At a national conference for advancement leaders yesterday, I listened to a keynote presentation given by Patrick F. Bassett, president of the National Association of Independent Schools, regarding key trends and predictions for advancement. One statement he made struck a chord with me, “We are learning from surveys that major donors are reporting an increase…
Author: Jason McNeal
I provide leadership, advancement and fundraising consulting services to educational, healthcare, and non-profit organizations.
Asking for Money or Educating?
Do you view your work as asking donors for money? Or do you view your work as educating donors? The difference, of course, is substantial. One question, the first, is focused on a transaction in which we get some of what the donor has. It also suggests that we are responsible for the asking. On…
Mission, Vision, and . . . Values?
Today, most sophisticated leaders recognize the need to begin with mission and vision when developing strategic priorities and campaign projects. Besides being a logical approach to organizational strategic planning, major donors want to know that your goals to raise significant dollars are aligned with the purpose (mission) and the future (vision) of the organization. The…
When Donors Say Hello
“Hello??!!??” We’ve all heard that word – used in that way – before. You, perhaps, have used it yourself. You’re at a store and the teenage clerk doesn’t stop the personal call on her mobile phone long enough to scan your items on the belt. You may feel the urge to say, “uhh, Hello??!!??” As…
10,000 Hours
In his book, Outliers: The Story of Success, Malcolm Gladwell posits the notion that it takes at least 10,000 hours of dedicated, focused practice to become “expert” at something. He holds that this time constraint is relatively constant no matter the endeavor. Want to become a professional athlete, a rock star, or a uber-successful…
The Most Important Prediction for the Next Decade
I’ve made broad and sweeping predictions on how technology, donor expectations and regulation, and major gifts will impact philanthropy and our work in the next decade. Now, I offer the final, most important philanthropy prediction for the next decade. . . 2020 Philanthropy Prediction 10: Institutions that thrive will systematically and regularly ask donors for…
2020 Philanthropy Predictions – Part III
Below is the third installment in the four-part series devoted to philanthropy predictions for the 2010-2019 decade. Part I focused on how technology will change our work over the next 10 years, while Part II focused on the ways donor expectations and the regulatory environment will impact our work. Part III focuses on major gift…
2020 Philanthropy Predictions – Part II
Below is the second in a four-part series devoted to philanthropy predictions for the 2010-2019 decade. The first three predictions in Part I focused on how technology will change our work over the next 10 years. Part II below is focused on how donor expectations and the regulatory environment will impact our work. So, without…
2020 Philanthropy Predictions – Part I
Welcome to 2010! (Is that Two-thousand and Ten, Twenty-Ten, or Oh-Ten?) Whatever the name, our new year and new decade are here. At the end of 2009 (i.e. last week), I promised a list of philanthropy predictions for the next decade so here goes! I’m going to provide 10 predictions in total. The first three…
It’s Not Too Late!
It’s December 30, do you know how your end-of-the-year fundraising will fair? With just over 5% of all giving being done now via the internet (and this number is growing dramatically), it is becoming more important to gauge the effectiveness of your online end-of-year strategies. Especially today. According to Convio and the Chronicle of Philanthropy,…