Core Service Archives

By Larry Raff In _CRI Blog Post, Core Service, Insights Posted September 23, 2021 0 Comments

We are experiencing a “mosh pit” of nonprofits trying to get our attention, to stand out from the pit in the hope to attract more contributions. When I am bombarded with advertising, cause promotions, direct mail appeals, email appeals and other creative efforts by a vast array of causes, I conjure an image of thousands of people in a crowd carrying the celebrity of the moment over their heads until they disappear back into the crowd – to be followed by another. The moment is fleeting.

Why NOT to Ask for a Gift — NOT

By Larry Raff In _CRI Blog Post, Core Service, Planning & Strategy Posted August 21, 2020 0 Comments

I have consulted with well over 200 organizations in my career. This experience has put me in a position to share some of the “greatest hits” of why organizations do not ask a donor or prospective donor to make a gift. Allow me to share both their arguments against and my arguments for asking a […]

Coaching is More Valuable Than Ever as We Change the Advancement Paradigm

By Larry Raff In _CRI Blog Post, Core Service, Leadership & Management Posted May 21, 2020 0 Comments

Every serious athlete has a coach. Every successful executive has or has had a coach. Every successful fundraiser has or has had a coach. Why?

Donor Portfolio Definition – Little Consistency But Important to Get Right

By Larry Raff In _CRI Blog Post, Core Service, Major Gifts Posted April 30, 2019 1 Comment

It has become clear to me after working with many dozens of organizations and training on building major donor portfolios, that the word “portfolio” means many different things to advancement professionals. I will try and capture the range of definitions being applied in the field.

Alexa – A Little Known Tool for Advancement

By Larry Raff In _CRI Blog Post, Core Service, Insights Posted August 29, 2018 0 Comments

I want to share a tool with you that very few people I speak with have heard of. Alexa.com is owned by Amazon and ranks website traffic domestically and internationally.

Beware of the Feeble Feasibility Study

By Larry Raff In _CRI Blog Post, Core Service, Planning & Strategy Posted December 11, 2016 3 Comments

Not all feasibility studies are created equal. Over the years I have reviewed feasibility studies done by other consultants so I could prepare a proposal or assume the role of counsel for a prescribed campaign goal. Too often, the studies did not address the issues that are key to campaign success, or were unable to […]

Sound Management Trumps Organizational Design

By Larry Raff In _CRI Blog Post, Core Service, Leadership & Management Posted September 15, 2016 0 Comments

This is not a sexy topic, but it addresses a central and often minimized issue facing many advancement operations and nonprofit organizations. After many years of working with an array of organizations it is clear to me that, all things being equal, you can have the most rational and defendable organization design and yet not […]

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