Veritus Group was incredibly honored to be the Presenting Sponsor for the AADO Conference in 2024. AADO (African American Development Officers Network) is a network of more than 3,500 fundraising professionals of color. Their annual conference is the premier event for fundraising, development, and operations professionals of color, and their allies…

Over the past two decades, our team at Veritus has analyzed hundreds of different non-profits’ data files, and we see the same trends over and over again. While overall revenue may go up year-over-year, many donors give less over time (or go away altogether). But organizations are often unaware this is happening because the loss is covered up by gi…

As a fundraiser, you play two roles in any donor meeting. First, you’re there to be a partner to your donor, which means you’re seeking to learn more about their passions so you can help to match those with your organization’s programs. And your second role is to act as a facilitator so that everyone is on the same page about the purpose of the mee…

Building a partnership between mid-level and direct response is crucial to your organization’s success. Yet many organizations are missing out on opportunities to align these groups in a way that will strengthen the donor pipeline. For this episode, we invited special guests Becca Burgess, VP of Client Services at Moore, and Kara Ansotegui, Senior …

Many non-profit leaders rely on metrics because it’s easier than sitting down with their frontline fundraisers each week and helping them stay focused and accountable to their strategic plan. But when your fundraising performance metrics are not aligned with building meaningful relationships with your donors, it can cause a whole host of problems. …

Many fundraisers aren’t starting their caseloads from scratch – they’re inheriting a donor caseload that was previously managed by someone else. Whether you’re a new hire, or you’re moving into a new role within the same organization and taking on a new caseload, this transition can be complicated. How do you introduce yourself to these donors who …

Is your organization set up to support the donor journey? What structures do you have in place to develop your donor relationships from initial acquisition to cultivation, mid-level, major gifts, and planned giving? These are some of the questions you need to consider as you work to build a healthy donor pipeline. In this episode, Richard and Jeff …

We’ve all been in meetings where the conversation getssidetracked. Maybe someone present is very chatty and wants to spend the first half hour catching up. Maybe one individual has another topic they want to discuss, outside of what was outlined in the agenda. Or maybe no one is clear on why they’re there at all, so the conversation wanders until t…

In celebration of Women’s History Month, today’s episode isall about how women are shaping and changing the field of fundraising. Our special guest joining us for this conversation is Yolanda F. Johnson, President and Founder of YFJ Consulting and Women of Color in Fundraising and Leadership (WOC)™, which specializes in fundraising, philanthropy, a…

Asking your donors for gifts isn’t something you should save for the year-end giving season. When you’re tuned in to your donor’s giving preferences and interests, you can bring them additional giving opportunities even outside their regular giving season. For this episode, we invited two guest fundraisers and clients of ours to share their experti…

When you work at a non-profit organization, just as in any job, there will be times that you feel stuck, discouraged, or uninspired. This work is hard, and it’s not uncommon to experience feelings of burnout or frustration. If you’re in a space like that, how do you shift your energy so you can bring your best self to your work with donors? For thi…

When you’re looking for your next fundraising position, how do you evaluate which opportunities are most aligned with your professional goals? What questions should you ask in your conversations with hiring managers to learn more about their culture and evaluate whether the role is a good fit? In this podcast episode, Karen and Matt are joined by s…

Welcome to January! In these first weeks of the year, you’re likely still finishing out the year-end season, thanking donors for gifts received, and assessing your performance compared to your goals. At the same time, you’re working on communication plans and strategies for the year ahead. In this episode, Jeff is joined by Theresa Tapocsi and Edie…

When we talk to passionate fundraisers who are deeply committed to their donors, their most common complaint about their work is that they don’t feel supported by their managers. People leave organizations because of it, yet management skills are often undervalued in the non-profit space. In today’s episode, Karen and Jeff talk through some of the …

When an anonymous check for $100,000 arrived at the American Brain Foundation, their fundraising team was blown away. The organization certainly wasn’t so large that this level of giving was typical. Who was this anonymous person, and what made them decide to give so generously? In this episode, Jeff and Diana interview two members of the team at t…

When you have a healthy donor pipeline, there will come a time when you need to transition a donor relationship to someone else. Whether the donor is moving from mid-level to a major gifts portfolio or from a higher level of giving back into mid-level or direct response, you need to have protocols in place so that the transition feels seamless to t…

