It can easy to believe that talking about our work pace and including the attributes of quickness, speed, and busyness can make us sound important. “How fast can you get that back to me?” “I’m really busy and can’t get back to you right now.” “I’m working as hard and as quickly as I can!”…
Author: Jason McNeal
I provide leadership, advancement and fundraising consulting services to educational, healthcare, and non-profit organizations.
Advice Seeking
What if the real significance of people asking for advice, or counsel, recommendations, or feedback, or perspective, is not in finding a solution or answer to a problem, or in the learning that can occur, or in the value of the advice given more generally? Sure, we can seek new ideas and novel perspectives from…
Is ‘Why People Give?’ The Question We Should Be Asking?
When it comes to the field of philanthropy, there probably isn’t a more ubiquitous research question than, “why do people give?” This question (or a variation of it) has fueled dissertation topics, been the focus of sponsored research, and has generated talking points for countless articles and presentations for decades. To their credit, many advancement…
The Participant vs. The Designer
A fundamental difference between the unexceptional and the exceptional gift officer is how they view their donor visits. The unexceptional gift officer is thrilled to have the donor visit. After the donor visit, he will talk at great length about how “warm” or “positive” the visit was. He will report that the donor will “definitely…
Creating an Assistance Theme to Engage More Donors
One of the most helpful donor rapport building strategies for gift officers to employ is to utilize an “assistance theme.” The psychology of an assistance theme is pretty straightforward. We know that humans, generally, want to feel useful or want to be helpful if they can. Certainly donors have shown evidence through their giving that…
“A New Kind of Giving”
By now, you have probably read about The Center for Effective Philanthropy’s research study focused on the impacts of MacKenzie Scott’s $19 billion dollars worth of unrestricted giving to nonprofits. In short, the study found that Scott’s unrestricted generosity was “transformational” for the nonprofits she supported. Turns out, nonprofit leaders won’t be “overwhelmed” by large…
Organic Marketing
I once conducted a campaign readiness study for a client in which a participant who had made a 7-figure gift some years back stopped our interview and asked, “I have a question for you. . . Is this institution still Christian?” A bit caught off guard, I responded by saying, “I’m not on campus every…
Stories About Givers or Stories For Givers
Most all advancement shops will curate stories to share about givers and sponsors. For example, “Why I Give,” has to be one of the most ubiquitous headlines for e-newsletters and magazines produced by advancement professionals. These stories focus on the giver, “in their own words,” and highlight why they have made the decision to be…
Giver’s Empathy
The best annual giving officers imagine the experience of going to the mailbox and receiving their direct mail solicitation. Is the envelope inviting? Does the packaging stand out? Is the chosen font readable and is the messaging clear? The best Deans create stories about important and timely problems of the world and, then, position what…
Signage as an Advancement Tool
On far too many campuses and in far too many healthcare settings, finding one’s way around is difficult at best and downright distressing at worst. Whole buildings, floors, or offices may not be clearly marked. Arrows may be misleading or make little sense to the walker. Maps may not be updated or may not show…