We're now on Day 5 of the 12 Days of Christmas and the fifth skill in our countdown of what fundraisers need for fundraising in the new year. So far, we've covered: 1) Curiosity 2) Grounded Confidence 3) Discernment (wow, that one really resonated!) 4) Data & Tech Literacy And that brings us to #5 - sing it with me now - FIVE GOLDEN R . . er, I mean, "SYSTEMS THI-I-INK-ING" . . . ok, so it doesn't scan exactly right, but you get it and you're welcome for the earworm. Brief

In the immortal words of Inigo Montoya, "Let me explain. No, there is too much, let me sum up." We're on Day 4 of the 12 Days of Skills fundraisers need for the new year. Rather than projections of what might be or could be, we're focusing on what fundraisers can do and can control to face the challen . . .er, opportunities of the new year. So far we've covered: Curiosity Grounded Confidence Discernment Today we move into everybody's favorite: Data and Tech Literacy. Nothi

The Problem Isn’t a Lack of Advice Fundraising doesn't suffer from a lack of advice. We're drowning in it. "You should be doing more digital." "You should stop doing mail." "You should shorten your letters." "You should personalize everything." "You should follow this expert, adopt that framework, use this tool, ignore that one." If you work in fundraising long enough, you eventually develop what I call the should-heads — that crowded mental space where every confident voice

This is part two of a series highlighting the 12 skills fundraisers need to cultivate in the new year and for what the nonprofit sector and profession of fundraising will ask of us. And what our communities need from us. ----------------------- Curiosity opens the door, but curiosity alone doesn’t carry you very far: sooner or later, you have to decide. You have to choose a direction.You have to recommend a plan.You have to say “yes” to some things and “no” to others.You

Not to be liturgically pedantic or potentially pretentious (but definitely alliterative) - the oft-cited 12 Days of Christmas actually start today, December 25. They start on Christmas Day and run through the Feast of the Epiphany in early January. For those in the Western tradition. In the Eastern and Orthodox traditions, Epiphany is later in the month. But then so is Christmas. I digress. Of course. This isn't a theology lesson, and no one is here to quiz you on feast

Every year, the same GivingTuesday chatter kicks up: “It's too crowded.” “Everyone is asking at once.” “Our donors get overwhelmed.” “No one sees our message.” “It’s just a feel-good day for small gifts.” "It never works for us"* And every year, I find myself wanting to say: You’re not wrong… but you’re also not asking the right questions. GivingTuesday isn’t successful because of marketing brilliance.It isn’t a threat because of competition. And it isn’t a throwaway because