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Get your new board members ready to help with fundraising!

June 10, 2021 by Dianna Smiley in Board Members, Consulting - fundraising, Staff Leadership

Don't miss the opportunity to equip your new board members with the knowledge and skills they need to participate in fundraising. They will make terrific new team members!

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June 10, 2021 /Dianna Smiley
nonprofits, fundraising, board members, fundraising training
Board Members, Consulting - fundraising, Staff Leadership

Part 3 - Begin a Beautiful Friendship … with a Foundation!

February 24, 2021 by Dianna Smiley in Board Members, Capital Campaign, Understanding Donors, Strategy, Staff Leadership

In Part 2, I gave you some options for approaching a foundation when you have no history with them and don’t know anyone there. This article is about building the relationship between your organization and the foundation once you have made contact and told your story. Make it a beautiful friendship!

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February 24, 2021 /Dianna Smiley
Board Members, Capital Campaign, Understanding Donors, Strategy, Staff Leadership

Part 2 - The Mysterious World of Raising Funds from Foundations

February 08, 2021 by Dianna Smiley in Understanding Donors, Strategy, Consulting - fundraising, Board Members

If your group has too few foundation grants coming in for the investment you are making in staff, it may be a result of not enough research, too few inquiries, or an approach that lacks the human touch. Foundation staff and board members are people, too, and establishing a person-to-person relationship - while it might be difficult to get started - pays dividends in the long run. This article is about how to get started.

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February 08, 2021 /Dianna Smiley
Foundations, Grant Writing, Fundraising, Nonprofits, Board Members
Understanding Donors, Strategy, Consulting - fundraising, Board Members

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.

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January 04, 2021 /Dianna Smiley
foundations, Grant Writing, Grants, Fundraising
Board Members, Strategy, Understanding Donors, Capital Campaign

Achieving your dreams in a global pandemic

July 13, 2020 by Dianna Smiley in Capital Campaign, Strategy, Board Members

Capital campaigns represent the dreams of leaders in a community to do something important and lasting on behalf of the community. And now...COVID-19. How do these leaders and their teams react to something that might completely derail their project? What if they are in the middle of the campaign? What if they now lack the funds to execute the campaign? What if they are almost ready to launch the campaign? This post has six points of advice for those planning or carrying out capital campaigns right now.

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July 13, 2020 /Dianna Smiley
Campaign, Covid-19
Capital Campaign, Strategy, Board Members

What's the secret to great fundraising?

January 20, 2020 by Dianna Smiley in Board Members, Staff Leadership, Consulting - fundraising

There's not just one "secret" to great fundraising. And the "secrets" are not actually secret. But there are key elements common to most great fundraising efforts, and I'm going to share with you some of the ones I've observed (and been part of) over my years in the fundraising profession.

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January 20, 2020 /Dianna Smiley
Fundraising, Case for Support, fundraising budget, fundraising authenticity
Board Members, Staff Leadership, Consulting - fundraising

Has “Generosity” lost its power?

October 30, 2019 by Dianna Smiley in Board Members, Capital Campaign, Staff Leadership, Understanding Donors

Used too often and without thought, “generous” and “generosity” lose their power. Do we cheapen these words by calling every donor “generous”?

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October 30, 2019 /Dianna Smiley
fundraising communications, donor recognition, donor solicitation
Board Members, Capital Campaign, Staff Leadership, Understanding Donors

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