We know that the acronym BOY (“Because of you”), is a compelling phrase in solicitations because it helps connect the prospective donor directly to the impact of the mission. “Because of you, we were able to graduate more students like Lauren. . .” “Because of you, we were able to help over 1,000 patients receive…
Author: Jason McNeal
I provide leadership, advancement and fundraising consulting services to educational, healthcare, and non-profit organizations.
The Problem With Perfect
It’s not that perfect doesn’t exist (it doesn’t, of course). It’s that perfect doesn’t exist, yet we act and talk as if it does. We spend too much time reviewing and finalizing that direct mail letter because we are seeking the perfect message. We take too long to set up the visit with that great…
Frictionless
Many advancement leaders say they are striving for a “frictionless” giving experience so that more people will give. Of course, giving has become more and more “frictionless” over time (I can remember, for example, when the only way to respond to a direct mail appeal involved a stamp, a check, and the post office!), and…
Context and Purpose
Both context and purpose are critically important if we aim to be consistently effective on donor visits, meetings with colleagues, phone calls with prospective donors, email outreaches to volunteers, implementing special events, sending direct mail invitations to give – really anything we do in advancement. By context, I mean the surrounding issues related to the…
3 Aims of Constituent Relations
If we define constituent relations as those programs and activities designed to encourage people to engage more deeply with your mission or cause, then there are three primary aims of those efforts. First, constituent relations efforts should educate people. Yes, this is education on your mission and it’s important impacts. But, this version of education…
Farmers Plant The Most Productive Seeds
Not long ago, I interviewed a couple who are significant major gifts donors and asked them how they got started making significant gifts. When and how was the seed planted for them to give generously? The husband and wife looked at each other for a moment and then he shared with me a brief story…
Fundraising As Art
French Impressionist artist Edgar Degas once said: “Painting is easy when you don’t know how. But very difficult when you do.” Very similar to fundraising.
Fundraising Dollar Goals
Dollars fundraised is, in most cases, an unhelpful goal. They are outcome measures over which we regularly do not have much control: “How much of that $50 million was in current giving vs. planned gifts?” They are misunderstood: “You mean that most of that $250 million raised will come in over the next 5 years?”…
Why?
Why are we holding that special event? Why are we sending that specific direct mail piece? Why did we request that particular list of donors? Why are we reaching out to our donors via phone? Why do we want to meet with that donor couple next month? Why are we highlighting that alumnus in our…
Listening
We can. . . . . .listen to defend ourselves. . . .listen to reply. . . .listen to rebut. . . .listen to negate the other’s perspective. . . .listen to convince. . . .listen to block. Or, we can. . . . . .listen to understand. . . .listen to co-create. . ….