Tag: fundraisingcoach

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Know Your Level – Funding Lessons #35

When it comes to fundraising, there is definitely not ‘one’ strategy will work for everyone. Why? Because the amount of money you need to raise will directly influence the type of fundraising efforts you pursue. Recognizing your need is the first step in determining your approach.


For instance, if you only need to raise $10,000 over the course of a year, you might be able to accomplish this with a few small events, some online campaigns, or one major fundraiser. A manageable goal allows for a less demanding strategy that can fit within the resources and time you have.

However, when the target shifts to $50,000 or more, suddenly you’re facing a much larger challenge. It may seem like you can simply multiply the number of fundraisers or increase the intensity of your efforts, but that approach can lead to burnout, frustration, and you likely won’t meet your goals. Asking your team to organize five times as many events isn’t sustainable.


This is when it’s time to change gears. If your budget demands larger amounts, you need to think different. You may need to explore new types of fundraising—perhaps corporate sponsorships, major donor programs, or larger-scale events. This shift often requires learning new skills, getting advice from experienced fundraisers, or even hiring an expert who can guide you toward new strategies.

The biggest mistake you can make is clinging to methods that simply aren’t effective for the scale of what you’re trying to achieve. Recognizing what you need and adjusting your approach accordingly will put you on the right path for success.


Let’s talk about how we can help you make the right shifts and scale your fundraising efforts effectively.

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Personalize Thankfulness


Nonprofits thrive because of the incredible generosity of individuals. But they succeed long-term because of ongoing support from donors who believe in your mission.


Did you know that 80% of people who donate to a nonprofit only give once? There are many reasons for this—sometimes donors are spread thin across many causes, or they give when they can. But this statistic also represents a huge opportunity for your organization.
If someone has donated to your cause, it means they believe in what you do. They’re already engaged. And in 2025, this is the moment to show them how much their support truly matters.


One of the most effective ways to inspire recurring donations and turn one-time givers into long-term supporters is through personalized thankfulness. Here are a few ideas to make your appreciation truly impactful:


Handwritten Notes: Take the time to send a personal thank-you note to your top supporters. People remember the personal touch!


Call and Connect: Set aside time each week in January to pick up the phone and thank donors personally. It only takes an hour but can have a lasting impact.


Share the Impact: Show how donations are making a difference. Share specific stories of change and how their contribution is helping.


Include Thank-You Messages in Tax Receipts: If you issue tax receipts, include a heartfelt thank-you note. It’s a great opportunity to connect with your donors while they’re already in “giving mode.”


No matter which method you choose, make it personal. For the 80% who only donate once, your genuine gratitude can be the key to turning that one-time gift into a lasting relationship.


For more ideas to increase your giving please contact the funding coach.

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First Things First: Go Back


It’s time to kick off a new year, set goals, and make plans on how to help your nonprofit succeed in its mission in 2025. If you worked hard in 2024 to either thrive or just survive, talking about the “big thing” or “next thing” you have to do might actually sound a bit overwhelming.


As we kick off the new year, it might be more profitable to not focus solely on the future, but instead on the past. Here are two funding stats you should know:
Approximately 20% of donors become repeat donors. This means, 80% of people who give to a non profit donate once, but yet are the most likely people to become repeat or long term donors.


Nonprofits spend up to 500% more money and effort to acquire new donors than to retain existing ones. It is still a lot of work to learn how to retain donors, and to help one time donors become long time supporters, but is is far less work than spending year after year seeking new givers.



Knowing this, before diving into new ideas for 2025, why not take a moment to reflect on 2024? The donors and supporters you already have are your most important asset.

So, before jumping into all your new plans for 2025, it will be far more valuable to answer this question: “How am I making those who donated in 2024 feel valued and appreciated?”



In January, as you take time to answer this question, I’ll also be sharing a few ideas on how to make this happen. So please follow, and let’s work together to make your 2025 fundraising your best year yet!

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Dream to the Size of Your Dreams

We have several large-scale youth and family centers opening, being built, and in the planning stages here in Cape Breton. It took an incredible amount of work by countless individuals, hundreds of meetings, thousands of hours of effort, and sheer persistence.

However, not everyone may be aware of the ‘sparks’ that made this possible. The first spark was the need itself. The situation was dire, with rising addiction levels and a tragic number of youth and young adults losing their lives.

But another spark occurred. An old friend reached out to me with the ability to offer financial support on a scale I had never imagined. He asked, “If we could do anything for our community, what would we do?” To be honest, I had always considered myself a dreamer… or so I thought.

