Janeal Ford

Spring is a time for a fresh start, the natural moment to plant seeds for a new harvest. In nonprofit fundraising, it’s always the right time to plant, but spring brings a distinct sense of urgency. Depending on your fiscal calendar, you’re likely in one of two very different places right now with fundraising. If you’re a calendar-year organization, you’re just getting started and the pressure is on to move the needle off zero. If you operate on a July to June fiscal year, you’re in a sprint...

By most measures, it looked like a success. The Junior League’s annual gala filled a room. Volunteers had spent months gathering items. Entire rooms were dedicated to the silent auction. Tables overflowed with donated packages, experiences, baskets, and gifts. It was busy. It was full. It was exhausting. And when the night was over and the numbers were tallied, the results were underwhelming. After months of planning and a room full of donated value, the silent auction raised less than...

Grant denials feel personal. I see it every day. We submit hundreds of applications a year and denials are expected. Several denials in a row change the dynamic. The nonprofit looks to the grant writer for answers. The grant writer goes back to the program staff for more detail. The case gets refined. The language gets tighter. Another application goes out. Then another denial comes back. From the outside, it looks like a writing problem. The truth is denials have very little to do with...