How to incorporate competitive analysis into a strategic planning process
Making competitive analysis part of your strategic plan
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Articles
Why good fundraisers are never paid on commission: Advice for start-up fundraising programs
Consequences of paying fundraisers contingent fees.
Communicating effectively
Tips for effective communication and active listening.
Examining the board’s role in fundraising
This article looks at examples of various avenues board members take to secure more donors and funds.
Seven sins of strategic planning
Seven mistakes that, if avoided, can dramatically improve your potential for a successful strategic planning process.
Information Interviews: Put your future donors in the driver’s seat
Conducting an informational interview with potential donors
Policies and procedures for volunteer programs
How to develop policies and procedures for your volunteers.
Strengthening nonprofit organizations from within
These organizations have found a way to provide programs and professional development for their employees.
Good Fundraisers Sometimes Come in Small Packages
This article looks at the increase in fundraising activities by youth and children.
The personal impact of telecommuting and virtual work
Setbacks and solutions to working from home.
What’s the benefit of a mission or vision statement?
Benefits of a mission statement and defining a mission or vision statement.
How the New Rich give
The ‘new rich’ are mix of all different sorts of people in a wide range of fields. However, it is important to remember that each donor is an individual.
Volunteer placement, orientation and training
A guide for putting the right volunteers into the right positions and ensuring a successful orientation.
The program logic model: What, why and how?
How to use a program logic model to help an organization achieve goals.
Methods of screening potential volunteers
Tips for volunteer application forms and interviews.
Using the Direct Approach to Reach Donors
A look at a few Canadian organizations and their direct mail fundraising programs in 2001.
Marketing and recruiting volunteers
A step-by-step process for considering your volunteer recruitment needs and marketing your volunteer positions.
Developing a volunteer program: Initial assessment
A step-by-step process for evaluating your volunteer program.
How the Nonprofit Sector Can Be Heard More Effectively
An overview of an effective approach to organizational communications, from a presentation given by Suzanne Hawkes at the Canadian Centre for Philanthropy’s 2001 Symposium
Would Your Grant Request Approach Make the Grade?
Typical grant presentation scenarios and hints for getter grant presentations.
Run a mile with a column inch: how and why to write letters to the editor
Writing a letter to the editor is an effective and virtually cost-free way to draw attention to issues your organization represents.
Working with virtual teams and telecommuters
How nonprofits can benefit from virtual teams and telecommuting in several ways.
So whose labels are you using?
Personalized address labels can be effective vehicles to bring in new donors. But they’re only cost-effective for large organizations that can buy supplies in bulk, and programs must be closely monitored to ensure their continued effectiveness.
Sector leaders consider how to tell our story
The Canadian Centre for Philanthropy’s (CCP) 7th Annual Symposium had the them of “Telling Our Story: Communicating the value of philanthropy and the voluntary sector.” The events’ speakers focused on two key messages: know your story and tell it.
How to stand out in a crowd: Notes from a former fashion reporter on what big ticket charity events get coverage
Tips to get a charity event news coverage
Organizing a Craft Fair
How to organize, budget and host a craft fair
Working with ten-year gifts
Ten-year gifts to charities are becoming an important tool in charitable fund raising, both for charities and donors. This article explores the legalities of these gifts.
Bequest Income: working effectively with executors
How a good planned giving officer can act as a resource and guide for the executor rather than as an adversary.
“Almost impossible not to make money from these programs”
How a well-planned monthly giving program can solve your financial troubles.
Traditional fundraising structures breaking down
The differences between major gifts and planned gifts and the challenges of combining both into one job description.
Random and forensic audits: Is something wrong?
Audits are seldom a pleasant experience. Nonetheless, random, compliance and forensic audits by regulators are an integral part of public accountability in many sectors, including the charitable and nonprofit sector.
Revenue generation through commercial ventures
Article on The Revenue Generation Through Commercial Ventures framework.
Measure the might of your mail
While telemarketing, direct response television, door-to-door solicitation, planned giving, special events, gaming and gifts via the Internet are important revenue sources, direct mail continues to be the mainstay for most charities.
Are you positioned for fundraising success in the 21st century?
Three major paradigm shifts traced to key overall population changes: increasing longevity and increasing diversity
Confirming How the Gift Will Be Used
The following article is an excerpt from Penelope Burk’s new book "Thanks! A Guide to Donor-Centred Fundraising".
Donors Are People
The following article is an excerpt from Penelope Burk’s new book "Thanks! A Guide to Donor-Centred Fundraising".
Keeping track of what really happened
Event organizers need to do a better job at measuring and reporting the results of programs to their business sponsors.
Who should be involved in the strategic planning process?
Who should be involved in strategic planning and how to involve stakeholders in the process.
So you think you need a consultant
When and why to hire a fundraising consultant
Securing a win-win agreement with the right business partner
There are three key periods in designing effective sponsorship relationships that last well beyond the initial cheque presentation. Here’s a checklist for event organizers covering proven activities that will help secure a win-win agreement with the right business sponsor.
What accounting standards support ethical fundraising?
A list of accounting standards that support ethical fundraising.
The argument against paying development professionals based upon the amount of funds raised
An article arguing against paying development professionals based upon the amount of funds raised.
Motivators and Barriers to Giving by Entrepreneurs in Canada
Researchers Guy Mallabone, Vice-president of Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (Calgary) and Tony Myers, Associate Director of Development at the University of Alberta (Edmonton) conducted this national study as part of their master’s thesis in Philanthropy and Development at Saint Mary’s University in Minnesota.
The role of finance and audit committees
This article looks at finance committees and audit committees and their roles in preventing fraud.
Better investment results a key concern
The most important current investment issue for Canadian foundations is the need to increase investment returns.
Nonprofit fraud: Focus on segregation of duties and good reporting procedure
Opportunity generally arises through an organization’s non-existent or ineffective internal controls. The more checks and balances an organization has the fewer the opportunities for the fraudster to take advantage.
Nonprofit fraud: What are the key indicators?
We probably hear or read about fraudulent activity, on average, at least weekly. The headlines confirm that fraud does occur in NPOs and, in some instances, may have a significant impact on their continued viability.
Improper issuance of charitable receipts
There are many situations in which charitable receipts may be improperly issued. Here is a brief summary of some of the more common instances of the improper issuance of charitable receipts.
Startling Research: Donors want information, not recognition
Throw away those pewter pins and plaques and get out your phone books. New research shows that donors don’t want formal recognition, just information.
Delegation of investment decision-making still an uncertain business
Most Ontario charities are aware – or should be – that they should address the potential for liability arising when their board of directors continues to delegate investment decision making to a discretionary investment fund manager.