We began discussing this question with friends and community members. Once we removed the constraints from our thinking, our dreams evolved. Up to that point, my aspirations for the next year were limited by what we could realistically achieve. Maybe we could add a little something, tweak our approach, grow incrementally, and hopefully secure some new funding. But dreaming big, on the scale of the need, seemed like fantasy.

In this new context, we started to articulate what community transformation could truly look like. We considered the resources required to address the problem at its core.

I believe we all dream of what could be—the things we genuinely hope for. However, reality often dims the hope that such dreams could be possible, leading us to operate within a smaller, more constrained vision based on past experiences.

Here’s the kicker: after years of planning and discussion, my friend did not come through with the funding. We received zero dollars. That might sound devastating, but it wasn’t. It was disappointing, but it was too late to halt the progress we had made. By beginning to dream and articulate a real, practical, and hopeful vision, we started to attract the funding we needed.

When I think about change-makers, I believe their ability to dream is what sets them apart. They envision possibilities beyond current limitations and refuse to let past constraints dictate their aspirations.

After this experience, I now believe it is crucial to sit down with your team or organization and dream without limits. Imagine what you could achieve without the constraints of present realities. It is in this space of bold dreaming and vocalizing ideas that people will rally behind them, and funding is more likely to follow.

Not all dreams will come true, and even this journey was fraught with years of work, struggles, doubts, and burnout. But dreaming is the only way to pave the path to a new and better future for the people you serve.

So, dream to the size of your Dreams

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Funding Lesson #26 – STAY

Raising funds takes time because building trust takes time. There is something powerful that happens when you build credibility through perseverance.

I definitely don’t encourage people to stay in places that aren’t working for them. There is always a time to leave.

However, there is a tipping point that leaders reach by staying long enough that people associate you with the work and cause you represent. It’s hard to know exactly how long it will take, but it’s definitely years.

When it happens, some things get easier. It becomes easier to ask for more, to present to the right people, and to become a voice for the cause you represent in your community.

The secret is simply consistency. Keep doing what you do. Do it well. Don’t give up. Stay.

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Funding Lesson #24 – Build a Case for Support

I have been involved with skateboarding for almost four decades and have helped raise funds for multiple parks, ramps, and events. It has always been a huge passion, and I am very excited to be involved with two skateboard projects right now that are building parks and ramps in Nova Scotia.

This post is just an introduction to this concept, with more to follow over the next few weeks. I often get asked these questions about raising funds: “Where do we even start?” and “How do we build support?” Whether you are just starting out or an older non-profit that is expanding, there is one common answer: Build a ‘Case for Support’.

Non-profits begin because passionate people are trying to meet urgent needs. We need to find funds quickly and consistently. It is not easy to get funding, and it’s easy to get frustrated when it doesn’t happen. However, a significant reason it may be difficult could be that your organization has never taken the time to build a case for support.

A case for support presents a compelling vision for what can be achieved. It involves articulating credible reasons why people, supporters, levels of government, or donors should trust you with their funds.

By building a case for support, you will need to articulate things like:

What is the need?

How can the need be met?

How can you provide the solution?

What is the cost?

Who are you? (Do you have the ability to fulfill this dream?)

So, back to skateboarding. I am attaching a case for support put together by the Lawrencetown Skatepark Project. It is a great example of what building a case of support can look like.

Having a case for support allows you to share your vision with a much larger group. It helps communicate on a greater level and opens doors to funders who will only support groups that have done their homework. It provides clear direction and a clear ask.

Furthermore, a bonus is that when your team works on a case of support together, it brings unity of purpose. It also informs your whole team of the goals and needs, and everyone can contribute to making your non-profit succeed.

If you would like to discuss how to build a ‘Case for Support’, please contact the funding coach.

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Funding Lesson #23 – Making Money Make Money


Have you ever wondered why some organizations seem to receive a higher amount of grants, donations, and large-scale gifts, while others struggle? There are several factors that can lead to this, such as the right team members, a clear vision, and just hard work.
One very important, and less understood, factor, however, is that some organizations have learned to leverage funds to get more funds. This is just a short group of ideas on learning funds to get more funds.


Here is one example. Most municipal, provincial, or federal grants, plus many foundations, will only fund 40-50% of a project. Some organizations never apply for certain funding because they don’t believe they will be able to cover the rest.
However, this is where a fund strategy can help. One where you move from thinking single grants/donations to the big picture.


