Nonprofit411

06/04/2026

If your fundraising feels inconsistent, it may not be effort.
It may be the journey.

And the journey is fixable.

Over the past several weeks, we've walked through the full arc:

Awareness → Connection → First Gift → Trust → Commitment → Partnership → Legacy

Each stage matters.

But what matters more is what happens between them.

That's where relationships are built or quietly lost.

Most donor attrition isn't dramatic.

It's gradual. It's silent. It's the result of a journey that wasn't clearly supported.

The goal isn't to do everything at once.

It's to understand which stage needs the most attention right now — and build from there.

Steady progress, over time, is what creates sustainable fundraising.

Not more effort. Not more campaigns.

A clearer, more supported journey.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗴𝗮𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄?

Most fundraising challenges aren't about effort — they're about gaps in the system. In my $299 strategy session, we evaluate key areas like your donor journey, stewardship, and consistency so you can clearly see what's working — and identify your next best steps:

𝘩𝘵𝘵𝘱𝘴://𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵.𝘯𝘰𝘯𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘪𝘵411.𝘰𝘳𝘨/𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥-𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘺-𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯

06/01/2026

Legacy giving starts earlier than most nonprofits think.
It doesn't begin with a planned giving conversation.
It begins with trust built over years.

Donors who consider leaving a legacy gift are almost always donors who have felt:
— Consistently connected to the mission
— Genuinely valued — not just thanked when a gift arrives
— Part of something larger than a transaction

Legacy isn't a separate strategy that lives at the end of a fundraising plan.

It's the outcome of a donor journey that was supported from the beginning.

The organizations that see legacy gifts most naturally are the ones that have invested in relationships over time — not campaigns.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿?

If you want clarity on how your current approach supports long-term giving, I offer a $299 strategy session where we evaluate key elements of your system and identify your next steps: 𝘩𝘵𝘵𝘱𝘴://𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵.𝘯𝘰𝘯𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘪𝘵411.𝘰𝘳𝘨/𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥-𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘺-𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯

05/29/2026

Nobody grows up saying they want to be a development officer.

We literally laughed about that today.

But then she said something that made me so excited, because she really gets it.

She told me she'd been an art and theater teacher for sixteen years. And at some point — she figured out what a year needed to look like. After that, she wasn't starting from scratch every fall. She was just refining. Maybe a new script here. A little update there. And then she was ready.

I said — that is EXACTLY what happens when a nonprofit finally gets its fundraising systems in place.

You build it once. Then you refine it. You're not recreating every year. You're not running on memory and hope. You're just... improving what already works, testing tweaks or new things, and building new things to add to it.

That's the shift I want every small team to experience.

I've been making so many calls this week and honestly — it's been the best. Getting to hear where people are, what they're carrying, what they actually need. This conversation is the one I'm still smiling about.

Are you still building your system — or are you in the refining stage?

05/20/2026

This is SO true!!

Vacillating on the details does not make progress because it actually delays movement.

What have you been delaying that you should make a move on today?

I'm making my phone calls this afternoon.

Drafts don't make progress.

05/20/2026

Major donors aren't found.
They're developed.
This is one of the most misunderstood parts of major gift fundraising.

Organizations spend significant energy searching for major donors — when the donors most likely to give at a deeper level are often already in their community.

They've been giving at smaller levels for years.

They care about the mission.

But no one has walked alongside them through a journey that deepened the relationship.

Major giving is the outcome of a well-supported donor journey — not the result of a single ask.

Awareness. Connection. Trust. Engagement. Invitation.

Each stage matters.

When the journey is supported, deeper giving becomes possible.

When it's skipped, major gift conversations feel transactional — even when they're not intended to be.

𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 — 𝗶𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱?

If you're thinking about long-term sustainability but aren't sure what to prioritize, I offer a $299 strategy session where we evaluate your fundraising systems and identify clear, manageable next steps:

𝘩𝘵𝘵𝘱𝘴://𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵.𝘯𝘰𝘯𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘪𝘵411.𝘰𝘳𝘨/𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥-𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘺-𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯

05/15/2026

𝗔 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗿𝗵𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗺 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻.
𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗶𝘁.
𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘁𝘆.

1. A timely thank-you — within 48 hours of a gift
2. A meaningful impact update — within 60 days
3. A connection-focused message — that doesn't ask for anything

Most donor relationships don't end because of a big mistake.

They end because of small, repeated silences.

Three touchpoints won't solve every retention challenge.

But they create a rhythm donors can feel.

And rhythm is what turns a one-time gift into a long-term relationship.

𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄?

05/13/2026

Spent my day with 221+ non-profit professional at the Nonprofits LEAD Capacity Building conference.

Dr. Michelle Foster talked about how nonprofits need to embrace their role as a vital part of our communities in the opening speech, encouraging them to know their numbers, own their stories and serve their people well. She

There were amazing presenters and organizations present. I always love spending time with people from my region.

Thank you Marietta College and all the sponsors for today's event. It is such a blessing to our nonprofit community.

05/13/2026

𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗧𝗢𝗢𝗗𝗟𝗘 𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲?

We’re quick to notice problems, gaps, and what still needs fixed. AND there are so many people doing thoughtful, meaningful work every single day that rarely gets recognized.

That’s why I want to introduce more people to the idea of TOODLING.

Toodling is the opposite of tattling.

Instead of pointing out what someone is doing wrong, toodling means intentionally noticing and sharing what someone is doing RIGHT.

It’s encouragement.
It’s appreciation.
It’s recognition.

It’s saying:
“I saw something good, and I wanted someone to know.” 💛

So today, I’d love for us to create a ripple effect of encouragement for nonprofit professionals.

TOODLE on someone in the comments.

Tell us:
• Who they are
• What they do well
• Something you appreciate about them

Let’s celebrate the people quietly serving communities, supporting teams, solving problems, building relationships, and showing up even when the work feels hard.

Who’s a nonprofit professional you appreciate and why?

(Reel explaining “toodling” linked in the first comment.)

05/12/2026

There are five donor conversations most nonprofit professionals quietly avoid.

Not because they don't care.

Because no one ever gave them the words.

The discovery conversation.
The first ask.
The upgrade.
The lapsed donor reconnect.
And coaching your board to ask with confidence.

These are the moments that determine whether fundraising grows — or stalls.

So I built something around exactly those five.

The Donor Conversation Starter Kit. Five ready-to-use scripts for the conversations that matter most.

It's free when you join the Nonprofit411 newsletter.

Link in the comments.

𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄?

05/11/2026

I love nonprofits.

They aren't just a business sector - they are a force of love and care.

When I look around my community and see something beautiful — children playing at afterschool programs, a family supported through something hard, a neighborhood playground and place to gather — there is almost always a nonprofit behind it.

That's not an accident. People decided these things were their mission and that it was worth showing up for, over and over again.

I just want to help them keep going.

My background is fundraising. And what I've seen, again and again, is that the struggle isn't the mission.

The mission is clear.

The struggle is that fundraising was never set up as a system — something the whole team could follow, sustain, and build on together.

So that's what I work on.

Not because there's a transaction in it.

Because when nonprofits have the systems to sustain their work, the beautiful things keep happening.

That's enough for me.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝗻𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄?