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…
Category: Admissions
*Free* Subscription Drive
2024 marks the 15th year of Jason’s Blog. I’m beyond grateful for the thousands of readers and subscribers who have been on this journey with me and appreciate the kind words, additional good thoughts, (as well as spelling and grammatical catches!) so many have shared with me over the years. This blog is for each…
All We Know
First, the printing press made knowledge and information distributable to those who could read. Then, terrestrial radio and television broadcast knowledge and information to anyone with the hardware to receive the signals. Next came the searchable internet which connected hardware so that the whole planet (mostly) could share knowledge and information. Now, we are experiencing…
Setting The Table
Most institutions understand the concept of marketing – offer an attractive opportunity along with an easy way for people to respond. We market programs, special events, activities, athletics, ticket sales, annual giving opportunities, naming opportunities, planned giving, etc. But what comes before marketing – public relations – is at least as important as the marketing…
A Higher Education ‘Feel Good’ Story With a Moral
Recently, I read a news story about a woman who posted on social media about potentially missing out on a substantial scholarship offer from Maryville College in Tennessee. If you have yet to read the story, the basics are that student was going to need significant financial assistance to go the traditional 4-year college route. …
2 Types of Meetings
Collaborative Meetings. These meetings are designed to brainstorm together, to collectively create, to “bounce ideas off of each other.” The purpose of these meetings is to involve others in the idea formation process. Responsive Meetings. These meetings are designed to react to a proposal, to refine an idea, to improve a plan. The purpose of…
The 3 Most Critical Steps To Create Lasting Change
If your goal is to make your advancement program more effective. If your goal is to make your program more professional. If your goal is to raise significantly more money than you’ve done previously. If your goal is to engage your volunteers in activities they’ve never done before. If your goal is to create any…
Things Good Leaders Say
Not long ago I had the good experience of listening to Adam Weinberg, president of Denison University address parents and families of current students. He delivered prepared remarks for about 15 minutes (no powerpoint) and he spent another 45 minutes addressing questions from the audience. Here are 3 things president Weinberg said that struck me:…
3 Leadership Statements That Build Team Trust
One version of leadership posits the leader as a know-it-all. This is the supremely confident individual who has most all the answers and always knows a direction for future growth. The strongman (or woman) model. However, under this form of leadership, team trust is rarely optimized, which means that team effectiveness is rarely optimized. In…
5 Lessons Dogs Teach Us About Fundraising
Pay more attention to others, less to yourself. Dogs don’t care about what they are doing. They care about what you are doing. And that makes us feel good. Don’t let a “no” derail your efforts. Sure, your dog might pout or cower if told “no” forcefully. But dogs don’t stay in that negative emotional…