Fundraising for Beginners

Welcome to Fundraising.

You came to the right place. Let’s explore the basics.

Fundraisers should use pride, not apology, when asking for a gift for a charity that is doing good work.

Henry Rosso

Who is this site for?

YOU CAN BE A FUNDRAISER.

YOU can be a fundraiser!

This site is for anyone with a passion for a cause. Perhaps you’ve just started out in the fundraising profession, or maybe you have been working in development but need to learn more about digital marketing, or even, perhaps, you have a passion for a cause and just want to learn how to help raise more money, if so, this site is for you.

We’ve created this site to teach you the art and science of fundraising. Articles and training videos are categorized and rated by level of experience, beginner, intermediate, and advanced. No matter your starting point, you will be able to learn how to be an excellent fundraiser. Discover great courses that will help you become the fundraiser you want to be.

Natural born fundraiser is a myth. You can learn the skill of fundraising and raise millions of dollars for your favorite cause. I want to show you how.

What skills will you learn?

THE ART AND SCIENCE OF FUNDRAISING.

Fundraising is similar to other industries: there are specific skills you will learn to become a great fundraiser.

From understanding the motivations to why people give to writing fundraising copy that converts, as someone new to fundraising, you’ll need to understand the psychology of the donor and how to present your fundraising campaign. You’ll also need technical skills for managing a donor database, analyzing results, and creating tests to optimize performance.

You will learn how direct mail differs from digital, how to perform direct mail donor acquisition programs and how we’ve adapted those acquisition programs online.

As you progress, you’ll learn different types of donors such as general, continuity, mid-level, major, legacy, corporation, foundation and more. Different types of donors will behave and give differently and understanding how they think will help you craft the perfect fundraising campaigns.

Find fundraising courses that will teach you how to become a world-class fundraiser.

What should I read first?

LEARN SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISING.

A printed newsletter lying on a sofa next to reading glasses and a phone

If You Stopped Sending Your Newsletter, Would Anyone Notice?

If your newsletter quietly stopped arriving, how many donors would notice? Here’s how to turn it from organizational news into a donor impact newsletter one person can produce every quarter.
Hands opening a letter beside a mailbox full of envelopes

Your Gift Receipt May Be the Most-Read Letter You Send

The receipt is the one letter your donors are actually waiting for, and most read like a bank statement. The legal part takes three sentences. The rest of the page is yours to use.
Board members writing thank-you cards together around a table

Five Year-End Jobs for Board Members That Don’t Involve Asking for Money

Most board members who resist fundraising are resisting the ask, not the work. Here are five year-end jobs, with a timeline and scripts, and none of them requires asking anyone for money.
Two people at a small nonprofit office table planning, with a calendar on the wall

Should Your Small Nonprofit Even Do GivingTuesday?

GivingTuesday can bring in real money for a small nonprofit. It can also pull gifts forward from December 31 and wear out your staff. Here’s how to decide whether it’s right for your shop.

Why Your Best Prospects Already Know You (And How to Stop Chasing Strangers)

Small nonprofits waste time pursuing cold prospects while warm ones wait to be asked. Your best donors aren’t wealthy strangers waiting to be discovered. They’re people already connected to your mission. Here’s how to stop chasing and start cultivating.

The 50-Name Exercise: How to Build Your First Prospect List in One Hour

You already know your first donors. They’re not wealthy strangers waiting to be discovered. They’re people in your existing network who care about your mission. This one-hour exercise will help you identify 50 real prospects you can actually contact.

From Mission Statement to Case for Support: Why They’re Different and How to Build Both

Every nonprofit has a mission statement. Not every nonprofit has a case for support. They’re different tools for different purposes. Confusing them creates problems in fundraising. Here’s how to build both, starting with what you already have.

Case for Support Audit: 5 Questions to Test Whether Your Case Actually Works

You have a case for support. But is it actually compelling? These five tough questions reveal whether your case is ready to raise money or needs serious revision. Be honest with yourself. Your fundraising depends on it.

The 60-Second Case: How to Explain Your Nonprofit When Someone Asks “What Do You Do?”

Someone asks what your nonprofit does. You stumble through a rambling explanation and watch their eyes glaze over. Here’s a simple formula for a 60-second response that makes people actually care: Problem, Solution, Transformation.

Story Crimes: 7 Mistakes That Kill Your Fundraising Stories (And How to Fix Them)

Your fundraising stories might be working against you. Leading with statistics, hiding behind jargon, making your organization the hero. Here are seven story crimes that drain power from your appeals, and exactly how to fix each one.

The Story You’re Afraid to Tell: When Imperfect Outcomes Make Better Fundraising

Not every story ends with a job, a graduation, or a life turned around. Some of your best fundraising stories might be the ones without tidy endings. Here’s why imperfect outcomes can build more trust than polished success stories.

Before and After: How to Transform a Weak Story into a Fundraising Powerhouse

Most nonprofit stories fail not because the material is bad, but because they’re told wrong. Here’s how to take a weak story and make it powerful, with before-and-after examples showing exactly what to change.
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