Demystifying the Art and Science of Fundraising
Jim Eskin, Founder, Eskin Fundraising Training, LLC
10 Simple Fundraising Lessons
The easy-to-understand guide to seven-figure gifts.
The non-profit sector has men, women and youth who are ready to lead
Following the art and science of discovery, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship leads to the next major or leadership game-changing gift.
SAN ANTONIO, TX, UNITED STATES, February 19, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The non-profit sector, like the rest of the world, is in a perpetual state of flux. Change is the only constant. There is one other stark constant: Non-profits of all different missions, sizes and parts of the country are challenged to do more with less.
Meeting this relentless challenge will demand creativity, grit and unwavering commitment to cast aside any personal differences and join together for the greater good.
Eskin Fundraising Training enthusiastically embraces the spirit of learning community in which everyone has wisdom, experience and personal insights to contribute to moving forward. In the live or virtual meeting spaces the answers are typically always within reach.
From the cumulative knowledge of more than 250 learning community sessions there is a keen appreciation that non-profits that work hard and work smart boost gift income to enjoy record resource development results. This highlights 10 pragmatic ways that non-profit leaders can more effectively ask for and secure gifts that will fuel the noble missions that touch, improve and save lives, especially helping those who are struggling. These are based on proven principles, innovative strategies and best practices.
1. Articulate a distinctive case for support that genuinely stands out in a crowded landscape,
Put yourself in the shoes of donors. There are nearly 2 million non-profits in the U.S. serving every conceivable mission under the sun. Donors aren’t choosing between the good and the bad but are forced to make difficult decisions between the good and the good. Even the wealthiest donors can’t respond favorably to every request.
Gather management, board, staff, volunteers and donors together for frank discussions on what makes the non-profit unique. What can be said about the non-profit that all those other good causes can’t? Revisit the mission, vision and values to ensure they are as timely as possible in an uber competitive environment.
2. Set Stretch-but-Realistic Goals and Objectives
Be specific. How are you going to retain current donors, upgrade the size of gifts and how are you going to acquire new supporters? The good news is that there are more communications tools to tell your story, and many are affordable for small and mid-size organizations. At the top of the list are impact and storytelling videos that can be produced from smart devices and spread through social media campaigns.
3. Engage All in Discovering, Cultivating, Soliciting and Stewarding Donor Prospects
If you think this can be delegated to the director of development, staff and development committee, you will be doomed to fall short of your potential. Everyone — no matter their title or role — can make a positive contribution in telling the story and spreading the word about the good works accomplished by your organization, so enthusiastically engage all members of the non-profit family in robust outreach and image building.
4. Focus on Major Gifts
Major gifts are defined differently from organization to organization and even differently within the same non-profit as it grows but are the surest path to success. Some 90 percent of America’s $600 billion annual philanthropic enterprise comes from just 10 percent of the donors.
Understand the enormous infusion of momentum created by a small or mid-size non-profit scoring its first or next million-dollar gift. From that moment on, it will be viewed very differently both internally and externally. Major donors will consider the non-profit an appropriate place to donate seven-figure gifts.
5. Lead by Example
It starts with the organization’s leadership setting the fundraising chessboard for everything that follows. Successful campaigns or appeals begin by challenging board members and management to make personally significant gifts. Quite simply, they won’t have credibility in the community when soliciting others if they have not given at a personally significant level themselves.
6. Ask Unabashedly for Unrestricted Gifts
MacKenzie Scott has set an inspiring example by contributing $26 billion with no strings attached, recognizing that recipients understand best how to put the money to good use. Too many non-profits shy away from such solicitations with self-defeating attitudes that donors won’t respond favorably. Poppycock!
Consider that people don’t designate the purpose when investing in the stock market and rely on monitoring the company’s bottom line performance. Why should non-profits be any different? Ask unabashedly for unrestricted gifts that empower the organization to use the funds when and where needed most.
7. Prepare for Largest Wealth Transfer in History
There are only three places that these treasure chests can go to — loved ones, government or charity. Donors can typically make legacy gifts from estates several-fold larger than gifts from income, while potentially postponing any out-of-pocket expenditure. The overwhelming majority of these are charitable bequests, retirement plans and life insurance policies, so get ready for the mind-numbing $84 trillion wealth transfer from older to younger generations.
8. Do Everything Possible to Retain Both Donors and Staff
It is so much more prudent and cost efficient to do so. The acquisition of new donors takes time and significant resources. While the loss of high performing staff erodes one of the most precious non-profit commodities — “trust capital.” Donors, especially leadership and major gift donors, work more comfortably and productively with development staff that are aware of personal stories, values, priorities and needs.
9. Walk the DAF Talk
Donor-advised funds (DAFs) have dramatically emerged as the most dynamic component of American philanthropy. The value of DAF assets has grown to an astounding $326 billion with grants made to charities totaling $90 billion — numbers that will no doubt continue to grow. Just like monthly giving, your websites, marketing materials and donor conversations should highlight DAFs.
10. Invest in Fundraising Training
The return on investment is well-documented. Plainly, it is clear that most professional and volunteer non-profit leaders are scared of asking for gifts because they’ve never experienced an actual solicitation for themselves. This is very different from the passive act of just being on the receiving end of gifts.
So, this really boils down to fear of the unknown.
Training will pull back the curtain and show that asking is both art and science that can be learned and practiced by all different personalities. All those involved in discovery, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship should receive either in-person or online fundraising training.
Non-profits — programs, services, staff and particularly the beneficiaries of the mission — deserve the best. More money means more mission. This work matters making a difference in the lives of men, women and children every day. Social and human service needs have never been greater. Empower the non-profit to mightily pull its oars in achieving a stronger, healthier, happier, safer and more socially just future.
About the Author
After a successful career leading advancement for three institutions of higher education, Jim Eskin’s consulting practice, Eskin Fundraising Training, launched in 2018, builds on the success of more than 250 fundraising workshops, webinars, webcasts, podcasts and board sessions, and provides the training, coaching and support services to equip non-profit leaders to replace fear of fundraising with comfort and confidence. He has authored more than 150 guest columns that have appeared in daily newspapers, business journals and blogs across the country. He publishes Stratagems, a monthly e-newsletter exploring timely issues and trends in philanthropy. Sign up here for a free subscription. You will also receive invitations to free virtual learning community programs. He is author of 10 Simple Fundraising Lessons, an 82-page common sense guide to understanding the art and science of fundraising, and How to Score Your First or Next Million-Dollar Gift, 104 pages filled with strategies, best practices and homework assignments to unlock exciting opportunities that elevate organizational impact to the next level. Both are available in print and digital formats through Pathway, the book distributor, and Amazon. Quantity discounts are available to non-profits who want to share books with teams of management, development staff, board and volunteers. Eskin is also available for customized virtual training for boards, staff, and fundraising committees. His newest initiative is Jim Eskin’s Empowerment Upstream TV Network.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Jim Eskin
Founder
Eskin Fundraising Training
10410 Pelican Oak Drive
San Antonio, TX 78254-6727
Cell: 210.415.3748
E-Mail: jeskin@aol.com
www.eskinfundraisingtraining.com
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10 Simple Fundraising Lessons purchase: http:// www.pathwaybookservice.com/products/10-simple-fundraising-lessons
How To Score Your First or Next Million-Dollar Gift purchase:
Jim Eskin’s Empowerment Upstream TV Network:
https://www.einpresswire.com/article/890800690/eskin-fundraising-training-announces-empowerment-upstream-tv-network
Nominate Your Non-Profit North Star Podcast:
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Eskin Fundraising Training LLC
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