Generated by All in One SEO v5.0.1.1, this is an llms.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site. # Jason's Blog Giving is Good ## Sitemaps - [XML Sitemap](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website. ## Posts - [Too Nice](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/06/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. - [Donor Stewardship And Donor Engagement](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/06/donor-stewardship-and-donor-engagement/) - The practice of donor stewardship usually includes a variety of steps or phases that aim to move the donor from their most recent gift to a next gift sometime in the future. Steps like the ones below are commonplace: Formal and timely gift acknowledgement and receipting; Personalized gratitude and thanking the donor for the gift; - [A Higher Education 'Feel Good' Story With a Moral](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/06/a-higher-education-feel-good-story-with-a-moral/) - Recently, I read a news story about a woman who posted on social media about potentially missing out on a substantial scholarship offer from Maryville College in Tennessee. If you have yet to read the story, the basics are that student was going to need significant financial assistance to go the traditional 4-year college route. - [Attracting and Keeping Great Team Members](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/06/attracting-and-keeping-great-team-members/) - When thinking about hiring and retaining productive and positive team members, its easy to lean on 3 employee-centric decisions: Higher pay; Better title; More flexibility with schedule. While most advancement leaders would relish the opportunity to be able to pay team members more, to promote people consistently, and to add more flexibility to people's schedules - [Remembering](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/09/remembering/) - Helping our donors and friends remember: the professor who encouraged them when they were unsure of themselves; the loving care and treatment their mom received during a life-threatening illness; the confidence-building experiences their children had on the courts and fields of play; the sense of calm that emerged when a social service provider offered a - [Donor Expectations](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/09/donor-expectations-2/) - What do donors expect as a result of their giving? To answer this question, advancement professionals typically respond with a duality. The first duality is the donor-focused aspect. This response is focused on what the donor expects for themselves in response to their giving. Responses like: gratitude, recognition, special invitations, small gifts, etc. The second - [What Do I Really Want To Know?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/09/what-do-i-really-want-to-know/) - Before each visit with a donor or a prospective donor, we should ask, "what do I really want to know?" . . . about their financial capacity? . . . about their interest in our mission or cause? . . . about their willingness to be generous? . . . about why they give? . - [The Better Donor Relations Question](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/08/the-better-donor-relations-question/) - "What will our donor get when they make their gift?" In some advancement shops, the response to this question is something specific - a pair of socks, tickets to a football game, a naming right, a tchotchke. In other advancement shops, the response to this question is nothing specific. A thank-you letter or a handwritten - [Persuasive vs. Manipulative](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/08/persuasive-vs-manipulative/) - It is common for some in advancement to hear the word, "persuasive," and think, "manipulative." But, the two are very different. When we aim to be persuasive, we: are ethical, transparent, factual, and logical; seek fair, win-win outcomes with others; respect people's rights and responsibilities to choose for themselves, based on what they believe, feel, - [The Professional Development Environment Leaders Create](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/08/the-professional-development-environment-leaders-create/) - Advancement leaders can create 3 professional development environments for those in their care. These professional development environments can encourage team members to: Learn More Skills - develop the technical skills related to their work; Receive More Instruction - learn from others about how they have enhanced their work; Think More - reflect on what our - [Performance-Based vs. Responsibility-Based Metrics](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/08/performance-based-vs-responsibility-based-metrics/) - The concept of "performance-based metrics," is well known in our advancement work. But, saying something is well known does not mean that it is well understood. In fact, in the case of "performance-based metrics," I would suggest the concept is very poorly understood. What "performance" are we talking about? Does "performance" equate to outputs? Like - [Compared To What?