If you observed Christmas and practiced the tradition of Santa Claus when you were growing up, here is a simple question for you: Were the presents that came from Santa wrapped or unwrapped? From my days studying family dynamics and sociology, I recall it is not uncommon for a young married couple to have a…
Author: Jason McNeal
I provide leadership, advancement and fundraising consulting services to educational, healthcare, and non-profit organizations.
It Wouldn’t Hurt To. . .
How many times have you heard someone suggest a last minute add-on to a direct mail solicitation, event agenda, or phonathon or visit script using this phrase? The problem with this statement is that almost always works. We think to ourselves, “yeah, that wouldn’t be a bad idea.” But ask yourself this, is it wise…
The Quality/Quantity Dilemma
Is quality more important in our work? Or is quantity king (or queen, as it were)? Quality, of course, suggests that we do only a few things – but do them exceptionally well. Quantity, on the other hand, suggests that we attempt as much as we can with less concern about being world-class. Both characteristics…
Remind Them Of Their Memories
The sliding door of the elevator closed and, after pressing the button for my floor, I looked up and saw a black and white Hampton Inns “advertisement.” I put quotes around advertisement because if you stay at Hampton Inns, you know that these messages in their elevators are quirky, interesting, fun, and not your typical…
Instant and Archived
Today, every direct mail letter, every video, every tweet, every status update, every event script, every message (basically), is expected to have relevance to the happenings of the moment. We can’t talk about what our institution did last year, or even last fall. Those messages have already been heard. The world seems to be in…
Our Vision or Our Donors’ Interests
When preparing a case for support for a major gifts initiative or campaign, institutional leaders will typically travel down one of two paths. Either they will present donors with a vision for the institution’s future and list the specific priorities which need funding in order to achieve that vision or they will present a list…
Inspiring Generosity Takes More Than Words
We spend much time with our staffs and our volunteer leaders working on the mechanics of asking. Finding the right language. Searching for the perfect words. Role playing different approaches. All in an attempt to get comfortable with what we believe is the best possible method of soliciting the gift. And these mechanics are not…
The Problem with Perfection
Peter Bregman has a great quote: “The world doesn’t reward perfection. The world rewards productivity.” Your donor lists are going to have a misspelling. Your gift receipt letters are going to address someone incorrectly. Your major donor strategies are going to miss on occasion. The point should never be to wait for perfection. It doesn’t…
Developing Major Gift Habits
According to Wikipedia, habits are routines of behavior that are repeated regularly and tend to occur subconsciously. An interesting point about habits, though, is that even though they may “tend to occur subconsciously,” we can develop and shape them. For instance, after my second bout with kidney stones a few years ago, I made a…
Are You Working For Your Institution? Or Is Your Institution Working Through You?
When we work for our institutions, we become restrained and captive. We begin mentally punching a time clock (even if we don’t in reality). We easily can get weary and frustrated. We can feel powerless, unappreciated, and unimportant. We may even feel defeated. It is all about us and our predicament. But when we let…