It's a recurring question in the life of a fundraiser:  "How much money should I request from a donor when I meet with them?"  If that's a question that continues to baffle you, we have good news!  Andrew and Rhen return with an episode on tools you can use to determine the appropriate dollar amount...

Let’s face it—2024 was a big year for The Petrus Development Show! Whether you’re a seasoned fundraiser or just here for the inspiration, these episodes struck a chord with listeners everywhere. So, grab your favorite coffee (or eggnog if that’s your thing), and let’s count down the top five episode...

Andrew and Rhen return to the Petrus Development Show for a discussion specifically for new fundraisers and the organizations who employ them.  Very few of us go to school for fundraising.  Fundraisers are often pulled into development positions because of the relationship they have with an organiza...

By Rhen Hoehn, Director of Marketing

You would not build a house without first creating blueprints, gathering building materials, and pouring a foundation.

It wouldn’t make any sense to start the build by constructing a gourmet kitchen without plumbing, electricity, or even a roof and say ...

Andrew and Rhen return this week for a fun episode on fundraising trends.  Together, they share data and statistics about the most popular fundraising activities.  

Show Notes:

This time of the year is often the start of new years (new school years, new fiscal years, etc.), and it's al...

Andrew Robison, Petrus president, and Rhen Hoehn, Petrus's director of marketing, are together again on this week's episode of the Petrus Development Show!  They spend their time discussing how to set development staff expectations for a new fiscal year.  It's another nuts and bolts show about a spe...

By Rhen Hoehn, Director of Marketing

Inflow must be greater than outflow.

When it comes to setting a budget, this fact is obvious.

When preparing the budget for a nonprofit organization, though, many fundraisers find that the process seems to happen backwards.

Your experience may reso...

While we start this episode with a joke, donor databases are a very serious matter.  As you'll learn in this Q+A with Petrus president, Andrew Robison, choosing the right donor database can make a world of difference in your fundraising capabilities.  

(A laugh for your day:  Q:  Where do dads stor...

By Rhen Hoehn, Director of Marketing

Every so often, it becomes necessary for a nonprofit to abandon their existing donor database system and move to a new one. 

The existing system may be too complicated for staff to use, or perhaps it's not sophisticated enough to keep up with the growing o...

By Chris Scroggin, Petrus Consultant

Have you ever wondered what art and science have in common? 

Art draws on emotions.

Science uses rational thought.

But, science and art both demand creativity and excellent observational skills. 

Most techniques used by artists even have interesting scient...

One of the non-profits I worked for didn’t have a database; they had an Excel spreadsheet for their donor information. It wasn’t very organized, and I had no idea how accurate it was. 

There was information everywhere - on spreadsheets, in the executive director’s notebooks, and in the heads ...

By Rhen Hoehn, Petrus Director of Marketing

A capital campaign is a targeted fundraising project meant to raise significant dollars in a relatively short period of time. 

Campaigns can be used to fund needed projects such as building repairs, or they can fund the expansion of a campus to m...