A couple of weeks ago, I posted about a truly terrible proposal of marriage received by Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, and how it is like some

Future Fundraising Now

02.04.2025

Generation Wah: the next game-changer for fundraising - Future Fundraising Now

There's a new generation of powerhouse donors coming onto the scene, and they are going to change everything about fundraising.

Future Fundraising Now

01.04.2025

How to be a Leonardo da Vinci fundraiser - Future Fundraising Now

I just read a wonderful book: Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson.

Future Fundraising Now

27.03.2025

My most common first-draft mistakes - Future Fundraising Now

I’ve recently been through a stretch where I wrote more fundraising copy at a faster clip than usual. I started to notice some patterns in my first drafts.

Future Fundraising Now

26.03.2025

3 ways to beat the Curse of Knowledge that’s shackling your fundraising - Future Fundraising Now

One of the main reasons fundraising is hard is the Curse of Knowledge: You know al lot more about your cause and your organization than your donors. And that

Future Fundraising Now

21.03.2025

Are you raising funds like Mr. Collins of Pride and Prejudice? - Future Fundraising Now

If you've read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, you probably enjoy the character Mr. Collins. He's a well-meaning but seriously awkward clergyman who shows

Future Fundraising Now

20.03.2025

7 ways to create a high-performing reply device - Future Fundraising Now

In direct mail, the reply device is the most active ingredient. If it isn’t working, you’re in trouble! Here are some things you can do to make sure a reply

Future Fundraising Now

19.03.2025

5 easy ways to get more monthly donors - Future Fundraising Now

Monthly donors are a big deal for fundraisers. They are many times more valuable than “episodic” donors: They give 12 times a year, instead of the usual 1-3.

Future Fundraising Now

14.03.2025

Do you have enough wild ideas? - Future Fundraising Now

I had a wild idea.

Future Fundraising Now

13.03.2025

7 crummy sentence structures that weaken your fundraising - Future Fundraising Now

Good fundraising writing starts with good sentences. And they can be hard to write, because most of us have bad habits in our writing that needlessly weaken

Future Fundraising Now

12.03.2025

Don’t let AI take this gift away from you - Future Fundraising Now

Back when I was an English teacher, students “cheating” on their writing assignments was one of the things we worried about. What is “cheating”? It’s getting

Future Fundraising Now

07.03.2025

Aim high when you talk to donors about how much they care - Future Fundraising Now

I was talking to a fundraiser for a medical charity about how they talk to their donors.

Future Fundraising Now

06.03.2025

Peter Elbow: taught so many of us the way to write well - Future Fundraising Now

Someone passed last month who may have had a big impact on you, though you most likely haven’t heard of him.

Future Fundraising Now

05.03.2025

Fundraising rules for National Grammar Day - Future Fundraising Now

Today, March 4th, is the only date that's also a command: <I>March forth!</I>

Future Fundraising Now

04.03.2025

10 ways to make sure your donors don't give - Future Fundraising Now

Fundraising is all about a call to action. You want the donor to do something -- usually make a donation that makes something good happen.

Future Fundraising Now

27.02.2025

[BOOK REVIEW] Truly great fundraising needs a great organization … here’s how to create that - Future Fundraising Now

Great Fundraising Organizations: Why and How the World’s Best Charities Excel at Raising Money by Alan Clayton

Future Fundraising Now

26.02.2025

8 universal truths that can make your writing easier - Future Fundraising Now

As they endlessly say in meetings, “It is what it is.”

Future Fundraising Now

21.02.2025

How many appeals should you send? [PODCAST] - Future Fundraising Now

How much fundraising is too much? How much is too little? There’s no single right answer to these questions, but we can help you move toward what’s best for

Future Fundraising Now

20.02.2025

Should big donors get better thanking? - Future Fundraising Now

Every once in a while, I’ve been asked to write a “special” version of a donor thank you letter for “major donors.”

Future Fundraising Now

19.02.2025

Tell the story that’s relevant to donors [BOOK REVIEW] - Future Fundraising Now

Building a Story Brand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen by Donald Miller

Future Fundraising Now

19.02.2025

5 powerful ways to keep your donors with you - Future Fundraising Now

Keep your donors!

Future Fundraising Now

19.02.2025

What you can do about the chaotic federal funds situation - Future Fundraising Now

About the pause/cancellation/unpause of US federal loans, grants, and financial assistance programs: What a scary mess.

Future Fundraising Now

19.02.2025

9 reasons your nonprofit newsletter doesn’t raise money - Future Fundraising Now

Effective donor newsletters raise net revenue.

Future Fundraising Now

19.02.2025

Why you think that terrible AI-written fundraising appeal is great - Future Fundraising Now

An organization I worked with was decided to add a direct-mail appeal to their line-up. As is often the case in that situation, we had no data as to what the

Future Fundraising Now

19.02.2025

8 steps to success for fundraisers - Future Fundraising Now

From the Better Fundraising Blog, here are eight foundations (plus my comments) for success in fundraising:

Future Fundraising Now

19.02.2025

4 things your donors wish you knew about donor love - Future Fundraising Now

Donor love can transform your fundraising. And your fundraising career.

