Storytelling is more than just a great way to connect donors and funders to your nonprofit’s mission; it’s something deeply human to share through story. Storytelling is a great way to help people understand what the issues are and how your organization will be addressing them.  But only if you are willing to listen and listen deeply.  In April, The Communications Network, an association of…

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When it comes down to it, our job as fundraisers, marketers, and grant professionals is to share the stories of our organization, the people we assist, and the communities we serve. Donors and funders read our grant proposals, emails, newsletters, websites, annual reports, letters, and other marketing materials. Based on our words, they decide whether to fund us or not. In episode 4 of this…

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We’re all just walking each other home— Rumi   (Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmi)   For most nonprofit and local government workers, there’s a “normal” stress level. Raising funds against growing needs, and often decreasing sources of revenues. Then comes family life–young children, older parents, loneliness, or too much togetherness.  Now we all share additional layers of stress from the COVID-19 pandemic,  the growing recession, the…

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Some people are drawn to true crime shows and podcasts. Others find solace in Animal Crossing or Candy Crush. Believe me, I am not judging. I self-medicate by watching reruns of the Great British Baking Show, and PBS’s Poirot and Miss Marple mysteries.   There’s something else that always catches my attention and that of my Fundraising HayDay co-host Amanda Day. Stories of grant fraud. …

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A Lesson for Nonprofits: The Rise and Fall of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos   If you have listened to enough episodes of the Fundraising HayDay podcast, you’ll know my cohost Kimberly and I are fascinated by grant fraud. Don’t get me wrong. We hate that it ever happens. It is more like we are floored by the things that individuals and organizations try to get…

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When my Fundraising HayDay cohost, Kimberly Hays de Muga, and I discussed how to best wrap up season two of the podcast, we knew it had to celebrate the great experiences it brought us. When we were planning and recording these past 15 episodes, we never would have guessed this final episode of season two would drop right as the Covid-19 coronavirus raged through the…

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American Pie, that iconic (and oh so crude) film from my youth has a classic line most folks from my generation still giggle over. When a friend utters “this one time, at band camp” you know a ridiculous, over the top story is about to follow. And while there isn’t a “grant camp”, I think anyone responsible for managing grant funding for more than half…

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