Urgency is a time-tested technique for fundraising. Turning the urgency dial to “Hot” in times of crises is entirely appropriate and necessary.  After the earthquake in Haiti or the tsunami in Japan, after scores of similar natural disasters, there is critical need for quick, decisive action and resource mobilization. A curious thing about this urgency business, [...]

I’m thrilled to announce that registration is formally open for the 2012 Course in Exponential Fundraising at Harvard. Please go to http://www.hks.harvard.edu/hauser/cef/  for a more detailed description of the program. A Course in Exponential Fundraising is a year-long engagement during which I work with 20 visionary leaders from the nonprofit sector who want to both dramatically improve [...]

In four separate meetings over the past week I was in the audience as speakers leaned heavily on PowerPoint presentations. Each presentation consisted of slide after slide of bulleted text copy. They used this copy as a talking point guide. One presenter just stood and read each slide as if the audience was either blind or illiterate. [...]

Celebration builds community. I don’t mean just celebrating the end of a campaign or a transformational gift.  I’m talking about frequent celebrations with your whole team – your board, your philanthropic partners, your colleagues. Celebrations are a way for members of your community to come together to honor what you’ve done and where you are [...]

Recently, an Executive Director asked me if he should bring his Chief Development Officer, an accomplished, seasoned fundraiser, with him on first visits with new prospective partners or wait until he’s established a relationship first and then introduce her. He said he sees the pros and cons to both approaches. My answer, while perhaps not [...]

Here’s a brief excerpt from a series of recommendations I made during a recent consulting assignment.  It applies to many organizations: The Board must be engaged in fundraising to leverage the many resources – not just financial – they can bring to the organization. Reinforce to them that being a Board member is a serious [...]

Here’s a way to bring an instant and unlimited reserve of passion to your projects. At a recent Jeffersonian-style dinner, this simple question was posed to our group:  share a story of a teacher who impacted your life.  The common thread among the stories was that all great teachers bring an unwaivering passion to whatever they are [...]

The dates are set for the next Exponential Fundraising workshop:  May 5 and 6 in New York City. Since they are highly interactive and aimed at ensuring a rich and stimulating exchange of ideas among a diverse group of peers, only a small number of spaces are available (no more than 15 participants).  To contact [...]

This was my first post. It remains one of my favorite messages to share. At his TED talk this year, David Brooks said over 90% of what we hear doesn’t come through words. Yet another reason why that whole ‘behind a desk’ just doesn’t work. My first job out of college, 23 years ago, was [...]