Some Irrefutable Fundraising Verities

Some Irrefutable Fundraising Verities that Will Help You Get Through the Next Fiscal Period.

1. Every direct mail person has a scheme that will not work.
2. If a market research project is not worth doing at all, it is not worth doing well.
3. When you work with a top probable donor, remember that whoever has the gold makes the rules.
4. When it comes to staff, negative expectations yield negative results. Positive expectations yield negative results.
5. If there is a problem in your data processing system, it’s like opening a can of worms— the only way to re-can them is to use a larger can.
6. When the boss asks you a direct question and you find you are in doubt, mumble.
7. Regarding Special Events, the first ninety percent of the effort takes ninety percent of the time. The last ten percent takes another ninety percent.
8. If you have an implausible annual financial objective, and a Development Chair who is unreasonable, and a CEO who doesn’t understand fundraising, remember the age-old dictum: To heck with the cheese, get out of the trap.
9. When the chairman of your board says: “Don’t worry about what the other board members are saying about you”— worry a lot about it!