Fundraising for Beginners

Welcome to Fundraising.

You came to the right place. Let’s explore the basics.

Fundraisers should use pride, not apology, when asking for a gift for a charity that is doing good work.

Henry Rosso

Who is this site for?

YOU CAN BE A FUNDRAISER.

YOU can be a fundraiser!

This site is for anyone with a passion for a cause. Perhaps you’ve just started out in the fundraising profession, or maybe you have been working in development but need to learn more about digital marketing, or even, perhaps, you have a passion for a cause and just want to learn how to help raise more money, if so, this site is for you.

We’ve created this site to teach you the art and science of fundraising. Articles and training videos are categorized and rated by level of experience, beginner, intermediate, and advanced. No matter your starting point, you will be able to learn how to be an excellent fundraiser. Discover great courses that will help you become the fundraiser you want to be.

Natural born fundraiser is a myth. You can learn the skill of fundraising and raise millions of dollars for your favorite cause. I want to show you how.

What skills will you learn?

THE ART AND SCIENCE OF FUNDRAISING.

Fundraising is similar to other industries: there are specific skills you will learn to become a great fundraiser.

From understanding the motivations to why people give to writing fundraising copy that converts, as someone new to fundraising, you’ll need to understand the psychology of the donor and how to present your fundraising campaign. You’ll also need technical skills for managing a donor database, analyzing results, and creating tests to optimize performance.

You will learn how direct mail differs from digital, how to perform direct mail donor acquisition programs and how we’ve adapted those acquisition programs online.

As you progress, you’ll learn different types of donors such as general, continuity, mid-level, major, legacy, corporation, foundation and more. Different types of donors will behave and give differently and understanding how they think will help you craft the perfect fundraising campaigns.

Find fundraising courses that will teach you how to become a world-class fundraiser.

What should I read first?

LEARN SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISING.

7 Essentials for a Great Annual Report

Your annual report is one of the most important pieces of fundraising collateral that you produce. It provides donors with a snapshot of your organization’s work and impact over the past year, and it is an essential tool for building relationships and soliciting financial support. But what good is an annual report if no one reads it?

8 Things Every New Major Donor Fundraiser Should Do First (Part 1)

As a fundraiser, you know how important it is to secure major gifts from top donors. But what’s the best way to go about doing this? Here are eight things every new major donor fundraiser should do.

8 Steps to Creating Urgency in Your Fundraising Appeal

Creating a sense of urgency in your appeal messaging will help move readers to become donors.

Writing a Donor-Focused President’s Letter

Sending a President’s Letter (or Executive Director’s Letter) at the beginning of the year helps donors know the impact they made in the previous year. It’s a wonderful engagement tool and a way for donors to feel gratitude for what their donation accomplished. With an example letter!

Reinforce the Donation Decision to Eliminate Donor Remorse

Donor remorse is a real phenomenon. You might find it odd, but some people do regret the donation they made. Learn 4 steps to eliminate it.

Good Fundraising Does This One Thing Well

Do you want to know the secret to an excellent fundraising appeal? The one question you should ask? Learn more in this article.

Episode 32 – Should We Move All of Our Communications to Digital?

Learn about which communications make sense for digital and how other channels still have a place in your communications plan in this episode of the Nonprofit Answers podcast.

How to Download the List of Facebook Fundraiser Donors

Facebook fundraising can be a nice supplemental revenue source for your nonprofit. A challenge is that you only receive contact information for people who opt-in. Learn how to download the list of Facebook Fundraiser donors.

Tell a Story of One Person to Improve Your Fundraising

Great fundraising is about one person, not a bunch of people. Great fundraising is about a single person who needs the donor’s help, not the cause we’re fighting for. Learn how to tell the story of one person to improve your fundraising.

8 Steps to Help Your Major Donors Feel Valued

Major donors want you to be effective and efficient — but most of all, they want to know you understand and value their partnership. Relationships are key for any fundraiser. Donors want to feel like they have a relationship with your nonprofit, they don’t want to feel like it’s just a transaction.

Unlock a Donor’s Joy to Get a Donation

Nurturing a donation is unlocking a donor’s desire to express their joy for caring for others. There are many reasons why donors give. But if you look at the core reason why donors give, for many of them, it comes down to a feeling of joy.

Don’t Let Comparison Kill Your Creativity

Don’t let comparison kill your creativity. Do you look at the work of other organizations and get jealous? It’s happened to me. I look and think “we should do it like that!” In fact, what you’re doing, may be just right for your donors and your organization. Stop comparing yourself to others.
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