Many development professionals and most volunteers believe solicitation to be the most important stage of the giving cycle. Webcasts, conferences, and books on ‘making the ask’ sell because people are convinced of the preeminence of the solicitation. The conventional wisdom is that there must be a special technique, a preferred tactic, or a eloquent turn…
Category: Leadership
On Being Delightful
Charm and nothing but charm at last grows a little tiresome. It’s a relief then to deal with a man who isn’t quite so delightful but a little more sincere. – W. Somerset Maugham, “The Painted Veil“ The Painted Veil is a sweeping, enjoyable early 20th Century novel which chronicles the spiritual development of Kitty,…
I Only Hear From You. . .
. . . when you are asking for money. Everyone has heard this comment. Mostly from non-donors, but occasionally from donors as well. One read of the comment is that the speaker wants more information about the institution and fewer solicitations. In fact, that’s typically how a development professional frames this comment. And the response…
A Reason Why I’m Thankful. . . and Fearful
Making a difference in the lives of others, in our communities, and on our world is noble and fulfilling work. To wake up each morning with the recognition that our organizations educate, heal, transform, support, and uplift others is a blessing. Because I feel called to be a part of non-profit advancement work, I am…
1-800-THIS DOESN’T WORK ANYMORE
My credit card company doesn’t have a phone number. Neither does my preferred airline. And neither does the hotel chain I frequent when I’m on the road. Many businesses act as if they don’t have a phone number. Instead, what they offer on printed materials, even on their websites, is a mix of numbers and…
Avoiding Advancement Commodification
The primary goal of advancement programs should be to create conditions which encourage donor generosity. Generosity producing conditions – be they through direct mail letters, phonathon calls, special events, or face-to-face visits – lead to donor experiences. If these experiences are inspiring, energizing and/or encouraging for our donors, generosity is more likely to follow. So, how…
Getting the Gift vs. Giving the Gift
What if, instead of development professionals focusing on “getting the gift,” we focused on “giving the gift?” There is growing and substantial research evidence suggesting that giving to others reaps meaningful physical, spiritual, and emotional benefits for the donor. Two of the early researched-based books on the topic were Allan Luks’, The Healing Power of…
Are You “Touching” Your Donors?
“Touch” is a robust, flexible, and, in many instances, an emotionally-charged word. Consider the following phrases: “We were touched by their generosity.” “I really hope we can stay in touch.” “His presentation added the perfect touch to the evening.” Ever wonder why the word, “touch,” represents such emotionally-rich thoughts? Recently, National Public Radio shared a…
Unconventionally Wise
Conventional wisdom is an interesting concept – many times, we have convention, but we are far from wisdom. Here are some examples: Conventional wisdom says that smaller K-12 class sizes enhance student outcomes and test scores. Everyone knows this to be true, right? So, we have spent billions of dollars in an effort to keep…
Ideas and Execution
Ideas are fun to generate and easy to deliver. Everyone has ideas. And most are willing to share their ideas on how things “should be done.” Ideas are everywhere – not scarce at all. On the other hand, executing is boring and hard work. Execution is about getting results – meaningful results. Good execution takes…