My new website is finally all done and we’re moving the blog there.  You can now find ALL the great articles for fully funding your nonprofit at www.getfullyfunded.com/blog.

Congrats to Jeni from WordPlayers for winning the Kindle last week!

There are LOTS of details you MUST pay attention to if you want to develop great, strong relationships with your donors.

You must spell their name right. Get their salutation right.  Pay attention to special situations, where the husband and wife have different last names.

When you pay attention to these details, you let the donor know they are important to you.  Mess this up and you’ll either get complaints or disappearing donors.

Whee!  We’re counting down to the official launch of my new Get Fully Funded book on Sep 30.  I hope you’re enjoying 30 days of tips here on the blog!

Don’t make your donor work to figure out how to help you. Always make it easy for them to act.

Always have a clear call to action in your fundraising letters, newsletter, event, or whatever.  If the donor can’t immediately see how they can support your organization, they have room to say “I’ll figure this out later”  which means you won’t get a donation.  Keep your call to action simple and clear, and you’ll be way more likely to get the result you want.

Sep 30 is the day!  My new book Get Fully Funded will be officially launched.  And we’re leading up to it with lots of goodies, like 30 days of tips on teh Get Fully Funded blog.

People who send you large checks are screaming that they love the work your nonprofit is doing.

What are you doing to adequately express your gratitude and appreciation to them?  One dull, dry thank-you letter won’t cut it.

Send a warm, sincere thank-you letter.  Get it out the door promptly (shoot for 2 days).  Sign it yourself (no digital signature).  Add a hand-written note at the bottom.  Then follow up with any number of things like a phone call, an email, a hand-written not, or all of the above.  You can’t thank your best donors enough.

We’re counting down to Sep 30 when my new book Get Fully Funded will be released!  To celebrate, I’m sharing 30 days worth of tips right here on the Get Fully Funded blog.

A friend shared this very powerful video with me and I wanted to share it with you. 
It’s a great example of the power of words.

“Vision Is Seeing the Invisible.” — Jonathan Swift

Thanks!

Sandy

A 6-Week Series to Help You Get Funding NOW!

You’ve been asking for help to easily raise money for your nonprofit and now we have the perfect solution for you!

ANNOUNCING THE FUNDRAISING QUICK START PROGRAM!

The Fundraising QuickStart program is a 6-week webinar series designed to help you zero in on the strategies that are guaranteed to raise the funds your nonprofit needs NOW!

Each week, we’ll focus on one particular area of donor-based fundraising and we’ll give you the action steps you need to take to implement what you’ve learned quickly and easily.  We’ll share the mistakes you must avoid including how to stop thinking small and how to leverage your opportunities. It’ll be like having your own personal fundraising trainer to stretch you and help you grow!

Donor-based fundraising is all about building relationships with donors and prospects so that they give because they love the work your organization is doing.  There’s no selling candy bars or holding car washes.  The strategies that you’ll learn in the Fundraising QuickStart program are the ones the BIG nonprofits use and you can too!

WHO IT’S FOR
·      New nonprofits
·      Nonprofits just getting started in fundraising
·      Nonprofits who have done a little fundraising, but not getting the results they want
·      Anyone trying fundraising who thinks they’re missing something and that there must be an easier way!

WHAT YOU GET
·      6 weekly 75-minute webinars  (with plenty of time for Q&A)
·      mp3 recordings of each session to listen to again and again
·      Handouts and worksheets for each session

Register now!

HEY – Register by February 11th and you not only receive a discount – you’ll get 2 Bonuses!

Imagine getting the exact information you need to start raising money quickly.  No fluff.  That’s what you’ll find in the Fundraising QuickStart program.  You’ll learn how to avoid the common fundraising mistakes that plague most nonprofits.  The practical step-by-step information found in this program will save you time by avoiding all the “trial and error” stuff, and springboarding your growth as you raise more money faster.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
Each webinar will start at 3:00 pm EST and last until 4:15 pm EST

Week 1: Monday, February 28th
Systems, Software, and State of Mind In this session we’ll cover the pieces of infrastructure you need in place to effectively raise money.  We’ll talk about donor-tracking software and why you need it.  We’ll talk about the systems for fundraising that you need in place, why they are important, and how they will save you time.  And we’ll talk about the mental stance you need to take to be effective in fundraising.  Your mindset and personal attitudes will make or break your ability to engage donors and prospects in your mission.

Week 2: Monday, March 7th
The ABCs of Good Communication Communication is critical to donor-based fundraising and in this session you’ll learn exactly what you need to do.  We’ll talk about how often to communicate with donors and prospects, and what you need to say.  You’ll learn how to tell a good story and why you need to do it. We’ll cover the basics of creating a good donor newsletter and whether you need to send it in print or via email. You’ll get tips on how to spread the word about your nonprofit including working with the local media to get your nonprofit in the news.