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/08/compared-to-what/) - If we want the most helpful evaluative process for our development program, an important first question to answer is, "what are we using as our comparison?" For example, we might make the following evaluations, "Overall, our fundraising results haven't been very productive." Or, "We are making great progress with our fundraising." But, neither of those - [A Cause or A Job](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/08/a-cause-or-a-job/) - Are working for a cause? Or, are you working a job? The answer to that question makes all the difference. - [More Data, More Ideas, and More Results](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/08/more-data-more-ideas-and-more-results/) - We don't need more data. We have so much of it we don't know how to use or store it all. We don't need more ideas. We have more of them at our fingertips than we can possibly implement. More advancement results typically don't come from more data or more ideas. More advancement results typically - [The Real World](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/08/the-real-world/) - Listening as higher education presidents or nonprofit CEOs stand before their faculty, employees, volunteers and state that what they do isn't "the real world," is a sad statement. I don't find these types of statements sad because I happen to disagree with them. I find them sad because the statements themselves show a deep lack - ["I Wouldn't Respond To That"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/08/i-wouldnt-respond-to-that/) - The personalized letter from the president that invites people to join the President's Circle by giving at least $1,000 is not for everyone. The purpose of any call to action is not to get everyone to respond. It's to understand the profile of the core audience, identify those who fit that profile, and how someone - [Buying Into Change](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/07/buying-into-change/) - The saying, "Most people like the idea of change. Very few like being changed," rings true. It is not uncommon for people to approach a strategic planning process or any kind of change management experience with skepticism. If change is needed, but 'very few like being changed,' a leader is wise to begin by first - [Creating Community](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/07/creating-community/) - We're not inviting people to give as much as we are inviting them to actualize their support. We're not inviting people to attend an event as much as we are seeking to strengthen their sense of belonging. We're not inviting people to respond to our social media posts as much as we are inviting them - [From Cry to Contribution: Leadership Consciousness Layers](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/07/from-cry-to-contribution-leadership-consciousness-layers/) - The conscious nature of infants is fundamentally selfish. As they can't gather the resources needed for survival, babies have no choice but to let the world know when basic, life-giving resources are missing. They cry, then scream, when they are hungry, or thirsty, or tired, or cold, or hot, or in any other uncomfortable condition. - [To "Team" or Not To "Team"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/07/to-team-or-not-to-team/) - When the new CEO of the Healthcare Foundation, Sharon Smith, is hired, we may hear people say they are now, "Team Smith." And, depending on the ego of CEO Smith, that verbalized loyalty could be rewarded. However, CEO Smith might say, "no, no, we all are on Team Healthcare Foundation," signaling that she has more - [Strengthening Our Culture of Giving](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/07/strengthening-our-culture-of-giving/) - It's not about the donors who support us having more wealth and greater financial capacity to give. It's not about the donors who support us having a stronger willingness to give. It's not about the donors who support us having a deepening sense of affinity for our cause. It's not about having more donors give - [The Case Or The Conversation](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/07/the-case-or-the-conversation/) - "Once I have the updated case statement, I'll be ready to visit with these 3 donors. . ." A gift officer recently said to me. "Can you share the case with me now?" I responded. "No," she said, "I'm still waiting for it." "Oh, I'm sorry, I wasn't clear," I said. "I meant, can you - [Working to Mitigate Risk](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/07/working-to-mitigate-risk/) - When it's annual goal setting time, I can lighten my personal risk by reducing my boss' expectations of me. I can argue that the goals are too ambitious. I can push back on the assumptions. I can offer far lower goals to make myself look better. But, when I respond that way, I end up - [Hiring for Skills or Mission](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/07/hiring-for-skills-or-mission/) - Why do you want to be in this role at our organization? Why do you want to do the work that this position will do? Why our organization or institution? Primary responses to standard interview questions like these might, "I'd like to move up in my career," or, "I find this type of work interesting," - [Making A Point or Making Points](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/07/making-a-point-or-making-points/) - Sometimes we choose to make a point. We have a perspective. We want to be heard. We believe our thought is the way to go. So, we make a point. Making a point can be helpful and it can also derail from helpfulness. Other times, though, we choose to help our team make points. We - [Showing Up In The Mailbox](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/07/showing-up-in-the-mailbox/) - "It was easier to send a form letter." "It was easier to send a generic email with a link to our base giving page." "It was easier to send a universal response card with our direct mail letter." Easier for whom? Perhaps for us, but almost never for the donor or prospective donor we are - [What AI Will Do](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/07/what-ai-will-do/) - AI will not cause widespread employment reductions. AI will not cause a "humans vs. robots" world war in which humankind will be eliminated. AI will not cause our most meaningful interactions to move from human-t0-human to human-to-machine. Instead, AI will cause widespread employment growth. See why Ford and IBM are