In general, folks can be curious in 3 ways: Curious about things; Curious about ideas; Curious about people. Typically, we all fall somewhere on the spectrum for each of these classifications. But, the most effective advancement pros lean heavily into the 3rd. (As an aside, some people are not curious about any of the 3 […]

Too often gift officers focus on the donor and miss the human being. Donors are conduits for gifts.  Donors are assets to be managed.  Donors are, God-forbid, “giving units.” Human beings, on the other hand, are holistic.  They are complex and nuanced.  They are souls with lived experiences and stories. When a gift officer shares […]

Dollywood’s Wild Eagle is one of my all-time favorite roller coasters. The initial drop is a smallish 135 feet and, while the ride lasts only 2 minutes and 22 seconds and hits a modest speed of 61 mph, it does have 4 inversions. It’s the smoothness of the ride, though, that makes it so enjoyable […]

Influence matters a great deal in the achievement of fundraising goals. The more influence an institutional leader, a gift officer, or a volunteer has with a donor or prospect, the greater the opportunity to encourage generous responses from that donor or prospect. People give to people. But the process of enhancing one’s interpersonal influence is […]

Donate – inviting people to “donate” is akin to asking for hand-me-downs.  People donate used items.  They donate old clothes, or used cars.  Generally speaking, donations are second-thought give-aways, not charitable investments in your mission. Use give, giving, and gift, instead. Appointment – advancement professionals don’t have appointments with donors.  We have visits or meetings.  […]

Your donor database will always have more inaccurate or missing data than you think is acceptable.  You can still raise more money. Your institution’s brand and messaging could always be more concise, clear, and compelling.  You can still raise more money. Your case for support does not need to be completed for you to contact […]

We talk often about “leaving legacies,” in development work.  Mainly, of course, we talk about this concept with donors who might have an interest in making a planned gift of some sort. Another way to think of “leaving legacies,” though, is not nearly as future-casted and is focused on your choices as opposed to the […]

In any given year, most advancement shops that work smart and with effort will focus on increasing either gift income or donor numbers. Those two metrics – gift income and donor numbers – are, easily, the most important when assessing the success of any given fundraising year. Occasionally, though, I’ll hear an advancement leader proudly […]