April 12, 2018 / by Guest Author / Fundraising, iWave Blog / 0 comments
by Eric F. Rolfson, President, The Rolfson Group, Inc. It Ain’t About the Money When engaging prospective donors for annual, capital, or comprehensive campaigns, successful fundraisers seek short- and long-term investments in the future of their organizations. Experience shows that donors are rarely motivated by talk about “money” during these preliminary conversations. Instead, they are […]
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Working Together: Simple Ways to Align Your Team’s iWave Activity
August 9, 2018 / by Ryan McCarvill / Fundraising, iWave Blog, Prospect Research / 0 comments
You know the old saying: Many hands make light work. Due to a variety of factors, many prospect development teams are small, ranging from 1-10 people. Someone responsible for prospect research may also wear a variety of other hats, from volunteer coordinator to executive director. On the flip side, there is also a danger in […]
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Prospect Ratings: The Pillars of Fundraising Intelligence
July 26, 2018 / by Ryan McCarvill / Fundraising, iWave Blog, Major Gifts, Prospect Ratings, Prospect Research / 0 comments
At any one time, your nonprofit’s development office might be creating profiles for hundreds or thousands of past, present, and potential major gift donors. And with each profile involving scores of data points, notes, and summaries, it’s easy to suffer from information overload. But what if there was a way to boil all that fundraising […]
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4 Things Fundraising Events Generate (Besides Money)
July 19, 2018 / by Guest Author / Fundraising, iWave Blog, Major Gifts / 0 comments
by Summy Lau, Winspire The #1 goal of fundraising events – think fundraising galas, dinners, benefit concerts, golf tournaments, charity auctions and more – is to raise money. However, they also have significant fringe benefits that lead to more support down the line. In this post, we will look at four benefits of fundraisers besides much-needed […]
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What Are Donor Advised Funds and How Can They Help My Organization?
June 7, 2018 / by Ryan McCarvill / Fundraising, iWave Blog, Major Gifts, Prospect Research / 0 comments
Defining donor advised funds According to the IRS, a donor advised fund (DAF) is a separately identified fund or account that is maintained and operated by a section 501(c)(3) organization, called the sponsoring organization. Each DAF account is composed of contributions made by an individual donor. Once the donor makes the contribution, the sponsoring […]
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Stewarding Major Gifts With Your Donor Management Software
May 31, 2018 / by Ryan McCarvill / Fundraising, iWave Blog, Prospect Research / 0 comments
We recently shared tips on the iWave blog about the first steps to take after identifying a potential major gifts prospect. These included tactics for relationship building and strategies for presenting gift options. For the best stewardship results, and to make the best use of the fundraising intelligence you have gathered, your donor management software will […]
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Annual Funds: You Don’t Get What You Don’t Ask For
May 24, 2018 / by Guest Author / Fundraising, iWave Blog, Major Gifts, Prospect Research / 0 comments
Part 3 of The Power of Research series by Mary Richter Background In this three-part series, I am going to highlight the ways in which prospect research informs and guides the work of development fundraising officers. I’ve relied on my research skills to support my work as an annual fund director, campaign director, and advancement […]
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How to Fill a Fundraising Campaign Pipeline
May 17, 2018 / by Guest Author / Fundraising, iWave Blog, Major Gifts, Wealth Screening / 0 comments
Part 2 of The Power of Research series by Mary Richter Background In this three-part series, I am going to highlight the ways in which prospect research informs and guides the work of development fundraising officers. I’ve relied on my research skills to support my work as an annual fund director, campaign director, and advancement […]
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After Identifying a Major Donor Prospect, What Comes Next?
May 3, 2018 / by Guest Author / Fundraising, iWave Blog, Major Gifts, Prospect Research / 0 comments
The following is a guest blog post by Doron Barbalat of Causeview. Fortunately, in this day and age, there are many ways to identify a major donor prospect. Donor intelligence solutions can help us analyze our supporters and suggest the best candidates. Alternatively, donors can self-identify as major gift prospects several ways, through their actions […]
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Talk to Prospective Donors About “Vision” — Not Money!
April 12, 2018 / by Guest Author / Fundraising, iWave Blog / 0 comments
by Eric F. Rolfson, President, The Rolfson Group, Inc. It Ain’t About the Money When engaging prospective donors for annual, capital, or comprehensive campaigns, successful fundraisers seek short- and long-term investments in the future of their organizations. Experience shows that donors are rarely motivated by talk about “money” during these preliminary conversations. Instead, they are […]
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Make the Most of Your Next Major Gift Prospect Meeting
April 5, 2018 / by Ryan McCarvill / Fundraising, iWave Blog, Major Gifts / 0 comments
All fundraising intelligence roads lead to that first meeting with a prospect (or donor, if you are preparing for an annual check-in). Your team has identified a potential donor, researched their philanthropic “fit”, and cultivated the prospect’s interest in your organization. Now it’s time to meet face-to-face. No matter if you’re a rookie or veteran […]
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