Apollo Advancement

Apollo Advancement I help arts, education and community non-profits raise more money for their missions.

A board member asked me recently, with real surprise, why I like fundraising. He couldn't fathom why anybody would choos...
06/23/2026

A board member asked me recently, with real surprise, why I like fundraising. He couldn't fathom why anybody would choose a career in fundraising. Here’s what I told him.

A board member asked me recently, with real surprise, why I like fundraising. Here’s what I told him. The Daily Oracle: one short pronouncement on fundraising

The best fundraisers don’t pretend to care about their donors. They actually do.
06/22/2026

The best fundraisers don’t pretend to care about their donors. They actually do.

The best fundraisers don’t pretend to care about their donors. They actually do. And that changes what you do when life gets hard.

Back to the basics, folks.
06/15/2026

Back to the basics, folks.

One is issued by a system. The other comes from a human being. Donors can tell the difference. The Daily Oracle: one short pronouncement on fundraising, every

Every donor on your file is silently asking one question. Most organizations never answer it.
06/10/2026

Every donor on your file is silently asking one question. Most organizations never answer it.

Did it matter? Answer it before they stop asking. The Daily Oracle: one short pronouncement on fundraising, every weekday morning, from Apollo Advancement.

You will want to send an email instead. DON'T.
06/09/2026

You will want to send an email instead. DON'T.

Not to ask. Just because. Do it. No, really. Do it. The Daily Oracle: one short pronouncement on fundraising, every weekday morning, from Apollo Advancement.

If your non-profit isn't doing this, you're basically CHOOSING not to raise more money. That's how strong the evidence i...
06/08/2026

If your non-profit isn't doing this, you're basically CHOOSING not to raise more money. That's how strong the evidence is.

So, your call. No pun intended.

In Penelope Burk’s famous test, a thank-you call moved the next gift up 39 percent. Your move. The Daily Oracle: one short pronouncement on fundraising, every

Hint: It's not a fridge magnet.
06/05/2026

Hint: It's not a fridge magnet.

Penelope Burk asked thousands of donors what would make them give again. Their answer costs nothing. The Daily Oracle: one short pronouncement on fundraising,

This might seem bleedingly obvious. It's not. It's where a huge amount of fundraising goes wrong.
06/04/2026

This might seem bleedingly obvious. It's not. It's where a huge amount of fundraising goes wrong.

Not prospects. Not records. Not revenue streams. Human beings.

I've launched something new: The Daily Oracle.Every weekday morning, one short, provocative, perplexing, challenging fun...
06/04/2026

I've launched something new: The Daily Oracle.

Every weekday morning, one short, provocative, perplexing, challenging fundraising truth. Two minutes to read with your coffee, and built to change how you think about donors, asking, and what your organization believes is possible.

This week is all about the basics nobody actually does: thanking donors like humans, telling them what their gift accomplished, and (yes) picking up the bloody phone.

It's free, forever. Read it (and subscribe) here:

The Daily Oracle: daily counsel on the ancient art of asking. One brief fundraising pronouncement each morning for nonprofit leaders, from Apollo Advancement.

Most nonprofits I work with don't have a commitment or effort problem. They have a *clarity* problem.They know they coul...
04/23/2026

Most nonprofits I work with don't have a commitment or effort problem. They have a *clarity* problem.

They know they could be raising more. They suspect there's untapped potential in their donor base. But they're not sure where to start, so they default to what they know...and revenue stays flat.

A fundraising AUDIT cuts through the guesswork. I review your donor data, interview your leadership, survey your board, assess your communications, and benchmark everything against sector standards. Then I tell you what's actually going on, and what to do about it.

Seven areas. Every finding grounded in your actual data, your actual donors, your actual capacity.

The fundraising STRATEGIC PLAN is a written twelve-month plan with prioritized recommendations, a phased implementation roadmap, revenue projections, and specific guidance on what to do first, second, and third.

If your fundraising revenue has plateaued, if your board keeps asking the same questions year after year, or if you're preparing for a campaign and need to know what you're building on, this is the place to start.

Details and pricing:

Not sure what's working in your fundraising program? A fundraising audit examines your donor data, board engagement, communications, and more, then gives you a plan your team can follow.

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Kawartha Lakes, ON

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