Our Blog

By Barbara Anne Stephens Throughout the 1990s it was common for fundraising professionals to hear a particular phase uttered in reference to Board Members  --  “Give, Get or Get Off.”  Succinct certainly and harsh DEFINITELY! That comment not only “disses”...

By Joyce Penland, CFRE When setting a proper dinner table, one could argue that the meal is not complete without the basics:  the bread and butter.  Growing up in the Midwest, that was certainly the case in our household.  The bread and butter were the...

We at Bacon Lee & Associates are faithful members of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and benefit from so many of its services.  One of our favorites is the weekly AFP eWire that keeps members apprised of newsworthy events, trends, and...

Here are the top suggestions from the Bacon Lee & Associates team in our Checklist for Starting the Year Off Right. As you review it, please let us know of other tips that can boost nonprofit success. Checklist for Starting the Year Off Right Pull up...

By Mike Patterson, CFRE There’s a popular adage that is apropos to planned giving:  KISS. Introducing gift arrangements to uninformed prospects is one of the most challenging aspects of any fundraiser’s job.  Unfortunately, many gift planners and development...

Bacon Lee & Associates marks both its 10-year anniversary this month and the surpassing of a milestone: helping nonprofits raise more than $100 million for causes in San Antonio, Austin and the Texas Hill Country. “We’re very proud of the work we’ve done...

By Joyce Penland, CFRE Conducting a “diagnostic assessment” or an “internal procedures audit” can be a powerful tool in providing nonprofits a roadmap for future success.  In the development assessments the Bacon Lee & Associates team has initiated for...

By Michael Bacon, CFRE This month’s “Real Mistakes Fundraisers Make” focuses on the unfortunate practice by fundraisers of calling on a prospective donor for one reason in the guise of something altogether different. We call it “Bait and Switch.”  In the...

By Michael Bacon, CFRE In your fundraising work, you are making daily decisions about how to use your scant resources to bring in charitable gifts.  If you had access to information that helped you make those choices, wouldn’t your job be easier? Rarely do...

Common mistakes fundraisers make  -- Over promising and under delivering By Michael Bacon, CFRE This month’s “Real Mistakes Fundraisers Make” focuses on the regrettable and all too common practice by fundraisers of making promises that we can’t (or don’t)...

Thoughtful cultivation is key to success By Karen Kegg Effective communication is most important in building strong relationships.  Anytime you seek to get to know someone, you start by letting him or her know who you are and what you are about.  The fun and...

By Marion Lee, CFRE Every summer we look forward to what has become known in the office as the philanthropy report card published by the Giving USA Foundation.  As most of you know, The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University researches and writes the...

By Michael Bacon, CFRE This month’s “Real Mistakes Fundraisers Make” focuses on the all too-common practice of becoming overly familiar with a donor or a prospect simply because you’ve had the opportunity to meet them on behalf of your nonprofit. We call it...

By Michael Bacon, CFRE I recently presented a seminar for the San Antonio Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.  The session focused on some common fundraising mistakes that we've all made from time to time. I'd like to highlight some of...

By Mollie O’Hara Butler, CFRE It’s the time of year when I am frequently contacted by recent college graduates.  They are looking for their dream jobs or just figuring out what their dream looks like.  This year I had the wonderful opportunity to speak with...

By Michael Bacon, CFRE Recent events have underscored, for me, the importance of having a knowledgeable and engaged Board…a Board that understands its fiduciary role, its managerial role and even its fundraising role.  As we are engaged with clients in...

One of our principals, Michael Bacon, was recently featured on Channel 8, the Austin area's Time Warner News station, about the giving climate in San Antonio  and Austin.  Mike observed that there are unique differences in what motivates philanthropy,...

By Barbara Anne Stephens As my colleague, Joyce Penland, CFRE, is fond of saying, “Fundraisers have a myriad of tools in their toolbox” and foundation grant writing is one of those tools.  Like all fundraising, foundation grant seeking is at its best when...

By R. Michael Patterson Non-profit organizations should have a giving level to recognize individuals who make planned gifts. A planned gift society enables you to formally thank individuals as well as steward them through appreciation events, such as...