RPR Fundraising relaunches as Ascend Partners Group, LLC

Consulting firm to non-profits merges with The Richard Mahan Group; New associates join professional team.

RPR Fundraising, LLC has merged with the Richard Mahan Group effective March 1, 2015.  The newly combined consulting agency has been renamed Ascend Partners Group, LLC, reflecting the firm’s professional expertise in assisting non-profit organizations in growing and expanding their business to the “next level” of performance.  The newly merged firm, which has relocated its headquarters to Sacramento, CA, will continue to provide critical services that include fund development, strategic planning, human resources management, and financial management while adding an expanded menu of marketing and public relations services for its clients.

The chase for corporate support

Just about every organization we work with of late has been seeking answers to a seemingly universal question in the non-profit community: “How do we attract more corporate support?”

A fair question, but not when it comes at the exclusion of others, such as, “How do we increase annual giving from individuals?”

Or, “How do we build a pipeline of major gifts prospects from our constituent base?”

A Fundraiser’s Resume

Absolutely agree with Linda Spencer‘s post on her Living for Purpose blog about what every fundraiser’s resume should include. My firm reviews numerous resumes for major gift officer and executive director positions, and far too often they lack some of these basic elements. This is a terrific primer for anyone looking at polishing a resume in preparation for a job search in the nonprofit world…

Simple tips for social media use for non-profits

I’ve had several conversations in recent weeks with non-profit board members and executives wrestling with how to utilize social media in their fundraising efforts. They almost universally know they need to do something, but they don’t necessarily know what or how.

As the success of the recent “Big Day of Giving” on May 6 illustrates, social media can be a powerful tool for engaging prospective donors to support a cause – both by giving and by spreading the word to others.

Planning the future of Filoli

Filoli Gardens

On April 27 I facilitated the first of three planned community conversations with stakeholders at Filoli as a part of RPR Fundraising‘s ongoing work with the organization, focusing on the future of the historic country estate located in Woodside, CA. This is the start of a strategic planning process that will include plans for the estate’s Centennial Celebration as well as fund development and long-term sustainability plans.

K-12, higher education…”fundraising is fundraising”

It was a pleasure to serve as a panelist at 2014 California Consortium of Education Foundations annual conference, held at UC Irvine this week, to discuss lessons K-12 fundraising professionals can glean from their higher education counterparts. The panel, moderated by Andrea Sala of the Peninsula Education Foundation in Palos Verdes, also included Dr. Sylvia Acosta, Assistant Vice Chancellor at UC Irvine.

Our discussion was wide-ranging, but focused primarily on the importance of inspiring donors through storytelling, providing clear and concise messages, and creating a culture of giving.

Talking fundraising, nonprofits and more on “The Powder Keg of Awesome”

I had the pleasure this morning of talking fundraising, nonprofits, and a variety of related topics on the Powder Keg of Awesome, the venerable and often irreverent internet radio podcast now in its third year on the air. Hosts Jerry Kennedy and Jackie Dotson fostered a free-flowing session along with producer Michael Clark, and the four-way dialogue touched on a variety of topics surrounding best practices for nonprofit organizations, the stumbling blocks many organizations run into as they attempt to grow, the cost-benefit analysis that should accompany any fundraising event, and the importance of working with the right consultant for your organization.

You can listen to the entire one-hour podcast from BlogTalkRadio right here.

Louder doesn’t always equal better

One of the great challenges for underserved populations in our country is of course access to higher education, which can be the determining factor in escaping poverty.  For example, only 5% of Native Americans living on reservations can afford to go to college.

There’s an TV ad campaign that’s been running for awhile now seeking to entice donors to give to the American Indian Scholarship Fund.

Constituent Engagement: Free Webinar to Offer Insights on New Program

Engaging constituents: a critical role for any nonprofit executive, fundraiser, or volunteer.

RPR Fundraising is pleased to offer a FREE webinar on emerging methods of constituent engagement. Learn from one of our new associates about a compelling engagement program that is yielding tremendous results in terms of volunteer recruitment and donor cultivation.

Whether you’re a nonprofit executive director, a frontline fundraiser, or a volunteer board member, learning to engage prospective supporters and donors is critical to your organization’s success. Join us December 3 at 12 noon PDT!

Register here!

Can philanthropy be mutually beneficial?

The author contemplates the meaning of philanthropy and whether it can be beneficial not only to recipients but also to philanthropists. His five reasons why philanthropy can be mutually beneficial make for an interesting read…