With each passing day, the roles we play grow more complex. No matter how we might define ourselves, our lot in life, our specific roles, or our individualistic views and perspectives, what we do becomes more complex over time. If you are a parent, for instance, your children aging and developing by the day makes…
Author: Jason McNeal
I provide leadership, advancement and fundraising consulting services to educational, healthcare, and non-profit organizations.
“I don’t know.”
I enjoy watching Denzel Washington act. His character range is staggering and I can’t recall a character he’s played that I found unbelievable. Recently I watched, “The Equalizer 3,” where he stars as Robert McCall, a retired special operations officer turned vigilante righting wrongs against evil across the globe on behalf of the innocent and…
5 Advancement Basics
Annual Giving – consistently invite donors to give in support of your cause/mission comprehensively; Constituent Relations – consistently engage volunteers to get others more involved with your cause/mission; Advancement Services – consistently produce standing reports that have clear and important purposes; Major Giving – consistently send creative and compelling messages that encourage donors to visit…
The Question of Fear
Fear in the workplace is a corrosive, anti-productive emotion. It prompts us to assume bad motivations in others without evidence. It prompts us to tell others about our value/experience instead of listening for ways we can learn from them. It prompts us to remove ourselves when we should lean in and be heard. It prompts…
The Agenda Or Bust!
Employing a well-planned, written meeting agenda is critical to making progress, staying focused, and, making people feel valued enough not to waste their time. However, in some circumstances, deviating from a well-planned agenda is warranted. If a governing board is discussing the potential of moving forward with a major fundraising campaign, that topic is probably…
Our Donors Don’t. . .
. . . give to the annual fund. . . . care about giving levels or giving societies. . . . attend events. . . . respond to phone calls. . . . agree to face-to-face visits. It may, indeed, be true that, “our donors don’t,” do this or that. The data may support our…
Giving Trust
People talk a lot about “building trust,” within a team or with donors. As if it is physical scaffolding that can be built for people to operate within. I think a better analogy is “giving trust,” because trust is something we all have at our disposable. We don’t have to build it. It can be…
On Being a Fanatic
The University of Tennessee men’s basketball team played yesterday in the “Elite Eight” of the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament – otherwise known as “March Madness.” This means that out of 351 Division 1 men’s basketball programs, there are only eight teams left playing basketball. And one will become the national champion. In the…
Mission, Vision, and Values
The words of our mission statement are less important than how consistently we use our mission to make budgetary decisions. The directions described in our vision statement are less important than how enthusiastically we use our vision to invite donors to give. The specific virtues expressed in our values statement are less important than how…
The Decision-Making Process
Leaders have 3 types of decision-making approaches from which they can choose. They can be: Leaders who allow others to make the decision. Leaders who make the decision without listening to the perspectives of others. Leaders who make the decision after listening to the perspectives of others. Let’s use the hiring of a gift officer…