Recently, I was involved in a strategy meeting with the president, vice president, and campaign chair for a higher education institution. The vice president was discussing how a key high wealth donor prospect had become excited about the purpose of the campaign and that a solicitation had occurred. She said, “Our major gift officer was…
Month: July 2013
“It Never Hurts To Ask”
Actually, this phrase is wrong. It can hurt to ask. Sometimes it can hurt bad. When you ask too soon in a relationship, you can appear greedy or needy. When you ask too late, you can appear slack or, worse, disinterested. Asking for something that a donor has no interest in can suggest you haven’t…
Plan to Be Grateful and Build a Better Team
In addition to developing your goals, plans, and timelines for the coming year, what else are you accomplishing through your annual planning process? If you are an efficacious advancement leader, you probably are employing activities and exercises that enhance a positive sense of teamwork among staff members. I routinely encourage advancement leaders to increase the…