Blog

Invest in Fundraising….You won’t Regret It
A strong infrastructure — internal departments and the overhead spending to back them — are the life’s blood of the business world. A strong infrastructure is just good business, and nonprofits cannot escape this fact. Yet, nonprofits tend to underfund their overhead...

Travel Log: 3 Appearances, 3 Cities, 15 Days
Three conferences in one month. One on the east coast of the U.S. One on the west coast of the U.S., and one in Nepal. I am still catching my breath. The month began with the Safe Children Coalition Conference in Sarasota, FL, where I co-presented with the Children’s...

Major Gifts Officer

Director of Development: How to Find and Retain One
3 Experts Weigh In When it comes to finding and retaining a qualified, competent Director of Development, the nonprofit industry faces its fair share of challenges. There seems to be a revolving door for these folks, whose average tenure with a nonprofit is about 24...

Update Your Business Plan Today
Every venture needs a good, current business plan—even nonprofits. This month, Sharity examines the importance of nonprofit business planning and discusses why having no business plan is not an option. Update Your Business Plan Today Last month, we talked about the...

Grant Planning
Reflecting on the past for future success ‘Tis the season for grant planning, and just like Ebenezer Scrooge, we are being visited by the ghosts of grant pursuits past and present in order to see our future. One element of a nonprofit’s comprehensive fund development...

The Importance of Measuring Performance Across All Efforts
How do you know if your NPO is a success? Start by asking yourself the following important questions: Do you know which strategies are working and which ones are not? Are you measuring, tracking, and gaining insights to improve our processes for the next effort? Do...

What is the impact? Shifting the paradigm on fundraising for domestic violence organizations
By Noelle H. Lowery One step forward. A decade back. This is the trajectory of women’s issues over the last 18 months. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, existing gender inequalities were amplified in every aspect of life for women. Stories abound of careers disrupted,...

Donor Segmentation: Hidden Gems, Champions, Distinguished Philanthropists! Oh my!
By Noelle H. Lowery With all thoughts in the nonprofit world turning to year-end campaigns right now, many nonprofits also are on the lookout for new donors. After all, these entities just spent the last nine months asking all of their loyal, established contributors...

Planning is Key for a Successful Year-End Appeal
By Ruth Patrick It is that time of year again when nonprofits around the world ponder their year-end appeal. An opportunity for donors to support organizations with a meaningful year-end financial gift, the year-end appeal requires planning and organization to...