Author: Tom Ralser

Hundreds of organizations have utilized Tom’s sustainability planning techniques to ensure they can thrive in a tight money environment. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation, which provides the framework his Investment-Driven Model™ of fundraising, and led to the development of the Organizational Value Proposition®, which is widely used by corporations, foundations, and individuals as confirmation that the nonprofits in which they invest are truly delivering outcomes with value. His specialty of utilizing for -profit concepts and methods in the nonprofit world has helped nonprofits raise over an estimated $1.1 billion in the 18 years he has worked with them.

Who Would Win? Emotional vs. Rational Fundraising Appeals

The comparison of emotional and rational fundraising appeals is a seemingly constant tug of war in the nonprofit sector. My young son recently introduced me to the children’s book series Who Would Win? by Jerry Pallotta. These books pit creatures from all over the world against each other in a physical battle, teaching valuable lessons […]

The Importance of Outcomes in Today’s Fundraising

As we watch the national economy–and each of our own communities–grapple with the pandemic, nonprofits cannot lose sight of the element most crucial to their sustainability and even survival: Investable OutcomesTM. In our Emerge Ready: Fundraising During and After COVID-19 webinar, we shared the results of a survey of nonprofit leaders. Our research showed that […]

Giving Monday, Giving Tuesday, Giving Wednesday…

Can one day impact your nonprofit’s drive for sustainability? A lot is being said right now about Giving Tuesday. I don’t disagree with the strategy behind this much-publicized day of giving and think it’s a very useful tool in the fundraising toolkit for many smaller nonprofits. Make a game plan, get small donations, and they […]

5 Classic Fundraising Misconceptions

5 Fundraising Misconceptions and How to Address Them Adapted from ROI for Nonprofits: The New Key to Sustainability The original title of this section was “Five Classic Fundraising Campaign Myths,” but that implied that these misconceptions had a strong probability of being false. The fact is, they are not false, just no longer appropriate when ROI […]

ROI and Grant Proposals

ROI and Grant Proposals Tips for Nonprofits Grant proposals typically involve some type of ROI proof, but I often find that nonprofit executives struggle with this step in the grant-writing process. Determining ROI does not always come naturally, though the term itself is overused. Everyone from hotel chains to health insurance is proving ROI these […]

Charting Organizational Impact: 5 Questions You Must Ask

As I have traveled around the country in the past 20 years doing lectures and workshops, there has been one sentence that has resonated with all of my audiences: “If your organization doesn’t demonstrate its value to potential funders, they’ll fund an organization that does.” Many of us are familiar with Peter Drucker’s Foundation Self-Assessment tool, a valuable exercise […]