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Beyond the Ask
What Your Board Should Be Asking About Contributed Revenue This Fall
Copying last year’s budget assumes last year’s donors—and they won't all be there. A nonprofit budget isn't a wish list; it’s a set of real commitments. Before your board approves next year’s numbers, here are the critical questions they need to be asking about your major donors, grants, and contributed revenue.
Your Next Major Donor Is Probably Already in Your Database
Your top donors didn't fall out of the sky.
I've believed that for years.
Major donors aren't discovered. They're developed over time. The person giving you $50,000 usually started somewhere much smaller.
I've seen that firsthand at the organizations where I've worked, but recently I realized I'd never actually checked that assumption against the organizations I work with now.
Your Fundraising Goal Might Be Impossible
I once spent a year chasing a fundraising goal that was never achievable.
And our team was good.
Our ability to fundraise was not the issue.
New major donors came in. A longtime supporter doubled her annual gift. A five-figure sponsor showed up for the event who had never given before. Real generosity, genuinely aligned with real impact, over and over across twelve months.
Turning “No” Into the Thing Anyway
Being told no—and finding a way to do the thing anyway—has been the throughline of my entire life.
In college, I had a formative experience attending “theatre bootcamp” at the O’Neill Theatre Center’s National Theatre Institute.
It was exactly what it sounds like.
Fundraising Systems for Arts & Culture Organizations: Moving Beyond the Fiscal Year Scramble
As June 30 approaches, many arts & culture organizations find themselves fundraising reactively—scrambling to close gifts while simultaneously planning the next fiscal year’s budget.
If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone.
Staff Turnover Is Inevitable. Fundraising Systems Are Not Optional.
You know what almost every nonprofit leader fears?
Staff turnover.
Not just because hiring is hard, but because so much institutional knowledge, history, and relationship context lives inside people’s heads. When someone leaves, it can feel like the organization takes ten steps backward before it can move forward again.
“We need more donors before we focus on major gifts.”
I’ve heard some version of this statement for years. The logic usually goes something like this: If we just expand the pool—more events, more emails, more outreach—the major donors will eventually emerge on their own.
What 2025 Taught Me About Major Gifts, Focus, and Fundraising Resilience
Lessons from a year navigating fundraising amid uncertainty.
One year ago, I left my full-time role at The Old Globe and stepped into a new chapter: working alongside nonprofit leaders to strengthen their fundraising from the inside out.
The Philanthropic Signals Nonprofit Leaders Can’t Afford to Miss
Key patterns from the field — and simple steps to focus your fundraising energy.
As year-end giving accelerates, here are the donor patterns we’re seeing across the organizations Coastal Nonprofit Consulting supports:
Understanding Donors: 10 Ways to Find Your Next Major Donor
Your next major gift donor isn’t a billionaire philanthropist—they’re already in your network, watching your impact and waiting for the right moment to give. In this post, we’ll share 10 proven ways to connect with major donors, build meaningful relationships, and guide them toward saying "Yes!" to your mission. !
Decoding Grants: 10 Key Definitions Every Nonprofit Needs to Know
Key grant terms simplified to help nonprofits navigate institutional funding with clarity and confidence.
Understanding Operations: 10 Ways to Fundraise Without Asking for a Donation
Good philanthropy operations are the difference between one person lifting weight all on their own and a whole team of systems systems and people working together to lighten the load.
When all of your philanthropic systems and processes are working together, that donor has every reason to make their gift again the following year–they may even give without you having to ask!