Hi {{first_name}},
The magnolia tree outside my window is kind of a big deal. It blooms right around my birthday every year, and during the week-plus that it is in full flower, I feel like I’m neighbors with a celebrity. Everybody wants to get a picture– sometimes a selfie.
For 7–10 days a year, these magnolia blooms make me feel like I’ve got constant paparazzi outside my window.
Over the past week, I reconnected with my friend Brian from high school. Brian is a firefighter in Jersey City, and also specializes in SEO and workflow automation. We had a great time catching up. Afterwards, he took the time to review every page of my website and shared thoughtful, actionable suggestions to enhance the user experience. Look out for some big improvements in the coming weeks!
It’s a powerful thing when people share what they know so freely and generously. Brian’s thoughtful advice and the time he took to give it were a real highlight of my week. Thanks, Brian!
In that same spirit of sharing what’s helpful, here’s what we have in store for you today:
Mentor wisdom from Aidan Coffey of Special Olympics New York
Upcoming fundraising events you won’t want to miss.
Wishing you a season full of bold moves and big wins,
Mike
Before You Launch a Campaign
Always check the weather before you set sail.
If you’re thinking about launching a capital or comprehensive campaign, one question tends to come up early: Is this goal actually achievable?
I recently put together a short piece on how feasibility studies help answer that question, while also strengthening your case for support, identifying early champions, and building momentum before you go public.
You can read the full article here.
Mentor Wisdom
Aidan Coffey is a Development & Events Intern at Special Olympics New York, and currently finishing his Masters of Science in Nonprofit Management at Columbia University.
We think a lot about AI in fundraising here at Mike Esposito Fundraising, so we really appreciated this standout takeaway from a lecture on how AI can best support fundraising efforts:
Sarah on AI
Some plateaus are better than others. The Colorado Plateau, pictured here, is the best kind of plateau (according to Sarah.)
Once you’ve learned the basics of working with an AI tool like Claude or ChatGPT, it can be easy to settle into an unchallenging routine, using powerful tools for the same few things, over and over again. You know you could be doing more, but just don’t know what that should be.
To solve that problem, last weekend I created personal AI audit prompts for Claude and ChatGPT, and tried them out on myself. Mike tried them too. We both left with some new inspiration and some new things to try.
The two prompts, and the process I used to create them, are in my article.
If you’re stuck in a rut, or on a plateau that isn’t in Canyonlands National Park, this is a great way to get moving again.
Let me know how it goes!
Find the article here.
Partner Spotlight- DonorBox
If you’re looking to build more predictable revenue and stronger donor relationships, a thoughtful monthly giving strategy can go a long way.
Our partners at Donorbox put together a great free guide with practical, step-by-step ideas to help you strengthen your monthly program, from refining your pitch to improving retention and converting one-time donors into long-term supporters.
Don’t Forget
Refer fundraising friends to subscribe to this newsletter by sharing this link!
Reply! I love hearing your feedback, insights, and even a good joke.
Bring me in to support your team- I offer fundraising coaching, campaign planning and counsel, strategy assessments, and more!
OTHER NEWS
Upcoming Events:
Hope to see you in sunny San Diego!
Mike Esposito Fundraising will be sponsoring!
Co-hosted by Mike!
Mike Esposito Fundraising will be sponsoring and hope to see you here, too!