When moves management was first introduced as a strategy to help fundraisers manage their caseloads, it was a step forward in putting some much-needed structure around the donor pipeline. But now, some non-profits have taken the idea too far. A lot of organizations have gotten stuck on rigid definitions of what “stage” a donor is at. Moves manageme…

At the AFP Conference last summer, two fundraisers from the East Texas Food Bank reached out to Jeff. They wanted to share with him how taking our Certification Course two years ago has made a huge difference for them in building deeper donor relationships and bringing in more revenue for their mission. We felt so inspired by the conversation and t…

One of the greatest barriers to your success in relational fundraising is whether or not the rest of your organization understands and supports this work. We hear stories all the time from frustrated fundraisers who aren’t able to get important program information, can’t easily share the impact, and don’t have donor offers to present. So for this e…

We get a lot of questions from our community about basic best practices in fundraising. And we get it! It’s one thing to understand these ideas in theory, but even the most experienced fundraisers run into questions when it comes to implementation. So, for this podcast episode, we’ve compiled some of the most common questions we receive about the b…

For your organization to continue to grow, you need to invest in an organized program for identifying and stewarding planned gifts. Planned giving is an essential part of relational fundraising, yet so many fundraisers avoid it simply because they don’t have a system that supports them to engage donors in this way. So for this podcast episode, we’l…

If you put off your year-end planning until October or November, you may find yourself scrambling to get things done at the last minute, without any broader strategy behind your communications. Which is why we recommend starting now! But we know it can be overwhelming to think about everything you need to do at year-end. So in this episode, we’re s…

At this point, most organizations have realized the value of having a relational major gifts program. But there are still many non-profit leaders out there who can’t get over the initial cost of investing in a major gifts program, even though those programs can have an ROI of 10 to 1, or more! So, what’s holding you back from investing in major gif…

Having a culture of collaboration is critical to your success in fundraising. Do you have solid relationships with your counterparts in Finance, Program, and Marketing? Or does each department prioritize their own individual goals, at the expense of your mission? Poor communication and competition between departments means that your donor is not ge…

It’s summertime! Hopefully, you’re taking some quality time off. And whenever you’re back in the office, you may even find yourself with some quiet days where your inbox is not blowing up and all your meetings are cancelled. This is a great time to reflect and plan for how you’re going to meet your goals by year-end. In this episode re-release from…

Even before the pandemic, finding and hiring the right candidates for fundraising roles was a challenge. Now, many organizations are struggling to even get a good pool of candidates, let alone find the right candidate from within that pool. In this podcast episode, Jeff and Karen are joined by special guest Paul Towne, Executive Search Consultant w…

Many fundraisers can share about a time where a donor overstepped one of their personal boundaries. Yet historically, the non-profit sector has not been proactive about preparing for when a donor says or does something inappropriate. A fundraiser is tasked with bringing in funds for an important cause, but that should never come at the expense of t…

Your donors give because it makes them feel connected to their heart and passion for making a difference in the world. And your organization is probably not the only one they’re giving to, which means that your donors are getting a lot of messages from the organizations they sponsor. With so much competition for their attention, how do you stand ou…

The 2023 report by the Fundraising Effectiveness Project revealed that for the first time in a decade, the national average for major giving revenue went DOWN by -4% in 2022. This has generated a lot of concern in the fundraising community about the future of philanthropy. The good news is – you don’t have to accept decreasing revenue as the new no…

Have you ever experienced the impact of a coach in your life? Maybe you had a great coach when you played sports or an instrument. Or perhaps you’ve worked with a life coach, spiritual advisor, or someone who’s an expert in a hobby of yours. How has that impacted you? The role of a coach is somewhat different from a teacher or instructor. They’re n…

This topic is a controversial one. But stay with us for a minute! Any fundraiser’s primary objective is to connect with donors. And those donors are people with busy lives. They might only be available after 5pm, or only on weekends. They might be located internationally. For so many reasons, MGOs need to be flexible so they can meet when it’s conv…

If you’ve shied away from bringing up planned giving in your donor conversations… you’re not alone! Whether you’re a major gift officer, mid-level officer, executive director of your organization – many people feel some hesitation about bringing up a topic that touches on the donor’s death. On this podcast episode, Jeff and Richard interview Robert…

Are your board members actively engaged in fundraising for your non-profit? And if not – how can you encourage them to get involved? In this episode, Jeff Schreifels and Karen Kendrick are joined by Renita Tyson for a conversation about how non-profits can build a better partnership with their boards. Renita is a Client Experience Leader at Veritus…

