As promised in an earlier blog on Warren Buffett, this is the third entry in a series designed to question how development professionals (and others such as CEOs and Boards) should evaluate development effectiveness. If Warren Buffett were to assess the effectiveness of our development programs, what measures might he use? Below is my third answer…
Category: Fundraising
Part I: Measuring Success – The Buffett Way
As promised in an earlier blog on Warren Buffett, this entry is the first in a series designed to question how development professionals (and others such as CEOs and Boards) should evaluate development effectiveness. Warren Buffett knows a thing or two about valuing (and investing in) successful enterprises. Given his incomparable ability to evaluate good…
The Most Important Qualities Your Next Consultant Should Have
Development consultants can be helpful. Not all, certainly. But quality development consultants can add great value to your organization. There are times when organizations are more apt to think about engaging a consultant: to assess campaign readiness, to implement a campaign, or to conduct an audit are a few examples. And when an organization decides…
For What Do You Want To Be Known?
This is the question I see educational, healthcare, and non-profit organizations struggle with the most. It is also one of the most important. Why is answering this question important? Three important reasons: First, answering this question focuses organizational energy, strategy, tactics, and activity. From planning to marketing to budgeting, all strategic and tactical decisions should…
Top 5 Fundraising Truisms
Recently, I was talking with a higher education president about fundraising truisms – those claims that are obvious but are regularly worth repeating as a reminder. Here are my Top 5 Fundraising Truisms (in no particular order): If you want money, ask for advice. If you want advice, ask for money. People give to people….
Lessons from Buffett
There is always something to learn from those who are the best in their fields. I just finished reading Robert Hagstrom’s, “The Essential Buffett: Timeless Principles for the New Economy.” It didn’t disappoint. I walked away with a better understanding of the thinking process of one of the best investor’s of all time and found…
The Real Value of a Campaign Feasibility Study
For most organizations, there are two questions which encourage the use of a Campaign Feasibility Study – “how much can we raise?” and “in what period of time can we expect to raise it?” However, for most non-profit organizations there are far more important and compelling reasons to choose to conduct a Campaign Feasibility Study….
Don’t Forget To Ask
I speed. I shouldn’t but I do. My work has me driving a lot and I have had the highway patrol in my rear view mirror more than I should. Yesterday was one of those days. He pulled in behind me and hit his lights. I pulled over. The officer came to the window…
What’s In A Name?
Over the years, I’ve struggled (and watched as others have struggled) with how to title development officers. What is the appropriate title for those folk whose primary role it is to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors? “Fundraiser” of course lost out some years ago when people thought it was too narrow, and more importantly,…
The Courtship of Donors
In the second part of the Urban Legends of Fundraising, I talked about how asking for a major gift was similar to asking a girl to marry. In both instances you have the best opportunity for an affirming response when: you don’t ask too soon in the relationship; you both know the ask is coming…