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Not surprisingly, fundraising, in its many forms, tops the list of advice nonprofit leaders and professionals seek the most.
In 2018, readers sought guidance on donor-advised funds, cultivating big donors, preparing proposal budgets, and measuring and conveying impact, to name just a few of the resources that were most popular.
Here are a dozen resources that thousands of you read in the past year. In case you missed them (or want to reread them), we’ve gathered them here for you in a convenient list.
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Advice
What You Should — and Shouldn’t — Do When Meeting With a Donor
A philanthropist talks about her experience with nonprofit officials who were unprepared, arrived late, or kept “yawning like a lion” — and others who made an excellent first impression. -
Advice
Working With Donor-Advised Funds: The Basics
Donor-advised funds continue to boom. Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about receiving donations from the accounts. -
Advice
4 Ways to Ask Major Donors for Big Gifts
We asked successful big-gift fundraisers what techniques they use when requesting big gifts. Here’s what they say. -
Advice
Rethinking the Case Statement
How to revamp your case for support and present it in ways that suit today’s donors. -
Advice
How to Make the Case for General Operating Support
Sell donors on giving unrestricted gifts by with clear goals, a grand vision, and storytelling that conveys results. -
Advice
Support for Charities Is Narrowing. Here’s How to Fight Back.
Experts suggest ways to maintain and expand your donor base. -
Advice
Dos and Don’ts for Building Ties With Donors at Family Foundations
15 ways to improve your odds of gaining support from small grant makers -
Advice
Online Fundraising: 4 Standouts in Crowdfunding and Giving Days
How competition, prizes for all levels of gifts, and a year of planning brought success. Also, the philanthropy battle between Colorado and North Texas. -
Advice
You Should Ask for an ‘Exit Interview’ When a Donor Stops Giving: Here’s How to Do It
Communicating with donors even after they stop giving can help nonprofit leaders improve an organization and its fundraising, a philanthropist advises. -
Advice
Fundraisers on Top: How to Reach the Executive Suite
The path to leadership involves studying nonprofit work beyond fundraising. And: Does the CFRE really matter? -
Advice
How to Impress a Grant Maker With Your Proposal Budget
A program officer tells how a proposal’s budget shapes his perspective on the applicant and offers tips on what to put in, what to take out, how to disclose financial problems, and more. -
Advice
Tips for Measuring and Conveying Impact
Identify the metrics that matter most, don’t be afraid to show short-term results for long-term goals, and weave your data into stories that resonate with grant makers.