by Adriana Sánchez | May 17, 2025 | Uncategorized
Greetings from Lake Tahoe. After a week of camping off the grid, swimming in alpine lakes, and soaking in the stillness of the mountains, I’ve found it surprisingly hard to get back into work mode. Tahoe has been our home base for over a decade, and it’s the kind of...
by Adriana Sánchez | May 12, 2025 | Uncategorized
Let’s talk about your pitch. Fundraisers spend a lot of time obsessing over it—tweaking every word, rehearsing until it’s “just right,” polishing their delivery like it’s a TED Talk. But here’s the truth:Your pitch isn’t about you. It’s about the donor. And your goal?...
by Monica Vandeventer | Apr 30, 2025 | Uncategorized
One of the biggest sources of anxiety for fundraisers is determining how much to ask for.Ask too little, and you leave impact on the table.Ask too much, and you risk alienating a donor.In between these extremes is an art—and a discipline—that can transform your...
by Adriana Sánchez | Apr 17, 2025 | Stuff Development Officers deal with, The Basics, Uncategorized
There’s a lot of advice out there about how to thank donors. Handwritten notes. Phone calls. Creative gestures. And while tactics matter, they are only as effective as the heart behind them. Because donor stewardship isn’t a checklist. It’s a mindset. We believe the...
by Adriana Sánchez | Apr 4, 2025 | Stuff Development Officers deal with, The Basics, Uncategorized
What Level Are You? A Guide to Advancing as a Fundraiser Are you a Peak Performance Fundraiser? In my experience, I’ve observed that there are lots of people who have a title like “Development Officer” or even “Development Director” or “Major Gifts Officer” and these...
by Monica Vandeventer | Aug 24, 2023 | Preperation, Stuff Development Officers deal with, The Basics, Uncategorized
Introduction Picture this: I am sitting in my front bench. The cool mountain air is crisp in my lungs. The sun is bright and I am excited. As I laced up my running shoes, I knew that the day held both a challenge and an opportunity for growth. Hey there, fellow...
