Nonprofit Training Resources And Blog Posts
 

Sharon and I recently wrapped up a four-part fundraising workshop series in partnership with NonProfits First in West Palm Beach. Over the course of eight weeks, we shared stories from our professional experiences—highlighting successes (and the lessons behind them) across four key areas of fundraising: corporate partnerships, individual giving, foundation grants, and events and sponsorships. Each session was lively, practical, and, we hope, empowering. Attendees left with a

Long ago and far away, someone told me a story about frequency. I share it now because, although it was a long time ago, the truth remains the same:  one outreach is not enough . Picture this. You’re sitting by the window at your favorite café with a good friend, deep in conversation about life, work, and everything in between. You’ve just ordered a refreshing flavored iced tea when a well-dressed woman walks by and waves politely in your direction. You notice her briefly bu

Thinking about year-end in July? Really?!  It’s odd to think about when we’re just coming out of the 4th of July holiday, but Q4 will be here in no time. Suddenly, calendars are packed, deadlines pile up, and the urgency of year-end giving kicks into overdrive. We’re finalizing donor appeals, launching Giving Tuesday campaigns, and closing out every grant report we possibly can before the holidays. But here’s the truth: if you wait until October to get serious about Q4, you’r

This morning, my youngest child drove off to start the first chapter of her adult life. She has a job and apartment waiting for her in a...

"History is entirely created by the person who tells the story." - Lin-Manuel Miranda At Team Kat & Mouse, we know that great...

As the heat rises and inboxes slow down, it’s easy to feel like summer is the slow season for fundraising. Donor meetings get postponed. Grant deadlines seem sparse. Your colleagues are out of the office, and even your most responsive board members might be replying from the beach (if at all). It’s tempting to call it the “summer slump”—and many nonprofits do. But here’s the thing: summer doesn’t have to be a slump. It can be one of the most strategic seasons of the year—if y

Back in May, I wrote a blog about hope and shared a story about a former salesperson who once worked with me. During the 2008 banking crisis, one of the best salespeople I’ve ever known came to me in a panic. Banks were folding, clients were canceling left and right, and she thought she had lost her magic. She’d been up all night and just needed to talk. During our conversation, we discussed how the realities of the world called for different—and more intentional—tactics: har

Bringing Fundraising Success to Your Community: The Team Kat & Mouse Approach In the ever-evolving landscape of nonprofit fundraising, adaptability and innovation are key. Since our inception in 2021, Team Kat & Mouse has been at the forefront of empowering nonprofit organizations with the tools, tactics, and training necessary to not only meet but exceed their fundraising goals. Our Journey So Far Founded by seasoned nonprofit professionals Sharon Kitroser and Amy Mauser, Te

Our team received a call from a prospective organization. The mission was amazing, but it seemed the world was weighing heavy on this...

I have a confession to make: when working as a frontline fundraiser, I sometimes failed to appreciate “small” gifts. That’s not to say I didn’t get excited any time I saw a contribution come in, but generally, the more zeroes I saw in a contribution amount, the more excited I got. I suppose this is natural in a profession where our performance is so often tied to the bottom line. If we’re working hard to hit a goal, we’re going to get excited about the things that move us cl

In fundraising, the dollars raised are the metric that typically gets all the attention. It’s the headline number in annual reports, board meetings, and campaign wrap-ups. But if we only measure our success by the total amount of money raised, we’re missing the bigger story—and potentially risking our future. Take a look at the latest numbers from the Fundraising Effectiveness Project. On the surface, the headline looks positive: Total dollars raised are up 3.5%. But dig a li

Symposium Team Kat & Mouse had the incredible opportunity to attend this year’s Florida Blue Foundation’s Community Health Symposium and Sapphire Awards. What is it? The Symposium is an inspiring two-day event that brings together thought leaders, nonprofit changemakers, and community partners from across Florida. Each year, the focus is on addressing critical health issues and exploring local solutions to improve well-being at the community level. This year, over 650 people.

HOPE was born Many years ago, a baby was born in New York. Her parents gave her a fairly common first name for the times—but for a middle name, they gave her something more powerful. They gave her a mantra. In case I’ve never mentioned it: my middle name is HOPE. And it has served me well my entire life. Now, I often say HOPE is not a strategy… but it  is  a steady burn in your soul that whispers:  this just might be worth it. A Lesson in HOPE Back in the early 1990s, the rea

I was meeting with a client recently and we were discussing the need for an increase in managing a complete donor cycle with their individual donors.  Too many are falling through the cracks – and the DOD (Director of Development) spends so much time on event planning and sponsorship deliverables that they aren’t focusing on prospecting to grow the pipeline of individual donors. The DOD’s idea … “we need to use a bigger spoon.”  My response, “we need to use more spoons!” Then

At Team Kat & Mouse , we’re no strangers to external turmoil disrupting the nonprofit space. We began working with organizations in the...

"Spreading the Risk: When One Basket of Eggs is Not Enough" webinar.   LINK to watch!

Last Sunday afternoon, my husband and I were sitting around doing a whole lot of nothing. Mitch had played Sunday softball with his...

One message that is consistent in Team Kat & Mouse’s training sessions is that there is no ‘one size fits all’ for a non-profit’s donors...

I could probably write a book with odd things I’ve seen in grant applications. From strange forms to even stranger submission methods...

I received a call from a partner of one of our clients. She had a problem.  Our foodbank client was giving her whole chickens to distribute…. my initial thought (quietly to myself) was,  That’s cool! One chicken can feed an entire family, and there will even be leftovers! But then she explained that the people receiving the chickens didn’t know how to cut them or prepare them for cooking. And that’s when I remembered. Years ago, while working with The Walt Disney Company/Radi