I invite you to begin your New Year by watching this short “ted talk,” which was actually a presentation by Viktor Frankl, the 20th Century Austrian psychologist and more importantly, Holocaust survivor. He reminds us all that we have a responsibility to lift up, to inspire, and to encourage others. Regardless of your circumstances,…
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A Perspective on Purpose
It is well known that, given the choice, younger people will opt to meet new people and participate in new experiences as opposed to spending time with a sibling or other family members. Conversely, older folks tend to prefer spending time with those closest to them – family, long-held friends, etc. – as opposed to…
The New Tax Bill and Charitable Giving: Another Take
This week the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate passed the much-discussed tax cut and reform bill, which focuses, primarily, on reducing corporate tax rates and re-organizing the individual tax code. In the charitable giving sector, non-profit leaders have expressed concerns that the greatly-increased standard tax deduction levels included in the bill – from…
The Gift and The Giver
It’s easy to focus on “the gift.” What is the amount we are seeking? For what purpose? Over what period of time? We talk about the gift in strategy sessions, when we ask for it, and when we receive it – especially when we receive one of significance! We write proposals that answer the questions…
Using Your Database to Invite, Report, and Steward
The most fundamental and effective organizing strategies when using your database (certainly not the only organizing strategies!): Inviting Donors and Prospects to Give – you will be most effective in inviting donors and prospects to give when you organize your database by giving history. In other words, to be the most effective and efficient in…
5 “Alternative Facts” for Advancement Professionals
Recently, a U.S. political figure who shall remain nameless (only because it would be too embarrassing for her to be named) used the phrase, “alternative facts,” during a heated exchange with a reporter. And since a fact is, by definition, well, “a fact,” I have no idea what the phrase “alternative facts,” is intended to…
The Most Important Resolution
About half of Americans state a specific New Year’s resolution. Most of these resolutions are focused, as one might imagine, or enhancing health or well being, gaining more education, or increasing one’s financial situation. And while all those resolutions are fine and good, I do wonder if focusing on resolutions that endeavor to make ourselves better…
The Intersection of Politics and Giving
The 2016 U.S. Presidential election is now behind us (although my Facebook feed would suggest otherwise). If we can remove the divisiveness from the election for just a moment and look at what the candidates proposed about charitable giving policy, we will see that neither of the major party candidates were focused on enacting tax…
The Value of Influence in a Post-Expertise World
One of the by-products of our digitally-connected age is the waning value of expertise. The growing understanding today is that the everyone’s right to express an opinion is synonymous with the notion that everyone’s opinion is equally informed. Medical doctors and research scientists have been publicly second-guessed by celebrities with influence but no medical training…
The 3 Most Damaging Fund Raising Myths – Part II
Note: This post is part II of a series of III in which I will identify 3 separate fund raising myths that make us less productive. The first installment in this series focused on the myth of donors giving only (or substantially more) for restricted purposes. This second post springboards off that myth and highlights the…