already re-hiring people displaced by - [The Cost of Great Marketing](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/06/the-cost-of-great-marketing/) - Great marketing combines creative, meaningful, and timely messaging with strategic implementation. It's easy to be lulled into believing that the creative, meaningful, and timely messaging part is something that only a few people can create and that the strategic implementation must include some sort of new channel or fresh approach. All of which can be, - [Stories We Tell Ourselves](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/06/stories-we-tell-ourselves/) - Some stories we tell ourselves are about us: I'm smart (or not as much as I'd like to be); I'm athletic (or not as much as I'd like to be); I'm capable (or not as much as I'd like to be); I'm in shape (or not as much as I'd like to be). Some stories - [Setting The Motivational Frame](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/06/setting-the-motivational-frame/) - Maybe you think the important work is inviting the gift. Perhaps you believe the important work is relationship building. You may have been told the key to advancement work is visiting with current and prospective donors. You might even believe the most significant aspect of the work is stewardship after the gift has been received. - [Obliquity](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/06/obliquity/) - If we want to raise more money, we can focus on our dollar goal. Or, better yet, we can focus on our compelling vision for the future. If we want to grow our donor base, we can focus on adding another solicitation to the calendar. Or, better yet, we can invite current donors to use - [Inviting Donors to Increase Their Giving](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/06/inviting-donors-to-increase-their-giving/) - You can invite a donor to increase their giving iteratively, which means they will base the increase of their future giving on what they have given previously. Or, you can invite a donor to increase their giving aspirationally, which means they will base the increase of their future giving on what they believe to be - [Easier or Better](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/06/easier-or-better/) - We can ask Claude to quickly write the language for a pretty compelling major gift proposal. Or, we can ask Claude to take our major gift proposal and offer 3 different versions that highlight the donor's known interests in 3 distinct ways. We can ask ChatGPT to create a projected budget for next year's advancement - [The Leadership Problems With Stretch Goals](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/06/the-leadership-problems-with-stretch-goals/) - Does it count as truly successful if the initial goal is achieved, but the stretch goal is not? If the stretch goal is met, what further motivation is there to continue to give effort? I've never quite understood the concept of stretch goals. From a leadership standpoint, I've witnessed first-hand how stretch goals create far - [Neural Gating](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/06/neural-gating/) - We know from research completed back in the 1960s there isn't a direct line from our bodies to our brains when it comes to feeling physical pain. When we bump our elbow on something hard, for example, we know, instinctively, that if we immediately rub our elbow with our opposite hand, it will ease the - [I've Yet To See](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/06/ive-yet-to-see/) - . . . a development program consistently expand its donor base - year over year for long stretches - without deep and relatively stable solicitation traditions and timelines. . . . a development program raise consistently more from major gifts - year over year for long stretches - without stable, engaged, and somewhat (at least) - [How Much Will You Invite Them To Give?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/06/how-much-will-you-invite-them-to-give/) - Not, how much do you think they will give. Not, how much capacity they have to give. Instead: if you are willing to be on the hook for the responsibility (if they say "yes") and the disappointment (if they say, "no"), how much will you invite them to give? And yes, I agree with Seth - [Making Your Case](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/06/making-your-case/) - Recently, our family went on vacation and stayed at a VRBO house. Over the course of our week there, my wife and I realized we need a new mattress on our bed at home. After sleeping deeply and soundly for a few nights, we both woke up one day during the vacation and said to - [From "If Only" to "How Could We"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/05/from-if-only-to-how-could-we/) - If only we had more generous donors. If only our board members were more engaged. If only we had the resources to hire one more gift officer. If only we had a better CRM. If only our CEO was more involved with our donors. If only our internal communications were more consistent. "If only" statements - [Better Than Average](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/05/better-than-average/) - A nonprofit CEO recently gave an update to their governing board on the organization's strategic plan. The plan contains 4 pillars or broad, directional statements with a number of more specific goals associated with each of the pillars. As the CEO provided the brief update, she pointed out a goal under one of the pillars - [Stated vs. Revealed Preferences](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/05/stated-vs-revealed-preferences/) - It's not uncommon for donors to have multiple, specific criteria for establishing their named scholarship fund. They might even say during the process, "we've thought a great deal about this, and we know what we