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Do The Hard Things First - A Petrus Development Show Episode on Expectations for New Fundraisers

Andrew and Rhen return to the Petrus Development Show for a discussion specifically for new fundraisers and the organizations who employ them.  Very few of us go to school for fundraising.  Fundraisers are often pulled into development positions because of the relationship they...

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Master These 3 Elements of Fundraising First

By Rhen Hoehn, Director of Marketing


 

You would not build a house without first creating blueprints, gathering building materials, and pouring a foundation.

 

It wouldn’t make any sense to start the build by constructing a gourmet kitchen without plumbing, electricity, or even a...

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By The Numbers - A Petrus Development Show Episode on Fundraising Activity Trends

 

Andrew and Rhen return this week for a fun episode on fundraising trends.  Together, they share data and statistics about the most popular fundraising activities.  

 

 

Show Notes:

This time of the year is often the start of new years (new school years, new fiscal...

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It's All About Expectations - A Petrus Development Show Episode on Fundraiser Metrics

Andrew Robison, Petrus president, and Rhen Hoehn, Petrus's director of marketing, are together again on this week's episode of the Petrus Development Show!  They spend their time discussing how to set development staff expectations for a new fiscal year.  It's another...

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How to Forecast Development Income for the Next Fiscal Year

By Rhen Hoehn, Director of Marketing


Inflow must be greater than outflow.

 

When it comes to setting a budget, this fact is obvious.

 

When preparing the budget for a nonprofit organization, though, many fundraisers find that the process seems to happen backwards.

 

Your...

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Donor Databases 101 - A Petrus Development Show Episode on Donor Databases

While we start this episode with a joke, donor databases are a very serious matter.  As you'll learn in this Q+A with Petrus president, Andrew Robison, choosing the right donor database can make a world of difference in your fundraising capabilities.  

(A laugh for your day: ...

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Donor Databases: Can You Ever Make A Change?

By Rhen Hoehn, Director of Marketing


Every so often, it becomes necessary for a nonprofit to abandon their existing donor database system and move to a new one. 

 

The existing system may be too complicated for staff to use, or perhaps it's not sophisticated enough to keep up with the...

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Fundraising As Both Science and Art

By Chris Scroggin, Petrus Consultant


Have you ever wondered what art and science have in common? 

Art draws on emotions.

Science uses rational thought.

But, science and art both demand creativity and excellent observational skills

Most techniques used by artists even have...

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The Need for a Fundraising Database

 

One of the non-profits I worked for didn’t have a database; they had an Excel spreadsheet for their donor information. It wasn’t very organized, and I had no idea how accurate it was. 

 

There was information everywhere - on spreadsheets, in the executive...

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6 Steps to Get Ready for a Capital Campaign (Part 1)

By Rhen Hoehn, Petrus Director of Marketing


 

A capital campaign is a targeted fundraising project meant to raise significant dollars in a relatively short period of time. 

 

Campaigns can be used to fund needed projects such as building repairs, or they can fund the...

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Faith & Fundraising: Lessons from Philanthropic Psychology - A Talk by Dr. Adrian Sargeant

In this episode, we feature Dr. Adrian Sargeant, co-director of the Institute for Sustainable Philanthropy, as he gives his keynote address at the Petrus Development Conference in June.  Dr. Sargeant shares his research about donor motivation and identity, and he discusses how we, as...

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New Year! New Info to Help You Grow Your Team!

By Mary Hernandez, Petrus Blog Contributor


The newest release of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) annual Compensation and Benefits Study is timed perfectly for organizations creating a strategic plan to start or grow their development team in the new year. We've limited the...

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