It is amazing how fundraising can change if you know that if you can raise $25,000, you can use that to be eligible for a grant and double your funds for a project. People give more when they know their funds will go further.


It is also a perfect time to bring all levels of government together and challenge them to find a way to help. You can use $50,000 from a provincial fund to cover the 50% of what you need for a federal grant, to get $50,000. The principle can be applied, however, no matter what the grant or funding is.


When people know their funds will go further, it is a huge incentive to give. This principle is not only about grants but also with donors. If someone was willing to donate $10,000 to your organization, then this is the perfect time to run a matching campaign. One where you challenge people to give, and if you reach a goal of $10,000, then it will be matched.
This is a way to increase giving but also to attract bigger donors and donations. Why does it work? If a large donor sees that your organization is not just asking for money but is asking everyone to chip in and do their part, plus is putting in their own effort, it is an incentive to give higher amounts as their gift is creating more giving.

So it may seem some organizations are just lucky, or are liked more, or have special connections, and receive more funding. While there may be pieces of that which are true, it is also very possible for an organization to learn how to do this. Yes, it is work, it is networking, but it starts with a funding plan. One that looks at the big picture and sees how the pieces can be put together. One that understands that your money can make money.


If your organization would like help in creating a funding strategy, why not reach out to the funding coach?

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Funding Lesson #22 – Develop the Skill of Asking

Asking for help is tough, both in our personal and professional lives. You may hate asking for directions so much that you will just stay lost. Asking can feel embarrassing for some people, as it exposes that we have a need.

‘You don’t have because you don’t ask.’ This, of course, is taken from scripture, but it is very true in all situations. Your organization will never have what it needs to operate if people are not aware of what you need, and if no one is ever asked.

Letting our needs be known can, of course, happen in many ways: word of mouth, social media, emails, mail-outs, and our staff/volunteers. However, this is one skill that will help your organization go farther. It is the ‘Skill of Asking.’

I remember sitting in a meeting just a few years ago, where we were trying to put funding together with multiple levels of government and departments. We had an amount we needed to be matched. There was discussion on smaller amounts being given. At one point, I had to clearly state what we needed. We needed six million dollars.

Later, it was confirmed that the money was going to be given for the project, which is amazing. The truth is if no one clearly asked for that amount, it may never have been given. Someone needs to ask.

This, in no way, means if you just ask people for donations, support, or volunteers, that you will get it. That is why asking is a skill that needs to be developed. Here are just a few pieces of what asking means:

1 – The willingness to be upfront with people about your needs.

2 – You have to be ready to back up your request with data and some proof you can put this help to good use and create a result.

3 – You have to learn when is the right time, place, and person to ask.

4 – You have to build relationships and trust.

5 – You have to be okay hearing ‘No’ and move on.

When I see organizations that are doing well long-term, there is usually someone in the organization who has learned to ASK.

If you would like to explore developing a funding strategy, including how to ASK, why not reach out to the funding coach?

www.thefundingcoach.ca

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This June I am taking on new Clients

What is ‘The Funding Coach’? Here is the simple answer: I am helping nonprofits, faith communities, and organizations build sustainable funding plans so they can serve their communities in greater and more consistent ways.

Over the past decade, I have helped raise over twenty-five million dollars in community development projects and received over 150 grants for charities I was working with. I have taught fundraising classes at events, colleges, and universities.

For the past decade, I took on the responsibility to raise funds for my own local community projects. However, as the Funding Coach, I am now taking on the role of helping other individuals, groups, and organizations fulfill their dreams to serve their own communities.

On top of coaching, I am part of a group representing the public to address Mental Health and Addiction issues in the Eastern Zone in NS. It has been a long-term passion to see addiction and poverty rates decrease while community health grows.

This has led me to be a proponent of the Iceland/Planet Youth strategy. I have done 100+ presentations, consultations, and strategy building sessions on how organizations can work together to create community transformations.

If your organization needs to:

– Create a sustainable plan to fund your organization.

– Develop a strategy to create long-term change and create a ‘Case for Support.’

– Create better giving systems.

– Learn how to apply for grants.

– Raise short-term funds for a project.

– Or, you just need help with fundraising, encouragement, and a positive mentor.

Then why not contact me about how we can work together to help your organization? I want to save you time, help you increase support, and help you serve better.

You can sign up for our newsletter at www.thefundingcoach.ca or follow and receive free regular fundraising lessons at https://www.facebook.com/thefundingcoachonline