What’s risky? I’ve heard from a few people recently that they don’t want to make big changes right now: it’s too risky.  I have a different perception of risk; here’s why: The latest Fundraising Effectiveness Report data are out for first quarter.  They are not good; year-over-year for Q1, organizations were down: Five percent on...

The costs of DRTV We have a new white paper out called So you think you want to do DRTV. It’s an honest look at the time, cost, and effort necessary to run a DRTV program successful, as well as the potential rewards. Once again, rather than force you to download it to see if...

The FedMan cometh Often, the relationship between the federal government and nonprofits can be rather like an elephant and an ant dancing: The elephant’s missteps don’t hurt the elephant The ant is well aware of when the elephant takes a misstep It’s hard for the ant to tell the elephant when it is about to...

Beyond resilience “Resilience” is having its moment, just at “unprecedented” did before it (and if 2020 continues its current trajectory, “apocalypse” will have soon enough).  The thought is that if we stoic up and stiffen that upper lip, we can plow through to the other side of this.  After all, the root of “resilience” literally...

The sustainer revolution We have a new white paper out called The sustainer revolution: why to get, how to get, and how to keep your monthly donors. But rather than force you to download it to see if it is something you want, I’ve put the opening here. Hope you enjoy! We reached a notable...

Three ways your boss is wrong about fundraising One of my favorite parts of the Great Fundraising Program from PFNA is when they talk about how everyone in the country was born with a master’s degree in fundraising and copywriting. This is, of course, sarcastic.  Folks may behave as though their gut feeling about what...

Thoughts and prayers This phrase has become an unfortunate cliché for saying something but doing nothing.  But do people consider prayer nothing?   Two economists decided to find out.  Being economists, they wanted to find out how much people valued thoughts and prayers.  That is, how much would someone pay to be prayed for (or not...

A word is worth a thousand pictures We talk about a picture being a thousand words.  However, there may be some opportunities to take out pictures and be even more effective. On the TNPA May Test of the Month call, we talked about two tests from our friends at NextAfter that showed that plain text...

When to believe what donors say Perhaps you heard the good news: in an April 14-28 Gallup poll of donors, 27% said they would increase their giving this year and only 7% said they would decrease it.  Or the BBB Wise Giving that said 31% would give more and 18% would give less. Or you...

Fighting the turtles The data are in.  So far, mail results are generally ranging from steady to up in the current crisis per caging results from Aegis.  Digital results are up.  DRTV results are up.  Many nonprofits are still hurting with an unholy combination of disruptions to service models, greater service demands (or, in the...