Week 3: Monday, March 14th
Individual Donors The Bread and Butter of Fundraising Individual donors are the largest source of untapped potential for any nonprofit. In this session, we’ll focus on individual donors and why you need them.  You’ll learn a variety of techniques for engaging them, like special events and direct mail, as well as how to implement these techniques correctly.

Week 4: Thursday, March 24
Go Get That Grant! Grantwriting is the most common fundraising strategy used by nonprofits and for good reason: millions in grants are awarded each year to nonprofits around the world.  In this session, you’ll learn how to do grantwriting effectively, from researching potential funders to putting together a proposal.  We’ll also talk about how to effectively follow up whether the answer is “Yes” or “No” to your grant proposal.  You’ll get dozens of tips on how to create a winning proposal and traps to steer clear of.

Week 5: Monday, March 28th
The Big Kahuna ~ Major Gifts The most effective and productive use of your time as a Fundraiser is to work with donors who can give big gifts.  Yet so many nonprofits avoid this technique.  In this session, you’ll learn how to get started raising lots of money from a handful of donors.  We’ll share how to identify potential major donors, how to effectively cultivate them, and how to ASK for the donation!  If you get the ONE strategy right, it will make fundraising easier for now and for years to come!

Week 6: Monday, April 4th
Raising Money Online In this final session, we’ll talk about the many ways you can use the internet to raise support for your cause.  We’ll talk about your website and what absolutely MUST be there to encourage visitors to give.  You’ll learn how to create and launch an effective email campaign.  Finally, we’ll touch on Facebook and other social media applications and their effectiveness for your fundraising.

Register now!

Sandy Rees

CFRE Fundraisng Coach, Consultant & Webinar Host

Sandy is a Fundraising Coach and consultant with 12 years’ experience helping small nonprofits raise more money to fund their mission.  She’s the creator of the Get Fully Funded system for fundraising and has authored several books including the Simple Success Fundraising Plan.  She is an active member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and one of only a few Master Trainers for the organization. Sandy is also a featured presenter at Foundations Group’s Boot Camp for Nonprofits.

WHAT IT COSTS
If you hired a consultant to teach you this information, you’d spend thousands.  If you could find a comprehensive seminar that offered this same information, you could spend hundreds.  We’re proud to offer this program, packed with nuggets of gold, for just $247.  That’s like getting each webinar for just $42!
Register now!

And, if you Register before Feb 11th, you can take advantage of our EARLYBIRD price of just $197 (that’s a savings of $50 and like getting one webinar for free! and look at these Amazing BONUSES!)

EARLYBIRD REGISTRATION BONUSES
BONUS #1: “3 Keys to Successful Fundraising in Good Times and Bad” ebook and audio.  To raise money and Get Fully Funded, you MUST keep your head in the game and maintain a positive attitude, no matter what the economy is doing. Learn how to shift your mindset so you can raise money and feel secure about the future, including believing in abundance, handling your fear, and managing your unspoken beliefs. This training kit contains a short, to-the-point workbook and an audio CD to help you focus your thinking and set yourself up for success.

BONUS #2: “How to Take the Fear Out of Fundraising” ebook and audio.  Lots of people get nervous asking for money. And let’s face it – if you don’t know how to do it well, you have every reason to be nervous!  You’ll stammer, say the wrong thing, come across unprofessionally, or worse! In this workbook, you’ll discover how to transform your fears of asking for donations. You’ll develop a new level of confidence and start to build momentum as you grow more and more self-assured. Includes a short workbook and 1-hour audio.
Register now!

Missy is one of four cats that live here with us. We adopted her from a local shelter about 10 years ago and she’s a sweetie. She’s the oldest and the smallest of the pack and to help her keep weight on, we feed her canned cat food every afternoon about 4 pm.  She LOVES her “tuna” as we call it and eats every last bite.

Lately, I’ve been watching her and thinking that Missy might have something to teach us about fundraising.

She knows what her goal is. Missy knows what she wants and every afternoon, she waits in her usual spot for her dinner.

She’s hopeful. When anyone walks to the kitchen at any time in the afternoon, Missy goes too, just to see if she might get fed early.

She builds relationship. She gives out lots of love during the day to those who feed her.

She expresses appreciation. She purrs and gives out love to those who help her reach her goal.

This is all good, but sometimes she’s a pest.  In fact, we’ve started calling her “Pesty Cat” because she ALWAYS wants to be fed.  This is a danger for many nonprofit fundraising folks – always showing up with their hand out for money.

