When we ask for advice, we are usually looking for an accomplice. – Marquis de la Grange I love this quote. It can be read as manipulative, but I choose not to. And yes, “accomplice,” does convey wrongdoing of some sort. But if not taken so literally, it can be read in a way that [...]
Browsing the archives for the Fundraising category
18 Jul 10
11 Jul 10
We use the word everyday, but what does it mean? What, really, is a gift? Recently, Seth Godin blogging about Gifts, misunderstood, stated the following: A gift costs the giver something real. It might be cash (enough that we feel the pinch) but more likely it involves a sacrifice or a risk or an emotional [...]
9 Jul 10
In the past few months, I’ve had 2 late night flights cancelled causing me to spend extra nights in cities not of my choosing. In each case, the airline provided me with a hotel voucher. As I checked into each hotel, I asked the front desk attendants if they wanted my loyalty number. It just [...]
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Posted in Fundraising, Leadership
30 Jun 10
Some gift income reports I’ve read use the term, “giving units,” to describe donors. I’ve never much liked that terminology. Too cold and objectifying. Recently I read some fascinating research on community college presidents completed by Matt Thompson, a good friend and thoughtful higher education leader. Matt’s research re-introduced me to the concept of verstehen [...]
27 Jun 10
A regular annual fund donor sends in a gift – a check for $1,000. Your organization promptly produces a gift receipt and sends a letter (either hard copy or electronic) expressing gratitude signed by the appropriate staff person. Is that it? Is that all that happens? Despite all the talk about “engaging donors,” I’m afraid [...]
18 Jun 10
Our friends at Achieve and Johnson Grossnickle Associates recently published research on the giving inclinations of Millennials. They surveyed 2,200 of the facebooking and twittering-set between the ages of 20 and 40 (75% were “Millennials”) and asked how they would like to engage with and be solicited by non-profits. So, here are 3 key findings [...]
15 Jun 10
Let’s say your portfolio has 150 prospects. Most readers of this blog (because they are some of the sharpest development folk out there!) have a plan for how each will be solicited in the coming year. It may be that you plan to solicit 40-60 during face-to-face visits with specific, major gift proposals. Others [...]
10 Jun 10
So, the 2009 Giving USA data has been released and some people aren’t happy. What does Giving USA report? Adjusted for inflation, year-over-year giving in 2009 declined by 3.2%. Not surprisingly, there was a decline. But, here is what has some people confused and even upset: Giving from individuals – which make up 75% of [...]
8 Jun 10
The most common question I get regarding performance-based metrics is, “what should we be counting?” Is it visits? moves? phone calls? dollars raised? number of proposals submitted? etc. And while I can make a well-reasoned argument as to why a particular set of metrics will be more powerful in predicting success than another, I can [...]
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Posted in Fundraising, Leadership
30 May 10
Science has educated us on the term “in vitro” – which means to conduct work not in a living, whole organism but in a controlled, sterile environment. “In vitro” became part of our lexicon because of its use in reproductive science. The so-called test tube babies. On the other hand, we have heard less [...]
