Author: Jason McNeal

Greetings Board Member: We are writing today because recently we’ve been discussing our institution’s engagement of you as a member of our board.  Simply put, we recognize that we have failed you in the following important ways: When we recruited you, we failed to share with you a clear, written position description which included a…

As I type this message, most of the world finds itself rushing toward the apex of the “Season of Giving.”  More personal gifts between family and friends and more tax-deductible charitable gifts will be given over the next 7 days than any other week during the year.  Giving is the omnipresent message. And yet, even…

“I finally have a visit scheduled with Dr. Smith for tomorrow!” This was the joyful exclamation made to me recently by a gift officer.  I smiled and congratulated him on the achievement.  Dr. Smith had been one of those prospects who made himself very slippery.  He was believed to have the capacity to make a…

. . . when I still have student loans to pay? . . . when I don’t make much money? . . . when we haven’t received a raise in 3 years? You may think your most important job as an advancement professional in this situation is to address these questions directly and convince the…

Today, we have more donor and prospective donor data than at any time in history.  From wealth indicators to database analytics providing giving predictions, generating donor data can be as simple as conducting a google search or as complex as conducting a paid wealth screen.  All manner of donor data is ubiquitous and quite easy…

There are two forms of humility. A healthy humbleness emanates from an accurate self-perception that takes into account both your greater and lesser strengths.  It is rooted in the authentic recognition that you have distinctive as well as common characteristics when compared with others.  Healthy humility is supported by a genuine yet quiet confidence. When…

You have two choices really:  either receive gifts from donors or create gift opportunities with donors. Far too many development offices are content to receive the gifts that donors give.  These programs are reactive, unplanned, and regularly receive less than they need for their most important priorities.  The gift receiving mentality is regularly accompanied by…

As a consultant, not a week of client work passes without someone, somewhere asking me about “metrics.”  This word, “metrics,” has come to be used in so many ways that it is beginning to be difficult to understand exactly what people mean when they bring up the topic.  For instance, metrics can mean, “a tool…

It used to be that answers were power.  Answers were not only important, in and of themselves, but they represented something valuable – the capacity and the willingness to problem-solve.  If you had the answers, you would have the advantage, in part because you were better at problem-solving.  You would get the best scholarships to…