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Category: Constituency Service

The Diagonal Problem

Posted on January 25, 2023January 25, 2023 by Jason McNeal

Organizational charts matter.  They aren’t the final answer to the question of “how effective are we?”  But they are an important component of that answer. When we don’t communicate based on the organizational chart, we risk problems. Take, for instance, a Dean of a college engaging the Foundation CEO regularly instead of her gift officer….

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5 New Ways To Get Great Abs!

Posted on January 13, 2023January 13, 2023 by Jason McNeal

There is a simple reason headlines like this are used over and over again on fitness magazine covers or fitness posts on social media, etc. They work. For a whole host of reasons, many people seek slimmer midsections so they are curious about, “5 new ways. . .”  As a result, such tried and trusty…

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So, Now What?

Posted on January 2, 2023December 30, 2022 by Jason McNeal

Welcome to 2023!  You made it.  In fact, you probably more than “made it.” You probably finished 2022 with more gift income than in calendar year 2021.  You probably achieved some important campaign goals in 2022.  You probably succeeded in a whole number of important advancement and development ways. And, you probably are tired.  Maybe…

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Some People

Posted on December 26, 2022December 24, 2022 by Jason McNeal

Your case statement isn’t designed to delight every prospect. Your proposal isn’t crafted to appeal to every donor. Your website can’t be created to attract every visitor. Your direct mail solicitation isn’t written to enthrall every reader. You shouldn’t be seeking to connect with everyone.  That’s a fool’s errand. Far too wide and too broad…

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3 Leadership Statements That Build Team Trust

Posted on September 7, 2022September 7, 2022 by Jason McNeal

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…

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The Donor Awareness Matrix

Posted on August 22, 2022August 21, 2022 by Jason McNeal

A key aim of our advancement work should be to gain deeper awareness of our donors (and prospective donors). What do they believe about our institution?  What is their motivation to volunteer?  To give?  What are their specific reasons for engaging with us?  How would they describe their values? What other organizations do they support…

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Comparisons

Posted on August 5, 2022July 31, 2022 by Jason McNeal

One institution has a president who is deeply embedded in the advancement process, enjoys engaging with donors, and is good at this work.  Another institution has a president who doesn’t enjoy advancement nearly as much and, instead, prefers spending time leading other institutional issues rather than being with donors. One 150-year, 4-year institution has a…

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When Being “Efficient” Is Not The Primary Goal

Posted on July 22, 2020July 17, 2020 by Jason McNeal

Supermarkets price milk and eggs (and turkeys during Thanksgiving) below, at, or just above their cost.  These items (and others) are called “loss leaders” or “leader priced items.”  Every time you buy milk or eggs, your local supermarket is, most likely, losing money on that transaction.  If one were to analyze a supermarket’s value by…

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Writing Contact Reports That Matter

Posted on April 30, 2015April 30, 2015 by Jason McNeal

One of the most important and yet most misunderstood responsibilities of a development officer is to write helpful prospect contact reports on a consistent basis.  Most development folk understand that they should write contact reports, but only some recognize why they are so vital to effective fundraising, and even fewer grasp how to write them well….

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The Human Storyline

Posted on June 24, 2012June 21, 2016 by Jason McNeal

Advancement professionals regularly are looking for ways to “better tell our institution’s story.”  I have written in the past about how better storytelling alone won’t lead to larger gifts.  Instead, I’ve suggested that the concept of story-listening is a much better way to go about attracting larger gifts.  It is the donor’s story that is…

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