Clairification

APRIL 22, 2024

Get on the Pathway to Passionate Philanthropy, Not Forgettable Fundraising Philanthropy is a mindset. An embracing culture. A noble value. Fundraising is a means towards that end. Servant to philanthropy. Philanthropy, not fundraising. This has been the tagline for my business and blog since I began Clairification in 2011. It grew naturally out of my experiences working as a frontline development director for 30 years.

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Clairification

APRIL 18, 2024

Take some inspiration from the inimitable Seth Godin: If we’re restless, it pays to get up and walk around. Is stress different? Along the way, it seems as though we got confused about the best way to deal with the stress that comes from work and from the projects we work on. “Push through the stress and on the other side, everything will be okay.” Simply get all the details right, get an A, get into a famous college, make the sale, polish the logo, do the pitch and then… reassurance will follow

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IT Nonprofit Template Management 195

Clairification

APRIL 15, 2024

Awareness alone is passive. Do you wish you had a dime for every time a nonprofit board or staff member told you “ We’re the best kept secret in town; if people knew what we do, they’d give to support us.” Nonprofits tell me this all the time! If I had all those dimes, I could make a nice contribution to your cause. And I would , if… You endeavored to learn a little bit about me, You engaged me personally, You discovered my values match yours, You offered me opportunities to connect with

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Media Nonprofit Fundraising 146

Clairification

APRIL 11, 2024

It costs more to acquire a new donor than retain a current one. A lot more. In fact, research shows it takes 7 – 12% more effort, time and money to bring in a new donor than to raise more from a current donor. Please, please, please… let this sink in. The for-profit world understands this. It’s why they retain, on average, 80 – 90% of current customers.

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Retainer Nonprofit Fundraising IT 154

Clairification

APRIL 8, 2024

I find a widespread misunderstanding about the notion of what constitutes being donor-centered. It derives from two misconceptions: Assuming people don’t want to be asked. Spending all your time on cultivation, assuming folks don’t need an ask and will simply give spontaneously as a result of being wooed. Both of these rationales short-change your would-be donors.

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Fundraising Nonprofit IT 293

Clairification

APRIL 4, 2024

Today I want to remind you that part and parcel of your personal mission, as a philanthropy facilitator , is to bring supporters opportunities for meaning and purpose. Because when you help increase others’ sense of wellbeing, not only is the world a better place but these folks are more likely to demonstrate gratitude by giving of themselves. Meaning drives us to act with generosity and resolve.

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IT Nonprofit Template 185

Clairification

APRIL 1, 2024

Ever have a well-meaning, yet perhaps overly controlling or risk-aversive, boss say to you: Our fundraising letter must be no longer than one page. That’s too simple; we don’t want to talk down to our donors. We need to say more about our accomplishments. We need to describe numbers of people served; that’s what’s impressive. That’s not how I talk. That’s not our corporate style.

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Clairification

MARCH 28, 2024

You must invite your donor into the story. Take yourself out of the equation. Donors don’t care about you, but about what they can do through you. Stop talking about your good work. Talk, instead, about the good work your donor wants to do. How? 5-Step Strategy to Illuminate the Donor’s Role in Repairing the World 1.Tell a quick story about a specific project.

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Nonprofit Fundraising 266

Clairification

MARCH 25, 2024

Can AI help your nonprofit connect more authentically with people so you, and the social benefit sector as a whole, do a more effective job addressing today’s most pressing problems? In other words, can AI help you drive loyalty? The short answer is yes. But it won’t happen if you keep working as you’ve always worked. Last week, in Part 1 of this two-parter, I offered two truths, two challenges and two suggestions for you to consider if you want to drive generosity and philanthropy in an era of

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Clairification

MARCH 20, 2024

The Clairity Click-it exists to bring you a range of voices from across the nonprofit world so you can resource, learn and digest at your own pace, and come up with new and better ways to do your job of changing the world. Seth Godin wants to help you too! How to change the world All successful cultural change (books, movies, public health), has a super-simple two-step loop: AWARENESS TENSION –>Loop<– It’s easy to focus on awareness.

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IT Nonprofit 200

Clairification

MARCH 18, 2024

That’s right. Loyalty. Not wealth. Not money. Not even attention. Because merely grabbing the attention of someone with either capacity or inclination to give is no guarantee philanthropy will follow. Today I’d like to illuminate: Truths about what drives philanthropy, Challenges nonprofits have developing and implementing strategies that take these truths into account, and Suggestions for moving forward with a new paradigm to generate increased philanthropy.

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Nonprofit Fundraising Donation Management 277

Clairification

MARCH 14, 2024

Wondering where fundraising is heading in our highly networked, overly saturated, noisy-as-all-get-out post-digital revolution world? A world that’s really a jungle, with so much competition for attention — for-profits, other nonprofits, socially conscious businesses, political campaigns, friends, and family? Your mantra can no longer simply be about “creating awareness.

