Just Ask - Rethinking Development

Are mailed appeals effective?

Greg takes Bryan on journey through his daily fundraising mail. He shares insights into the world of mailed appeals from the person who matters most: the donor!

Greg explains the history behind the term “development.”

Understanding the history makes all the difference in how you approach your work.

Instead of answering more frequently asked questions, Greg flips the script and shares some Frequently Stated Assumptions about fundraising.

These are assumptions people who are not fundraisers make about fundraising, and they are notoriously untrue. Greg even shares his #1 false assumption.

Bryan and Greg continue their answers for the Frequently Asked Fundraising Questions. Find out:

- how many appeals are too many appeals?

- did we hire the right fundraiser?

- what excuses can a fundraiser never make?

- are we ready for a capital campaign?

This is part 2 of a 2 part series.

Bryan and Greg discuss and answer some of the Frequently Asked Fundraising Questions they receive. Today you’ll find the answers to:

• ​Why won’t donors return my calls?
• ​How many times should I call for an appointment?
• ​How much should I ask for?
• ​What’s the deciding factors in setting the ask amount?

This is part one of a two part series.

Did I ask for too much?

Fundraisers often grapple with after this thought after presenting proposal. But is there merit to this line of thinking? Can you really ask for too much?

Listen as Bryan and Greg discuss how to be confident in the ask you put before a donor.

In this episode you’ll discover:

- why its difficult to ask for too much

- how people tend to think in their own league

- the questions you should be asking donors to uncover the right number to ask for

Bryan discusses his recent experience making it to the Semi-finals of the World Championship of Public Speaking hosted by Toastmasters International.

Fresh off this experience, Bryan shares with Greg why public speaking can be an invaluable skill for any fundraiser to develop.

Can a school or non-profit leader really lead successfully and yet be ignorant of fundraising?

Isn’t there someone else we can hire to do the fundraising?

These are the questions Bryan and Greg tackle in today episode about the relationship between leadership and fundraising.

Greg and Bryan answer a question from a listener:

How do you go about finding your first donors? Put another way, how do you build a donor base when you work at a new nonprofit or school?

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Is having an event a good idea to start
• ​Why you should set big goals
• ​How to involve volunteers in the process

New episodes coming in September!

[Original release June 2022]

One of the most terrifying terms in development is the “cold call”. How can you take the “cold” out of the critical discovery call in relationships. There can be no relationship or support for your cause without making the discovery call. Today, Bryan breaks down the steps to master this skill and get more appointments.