The most knowledgeable mechanical engineer may have very little to say about the complex dynamics of intimate human relationships. The most advanced scholar in the humanities may have very little to offer when the topic of agriculture technology comes up. The most gifted and successful surgeon may be of very little help when it comes…
Author: Jason McNeal
I provide leadership, advancement and fundraising consulting services to educational, healthcare, and non-profit organizations.
Scaling Results
When most advancement leaders are asked what they need to raise more money or engage more alumni, or do more of anything, the answer usually has something to do with hiring more people. But, when presidents, Board members, engaged donors, and other non-advancement leaders are asked the same question, they usually start by assessing if…
The Advancement Errors We Love
Our institution needs more money . . . “we need to hold a gala!” Our major donors aren’t giving as generously as they could . . . “we need more donor relations staff!” Our Board members don’t engage meaningfully with fundraising . . . “we are a working Board!” The fundamental problem with the most…
Pieces and Purpose
When we think about our work, it’s easy to get caught up in the pieces. For instance: the specific steps we have to complete to get the next direct mail package to the printer; or, the tasks we agreed to implement to plan our next special event; or, the visits we need to confirm to…
Potential vs. Willingness
In advancement, we focus a great deal of energy and time on the financial potential of donors. Their capacity to give. We spend valuable resources on electronic wealth screens. We organize donor lists based on wealth screening scores. We plan meetings around strategies based on the financial capacity of donors and prospects. We rarely spend…
“It would be interesting to know. . .”
This seemingly helpful set-up to a question (usually posed by a well-meaning volunteer or an ally to your institution’s mission or cause), is actually one of the more strategically-derailing phrases that can be uttered. “It would be interesting to know how many of our donors are under 35.” “It would be interesting to know how…
Creating A Helpful Distinctive Advantage
When most marketing professionals, academic leaders, presidents, board members, and others think about marketing institutional distinctive advantages, they focus almost exclusively on programs and quantitative data. For instance, 88% of our pre-med graduates go on to medical school, or; 93% of of our education graduates pass the state teaching licensure exam, or; 100% of our…
Purpose
We can hold one of two divergent beliefs about the purpose of our lives: First, we can order our lives with the belief that our purpose is to seek comfort, ease, luxury, or convenience for ourselves. Or, second, we can order our lives with the belief that our purpose is to seek meaning, significance, and consequence…
Change
Few people will disagree with the notion that their advancement team could be more productive in some way(s). “I know we need to, and could, raise more money,” they will say. Or, “I agree that our donor communications and stewardship could be more consistent,” they will acquiesce. But, most people resoundingly disagree with the notion…
Generosity Lag
For many folks in North America, we are now entering the coldest days and weeks of the year. Yet, we know that the shortest day of the year – the day with the least amount of sunlight hitting North America – was December 21, the Winter Solstice, just over a month ago. Why, then, when…