blog
A Tribute to Tony Elischer
by Brian Saber
The fundraising world lost a true icon last week. Tony Elischer was an international creative strategist, enchanting guru, and rebel rouser! Once you heard him speak you never forgot him or what he said.
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Five Ways to Start the Year Asking Strong
by Brian Saber
In fundraising we’re never starting fresh. It might be a new calendar year – or a new fiscal year. . . or both – but our work is a continuation of what came before. So here are five ways to hit the ground running in 2016:
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Quid Pro Quo: The Fastest Way to Deaden Your Board
by Brian Saber
Whether non-profit board members should face term limits is a hot topic, and we’re not all on the same page…
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Maintaining a Mission Driven Board Culture
by Michael Davidson
Boards can retain the mission commitment of their founding culture while structurally transforming from a hands-on “Founding Board“to a differentiated “Sustaining Board.”
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Traits of Highly Engaged Boards
by Michael Davidson
For me, the interesting question is not ‘why board members not engaged,’ but rather, ‘what are the traits of the boards where the members are engaged?’
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To Term Limit or Not to Term Limit – That is the Question!
by Brian Saber
Whether non-profit board members should face term limits is a hot topic, and we’re not all on the same page…
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The Top 10 Mistakes Fundraisers Make Asking
by Brian Saber
What mistakes are you making? #1 Selecting the wrong prospects. You can’t ask everyone on the radar screen, so you’ve got to ask those with the greatest potential. Never forget the 80/20 rule applies to donors as well – 20% will contribute 80% of the gifts, so spend 80% of your time on that 20%.
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Debunking the 15% Overhead for Good
by Brian Saber
Can we please stop the management consultants and charity evaluators of the world from poisoning the water with their mantra of 15% overhead? I know they mean well, but constantly harping on this 15% ideal is simplistic and is causing great harm to many wonderful, worthy organizations.
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My ONE Wish For Boards – the Secret Revealed
by Brian Saber
Those of us in the fundraising world know we’re not in sales, yet everyone outside our world seems to think that’s what we’re about, to our detriment. It only took one visit to a car showroom to underscore the difference. . . and to make me wonder how anyone could possibly think these two worlds were even remotely aligned.
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Guest Post for Stratagems: Finding a Cause You Love
by Brian Saber
Brian notes that most of us don’t think of ourselves as actual “fundraisers” because we think it’s something sales-y that takes a big personality. So people entering the business gravitate toward events, grants, etc.
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