There are moments when budget cuts are warranted. When enrollment declines become sticky and stubborn, for example. But, cutting expenses is rarely part of a longer-term strategy for institutional success. There are 3 practical reasons for this: Despite all best attempts, budget cuts will impact some aspect of the program or service that delights those…
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The Seven Faces of Gift Officers
When The Seven Faces of Philanthropy was first published in the 1990s, it was an instant classic. It helped a generation of gift officers understand the motivations and perspectives of seven different types or “faces” of donors. For many new gift officers, it is still a must read. I have often wondered though, what a…
Knowing and Believing
The good advancement professional knows the mission, the project, the initiative for which they are raising funds. The exceptional advancement professional believes in the mission, the project, the initiative for which they are raising funds. Understanding the difference between knowing and believing and embracing why that difference matters is the work of every new advancement…
What Can I Assume?
Making assumptions can get a bad rap. When we assume the worst, we run the risk of the outcome being self-fulfilled. And when we assume too much, we sometimes overlook the fundamentals, the easy, or the obvious. But making assumptions can be helpful, too. For example, when trying to establish a first-time visit with a…
“Not What I Expected”
I listened as a relatively new gift officer relayed her experiences of visiting with donors during the first few months of her work. “It’s not what I expected,” she started. “People, even my corporate donors, are motivated to give because of our mission. They truly want to help. I honestly thought it would be more…
Strengthening A Culture of Giving
When an institution’s leadership complains, “we have never had a strong culture of fundraising success,” there are three assessments worth making immediately. What is the balance between inviting gifts vs. stewarding gifts? Over time, donors who care will follow our lead. If an advancement team is not inviting gifts from donors with the same energy…
Leadership is. . .
. . . ensuring that others are included, even when it might be easier to do it ourselves. Which is one reason why leadership is far less about the title or position we hold and far more about the influence we create.
Everything is Temporary
That’s not bad news. In fact, it’s a huge, unspoken part of why humans can logically maintain hope for the future. We have the capacity to play a part in changing things – even important things – like a troubled relationship with a donor, a negative institutional culture, or low total giving numbers. All because…
“Top Down” or “Inside Out”?
In any campaign or significant fundraising initiative, there is wisdom in practicing the maxim of engaging your potential donor segments in a “top down, inside out” order. This phrase, of course, refers to inviting both your highest financial capacity donors (i.e, the “top” in “top down”), and those donors closest to your institution (i.e., the…
Paradoxical Life Lessons
Three fundamental life lessons that humans must learn in order to lead productive and satisfying lives (they build on each other in paradoxical ways): 1. “It’s not about me.” 2. “While it’s not about me, I end up with more when I give than when I receive.” 3. “While I end up with more when…