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Clairification

MARCH 11, 2024

What gets donors going? The heart, not the head. “ People do not give to the most urgent needs, but rather they support causes that mean something to them.” This is the finding from a report done by the Centre for Charitable Giving and Philanthropy at the University of Kent: “ How Donor Choose Charities.” They begin their study from the widely-accepted premise that charities exist primarily to help needy people and the desire to meet needs is a key criterion in the selection of charitable benef

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Donation Funding Fundraising 271

Clairification

MARCH 7, 2024

This week I feel like letting you just dive right in to all the great content I’ve collected over the past two weeks. There are lots of eye-opening articles plus plenty of webinars and podcasts for you to enjoy. [Okay, I do have a bit of Seth Godin wisdom to share, but this time it’s to be found below under “Articles/Events.” So, scroll down.] As always, a big thank you to my sponsor, Bloomerang , for making it possible for me to spend the hours of time hunting, gathering and choosing the resou

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IT Template Nonprofit 195

Clairification

MARCH 4, 2024

Some years ago I happened on an article in the New York Times where the author, David Pogue, asked readers for their very best ‘life advice.’ There was so much great stuff in there! If you happen to have a NYT subscription, I’m sure you’ll enjoy reading the full article. For those who don’t (and really for everyone), I decided to share some of my favorite pieces of wisdom with you.

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Clairification

FEBRUARY 29, 2024

When organizations aren’t raising as much money as they need, they’ll often tell me: “ We need to recruit new board members. ” This is very often true, but it’s only a piece of the puzzle as to why they’re not being more successful with fundraising. So, if you’re about to embark on some board recruitment, I strongly encourage you to do a little soul searching first so you can embark on your quest strategically.

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Clairification

FEBRUARY 26, 2024

Please don’t leave your new (or old for that matter) board members dangling! Being a board member is not something we’re generally taught. In fact, it can be a complete mystery. Folks feel proud to have been recruited to join your board, and excited to begin their service, but… what happens next can mean the difference between a fulfilling experience and a disappointing one.

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Clairification

FEBRUARY 22, 2024

This week, before we get to all the resources I’ve curated to help you do great work, these questions from the always sage Seth Godin bear your consideration. Direct questions worth answering For everyone on the team… Do you care enough to do great work? Can we agree on what great work looks like? When the world changes, do we have a process to redefine great work?

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IT Calendar Template Nonprofit 195

Clairification

FEBRUARY 19, 2024

What if you had a new strategy for building the types of committed, transformative relationships with donors necessary to build, nurture and sustain a meaningful major gift fundraising program? Most nonprofits know how important a major gifts strategy can be to their overall survival. After all, the 80-20 rule is more than alive and well in fundraising , with 80 to 95% of donor dollars often coming from as few as 5 to 20% of an organization’s donors.

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Fundraising IT Nonprofit 161

Clairification

FEBRUARY 15, 2024

In my last article I talked about how to pitch yourself for a new job. My focus was on fundraising jobs, but it’s a paradigm you can use for any time you’re trying to make a persuasive case for yourself. Today I’d like to get to the part where you’ve transitioned from “selling” to the interviewer, and have arrived at the part where they sell to you.

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Clairification

FEBRUARY 12, 2024

Did you have a New Year’s resolution to look for a new development position? Or maybe to transition to work in the social benefit sector? Have you put your job search off, wondering how your skills translate to what you’d really like to do? We all have an inner critic telling us super unhelpful things like: You’re not ready yet. You need another course or degree.

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Fundraising Readiness IT Nonprofit 161

Clairification

FEBRUARY 8, 2024

Good (February holiday) news department, and couldn’t we use some! The groundhog predicted an early spring. The Year of the Dragon means good fortune. Valentine’s Day reminds us to come from a place of love President’s Day gives a long weekend (in the U.S.) to relax But one of my favorites, on February 17th, is little known, and perfect for the social benefit sector.

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IT Template Nonprofit 185

Clairification

FEBRUARY 5, 2024

This week the groundhog told us it’s going to be an early spring! Spring is always a good time for re-awakening, rebirth and just plain dusting away the cobwebs. And what a dreary, grave, cobwebby period it’s been. We’ve got a lot to clean up, reorganize and rethink. So much, in fact, it’s downright overwhelming. So, as I sat down to write today’s article, I thought about what you actually have within your power to do.

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Clairification

FEBRUARY 1, 2024

Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Make me a Match! While you might be tempted to guess “If I were a Rich Man,” that’s not it. Because that would be making fundraising mostly about money. And, actually, fundraising is mostly about love. So the correct answer is “ Matchmaker.” That’s right. Your job is to make the perfect match between the values your organization enacts and the values your donor shares.

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Nonprofit Fundraising IT 285

Clairification

JANUARY 29, 2024

M onterey Bay Aquarium shares the love with their donors. Last year, you posted about sending donors valentines, which I came across a bit too late in the game, so I sent emails. But, this year, I kept that idea and planned for it, and sent handmade valentines to my top level donors. I felt like I was in 2nd grade with my glue stick and doilies, but the response has been amazing!

