by Lauren Brownstein | Jun 6, 2019 | Nonprofit, Philanthropy
Why won’t a board member make the ask? Lots of nonprofit board members are resistant to asking for donations. In my 25+ years working with nonprofit boards, I’ve heard scores of objections and hesitations from board members. Many objections are valid and...
by Lauren Brownstein | May 10, 2019 | donation, Fundraising, Philanthropy
Asking for a Donation – You CAN Do this! For many of us, asking for a donation is the last thing we want to do. It feels uncomfortable. It feels pushy. It feels intrusive. Or, as my middle school daughter might say, it’s “cringy.” These feelings are natural. In our...
by Lauren Brownstein | Apr 25, 2019 | Nonprofit, Writing
Say and Write What You Actually Mean Let me start by saying: I have nothing against the Gap. I have lots of clothes from the Gap. As far as I can tell, Gap, Inc. is a solid company that sells things that almost everyone I know has, or had, or will have. But this post...
by Lauren Brownstein | Apr 16, 2019 | Fundraising, Nonprofit
Ask Better Questions If you work or volunteer in the nonprofit world, you’ve probably heard that old-school advice: If you are going to do outreach for your charitable organization (whether you are raising money, forging new partnerships, generating good PR,...
by Lauren Brownstein | Mar 12, 2019 | Fundraising, Nonprofit, Philanthropy
Connecting with the Right Kind of Donors in the Right Way I recently listened to a great episode from NPR’s TED Radio Hour podcast. The episode, “Wired for Altruism,” features TED Talks that explore questions like: Are certain people biologically pre-conditioned...