Posts from the ‘DONOR’ Category

Nov 10

The Power of Big Data: Why the Numbers Matter

By Jessica Sochol, Digital Content Strategist, Relationship Science

Any seasoned nonprofit fundraiser knows that recruiting and developing donor relationships requires a mix of hard and soft skills. Traditionally, the emphasis is on the soft: articulating the cause, recruiting supporters, inspiring passion and building relationships. As data about donors and marketing analytics becomes more plentiful, more minutely examined and more widely accessible, it’s no surprise that organizations are now also appreciating the importance of numbers in addition to handshakes when finding ways to increase their impact. Read more

Mar 21

Finding Access People is Key to Advance Major Gifts

By Gil Israeli, Director of Prospect Research and Senior Writer, American Technion Society

Currently, appearing in APRA’s online magazine Connections, Volume 25, 1-Q1. The article is a review of Israeli’s session at APRA’s International Conference, August 2013.

Years ago, a fundraiser send me a research request with minimal data: an individual’s name and residence. He noted (with an exclamation point) that the family foundation had assets exceeding $100 million. Responding too quickly, I reviewed the list of grants for the past three years and placed each gift in one of three categories that I had decided represented the foundation’s giving: higher education, medical causes and social welfare. I generated statistics on the foundation’s interests and multi-year giving trends. Then, I listed board members, contributors to the foundation and changes in their investments. I sent this insightful research to the fundraiser and his response was to the point: “Great stuff, but what I need to know is how to access the foundation president.”

To download the entire issue click here: APRA – Connections Vol. 25, No. 1: Q1 2014

Additional articles in this issue include… Read more

Feb 22

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Taking the Strategic Path to Grantseeking Success

By John Hicks, President and CEO, J. C. Geever, Inc.

Two of the biggest challenges grant seekers face are:

choosing which foundations to approach and
deciding how much to ask.

This article presents a framework for a strategic approach to grantseeking that may well help you save time and produce better results for your effort.

First, I recommend that you build a gift table based on the need for private sector support as shown in your budget. Building the gift table will enable you to: