Thanks to several of you who reached out to me following the article I wrote last week criticizing emergency appeals. Several people asked for some clarification. I came off strongly opposed to emergency appeals, but I do understand there is sometimes you need to send an emergency appeal. ...

That's right... I said it... Nobody Cares About Your Emergency

Your need to close your funding gap… NOT an emergency. 
Your need to offer students scholarships… NOT an emergency. 
Your need to fund blankets for Christmas… NOT an emergency.

COVID on the other hand...

So it’s time to write an appeal letter for your nonprofit. You sit down and look at a blank page. Ugh… hate that feeling.

Well, at least for your next appeal, you don’t have to worry!

After last week's post - 10 Tips to Raise More Money With Your Next Fundraising Appeal...

 Tip 1: Merge Fields Are Your Friend

There is absolutely no excuse to not mail merge letters or merge in someone’s first name into an email. This technology has been around for two decades and is commonplace with all email services. You can even do it in Gmail using third-party plugins...

This is part two of a two-part series walking you through a typical grant application. Part 1 can be found by CLICKING HERE. 

In last week's article, we discussed the common sections of a grant application: the nonprofit's general information, an executive summary, a statement...

This is part one of a two-part series walking you through a typical grant application. Part two can be found here. 

If you want to write for grants, it will only take you two or three applications to see a pattern emerging of what the potential funders are looking to gather. Typically, a...

Scoping Out a Gift Before Asking

Years ago, I worked with a financial and fundraising firm in Chicago. I was tasked with training a group of parish leaders in making an ask asks for a diocesan capital campaign. 

The VP of Advancement for the diocese wanted to run the campaign internally to...

Maximizing Year-End Giving Through Strategic Communications

On the same day as the autumn equinox, I walked through several stores, including Home Depot and Lowes, looking for some outdoor items - only to see the patio furniture has been replaced with… Christmas decorations? I...

Ask Kevin: “When is the most successful time for an annual appeal?”

In this series, I answer questions from my audience. To submit a question, email me at: [email protected]. You will get a prompt response, and in some cases, I will also eventually outline a more in-depth...