We use the terms “donors,” “funders,” and, in some instances, “giving units” (yuck!) to refer to those individuals, businesses, foundations, churches, and other organizations that provide our institutions with gift income. Each of these terms is incomplete and, I believe, short-circuits our thinking about how we should relate to these important individuals and organizations. When…
Author: Jason McNeal
I provide leadership, advancement and fundraising consulting services to educational, healthcare, and non-profit organizations.
Solve Their Problems
What problems do your prospects and donors have? What concerns do they carry? What issues are they facing? Do you know? Do you seek out their problems so that you can help solve them? They might not want to tell you about their problems (or they may not even know they have a problem!). So,…
What If Time Was Booked As A Gift
More and more I run across thoughtful and sophisticated advancement leaders who question the value of volunteers. I’m not talking about the volunteers who plan a charity auction or help out with a fun run. I’m talking about volunteers who help with personal solicitations on major and planned gift prospects. I’m talking about Campaign volunteer…
Authentic Engagement
You can’t be in development today without at least saying that you aim to engage your donors. It’s the language that all sophisticated development professionals use. I sometimes wonder, though, how many who use the engagement language actually understand and practice it. If you look up the word “engage,” you come across the following synonyms:…
Giving Through
My friend and consulting colleague, Jim Langley, likes to talk about the principle of “giving through.” Here is a simple question for you to consider: Do you ask your donors to give to your institution? Or. . . Do you ask your donors to give through your institution to your students, patients, clients, etc? Simple,…
Curing The Sedentary Development Program
A growing body of research is forming around the role of exercise in heart disease and other ailments. Turns out, exercise alone may not be enough to keep a heart attack at bay. Today so many of us sit so much of the time that no amount of exercise can counteract some of deleterious effects…
Top 5 Thoughts Donors Won’t Share With You
Sometimes it seems donors tell us more than we want to know. But here are some important thoughts donors may not share with you. #1 – You set up a visit as if you only want to see me. You are making a mistake by not involving my spouse. #2 – My name is not “Friend.”…
The Power of Being Predictably Dependable
When social science researchers who study successful marriages ask couples their secret to staying together for 40, 50, even 60 years, one of the key contributing variables which emerges is predictability. Specifically, couples will point to the day-in, day-out predictably dependable behaviors of their mate. He gets up at 6:00am, gets the paper and starts…
Why Donors Expectations Are On The Rise
Donors expect your every direct mail letter to be perfectly personalized. They expect your special events to begin precisely on time, to last just long enough (but not too long!), to be inspiring and engaging. They expect to receive a gift receipt before the ink dries on their electronic check. They expect your website to…
Are Your Values Aligned With Your Donors’?
The word “philanthropy” is said to have been coined some 2,500 years ago in ancient Greek. It means, “the love of humanity.” The vast majority of your long time donors and your major donors are philanthropic. They give in support of your institution because they believe it will make a difference in the lives of…