As someone who is part of the advancement process for your institution, you are in the relationship-building business. To be successful you must work effectively and efficiently with and through others. At its core, the work is about people. And you probably employ a task-filled “to-do” list in an effort to organize yourself and your…
Author: Jason McNeal
I provide leadership, advancement and fundraising consulting services to educational, healthcare, and non-profit organizations.
What’s The Purpose?
One organization I work with generates over $20 million per year from their direct mail campaigns. The purpose of their direct mail program is to increase gift income. Another client – a private higher education institution with about 1,600 students – welcomes back to campus approximately 1,000 alumni for homecoming each year. The purpose of…
Seeking Strangers vs Delighting Friends
Strangers usually won’t invest significantly with you or your mission. They don’t know you well enough to trust you. Friends, though, are much more apt to invest with you. They know you well, are invested in their relationship with you, and they believe in you and your mission. When institutions plan for ambitious campaigns or…
Being Uncomfortable
“I’m not at all comfortable – and I absolutely think we should do it!” This was a Board member’s immediate response to the Chair’s question: “Are we comfortable with Dr. McNeal’s campaign plan recommendations?” I was giving a presentation with recommendations to this Board and leadership team to assist them with their campaign planning. Without…
Board Members and Major Gifts
If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know that engaging people – wholly, gracefully, and artfully – is a primary theme. Philanthropic investment is, most often, an action that succeeds (not precedes) other forms of engagement. Major gifts, then, begin with those who you know best, your institution’s closest friends and…
5 Steps to Asking Better Questions
Effective questioning is a key skill of successful development officers. In addition to being the most efficient way to learn about someone, asking beautiful questions and actively listening to the responses evidences an authentic interest in the other person and helps to build trust. All of which leads to increased gifts. But while expert questioning…
Answers or Questions
It used to be that answers were power. If you had the answers, you had the advantage. You would get the best scholarships to the best universities. You would get the best jobs. And you would get promoted faster. All because answers weren’t easily and readily available. You had to work for them. Today is…
Why Do Other Donors Give?
Ask a Board member, an Advisory Council member, or other engaged major donor why he gives to your institution. Almost universally, you will hear how he believes in the mission of the institution. Or, how the institution made an impact on his life or on the life of someone dear to him. Or, how he…
Where Is The Money?
The most important component of what we call “prospect research” is not finding those individuals, families, foundations, and corporations with money. It’s not even finding those individuals, families, foundations, and corporations with money and an interest in your mission and vision. In most instances, you already know who has the money. Sure, there are modest-living…
5 Things Successful Advancement Pros Don’t Do
Over the years, I have worked with, provided counsel to, or simply observed thousands of advancement officers. The good ones stand out, mostly because they behave in ways that less effective advancement officers don’t. For instance, the best advancement officers ask more questions. They listen more. And they genuinely like learning about people more. To…