Choose a donor, fix your proposal & defend overhead.

Three weekly insights to get funding

One week in, already a bestseller

If you missed the news last week, my book is finally here:

And did you see that it’s already an Amazon bestseller across four categories? All thanks to you.

— Kevin

💪🏽💛

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Three insights

1. The five types of donors.

A donor fit infographic.

Which funder fuels you most?

Get to know your five options.

Each category has donor motivations, advantages and constraints for you, plus capabilities you need internally to attract and retain that type of funder.

The original, full version of this infographic — from The Bridgespan Group — also includes bonus details on program service fees and investment income, plus examples of nonprofits that fit each funding category.

You don’t need every funder.
Just the right type.

Right match.
Real growth.

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2. How to write winning proposals.

A bad proposal or grant application is like:

Serving a gourmet meal on a paper plate.
Painting a masterpiece on torn canvas.
Or playing poker with a losing hand.

It’s practically giving donors a reason to say no.

That’s why you must avoid the seven deadly sins of proposal writing. These issues could be costing you fundraising and sales.

Click here for a 90-second guide.

Then make it compelling.
Or lose the funding.

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3. You can’t make a lousy charity good by having a low overhead.

Overhead is fuel, not fluff.

It’s an investment, not indulgence.

So overhead can make “a lousy charity good.”

Here are 35 essentials donors should invest in:

1. Brand

2. Utilities

3. Salaries

4. Technology

5. Fundraising

6. Recruitment

7. Mental health

8. Infrastructure

9. Staff retention

10. Theory of change

11. Risk management

12. Spiritual wellbeing

13. Legal consultation

14. Strategic planning

15. Employee benefits

16. Contingency funds

17. Positioning strategy

18. Succession planning

19. Advocacy & lobbying

20. Innovation & research

21. Equipment & supplies

22. Organizational culture

23. Monitoring & evaluation

24. Team-building activities

25. Stakeholder convenings

26. Leadership & staff training

27. Marketing communications

28. Diversity, equity & inclusion

29. Accessibility enhancements

30. Partnerships & collaborations

31. Intellectual property protection

32. Ethical standards & compliance

33. Financial management systems

34. Climate & environment initiatives

35. Board development & governance

The critical point for your fundraising. ⤵

“If you can justify that [an expense advances your impact] with a straight face to your funder, you should consider it a direct cost and feel empowered to defend that decision,” advises Jenna Rogers-Rafferty.

And let’s not perpetuate the overhead myth.

“It’s time for a change,” says Vu Le. “Stop furthering the idea that ‘overhead’ is bad. Operating, administrative, and fundraising expenses are necessary for us to do effective work.”

Shift the narrative.

Because myths hold power only if we let them.

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The weekly bonus

19 small but powerful writing tips that will immediately 10x your quality.

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P.S.

Can you look at these nine photos and not smile on International Day of Happiness?

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