want." They proceed to describe a scholarship fund that could only be awarded to a diminishing number of students enrolled - [In The Moment](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/05/in-the-moment/) - An interpersonal characteristic that separates highly-effective gift officers from those who are less effective is presence. Not the "presence" of appearance or demeanor, when we might say that someone "has presence." But, rather, the "presence" of attunement and mindfulness, when we might say that someone "is present." Today, it is easy to feel as if - [Pauses](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/05/pauses/) - A couple falls in love and decides to marry. After the ceremony, a honeymoon of some sort and length is commonplace. This is a pause. A time to relax. A period of adjustment to the new state of legalized coupledom. We typically don't ask the newly-married, "what's next?" But think about other significant life accomplishments. - [The Scoreboard, The Score, and The Play](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/05/the-scoreboard-the-score-and-the-play/) - The least effective gift officer pays a lot of attention to the scoreboard. "How does it work?" "Are all the lightbulbs inside the scoreboard working properly?" "Are those lightbulbs the best colors?" The average gift officer pays a lot of attention to the score. "I should get credit for that goal!" "The score doesn't reflect - ["We Need To Fish In A Different Pond"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/05/we-need-to-fish-in-a-different-pond/) - This fundraising analogy is bad, not because we shouldn't be seeking new donors (i.e., the "different pond") but, rather, because we shouldn't view fundraising as a fishing expedition in the first place! We aren't hunters. Donors aren't prey. We don't "lure or hook donors." We don't "extract donors" into our institutional support boats. This kind - [The Most Consequential Question](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/04/the-most-consequential-question/) - A direct mail annual giving solicitation receives a 4% response rate. Is that good? If the solicitation was sent only to donors who have given in each of the last 3 years but have not yet given this year, we might respond discouragingly: "No, it underperformed." However, if the solicitation was sent only to non-donors - [How High vs. How Far?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/04/how-high-vs-how-far/) - If an advancement team is raising $1.5 million for their annual fund on a goal of $1.5 million, we might observe, "that's good - they've met their goal." It doesn't seem like they are doing anything outstanding, but they are doing what is expected. This is the "how high" question. How high did we get - [What Advancement Professionals Do](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/04/what-advancement-professionals-do/) - We lose the narrative if we believe our primary role is to: ask people for money; or, say thank you to donors; or, visit with donors; or, become friends with donors; or, invite people to events; or, seek feedback from donors; or, recognize donors publicly for their support; or, identify new potential donors; or, educate - [Serving Vs. Delighting](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/04/serving-vs-delighting/) - Advancement folk talk a lot about serving donors. We talk less about delighting them. Both verbs seem helpful and positive, but the idea of serving donors brings with it a focus on us. Our mindset. Our plans. Our behaviors and actions. On the other hand, the idea of delighting donors brings with it a focus - ["I Don't Care"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/03/i-dont-care/) - This phrase can feel unacceptable for advancement folks. We care (or should) about the mission, about those we serve, about our colleagues, about impact and results, etc. We might think, "we should always care." But, here are some times when holding an, "I don't care," attitude actually works for good. "I don't care if you - [The #1 Mindset Killing Your Advancement Planning](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/03/the-1-mindset-killing-your-advancement-planning/) - "If it doesn't work, we'll try something else." Here are 3 reasons why this statement (or, generally, this mindset), is the most problematic and unproductive approach when it comes to planning advancement events, appeals, and other significant advancement activities: First, it downgrades the importance of the planning process. When we take this type of dismissive - [The Effective Leadership Coin](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/03/the-effective-leadership-coin/) - One side of the coin: Effective leaders are courageous enough to have a vision for tomorrow. People grow confused and frustrated when a leader doesn't take the time to communicate where the team, the department, the program, or the organization is heading. The other side of the coin: Effective leaders are selfless enough to know - [Self-Serving](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/03/self-serving/) - "Yes, but Jason, isn't that kind of self-serving of you to say?" This is the response I sometimes get when I claim that being in advancement is a service profession. I'm not speaking here of serving the mission or serving our colleagues, although we clearly do both. Instead, I'm talking about us being a service - [3 "Thank Yous" We Miss](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/03/3-thank-yous-we-miss/) - Most all advancement leaders understand the importance of thanking donors when a gift is made. We should be timely, authentic, and consistent in expressing our gratitude after people respond generously in support of our cause. But there are other opportunities we consistently miss to extend our thanks to donors. Here