The Social Media for Nonprofits Conference, on a national whirlwind tour, swept through Seattle just over a week ago and hurled a vast amount of sensible advice and provocative ideas at its rapt audience. You weren’t able to attend? The tour participants were kind enough to share their slides publicly. I strongly encourage you to [...]
It took a long time to admit to myself that I was an introverted fundraiser masquerading as an extroverted one. I enjoyed meeting with donors and working with volunteers, but I also desperately needed alone time to recharge my batteries. I thought I was the only introverted fundraiser in the world, and it wasn’t until [...]
Ever heard of “beginner’s mind”? It’s a practice in Zen Buddhism that refers to cultivating an attitude of openness and eagerness, where the dreaded refrain of “we don’t do it that way here” has yet to take hold. At the beginning of a new job, a new venture, or new relationship, we are truly in [...]
Congratulations to Stuart Grover, TCG Chairman Emeritus, for receiving the Cooperative Achievement Award from the Group Health Cooperative this past Saturday. The Cooperative Achievement Award is given each year to a consumer or group of consumers whose efforts impact the health of Group Health members, the community, or the Cooperative in a new exemplary fashion. [...]
The Collins Group is proud to announce our newest team member, James Plourde. With more than 20 years in development and the Northwest nonprofit sector, James brings fresh ideas and a resourceful attitude, as well as grounded experience, to his role as Senior Consultant. James comes to us from Pacific Lutheran University where he helmed [...]
Conventional wisdom suggests we communicate with our clients and constituents during the work hours—after all, when are we more glued to our computers than between 9 and 5? According to new research from Hubspot, a marketing firm based out of Boston, we’re doing it all wrong. Here are some surprising results on how to best [...]
As Marketing Director for The Collins Group, my contact with clients is before and after the fact. I talk to prospective clients, help determine the services that would best help them, and arrange for them to meet with members of our consulting team. After our services are complete, I come back and conduct short exit [...]
Many organizations think of a fundraising consultant as someone to call when they are trying to fill a revenue gap, manage a transition in fundraising staff, launch or re-start a stalled campaign, engage more volunteers in fundraising, or develop strategies to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of a fundraising program. However, after nine years as [...]
Over coffee this morning, I was asked by an accomplished development professional, “How do you know whether to hire a fundraising consultant?” My coffee companion had experienced managing large development shops and had even run capital campaigns. She had recently taken a position with a new organization, however, and was considering future steps. Here was [...]
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