In all the years I’ve flown through Denver airport, I can’t recall ever having my shoes shined there. Earlier this week, though, I had a long layover and realized that my scruffy dress shoes were in desperate need of help. As I waited my turn at one of the chairs, I looked around but…
Category: Development
Why You Are Here Matters Most
Over the past year, I’ve read two thought-provoking articles – “Donation Inflation,” by Toni Coleman in CASE Currents and “Unplanned Obsolescence,” by Paul Clolery in the NonProfit Times – which focus on different topics but speak to a similar root concern for the future of philanthropy in the U.S. In “Donation Inflation,” Coleman highlights the…
Happy Anniversary
You may complain regularly that your database is deficient, inaccurate, or misused (or all three!). And because of your database shortcomings, you may get frustrated that you cannot consistently use it to improve and enhance your donor identification, solicitation, and stewardship. Here, though, is a database stewardship and solicitation strategy that all institutions can use…
Grow Up
If you’ve ever been admonished to “grow up,” you know the sting of those words can linger. One of the reasons these words stick with us like they do is because they demand much more than a simple change in our behavior. Rather, they are meant to communicate a much deeper transformation – a maturation…
3 Steps To Increasing “Donor Durability”
Some number of your major gift donors are what I would term “durable.” They are the ones who continue to give (often generously) regardless of their own personal and financial circumstances; they are the ones who are deeply committed to your mission; they are the ones who show up when you need it most; and…
What Is The Work?
What if the purpose of your campaign is not to raise extraordinary amounts of gift income, but instead is to educate potential givers on the need(s) being met by your institution? What if the purpose of your alumni relations event is not to ensure that people have an enjoyable experience, but instead is to remind them…
Don’t Forget To Invite These Donors to Give Before December 31
Over the next 3 weeks, donors will be making far more charitable gifts than at any other time during the year. It is the season of giving – and donors respond. As you implement plans to encourage and remind donors to support your mission during this period of generosity, there is a group of donors…