Gift officers will regularly say, “I need something specific to ask donors to give to.” When they use the word specific, they usually mean they want a tangible way to show “how” the institution will use the gift. For instance: A gift for a specific priority, program, or initiative – like a department or college…
Category: Branding
What Matters Most
Recently, I facilitated an afternoon meeting of global business leaders, successful entrepreneurs, and branding experts. It was a small, invite-only group of about 15. Each of these individuals were not only super-successful in various publicly-traded and private businesses and organizations, they also were exceptionally generous. Most in the room had made $1 million+ gifts with…
Speed and Pausing
It can easy to believe that talking about our work pace and including the attributes of quickness, speed, and busyness can make us sound important. “How fast can you get that back to me?” “I’m really busy and can’t get back to you right now.” “I’m working as hard and as quickly as I can!”…
Advice Seeking
What if the real significance of people asking for advice, or counsel, recommendations, or feedback, or perspective, is not in finding a solution or answer to a problem, or in the learning that can occur, or in the value of the advice given more generally? Sure, we can seek new ideas and novel perspectives from…
Is ‘Why People Give?’ The Question We Should Be Asking?
When it comes to the field of philanthropy, there probably isn’t a more ubiquitous research question than, “why do people give?” This question (or a variation of it) has fueled dissertation topics, been the focus of sponsored research, and has generated talking points for countless articles and presentations for decades. To their credit, many advancement…
The Participant vs. The Designer
A fundamental difference between the unexceptional and the exceptional gift officer is how they view their donor visits. The unexceptional gift officer is thrilled to have the donor visit. After the donor visit, he will talk at great length about how “warm” or “positive” the visit was. He will report that the donor will “definitely…
Organic Marketing
I once conducted a campaign readiness study for a client in which a participant who had made a 7-figure gift some years back stopped our interview and asked, “I have a question for you. . . Is this institution still Christian?” A bit caught off guard, I responded by saying, “I’m not on campus every…
Stories About Givers or Stories For Givers
Most all advancement shops will curate stories to share about givers and sponsors. For example, “Why I Give,” has to be one of the most ubiquitous headlines for e-newsletters and magazines produced by advancement professionals. These stories focus on the giver, “in their own words,” and highlight why they have made the decision to be…
Giver’s Empathy
The best annual giving officers imagine the experience of going to the mailbox and receiving their direct mail solicitation. Is the envelope inviting? Does the packaging stand out? Is the chosen font readable and is the messaging clear? The best Deans create stories about important and timely problems of the world and, then, position what…
Signage as an Advancement Tool
On far too many campuses and in far too many healthcare settings, finding one’s way around is difficult at best and downright distressing at worst. Whole buildings, floors, or offices may not be clearly marked. Arrows may be misleading or make little sense to the walker. Maps may not be updated or may not show…