The CEO As Chief Fundraiser
Well, isn’t it obvious that the CEO is the nonprofit organization’s chief fundraiser?
Not really. Not when you observe the behavior of nonprofit CEOs, as I have over the past four decades.
Category: Corporate Giving
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Inject Life Into Your Live Auction With Donor Plants
By: Michael Taylor, CFRE, CEO Donor plants are the people that you ask in advance to jump up at your gala’s live auction, raise their hand high, and start (or advance) the bidding. Plants are essential to create energy and set the pace for other attendees to follow, and since the fall gala season is rapidly approaching, chances are good that this is timely counsel as you plan for your big event. The Context A popular fundraising gala idea is to plan a charity auction as the main event. Live auctions work great with galas because guests can bid on their
Corporate Matching Gift Programs, Part III
By: Michael Taylor, CFRE, CEO This is part three of a three part series on challenge gift drives. Part one, “Three Steps to Launch Your Challenge Gift Drive”, can be found here. Part two, “Best Practices in Challenge Gift Drives”, can be found here. There is another important type of matching gift that happens outside of a challenge drive. Corporate matching, as it is known, was begun back in 1954 by General Electric Company. Through its Corporate Alumni Program, the GE Foundation began making matching gifts to colleges and universities, eventually expanding to other areas of charitable giving. Today, countless
Best Practices In Challenge Gift Drives, Part II
By: Michael Taylor, CFRE, CEO This is the second part of a three part series on Challenge Gift Drives. To read part one, click here. Best Practices In Challenge Gift Drives There have been cases where those who gave under a challenge drive later reduced their subsequent contributions, resulting in a net reduction of total contributions to the agency’s overall giving. Some call this effect “donor fatigue”, though I’m not a fan of that term because people are too complex for such easy categorization. Thus, in addressing this issue—by any name—it’s important for you to be proactive and let your
A Pressing Question
By: Michael Taylor, CFRE, CEO Ask NPI Q. One of our readers writes: Is a fundraising plan part of a strategic plan? If so, why is it important? Isn’t a strategic plan focused on what we will do to fulfill our mission not how we make the money in order to do it? ~Jennifer, an Executive Director from Boston, MA Michael L. Taylor, NPI Chairman, replies. A. Many nonprofits exclude mention of fundraising or a development plan from their strategic plan leaving the development department to create its own. This is often not the best scenario because it may lack