Recently, I gave a presentation to a diverse group of educational, healthcare, and non-profit executives on performance metrics for development officers. For years I have helped leaders and teams create and implement performance metrics so I know in each audience there are a small percentage who can be turned off by the topic. My sense…
Category: Fundraising
Why Some Don’t Give
What percentage of your database have never made a gift? Why haven’t they given to you? A few years ago, a report from the Economic and Social Research Council and the National Council for Voluntary Organizations, both of the United Kingdom, suggested the following reasons why people may not make a charitable gift: Denial of…
The 2 Things That Really Impact How Much Money You Can Raise
Institutions of all sizes spend lots of money to test the feasibility of conducting fundraising efforts. Reports, which are sometimes encyclopedic in size, are generated with all sorts of data attached (some helpful, some not-so-much) to help answer a simple question: How much money can we raise? But when you get right down to it,…
Donor Stewardship – The Integrative Way
Saying thank you to a leadership donor – and doing it well – is not always easy. First, you have to say it in a way that is meaningful for the donor. Second, you have to do it in a way that doesn’t break the bank! Recently, I was visiting with a donor stewardship director…
The Urban Legends of Fundraising – Part III of III
Urban legend – An urban legend, urban myth, or urban tale is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories thought to be factual by those circulating them. (Wikipedia) The final installment of the 3-part Urban Legends of Fundraising messages focuses on the faulty thinking that the broader economic environment will greatly impact your organization’s…
The Urban Legends of Fundraising – Part II of III
Urban legend – An urban legend, urban myth, or urban tale is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories thought to be factual by those circulating them. (Wikipedia) In part II of our three-part series, I am focusing on the “It’s All About The Ask” Urban Legend. Specifically, this Urban Legend purports that fundraisers…
The Urban Legends of Fundraising – Part I of III
Urban legend – An urban legend, urban myth, or urban tale is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories thought to be factual by those circulating them. (Wikipedia) This week, my aim is to debunk a few urban legends regarding fundraising. These are examples of “conventional wisdom” that, over the years, I’ve heard repeated often by otherwise…
Coming to a university near you: Micro-donations
So, here’s the micro-donation concept in action – alumni and other fans at a college football game would “compete” with each other by texting their small gift commitments in support of their respective schools. Two questions immediately come to mind: Is this giving repeatable? We know from recent research that donors who make gifts online are…
How will you perform under pressure?
Ever notice that some people perform well under pressure while others seem to wilt? As the chart above suggests, we typically need some level of anxiousness in order to care enough to perform. But at some point the level of anxiousness becomes debiliating causing a drop-off in performance. But at what point does this happen?…
What losing luggage can teach us about donor communications
Recently, I had a frustrating experience – my luggage was mistakingly taken by a fellow air traveler. As I travel often, I always check my baggage planeside. And so, on one trip I got off the plane, waited for my luggage to be brought up the jetway and after a few minutes, left empty handed….