Imagine this scenario: you’re a leader of a non-profit, and you run into a major donor at an event. They ask how things are going at the organization. How do you respond? A: “Things are great! We’re on track to meet our revenue goals by the end of the year.” B: “Right now, we’re focused on growing our XYZ Program so we can provide more services for…

Sometimes fundraisers are so self-sacrificing in their work that they lose themselves. They give 110%, until they can’t do it anymore. These are the ones who are at risk of burning out and leaving the profession entirely. That’s why we’re devoting this episode to a conversation about self-love and setting boundaries to give yourself room for renewa…

If you're over-investing in donor acquisition and cultivation, but not investing enough in the upper end of the pipeline, then the donors that you've acquired can't be properly cultivated into mid-level, major gifts, or planned gifts. And the reverse is a problem too, when non-profit leaders insist on discovering new major donors outside of their e…

Successful fundraising programs depend on great managers who can provide fundraisers with feedback, accountability, and encouragement. It’s a full-time job, and it requires a certain set of skills. Yet many non-profit managers are expected to continue to manage their own caseloads in addition to their team’s. They may have been moved into their rol…

When you get back to the office or start up your computer again after a holiday, it always takes a while to get re-oriented. If you do a little prep now, you’ll thank yourself when you come back with a clear game plan to follow! We hope you have a peaceful and relaxing holiday season, with some time off that helps you to recharge. And when you get …

There’s a temptation to send out more communication at the end of the year. And it’s understandable; there’s a lot to share during this season, and you want to keep your donors informed. But communicating more frequently doesn’t make it more effective. In fact, if you send emails and letters about every event, fundraising campaign, organizational r…

It’s the most intimidating part of fundraising: asking someone for a gift. But that’s not the only thing that fundraisers need to ask for. They’re also requesting meetings, inviting people to give their time at events, and asking donors to share the personal driver that inspires their giving. So, whatever your ask is for – how do you do it in a way…

Does your organization encourage you to bring your authentic self to your work in the non-profit space? Or do you feel pressure to self-censor certain parts of your identity? Many non-profit employees say that their workplace culture has created an environment where they’re not comfortable or do not feel safe bringing their authentic selves to work…

Usually, people have the best of intentions. But it’s shocking how many organizations have internalized some misguided views of fundraising without realizing how their mindset is hurting their donor relationships. There’s plenty of wrong thinking out there, and on today’s episode, we’ll talk about what it looks like when fundraising leaders and pro…

We talk a lot about the importance of taking your donor to the scene so that the need feels real and personal to them. But there’s a risk of exploiting the very communities you serve if their stories are not told in an honoring way. Some non-profits paint themselves as the heroes, when really, the people they serve deserve the credit for and owners…

What is it that makes The Veritus Way of fundraising so successful? To tell you more about it, we’ve invited a couple of our clients to share about their experiences with the Veritus approach to fundraising. Listen in to learn about how they approached integrating The Veritus Way into their work, the challenges they faced and how they overcame them…

Do you have a strategy to help you allocate your time per donor? The reality is, you only have so much time in a day. And you need to be a good steward of that time. So, while we value all donors as people, the impact they have is not equal. Some will give much more than others, and those donors need a bigger investment of your time and energy. On …

What’s so great about mid-level? We’re so glad you asked! More and more organizations are discovering that mid-level is the key to retaining donors and donor value. When you have a mid-level program that’s focused on building relationships with donors and discovering their passions and interests, it allows you to qualify and move more donors to maj…

Looking for inspiration to help you plan for the fall fundraising season? Look no further! Since we’re privileged to work with so many different non-profit organizations, we have a bird’s-eye view of the latest fundraising trends and themes. From year-end planning to giving trends to technology in the relational giving space – exciting things are h…

In this re-release of our all-time most popular episode, Richard and Jeff share 15 questions for you to use in conversation with your donors to help you better understand their passions, interests, and goals for their giving. No matter what you think you know about your donor, always stay curious about their story. Do you really know why they give …

Talking about your mission with donors can sometimes feel challenging, especially if you’re an organization that provides indirect services. Do you know if you’re effectively communicating your mission and impact to your donors? It may seem pretty straightforward for organizations that provide direct services like housing, meals, or other tangible …

Many non-profits have a membership model as a key part of their fundraising strategy. And while membership donors can be some of the most loyal and consistent in their giving, a membership model can also be limiting. Donors are going to give what you ask for. If you ask donors to give $120 a year (for a free tote bag!), that’s what people will give…