My wife and I are parents of an eight year old and a six year old. When I was studying the family-work dynamic in graduate school, I became very familiar with the research and positions associated with the “quality time versus quantity of time” argument of child rearing. You know the argument. The idea is…
Month: April 2012
Showing Interest vs. Seeking Interest
If you think your job is to get donors and prospects more interested in your institution, you’ve got it backwards. You will close many more gifts by showing authentic interest in your prospects than you will by working to get them interested in your institution. It’s our job to show interest, not seek it. When…
Engaging Volunteers To Raise More Money – Webinar Opportunity
For many institutions, utilizing volunteers in the development process is not always easy. The problems with volunteers can seem to outweigh the benefits. They take precious time, energy, and resources to manage and they don’t always do what they are supposed to do (much less what we want them to do!) But, there are many…
Gifts That Santa Gives
If you observed Christmas and practiced the tradition of Santa Claus when you were growing up, here is a simple question for you: Were the presents that came from Santa wrapped or unwrapped? From my days studying family dynamics and sociology, I recall it is not uncommon for a young married couple to have a…
It Wouldn’t Hurt To. . .
How many times have you heard someone suggest a last minute add-on to a direct mail solicitation, event agenda, or phonathon or visit script using this phrase? The problem with this statement is that almost always works. We think to ourselves, “yeah, that wouldn’t be a bad idea.” But ask yourself this, is it wise…