“We need more donors who are willing to give sacrificially!” This was a statement recently made to me by the CEO of a national non-profit. I paused for a moment to think about how I might best respond. “What would more sacrificial gifts do for your organization?” I asked. He couldn’t provide a good answer….
Author: Jason McNeal
I provide leadership, advancement and fundraising consulting services to educational, healthcare, and non-profit organizations.
The Effective Leader Next Door
In their insightful book, The Millionaire Next Door, authors Stanley and Danko paint a picture of the “typical” millionaire – they live in older middle-class neighborhoods, drive late model vehicles, dress nicely but don’t follow trends, and embrace lifestyle frugality at every turn. In other words, these folks don’t necessarily stand out from the crowd…
The Gift Isosceles Trapezoid
The standard gift pyramid looks something like this: However, when development leaders sort through their database they often find their gift “pyramid” looking more like an “hourglass”: As this graphic suggests, many major gift pipelines are not as robust at the middle gift levels. Why is this the case? Two reasons: First, the annual fund…
The Sample of 1
Making development strategy decisions based on a sample of 1 is not always a bad idea. For instance, if you are developing strategies for major gift prospects and you have a good sense based on past interactions that a local bank executive will respond favorably to an ask for both scholarships and capital dollars, then…
The 3-Rung Ladder
I see the following all the time: Leaders have two clear pictures in their minds. The first picture depicts the position of the organization/division/ department/etc. as it currently stands. Most leaders know how well they are doing compared to annual goals and budget. This is the day-t0-day, ‘on the ground’ picture which shows today’s reality….
Creating Your Philanthropic Brand Identity
Brand identity, or how you would like others to view your brand, is a key component of creating a successful enterprise. For those of us in the educational, healthcare, and non-profit sectors, we should regularly be asking ourselves, “How do we want constituents to describe our organization?” However, when we ask such a broad question,…
Good Money After Good
The news lately has been filled with stories of huge investments. A few weeks ago we learned that Warren Buffett invested $26 billion to buy Burlington Northern Sante Fe railroad. And then last week the parents of Amazon.com founder, Jeff Bezos, announced a $10 million gift to the Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center in Seattle….
On Being Thankful
Tomorrow is the national day for each of us to pause and count our blessings. If possible, most will include family, friends, and health in that count. This year I am including my work – and I encourage you too as well. Each of us works for an educational, healthcare, or other non-profit which has…
Where have the volunteers gone?
When asked to describe their work, many Major Gift Officers will respond something like, “to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major gift prospects.” This perception of the MGO job description has become commonplace and I wish it wasn’t so. Why? Primarily because the answer suggests that the MGO is the one who should be…
Owners and Renters
If you want your organization to thrive, you must understand the differences between owners and renters. Owners see a future filled with upgrades, enhancements, and advancements. They envision the organization growing, quality improving, and more constituents being served. They see opportunities for more value to be added because they receive an intrinsic return. They are…