What if the annual fund wasn’t viewed as “operational support?” What if the annual fund wasn’t viewed as the “black hole of giving?” What if the annual fund wasn’t viewed as being “too general” to be marketable? What if, instead, the annual fund was viewed as a critical and compelling part of your institution? And…
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“The World Is Coming To An End!”
It’s true. But it won’t happen (at least by natural means when the all-powerful and life-giving sun peters out) until about 5-7 billion years in the future. So, the statement is true. But, it wouldn’t make much sense to re-order our lives, relationships, work experiences and major decisions around that true statement. It’s true, but…
What Happens When The Response Is “No”?
Does the employee get blackballed, demoted, or, even, fired? Does the donor get ignored? Does the colleague get chastised? Or, is the response a simple, authentic, “why are you thinking that way?” Or, “Tell me more about your perspective?” Or, “Can you help me understand your response?” The best leaders, the best advancement officers, the…
Frictionless
Many advancement leaders say they are striving for a “frictionless” giving experience so that more people will give. Of course, giving has become more and more “frictionless” over time (I can remember, for example, when the only way to respond to a direct mail appeal involved a stamp, a check, and the post office!), and…
Fundraising As Art
French Impressionist artist Edgar Degas once said: “Painting is easy when you don’t know how. But very difficult when you do.” Very similar to fundraising.
Giving Trust
People talk a lot about “building trust,” within a team or with donors. As if it is physical scaffolding that can be built for people to operate within. I think a better analogy is “giving trust,” because trust is something we all have at our disposable. We don’t have to build it. It can be…
The Formula
The big ask captivates us. “If she would only give us the $1.5 million. . . ” “If that company would only be our event’s title sponsor. . . ” The big ask is so captivating, in fact, that it’s tempting to start there. “Let’s go ask and see what they say!” is the trill…
Too Nice
In your team’s culture, are you too nice? Too nice to discuss: alternative strategies from the one a colleague is proposing? missed opportunities? goals we didn’t achieve? ideas that go against “what we’ve always done?” new ways of working together? Being nice makes teams run smoothly. Until being too nice doesn’t.
Leading Volunteers
What’s the reason our institution utilizes volunteers? What’s the point? The purpose? If we expect our volunteers to provide the definitive answers to these questions, we may want to re-think our role. As advancement professionals who engage volunteers, our first duty is to understand clearly why they are being asked to volunteer. Our second duty…
3 Ways We Make Decisions
Why are we reducing our direct mail solicitations from 4 per year to 3? Why are we no long conducting a phonathon to interactively engage donors and invite their gifts? Why are we continuing to plan for the next gala? Why are we no longer printing our magazine and only creating a digital version? Why…