The Mysterious World of Raising Funds from Foundations Part 1

January 04, 2021 by Dianna Smiley in Board Members, Strategy, Understanding Donors, Capital Campaign

Remember this: Foundations are in the business of investing in nonprofits that perform work leading to goals and outcomes desired by their leadership. If your group can help enable them to come closer to those goals and outcomes, they need you. You are doing something they cannot do themselves.

Can Your Nonprofit Build a Major Gifts Program?

December 11, 2014 by Dianna Smiley in Strategy

Organization leaders often realize they need to build a major gifts program. Specifically, they need donors to give occasional special gifts to invest in the organization in ways that no one else can or will invest. They also need donors who believe in the organization’s mission fundamentally, and will give significant gifts to sustain annual operations. But what does it take?