By Andrew Olsen, CFRE It’s October and that means we have officially kicked off our Q4/year-end fundraising period where most nonprofits generate as much as 50% (or more) of their total annual operating revenue. Are you prepared for success this quarter? Here’s a quick list of 10 action steps you can take right now to…
Creating Value Through Strategy, with Ben Stroup
June 26th, 2019
Play Podcast In this episode we talk with our good friend Ben Stroup, Director of Strategic Development at Christian Broadcasting Network. Ben shares with us about the importance of embracing data and analysis, how CBN bested industry fundraising trends in 2018, and what it takes to innovate and drive change in a large and established nonprofit organization. There’s a…
Stop putting it off: 8 Steps to Planning your Budget with Confidence
June 11th, 2019
Do you feel it? That sweaty yet chilling sharpness in the air. Your head feels a little woozy. You feel a knot in your stomach. You wonder if it’s allergies. What is it? It’s budget season! If your fiscal year ends in June or even September, you are in the midst of that budgeting time…
5 Biggest Mistakes Nonprofits Make & How You Can Avoid Them
March 20th, 2019
By Andrew Olsen, CFRE In my upcoming book, The 101 Biggest Mistakes Nonprofits Make and How You Can Avoid Them, I brought together 25 industry veterans with more than 300 years of experience in leadership, strategy, program development and execution, marketing, and philanthropy to share the 101 biggest mistakes we make in our sector. And…
An interview with Andrew Olsen
March 7th, 2019
Newport One’s Andrew Olsen is interviewed for MarketSmart’s bi-weekly podcast “How I Built My Fundraising Consultancy.” To listen to this interview: click here for Episode 24. Andrew Olsen is Senior Vice President at Newport One, a direct response fundraising agency headquartered in Duxbury, MA. Prior he was an independent fundraising consultant and is the author…
Securing Federal Grants: Interview With Mark McIntyre
February 28th, 2019
Play Podcast (Ep 4) Our guest on this episode is Mark McIntyre, Principal and Co-Founder of Merchant McIntyre Associates, the nation’s leading federal government relations firm serving nonprofit organizations. In our conversation with Mark, he shares a specific, proven methodology for engaging with and securing significant grant support from the federal government. Prior to co-founding…
What Nonprofits Can Learn From Political Fundraising: Interview With Collin Ward
February 21st, 2019
Play Podcast (Ep 3) In this episode of the Rainmaker Fundraising Podcast Roy Jones and I interview Collin Ward, SVP at Newport ONE, and former Director of Integrated Marketing at Women for Women, and the Democratic National Committee. Collin shares with us the importance of being data conversant, how to convince your leadership to invest…
Master the 4 Signals For Major Gift Success With Dan Shephard, The Frontline Fundraiser
February 14th, 2019
Play Podcast (Ep 2) In this episode we’re thrilled to have the opportunity to interview Dan Shephard, The Frontline Fundraiser. Dan has decades of experience building relationships with donors, asking the questions that deeply engage donors in the philanthropic process, and now training fundraisers on how to effectively raise major gifts. We’ll hear Dan share…
Learn The Secrets of Becoming a Fundraising Rainmaker With Roy Jones, CFRE
February 1st, 2019
Play Podcast (Ep 1) In this first episode of the Rainmaker Fundraising Podcast I get the chance to interview my good friend, Roy Jones, CFRE. Roy is Vice President of Development at Mercy Ships, co-author of Rainmaking: The Fundraiser’s Guide to Landing Big Gifts, and co-host of the Rainmaker Fundraising Podcast. In this episode you’ll…
Stop measuring donor retention if you’re not going to invest in it
October 15th, 2018
I have seen it in countless organizations. They measure retention annually, fret about it when they see it dip, and then… nothing. No change in strategy, no investment in research, and no investment in a defined retention strategy. If a change in strategy is made, it is usually to increase acquisition investments and/or increase solicitation…