It's not too hard to stand out these days because while so many nonprofits might seem shiny and impressive on the outside, their donor experience is inconsistent and sucks.

If you have a big vision for impact, you must have even bigger courage. If your future self raises tens of millions or hundreds of millions, when would be a good time to prioritize courage? When would be a good time to elevate your strategy? To learn a new way of going about this entire fundraising thing? The best leaders know there is never a good time. The time is now.

Ever make your strategic plan and then the numbers just don't add up to the goal? What do you do? There are so many options to get to your goals. I find that oftentimes CEOs and leaders end up working themselves to the bone, doing so much…When there is a better, more efficient way to reach your goal.

Here's what I know is at play when we don't know where donors are and can't find the time to fundraise: We concoct fancy, smart ways to procrastinate sitting across from people and asking them straight up for a major gift. Who are these people? People who already give, already support, already know who you are, and are passionate about the mission or the organization.

I want us all to win. I want the world to become a more generous and courageous place. This is my agenda. It starts with you. Me. We must become courageous. We must own our influence with wealthy donors. We must ask for more. It's not only our responsibility. It's our calling.

Ever just needed a quick win or to bring in an extra $10k unrestricted gift? Yeah, I get it. I think we've all been there. Here's what I typically do and I hope you'll use this (and bookmark it) so you can use this anytime you get in a spot where you need an influx of cash.

Your best bet for growing your pipeline of donors is taking great care of the ones you have and asking them to introduce you to folks like them. If you are not taking great care of your current donors, then you likely struggle to get them to make intros.

Often with ultra-high-net-worth individuals, you only get one shot (like Eminem said) or one meeting a year to ask for a six or 7-figure gift. Or it may come down to one email that matters most in closing their gift for the year. Damn, does every word matter in that email. And if you leave significant money on the table, you usually don't realize until it's too late.

Relationship and Passion matter more than Capacity. You can easily get distracted by someone's wealth and think you should prioritize them, but if there is no relationship or passion, you're wasting your time. How do you evaluate the relationship and where you stand with a donor? How do you know if you can turn $25k into $300k in one conversation and 3 emails? You can learn to do this. And it will change the entire trajectory of your career.

Here's to building authentic relationships with the donors you've got! Show up for them, listen, ask questions, let them know what's going on with you and your organization, share the wins and challenges, and get ready to answer the question "How can I help?"

If you’re looking to raise more money this year, you might want to consider hiring a fundraising coach. Why would you need a coach? Well, for starters, too many fundraisers are left out to dry. They have to figure out how to engage with donors with limited time and few resources. If that sounds like you, a coach can help save you time and make the most of your resources—as well as help you raise more funds.

Sometimes we just need to know what to say. Here are some scripts and some common scenarios among my clients the last 5 years.