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Nonprofit IT 278

Clairification

JANUARY 25, 2024

It’s been pretty cold in my neck of the woods, so let’s warm up with a cup of cocoa, coffee or tea and some good reads. I’ve got a lot of great stuff for you this week, so let’s get right to it! The Clairity Click-it exists to bring you a range of voices from across the nonprofit world so you can resource, learn and digest at your own pace, coming to your own decisions.

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IT Nonprofit Template Goals 180

Clairification

JANUARY 22, 2024

Not as much as you might think. Yet people tell me all the time how much they’re afraid to ask wealthy people for major gifts. If you share those fears, it’s time for a little “Charity Clairity :” Contrary to what your gut may be telling you, NOT asking is not making would-be donors feel good. Quite the opposite, in fact. In this article, I’ll let you in on: Three major donor truths.

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Fundraising 180

Clairification

JANUARY 18, 2024

Twice at the end of last calendar year I was asked for a major gift. Pretty much out of the blue. Without much preparation, relationship-building or making of an inspiring case for support. It was clear to me what the charity would get out of it: my money. It was not so clear what I would get out of it. Should I not care? Perhaps not. Perhaps if I were the ideal, perfect donor I would give with no expectation of receiving anything in return.

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Calendar IT 161

Clairification

JANUARY 14, 2024

I have a dream… Today would have been Dr. Martin Luther King’s 95 th birthday. During his lifetime he challenged us to recognize the privilege of being part of the struggle for goodness to prevail. He did not live to get to the promised land, yet he saw it from the mountain top. And in his famous speech he mused on the question of what he would say were he to be given the extraordinary opportunity to live in any moment in history.

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Clairification

JANUARY 11, 2024

The upcoming Martin Luther King Day holiday in the U.S. has me thinking about freedom. And also the push/pull between freedom and responsibility. Freedom without responsibility (i.e., being held responsible for your actions) doesn’t work well for anyone but one person. Responsibility without freedom is stressful. To work well, they need to play well together.

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IT Nonprofit Template 200

Clairification

JANUARY 8, 2024

Trust defines the credibility and legitimacy not only of your organization, but of the entire social benefit sector. Yet too few organizations make the effort to operationalize this construct into their fundraising and marketing planning. You should. Without donor trust and confidence in philanthropy there’s no future for social benefit organizations.

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Nonprofit Fundraising IT 271

Clairification

JANUARY 4, 2024

Let’s begin with a question: What do you spend more time on? Asking or thanking? You’ve probably just completed a quarter hyper-focused on asking. I’ll bet you devoted a lot of time to this endeavor. Now… you should be devoting at least as much time to thanking the donors who responded to your appeals, with the goal of retaining and upgrading them over time.

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Retainer Template Donation Readiness 282

Clairification

JANUARY 1, 2024

What will you hope for in the coming year? Recently a college classmate asked me and others this question, ruminating on how hope and optimism are similar yet different. It struck a chord with me You see, I’m not generally an optimist. Yet I’m often hopeful. I’d just never taken time to actively consider how these concepts are different. Now I have, and I think it matters in the times we’re in.

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Nonprofit IT Management 257

Clairification

DECEMBER 28, 2023

Let’s begin with this week’s bit of wisdom… Generosity and gratitude A gift doesn’t diminish the giver. Sharing creates connection, possibility and energy. And the magic of gratitude is that it improves everything it touches, especially the person who offered it in the first place. So, what holds us back? Fear. Fear of connection, of change, of seeing what is possible.

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IT Calendar Template Nonprofit 161

Clairification

DECEMBER 26, 2023

For good things once a year is not enough. Why do so many of us only eat turkey once a year? Or pumpkin pie? I’ve no idea! It’s surely not rational. These are special foods we value and take great delight in. Yet we get into a bad habit of thinking on auto pilot. If it’s not Thanksgiving, the idea of roasting a turkey or making cranberry sauce doesn’t even enter most or our heads.

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Nonprofit IT 263

Clairification

DECEMBER 21, 2023

Do you want to risk not receiving generous gifts you could have otherwise received, just because you failed to go the extra mile to share relevant, useful and even critical information? Or because you just did the most basic things, failing to do what would have made your communications really stand out? The Genuine Job of the Philanthropy Facilitator Your job as a philanthropy facilitator is to do everything in your power to make giving to you as easy, joyful and rewarding as possible.

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Fundraising 146

Clairification

DECEMBER 18, 2023

Sometimes major donors give less than the previous year. Sometimes they stop giving to you entirely. What’s the worst sin committed by fundraisers when this happens? Not noticing. What’s the second worst sin? Assuming it has nothing to do with you. Sure, sometimes donors’ priorities change. Or some of their money goes to an emergency or crisis appeal rather than to your organization.

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Readiness Fundraising IT Nonprofit 258