For those who are not scheduled to work, today is a holiday we often overlook. Today’s holiday is different than the tradition of Christmas and gift-giving celebrated by many yesterday. Today represents an opportunity. As we awake this morning, many of our homes are filled with new stuff – toys, clothing, games, items to return,…
Category: Work-Life Balance
Whose Needs Are We Serving?
When we decide to hold our annual donor stewardship event on a day that makes travel inconvenient for a significant portion of our donor base, whose needs are we serving? When we arrive late for a standing prospect management meeting and keep the other gift officers and team members waiting, whose needs are we serving?…
Life Endowments
Endowed funds have three components: The Principal – or the original gift that is invested and not spent. Typically, the principal is invested and not spent “in perpetuity,” or forever (or as long as the organization exists). The Return – or the earnings and interest that the principal generates. Typically, the principal is invested in…
The Greatest Con
It’s amazing how adapted human brains are to effortlessly catalogue each time we work hard, or we stay late, or we perform a task outside our job description, or we extend ourselves in some extra way. It’s equally amazing how adapted our brains are to minimize or forget altogether every time we loaf, or we…
Small Notifications, Big Distractions
I’ve watched in meetings as people’s eyes jumped to the corner of their laptop screens after hearing a faint notification bell. I’ve witnessed a gift officer turn her phone upside down on the table as the screen lit up only to have the buzz of vibrating notifications continue to capture the attention of everyone present….
How Will AI Change Our Future?
Since I don’t conduct technology-focused research and I’m not in the Artificial Intelligence market in any significant way, my best and most honest answer to this question is, “I don’t know.” But I’m also not convinced that this should be a concern for me. Here’s a quick framework to prioritize our thinking about future developments:…
Responding Promptly
A donor emails you with a question regarding their gift and how it will be spent. Your response tomorrow is usually sufficient from a timing standpoint. Your boss asks you about the progress of the design of an invitation for the special event. Sharing the latest version with him tomorrow is usually considered timely. Your…
Are We Getting Better?
We are busier than ever before. We are working harder than ever before. We feel more harried than ever before. We have more tasks on our to-do list than ever before. We feel more pressure than ever before. But, are we getting better? Better at communicating. Better technically. Better at engaging donors. Better at inviting…
Renting vs. Owning
When everyone worked from an office location 5 days per week, employers owned the results and employees rented out their services to their employers. “You have purchased my attention, energy, and work product for these hours on these days,” was the message from employee to employer. Of course, employees stayed late and came in on…
Recruiting Your Team
The primary problem with position searches is that institutions view them as episodic and discrete activities. When a position becomes open, the response is to conduct a search. This doesn’t match a reality in which there are so many opportunities and benefits that employers are willing to offer and so few capable people. These opportunities/benefits…