by Lauren Brownstein | Mar 7, 2024 | Fundraising, grants, Nonprofit, Philanthropy
I’ve completed hundreds of Prospect Research Reports, and probably reviewed thousands of foundation giving lists, over the 30+ years that I’ve been a fundraiser. When I started doing this work, most of the information was embedded in foundations’ IRS...
by Lauren Brownstein | Dec 5, 2023 | Fundraising, Inspiration, Nonprofit, Uncategorized, wellness
Introduction Whether it’s a declined grant application, a potential donor saying “no,” or a campaign that falls short of expectations, rejection is part of the fundraising process. It’s not easy to deal with it! Rejection can leave us feeling...
by Lauren Brownstein | Sep 29, 2023 | Fundraising, Nonprofit, Uncategorized, Writing
I’m finally coming around to the inevitable question: How should Artificial Intelligence (AI) be part of my work as a nonprofit professional, especially in the fundraising space? AI is certainly not new in the fundraising world, but its profile seems to have...
by Lauren Brownstein | Aug 3, 2023 | Fundraising, grants
I’ve been working in the nonprofit sector (eek!) for nearly 30 years; writing grant proposals and creating foundation relations strategies for nearly as long. I’ve crafted proposals that have brought in six- and seven-figure gifts. I’ve crafted proposals that have...
by Lauren Brownstein | Dec 9, 2022 | Fundraising, Inspiration, Nonprofit
As I write this post during the final few weeks of the calendar year, my thoughts turn to evaluation. This is a time of year when many organizations evaluate their fundraising success. It can also be a time to evaluate program success, board and staff success, and...
by Lauren Brownstein | Oct 27, 2022 | Fundraising, Nonprofit
The year-end fundraising season is ramping up. Giving Tuesday is at the end of November. The biggest donation week of the year is the last week in December. There are emails to draft, donor and prospect lists to pull, paper mailings to design and print, text to...