To fully live into her promise, a development leader’s most valuable skill set is what I refer to as “authentic inquiry.” Here is how I define the concept: Authentic Inquiry is the gentle art of relationship-building through the process of asking well-framed questions based on your sincere interest in the other person and to which…
Author: Jason McNeal
I provide leadership, advancement and fundraising consulting services to educational, healthcare, and non-profit organizations.
The Meal, the Menu, the Recipe, and the Grocery List
Meals are an experience. Good meals activates us. Exceptionally delectable meals with family and friends during special occasions are stored and relived as indelible memories for years to come. Some people (perhaps you!) can recall with fervid clarity the over-the-top chocolate dessert they had at a special restaurant a full 10 years later! When they…
On Becoming A Fundraising Artist
In David Bayles and Ted Orland’s book, Art & Fear, they tell a great story about becoming a better artist. Here it is: “The ceramics teacher announced on opening day that he was dividing the class into two groups. All those on the left side of the studio, he said, would be graded solely on…
Get Better in 2014 – Advancement Webinars and Workshops from the Institute
Start the year off right with high-quality, mind-stretching, solution-rich professional development opportunities. The Gonser Gerber Institute is offering the following webinars and workshops to help you and your team do the best possible advancement work in 2014. Below are three programs being offered early in the year: 5 Essential Tips: Innovative (And Inexpensive) Ways to…
When the Gift Is a Message
Sometimes a gift isn’t a just a gift. Sometimes a gift – especially the gift amount – is a message. Consider the $1000 to $50 continuum. Let’s say that a new donor gives your institution $50 one year and then $1,000 the next. In most instances, something has changed in a positive way with their…
Why You Shouldn’t “Close” Your Next Gift
I listened over the last few days as speakers at a conference talked about “closing gifts.” I’ve never been fond of that phrase – “closing the gift” – but I’ve never went out of my way to find particular fault with it either. And then one speaker made the following statement in reference to the…
Finding the Car, Then the Dealership
It wasn’t that long ago (pre-internet, actually) that people interested in buying a car would show up at the local dealership and begin the process of being “sold” a car. Those days are all but gone. Today, when people are interested in getting a new vehicle, they first scour the internet for their choice and…
What do we REALLY get when we give to a good cause?
Recently, Seth Godin blogged on the subject of giving. His entry entitled, “What do we get when we give to a good cause?” was a bit off base from my perch. His answer to this important question was simply, “A story.” He said, “In fact, every time someone donates to a good cause, they’re buying a…
Being Grateful As An Effectiveness Strategy
“Reflect on your present blessings, on which every man has many, not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.” —Charles Dickens (M. Dickens, 1897) If you live in the States, the 4th Thursday of November is the day set aside to be thankful. We are encouraged to focus on our blessings and…
A Year End Reminder for the IRA Charitable Rollover
As December 31, 2013, approaches it is worth reminding donors that the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (H.R. 8), passed this past January, extended the IRA Charitable Rollover provision which permits individuals to make a “qualified charitable distribution” to an eligible charitable organization without recognizing the amount of the distribution as income. Here…