“Trust-based philanthropy,” is all over the business news pages these days. Essentially, in a trust-based model of giving, donors embrace three perspectives regarding their support: Unrestricted giving, when done through helpful nonprofit partners, offers the best type of philanthropic support to make a difference; Helpful nonprofit partners are those who are willing to be transparent…
Author: Jason McNeal
I provide leadership, advancement and fundraising consulting services to educational, healthcare, and non-profit organizations.
Life’s Most Fundamental Lesson
“It’s not about me.” If there is a bigger lesson life’s developmental process is designed to teach us than that statement, I don’t know what it is. From infancy to childhood to adolescence to middle age to growing older, our lives are broken down into various moments and seasons of re-learning this fundamental lesson. Siblings…
The “Well Won’t Go Dry” As Long As You Do This
You’ve heard the expression in advancement and development circles, “We can’t keep going to the same donors over and over again. The well will go dry.” That’s not altogether true. But since it’s such a widely-used analogy, let’s play with it a bit. Certainly real water wells can “go dry.” So, that part is accurate….
5 Simple Steps to Raise More Money
The 5 critically-important, unvarnished, and uncomplicated steps to raising considerably more money: Start by creating an institution-wide strategic plan that invites input and perspectives from a variety of constituents. The finished plan should specifically identify key priorities your institution will pursue over the next 3-5 years and should paint an inspirational narrative of how you…
Becoming Expert vs. Becoming An Expert
Becoming expert (adjective) is different than becoming an expert (noun). The former implies a willingness to embrace a developmental journey focused on enhancing one’s experience, knowledge, skill, adroitness. The latter evokes a desire to seek a position or standing among others. Becoming an expert is an end result in which one is viewed as a…
The Future of Stewardship
In today’s advancement world, the function of “stewardship” is constrained (typically and artificially) to those activities and responses the institution makes once a gift has been made. For instance, we steward a donor through our public recognition programs and how we extend thanks based on their giving level, etc. But this constrained view of stewardship…
Translations
The primary role of your case statement is to translate the funding priorities of your institution into messages prospective donors will embrace with enthusiasm. This translation occurs in two fundamental ways: First, your case needs to do the practical work of translating all of your “institutional speak” into everyday language that regular folk understand. Acronyms,…
Indirect Skills
A list of skills not directly related to advancement but all of which will make you better as an advancement professional (with some linked resources to become better): How not to take things personally; Building strong connections with others; How to ask better; Failing well. Building more trust in teams. Enjoy!
Taking Notice
It’s easy to take notice of the mass happenings. The red news banner on the bottom scroll of your television visibly blaring the phrase, “Breaking News.” The homerun in the 9th inning of a tied world series game that has everyone in the stadium on the edge of their seats. The Netflix show that everyone…
Systems Of Care
“We’re sorry to hear of your loss of Mamie, and our hearts go out to you. We know this time is tough, and we’re always here if you need anything. Love, Jair, Chewy.com” With the recent passing of our family pet, one of the chores we had to complete was ending the autoship arrangement we…