Some fund raisers have been asked to take pay cuts at their organization — especially since many development officials are among the highest-paid at their nonprofit group.

Have you been asked to take a pay cut? Have others at your organization been expected to do so? Do you think the approach your group has taken is fair?

Share your experiences by clicking on the comments link below.

Organizations that focus on the mission and thank donors regularly are among those that are succeeding, according to veteran fund-raising consultants who spoke at a gathering that preceded the annual meeting of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Let us know what has helped your organization thrive in the recession by clicking on the comment link below.

There is a saying in Central America: “If you impact a man you have transformed an individual. If you impact a woman, you have transformed generations to come.”

Jeff Brooks writes at his Donor Power Blog that he recently received an e-mail message from a “small, well-run nonprofit” with this “saying” as an opener. And Mr. Brooks, creative director at Merkle Direct, a fund-raising consulting firm, isn’t buying it.

“C’mon! Does anybody in Central America (or anywhere else) walk around uttering anything as clunky as that?” he writes. “What on earth would cause you to claim that they do?”

He suspects that the “saying” was probably born of bad translation mixed with “nonprofit-speak” and “bureaucratese” so that what might be a local adage becomes “a mouthful of jargon.”

“Real sayings as uttered by real people are short, easy to remember, and punchy” he writes. “When you write...

E-mail may be an inexpensive way to solicit donations and stay in contact with supporters, but outdated or incorrectly typed e-mail addresses can sabotage any online fund-raising campaign.

At Katya’s Non-profit Marketing Blog, Rebecca Higman, a marketing specialist at the online giving portal Network for Good, offers a few suggestions for collecting active and accurate home e-mail addresses for potential supporters:

*Add a “double opt-in” feature that sends a confirmation link by e-mail to each new subscriber whenever you add a new e-mail address to the list.

*Use every opportunity to collect e-mail addresses from supporters—at special events, on direct mail, or through links at the end of personal e-mails—to reduce errors in the files and encourage followers to sign up for electronic communications.

*Create an e-mail...

Is your charity’s online fund raising in the hands of “techies” or seasoned fund raisers?

That question started a lively discussion question on The Agitator, a blog run by two fund-raising consultants.

It was all sparked by a recent study showing that donors who initially give online often make subsequent gifts through direct mail campaigns.

Roger Craver, one of the conosultants, blogged about the results, prompting a reader put forth the theory that this donor “migration” from online to in-the-mail is a result of far better donor cultivation at the hands of seasoned direct-mail fund raisers. Mr. Belford distilled it this way: Direct-mail fund raisers know how to raise money; online “fund raising” is left to techies who don’t.

Other readers came up with conclusions of their own. One saw this migration as normal and no cause for concern, while another doubted its existence. In...

Despite a dismal economy, the Salvation Army managed to set a new record with its year-end red-kettle campaign, which in 2008 raised $130-million, or 10 percent more than last year’s national total. The increase is the largest one-year jump the annual campaign has seen since 1997.

This year, the Salvation Army added a few hi-tech enhancements to its iconic kettles: Branches in Denver and Dallas tested “cashless kettles” that accepted credit- and debit-card donations, while several other locations gave supporters the option of making small donations via text message. The organization also partnered with a digital media company to create an iPhone application that allowed users to download Christmas music to their phones for $2.99. The Army’s “virtual kettles” raised $10-million online this year.

The 2008 campaign also benefited from considerable corporate support: Donations to kettle...

Ever wonder what donors are looking for when they scour through your organization’s Form 990 informational tax form?

Some donors attempt to calculate fund-raising costs. Others hone in on executive salaries.

But H. Art Taylor, chief executive of the Better Business Bureau’s Giving Wise Alliance, in Arlington, Va., advises donors to focus on three key things when they consult an organization’s tax form:

“First, I try to gather the seriousness of the organization from the quality of its mission statement. If the mission is vague and does not clearly articulate the programs of the organization, I lose patience.

“Secondly, I look to see if there are conflicts of interest among the board and staff. That’s another turn off for me.

“Third, I am interested in knowing how long they have been in business. Given the number of organizations already in existence, a newer organization has...

The embattled mortgage giant Fannie Mae is touting some good news: Its annual walkathon for the homeless raised $5.6-million in 2008.

However, the economic crisis appears to have taken a toll on fund raising. The 2007 walkathon raised more than $7-million.

The annual event, which takes place in November, supports homeless programs and social-service providers in the Washington area.

Given the federal government’s takeover of Fannie Mae last year, questions have been raised about whether its charitable programs would end. The Federal Housing Finance Agency said in October that Fannie Mae and its sister organization Freddie Mac should continue to help charities.

As the economy continues to struggle, many fund raisers are becoming more aggressive in their efforts to seek gifts from donors.

But for donors, many of whom are already facing tough choices about how to best direct their charitable contributions, the influx of appeals can be paralyzing.

The often wonder how best to make decisions and what questions to ask.

Donors will get a chance to get answers to these and other questions during a one-hour live discussion tomorrow (March 17) at noon Eastern time.

This event is a good opportunity for fund raisers to hear what’s on the minds of people who are deciding whether to support their causes. It’s also a chance for your donors to learn more about how to make decisions about their giving. Encourage your donors to participate in this discussion so they will learn more about how to make smart decisions about giving.

A full transcript...

As the economy continues to struggle, many fund raisers are becoming more aggressive in their efforts to seek gifts from donors.

But for donors, many of whom are already facing tough choices about how to best direct their charitable contributions, the influx of appeals can be paralyzing.

The often wonder how best to make decisions and what questions to ask.

Donors will get a chance to get answers to these and other questions during a one-hour live discussion tomorrow (March 17) at noon Eastern time.

This event is a good opportunity for fund raisers to hear what’s on the minds of people who are deciding whether to support their causes. It’s also a chance for your donors to learn more about how to make decisions about their giving. Encourage your donors to participate in this discussion so they will learn more about how to make smart decisions about giving.

A full transcript...