If that’s how you approach fundraising, your donors will likely get tired of it.  Make sure that you ask often enough for a gift, but not too often.  It’s a fine line to walk, but one your donors will appreciate if you can get it right. If you want to take it a step further, ask your donors how often and when they’d like to be asked for a gift.  It puts your donor in charge of the relationship and they’ll be much happier.  You’ll likely see your results go up and your expenses go down.  Wondering how to do that?  Survey your donors and simply ask them what they want.

Gotta go – Missy is ready for her dinner!

Five years ago this week, I hung out my shingle and started my coaching/consulting business.  It’s been an amazing five years and I’m very grateful for all the wonderful people I’ve had the fortune to work with.

I’ve helped Executive Directors build their Boards and build better relationships with their Board Chairs.  I’ve helped Development Directors put fundraising plans in place and raise thousands of dollars.  I’ve helped startup nonprofits not only take their first steps in fundraising, but make giant leaps toward fully funding their activities.  And it’s been very rewarding!

To celebrate these five years, I’ve decided to give you something.  I’m throwing the doors open on my library of ebooks  and ebook/audio combos, and marking them all half off.  Yup, you can grab any or all these titles at 50% of the regular price. http://getfullyfunded.com/sandys-5-year-sale

Choose from these ebooks & audios:

• Simple Success Fundraising Plan
• Fundraising Buffet: 101 Practical Tips to Increase Donations and Deepen Donor Satisfaction
• How to Take the Fear Out of Asking for Money
• Blogging for Dollars: How to Fundraise With a Blog
• 3 Keys to Successful Fundraising in Good Times and Bad
• Secrets to Winning Grants
• Secrets to Getting Big Gifts
• Secrets to Raising Money Through the Mail
• Secrets to Raising Money Online
• Secrets to Successful Newsletters
• Secrets to Thanking Donors

Some of these are as low as $12.50!  Go to http://getfullyfunded.com/sandys-5-year-sale  to see the entire list and grab yours.

Thanks so much for letting me serve you, teach you and mentor you.  I’m looking forward to the next 5 years!

If your organization is having trouble raising money right now and you’re blaming it on the economy, I want you to stop.

There are lots of nonprofits who are doing just fine.  Many of my clients are raising more money this year than last year.  Attendance at annual dinners and galas is up.  Donors are still giving and many have increased their gifts.

What makes the difference between those organizations and yours?  It’s mindset.

What you think about and believe becomes your reality.  Yep, those little thoughts running around in our heads have more impact on us than we realize.  If you spend your day focused on how bad things are and how you can’t raise money, your thoughts become a self-fulfilling prophecy.  If you focus on what’s possible, you will find opportunities to raise money.

Here are some BIG THOUGHTS I want you to think:

• There is enough money out there for all of us.  Every nonprofit can raise all the money they need to fulfill their mission.  Don’t look at other nonprofits as competition either.  Focus on the fact that if every person who gives to a charity gave just 1% more, we’d all be cash flush!
• The best fundraising is based on donor relationships.   Our donors are NOT ATM machines and we have to stop treating them that way.  Focus on your donors as friends and partners in your work, then treat them as such.
• Passion is contagious!  Share your passion for your work.  The more excited you are about the life-changing work your organization is doing, the more others will be excited and want to help.
• Have an Attitude of Gratitude.  Be grateful for everything.  Thank your donors.  Thank your volunteers. Thank the people who pick up your trash.  You never know who might be capable of connecting you with an invaluable resource or dropping a large gift in your lap!

You can change your circumstances, but you have to first change your mindset.  Start monitoring your thoughts.  Dump the negative ones and focus on the positive.

The AFP Conference wrapped up today.  It was a great conference (as always) with many opportunities to learn from others.  I thought I’d share a few things that I picked up.

• 66 percent of high wealth donors said they quit giving because they did not feel connected any longer.  We really have to focus on relationships!
• “Stretch goals” have enormous power, generate energy, creativity!  See if you can raise just a little bit more than you think you can.
• The cost of acquiring a new donor is rising. So is the cost of losing a donor.  We need to hang on to our donors and the best way to do that is to engage and respect them.
• You wouldn’t write ‘dear friend’ to anyone who actually is.  Never send a letter to ‘dear friend.’ Always personalize.
• Donors don’t give to institutions, they invest in ideas and people.
• Fund raising is a noble profession.  Archbishop Desmond Tutu said so.

Next year, the conference is in Chicago.  I encourage you to make plans to be there.  Go to www.afpnet.org to get the scoop.