Future Fundraising Now

31.01.2025

The triumph of the weird in fundraising - Future Fundraising Now

I’ve received this piece of mail at least twice.

Future Fundraising Now

29.01.2025

207 ways to write better fundraising [BOOK REVIEW] - Future Fundraising Now

Very Good Copy: 207 Micro-Lessons on Thinking and Writing Like a Copywriter by Eddie Shleyner

Future Fundraising Now

24.01.2025

Here’s what unsuccessful fundraising looks like - Future Fundraising Now

This is a detail from that famous lithograph by M. C. Escher, Relativity.

Future Fundraising Now

23.01.2025

The fundraising consultant you should never hire - Future Fundraising Now

Consultants are good for nonprofits. (You can trust me for unbiased opinion on consultants; I am one.)

Future Fundraising Now

22.01.2025

7 amazing ways your fundraising helps your donors - Future Fundraising Now

The most needless, pointless, counterproductive thing that fundraisers stress about: We’re talking to our donors too much!

Future Fundraising Now

21.01.2025

Are you ready to become a better fundraising writer? [BOOK REVIEW] - Future Fundraising Now

Everybody Writes: Your New and Improved Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content (2nd Edition) by Ann Handley

Future Fundraising Now

17.01.2025

6 ways to excite donors to open your emails - Future Fundraising Now

What really makes email fundraising a heavy lift is how hard it is to get peoples’ attention. Your message is just a subject line in a long list of subject

Future Fundraising Now

16.01.2025

What’s hiding in your fundraising details? - Future Fundraising Now

You know the saying, The devil is in the details. It’s a helpful reminder how “little” things can really trip you up. Like a ZIP barcode in your direct mail

Future Fundraising Now

15.01.2025

My go-to fundraising blogs for 2025 - Future Fundraising Now

There are many other good fundraising blogs. I follow more than 100 of them, most of them also good.

Future Fundraising Now

10.01.2025

What’s wrong with the donor pyramid? - Future Fundraising Now

This used to be considered a powerfully illustrative picture of a typical donor file:

Future Fundraising Now

09.01.2025

[BOOK REVIEW] Classic fundraising book is back, this time with even more - Future Fundraising Now

Relationship Fundraising: A Donor-Based Approach to the Business of Raising Money (3rd Edition) by Ken Burnett

home›Future Fundraising Now›Startups

Future Fundraising Now - Startups

Are you raising funds like Mr. Darcy of Pride and Prejudice? - Future Fundraising Now

Generation Wah: the next game-changer for fundraising - Future Fundraising Now

Top 5 blog posts of the month - Future Fundraising Now

How to be a Leonardo da Vinci fundraiser - Future Fundraising Now

My most common first-draft mistakes - Future Fundraising Now

3 ways to beat the Curse of Knowledge that’s shackling your fundraising - Future Fundraising Now

Are you raising funds like Mr. Collins of Pride and Prejudice? - Future Fundraising Now

7 ways to create a high-performing reply device - Future Fundraising Now

5 easy ways to get more monthly donors - Future Fundraising Now

Do you have enough wild ideas? - Future Fundraising Now

7 crummy sentence structures that weaken your fundraising - Future Fundraising Now

Don’t let AI take this gift away from you - Future Fundraising Now

Aim high when you talk to donors about how much they care - Future Fundraising Now

Peter Elbow: taught so many of us the way to write well - Future Fundraising Now

Fundraising rules for National Grammar Day - Future Fundraising Now

Top 5 blog posts of the month - Future Fundraising Now

10 ways to make sure your donors don't give - Future Fundraising Now

[BOOK REVIEW] Truly great fundraising needs a great organization … here’s how to create that - Future Fundraising Now

8 universal truths that can make your writing easier - Future Fundraising Now

How many appeals should you send? [PODCAST] - Future Fundraising Now

Should big donors get better thanking? - Future Fundraising Now

Tell the story that’s relevant to donors [BOOK REVIEW] - Future Fundraising Now

5 powerful ways to keep your donors with you - Future Fundraising Now

What you can do about the chaotic federal funds situation - Future Fundraising Now

9 reasons your nonprofit newsletter doesn’t raise money - Future Fundraising Now

Why you think that terrible AI-written fundraising appeal is great - Future Fundraising Now

8 steps to success for fundraisers - Future Fundraising Now

4 things your donors wish you knew about donor love - Future Fundraising Now

Top 5 blog posts of the month - Future Fundraising Now

The triumph of the weird in fundraising - Future Fundraising Now

207 ways to write better fundraising [BOOK REVIEW] - Future Fundraising Now

Here’s what unsuccessful fundraising looks like - Future Fundraising Now

The fundraising consultant you should never hire - Future Fundraising Now

7 amazing ways your fundraising helps your donors - Future Fundraising Now

Are you ready to become a better fundraising writer? [BOOK REVIEW] - Future Fundraising Now

6 ways to excite donors to open your emails - Future Fundraising Now

What’s hiding in your fundraising details? - Future Fundraising Now

My go-to fundraising blogs for 2025 - Future Fundraising Now

What’s wrong with the donor pyramid? - Future Fundraising Now

[BOOK REVIEW] Classic fundraising book is back, this time with even more - Future Fundraising Now

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