Not Quite: Fundraising Myths Holding You Back

Tom has worked with hundreds of organizations of all kinds, from Chambers of Commerce to religious organizations, national museums to rural health networks, and local youth organizations to international research institutes. He pioneered the concept of applying return on investment (ROI) principles to nonprofit fundraising, and fundraisers have described his work as the “silver bullet” that justifies larger investments in nonprofit organizations.

Hundreds of organizations have utilized Tom’s sustainability planning techniques to ensure they can thrive in a tight money environment. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation, which provides the framework for his Investment-Driven Model™ of fundraising and led to the development of the Organizational Value Proposition®, which is widely used by corporations, foundations, and individuals as confirmation that the nonprofits in which they invest are truly delivering outcomes with values.

Claire Axelrad is the Principal at Clairification. With over 30 years of fundraising experience, Claire is passionate about helping nonprofits create a culture of philanthropy that moves beyond transactions and into transformation. Claire's practical approach and expertise have earned her numerous awards and recognition, including the AFP "Outstanding Fundraising Professional of the Year" award. Claire is based in San Francisco and enjoys craft fairs, baseball games, art openings, music, and political conversations.

Sherry Quam Taylor works with growth-minded Nonprofit CEOs who are scaling their organizations but still need larger amounts of general operating support to accomplish their Strategic Plans. She breaks their teams free from the limitations of transactional fundraising and helps them reimagine their entire approach to revenue generation. The high-performing leaders Sherry works with need more unrestricted revenue from investment-level donors. As a result of learning her methodology, Sherry’s clients regularly add 7-figures of gen-ops revenue to their bottom line by learning how to attract investment-level donors that WANT to fund their work.

Erin Straza is a Chief Content Strategist, communications consultant, and creative writer. For more than 25 years, she has crafted powerful messaging for nonprofit and corporate clients from across the country and serving constituencies around the world. Erin specializes in developing and implementing core messaging strategies with marcom nonprofit teams to make their mission irresistible to donors. As a result, organizations are equipped to overhaul their team’s approach to donor engagement and budgetary growth. A published author, conference speaker, podcast host, and avid reader, Erin never tires exploring intriguing ideas, listening to stories, and indulging her incurable wanderlust.

Jeff is no stranger to fundraising events, having participated in them for over 25 years. He ran his first fundraiser in 2005 and has managed over 50 auction events and fundraisers for his own charities, not to mention hundreds more with Handbid. Jeff has been involved in technical product and software development since 1996 and has built and managed mobile app solutions since 2008. When it became clear that he and his wife, Kari Porter, needed a better solution for their fundraisers, developing a mobile bidding app was a no-brainer. The result? Jeff and his wife Kari developed and launched Handbid in 2011. The rest is what they call “history”.