them have not. That’s one of the surprising statistics revealed in a research report from U.S. Trust, Bank of America … Continue reading →

The Mid-Willamette Valley was well-represented among the 100 Oregon nonprofits recognized Wednesday as the best ones to work for in the state. Twelve of the 100 are headquartered in the mid-valley. The nonprofits were honored at an event Wednesday held … Continue reading →

Judging from evaluations of MVDP’s Sept. 22 program, members and guests are interested in marketing their nonprofits more than any other program topic. Good news: Marketing is on the MVDP calendar for 2012. Mark your calendars; the tentative date is … Continue reading →

Lest we lose sight of the basics, Rob Wu reminds us of the fundamentals of our profession. Rob, the founder of CauseVox, boils the list down to seven habits of highly effective fundraisers: Personalize your fundraising Use multiple ways to … Continue reading →

Rick Horton (left) and Rick Levine delivered three hours of tips and expertise about grant writing at the MVDP meeting Sept. 22 in Albany. Levine, a grant consultant with more than 40 years of experience, and Horton, grant writer at … Continue reading →

With the need for nonprofits’ services more important than ever, these organizations are turning to public speaking as a way to advocate on their behalf. “More nonprofits are placing greater emphasis on public-speaking skills for the people who represent them … Continue reading →

As an alternative to the time and expense involved in producing an annual report, some nonprofits have tried mailing a postcard. For at least some of them, the results have been amazing. The Austin Groups for the Elderly (AGE) used … Continue reading →

Where do nonprofits blow it when making the ask? Kivi Leroux Miller thinks she knows. Writing in her blog, Kivi’s Nonprofit Communications Blog, she offers five ways nonprofits sabotage their fundraising efforts with “wimpy, confusing asks.” Here is her list … Continue reading →

Peter Maple has reminded us of the huge potential of fundraising through charitable bequests. Writing in his blog, Association of Grumpy Old Fundraisers Who Know Stuff, Maple reports on research by Adrian Sargeant in the journal Psychology & Marketing. “At a … Continue reading →

One of the tools that are sometimes overlooked by fundraisers is the technique of using referrals from existing donors to reach new donors. Kevin Strickland writes, “More than 80% of donors would recommend their organization to another potential donor” and … Continue reading →