Archive for the "Nonprofit Capacity" Category
A Fundraising Fairy Tale: What Would You Do with $5 Million?
You’re at your desk. It’s December – you’re coming down the home stretch. The fundraising year is almost over. Suddenly the phone rings. On the other end is a Google employee who tells you that the company’s charitable gift fund has money to give away by the end of the year. Would you, the Google employee asks, be able to put together a proposal for up to $5 million? And could you do it in… Read the rest
- 16 February 2026
- Category: Foundations,Major Gifts Fundraising,Nonprofit Capacity
- 0 Comment
- Written by: Leslie Allen
Evaluating Your Fundraising Program in a Nutshell
Stop! I know you’re eager to put your fundraising plan for 2011 in action. It’s February already. But have you looked at what you did in 2010?
Do it. You can’t know where you’re going until you know where you’ve been, right? Take the time to look at the key indicators for fundraising progress before you plunge into a new year. I guarantee you’ll find something that surprises you.
Start with the most basic financial… Read the rest- 02 February 2026
- Category: Fundraising General,Nonprofit Capacity,Uncategorized
- 0 Comment
- Written by: Leslie Allen
Colorado Gives Day: A Mathematical Puzzle
I have to admit to being a little skeptical of Colorado Gives Day. I was worried that the focus on one day might diminish overall giving in November and December. I worried about a lower overall average gift. I thought it might turn donors off to get multiple appeals from several organizations to give on December 8th.
But, as far as the measure of giving is concerned, Colorado Gives Day broke the bank. Over 18,000… Read the rest- 16 December 2025
- Category: Donor Cultivation,Individual Giving,Nonprofit Capacity,Trends in Fundraising,Uncategorized,Year-End Fundraising
- 2 Comments
- Written by: Leslie Allen
Doggin’ the Watchdogs
Charity watchdog groups are the bane of the nonprofit fundraiser’s existence. OK, maybe I should be more specific. They are the bane of MY existence. I welcome due diligence in giving and I value rigor in the careful management of donor funds. The problem is that watchdogs like Charity Navigator give credence to many of the wrong things all in the name of promoting “efficiency.”
For instance, pull up Charity Navigator and you’ll see a… Read the rest- 14 July 2025
- Category: Charity Ratings,Nonprofit Capacity
- 2 Comments
- Written by: Ann Goldman