This post by Rick Dunham originally appeared at The Giving Institute blog on July 26, 2011. Over the last 33 years of work in the nonprofit fundraising world, I’ve observed a number of mistakes that fundraisers, CEOs and board members have made. Those mistakes cover a full slate of errors that impede fundraising success. In ...

Download the audio recording and slides from Rick Dunham’s webinar.

The goal of a marketing email should not be to promote a product, register attendees, or encourage downloads. Instead, its goal is to get a click.

Donor fatigue is not a real disease; it is a misdiagnosis of another significant problem. That problem: the inability of organizations to keep donors excited and engaged in their missions, accomplishments and goals.

The Obama administration’s 2012 budget calls for a decrease in the charitable tax deduction. Even more alarming, the Debt Reduction Task Force from the Bipartisan Policy Center recently suggested eliminating this deduction completely. These proposals couldn’t come at a worse time.

As the Obama Administration and Congress have unveiled their plan for turning around the economy, grave concerns have been raised over the impact on charitable giving. Of particular concern is the proposal to limit the tax deductibility of charitable contributions among high net-worth households.

Background

The growing concerns over the economic slowdown and its impact on various sectors of industry have now seeped into the philanthropic landscape. Many not-for-profit organizations are concerned with the potential impact on their fundraising… with legitimate reason. They especially fear the “R” word — RECESSION — and what that could mean.

The following provides an historical overview of philanthropy during times of recession (based on data from Giving USA/Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University) and suggested strategies to focus on during these difficult economic times.

Four elements of multi-channel performance

The exponential growth of the Internet, while offering near-limitless possibilities for nonprofit fundraising, has also led to the questioning of traditional methods of fundraising.

At the recent Fund Raising Day in New York, sponsored by the New York chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, representatives of The Mellman Group and the A.B. Data Group offered several key findings about fundraising in a report titled “Comparing Apples to Oranges to Pomegranates: A National Review of Direct Mail, Online and Multi-Channel Donors.”