How many data points would it take to prove to your CEO, your board, your major donors – anyone, for that matter – that your fundraising program is healthy and growing? If you think it would take at least 5 data points and probably 10 or more, you might not be using data as effectively…
Category: Branding
Informal Indicators of Future Financial Distress
Here are some behaviors that point to a troubling financial future ahead for your institution: Your institution is investing more (more people, more financial resources, etc.) in “marketing” as opposed to investing more in traditional development efforts. During Board meetings, your institution’s Board is awkward about or doesn’t easily and regularly have open discussions about…
Belief Flexibility and Hiring For Success
Traditionally, we hire for advancement positions with a core set of attributes and characteristics in mind. For instance, we want people on our team who are: Ethical Excellent communicators Relationship-oriented Attentive to detail, and, Goal-oriented Even though the above list is just a sampling, we typically don’t include “belief flexibility” as one of those core…
What About Lightning?
“What about asking the alumni who have never given?” “What about asking the wealthy business leaders in our community who haven’t supported us?” “What about asking the Gates Foundation or MacKenzie Scott? It can be tempting to focus on the prospects who may have the financial capacity but have never shown the willingness or interest…
Today and Tomorrow
Today, we may want more resources for our annual giving program. On the other hand, tomorrow we may want to have more dollars raised from our annual giving program. Today, we may want another gift officer to meet with more donors. On the other hand, tomorrow we may want to have more discovery visits completed…
Little, Powerful Phrases
Instead of simply saying these phrases each day, what if we made the effort to mean these phrases each day? “Thank you.” “You’re welcome.” “How are you?” “Good morning.” “I’m sorry.” “I appreciate you.” “See you tomorrow.” If we made a habit of saying these common, everyday phrases animated by their real meaning: advancement team…
The Same, But Different
Productive annual giving messaging often gets changed too quickly because the type of message feels “the same” and change feels like progress. Example: “Let’s not use a student scholarship story for our end of calendar year direct mail annual fund letter since we used a student story in the last annual fund letter.” Similarly, productive…
“No one cares!”
Turns out, this statement is right. “No one cares that your organization needs more money.” “No one cares that your campaign is under goal.” “No one cares that your development program is understaffed and overworked.” But. . . “A lot of people care about your mission.” “A lot of people care about those you serve.”…
The Case for the Annual Fund
What if the annual fund wasn’t viewed as “operational support?” What if the annual fund wasn’t viewed as the “black hole of giving?” What if the annual fund wasn’t viewed as being “too general” to be marketable? What if, instead, the annual fund was viewed as a critical and compelling part of your institution? And…
Giving And Letting Go
In our advancement work, we consistently focus on the process of and decisions surrounding giving. We facilitate giving and gifts from donors. We guide donors on how their gifts might make the biggest difference that is meaningful to them. We thank donors for giving. Clearly, the process and the decisions involved with giving are important…