Unlocking Support: The Art of Clear Communication in Nonprofits
Mary Cahalane
by Mary Cahalane
1w ago
Clear communication might be your best tool for raising money. Recently, Ephraim Gopin shared a funny/not-so-funny post from McSweeney’s. It was titled: We dare you to figure out what our nonprofit does. And it nails it. Do you want to make me really cranky? Use language like what they mock here. Unclear. Full of buzzwords. […] The post Unlocking Support: The Art of Clear Communication in Nonprofits appeared first on Hands-On Fundraising ..read more
Visit website
7 more quick tips to improve your donor communications
Mary Cahalane
by Mary Cahalane
2w ago
Do your donor communications need a few quick tips? Improve your donor communications… I know. I just wrote about this. But there’s a bit more… and if you’re like me, more ideas are hard to resist. You’ve probably heard you should write fast and edit slowly. And so you should. But how do you turn […] The post 7 more quick tips to improve your donor communications appeared first on Hands-On Fundraising ..read more
Visit website
Want better fundraising results? Rethink your team
Mary Cahalane
by Mary Cahalane
1M ago
Fundraising results depend on the whole organization You might know that I spent a good number of years working for regional theaters. It’s where my nonprofit career began. And theater is still close to my heart. But over the years – whether in my first theater, where I managed the box office, or in subsequent […] The post Want better fundraising results? Rethink your team appeared first on Hands-On Fundraising ..read more
Visit website
You CAN write a great thank you
Mary Cahalane
by Mary Cahalane
1M ago
Does writing a thank you letter make you feel sort of squeamish? Do you put it off, because… all those feelings? Or maybe just because you don’t know where to start? I got you. Read on… Your opening paragraph As you would with any letter, keep the first paragraph short. And make it all about […] The post You CAN write a great thank you appeared first on Hands-On Fundraising ..read more
Visit website
Do you want to keep last year’s donors this year?
Mary Cahalane
by Mary Cahalane
1M ago
How to keep those donors Oh, hello 2024. Yes, your year-end fundraising efforts are over. Take a deep breath. Relax. OK. Enough of that. Time for 2024 fundraising! And here’s what I want you to think most about: retention. I hope you welcomed new donors last year. And maybe even welcomed back some others. But […] The post Do you want to keep last year’s donors this year? appeared first on Hands-On Fundraising ..read more
Visit website
Empathy: the key to better fundraising
Mary Cahalane
by Mary Cahalane
2M ago
Empathy – the feeling that you understand and share another person’s experiences and emotions: the ability to share someone else’s feelings While sympathy is compassion for someone else’s situation, empathy is feeling their pain. Sympathy keeps its distance. Empathy is a powerful connection to someone else. We’ve evolved to feel empathy because it’s useful in understanding […] The post Empathy: the key to better fundraising appeared first on Hands-On Fundraising ..read more
Visit website
How are your conversation skills?
Mary Cahalane
by Mary Cahalane
2M ago
Conversation?! Don’t worry. You don’t have to be a great talker to have this conversation. Today I heard from an excited client about an email. (I love getting celebration emails like this!) My client is a new theater here in Connecticut. And theater is where I started my nonprofit career… so I’m having fun. We’ve […] The post How are your conversation skills? appeared first on Hands-On Fundraising ..read more
Visit website
Want some action? Use emotion.
Mary Cahalane
by Mary Cahalane
3M ago
Years ago, on vacation, as I read 2312, by Kim Stanley Robinson a phrase stopped me cold. I had to dog-ear the page. “Reason can’t work without emotion. People who are cut off from their emotions can’t decide.” Reason can’t work without emotion. People who are cut off from their emotions can’t decide. So, ok, […] The post Want some action? Use emotion. appeared first on Hands-On Fundraising ..read more
Visit website
Why “because” matters to your ask
Mary Cahalane
by Mary Cahalane
3M ago
Because is a word kids come to dread. I remember being a kid and getting a very unsatisfying answer to some questions. My questions were usually “Why?” or more often “Why not?” And the unsatisfying answer was “Because” or worse, “Because I said so.” Does that sound familiar to you? It was infuriating, of course. […] The post Why “because” matters to your ask appeared first on Hands-On Fundraising ..read more
Visit website
Your last-minute year-end appeal checklist
Mary Cahalane
by Mary Cahalane
4M ago
Ah… your year-end fundraising appeal isn’t out yet. And maybe, just maybe, life got in the way, too. I’m trying not to panic about Christmas shopping myself. But if you haven’t sent your year-end appeal yet, maybe this will help. And if you have already mailed something, maybe this will help with those late December […] The post Your last-minute year-end appeal checklist appeared first on Hands-On Fundraising ..read more
Visit website

Follow Mary Cahalane on FeedSpot

Continue with Google
Continue with Apple
OR