are 3: When a donor - [The Best and Worst of A.I.](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/03/the-best-and-worst-of-a-i/) - At least for now: The best: A.I. creates huge efficiencies with rudimentary, but important tasks. A.I. assesses huge amounts of data and provides analysis or theme interpretation. A.I. crafts creative works that can advance important missions and causes. The worst: A.I. behaves like our know-it-all, smooth-talking brother-in-law who responds quickly and confidently to prompts and - ["Every Donor Matters"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/03/every-donor-matters/) - When asked for a prioritized list of professional values held dear, most advancement leaders would likely include, "all donors matter, regardless of gift amount," somewhere near the top. The concept, of course, is that what may be a token or modest gift for one giver, may be a significant gift for another. For those who - [Giving As Governance](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/03/giving-as-governance/) - For members of nonprofit governing boards, it is common for time and attention to stay focused on approving budgets, evaluating CEOs, affirming strategic plans, overseeing financial audits, and engaging in other fiduciary responsibilities. Governing boards are taught that these are the responsibilities that should fill their time and garner their attention. But, the most effective - [Cleaning Up The Beach](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/02/cleaning-up-the-beach/) - At most every beach with vacationers, early mornings mean beach clean-up. As quickly as the sun rises, the activity begins. It doesn't last long, but it happens every day. Consistently. From tractors sifting the sand to remove litter and trash to the removal of sargassum from the shoreline, the work is to get the beach - [What A.I. Is Already Teaching Advancement Professionals](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/02/what-a-i-is-already-teaching-advancement-professionals/) - Our future with A.I. is being touted as everything from a life-giving tool that will supercharge human innovation and creativity to a menacing, globally-connected machine that will learn how to master and subdue humanity. At this point, we don't have a clear view of which path we find ourselves. People holding the more pessimistic view - [A Future](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/02/a-future/) - We talk about "the future," as if its fixed. The future of our advancement program. The future of our institution. The future of our organizational structure. Even, the future of our lives. Perhaps we should talk about, "a future," instead. A future is neither fixed nor inevitable. A future needs our agency. A future has - [Level of Analysis](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/02/the-odds/) - No one can predict with complete accuracy who will make the next $1,000+ gift to your institution. But, we can confidently predict that our total number of $1,000+ donors will increase from year to year when we implement a thoughtful plan to specifically invite more people to give at that level. No one can predict - [Cutting and Success](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/02/cutting-and-success/) - 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 - [Asking Anxiety](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/02/asking-anxiety/) - If we are going to "what if" ourselves into a form of 'asking paralysis,' it's only fair to include the potential positive "what ifs." The opposite of, "what if I stumble over my words when I ask and they decline to give?" is, "what if a stumble makes me appear more human, strengthens trust, and - [Distracting Detail or Focusing Facet](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/02/distracting-detail-or-focusing-facet/) - You are presenting a new idea, a fresh approach, or a novel strategy. Perhaps it's as "blue-sky," as planning a small gathering of your best donors and inviting them to informally dream with the CEO on ways your organization can enhance its service to participants. Or, perhaps it's as operational as a new way to - [Simplicity](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/02/simplicity/) - The stickiest, most well known brands have marks or logos that are simple from a design standpoint. Think Nike's "swoosh," the "Golden Arches" of McDonalds, the bitten apple for Apple, or, even, the cross for the Christian faith tradition. These marks and logos are memorable, at least partly, because their designs are clean, uncomplicated, and - [The Impact of Giving Rarely Emphasized](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/02/the-impact-of-giving-rarely-emphasized/) - When we talk about the impacts of giving, we typically focus on two areas: the impact of giving on those we serve and the impact of giving on our enterprise (our mission, our program, our facilities, etc.). We almost never emphasize the impact of giving on the donor. Imagine your next annual report highlighting donors - [We Should Try It!](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/02/we-should-try-it/) - When first responding to a new idea, everyone agrees that a workplace culture of, "we've always done it this way," leads to a dispirited team. In a "we've always done it this way," first response culture new ideas get neutered before they mature into concepts. Creative impulses are squelched. Energy diminishes. And people grow disengaged - [On Trust-Building](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/02/on-trust-building/) - The public trust with technology, religion, business, education, government, media, and institutions generally continues to deteriorate. This understanding represents a decision-point for advancement folks. We can either bemoan the fact that building trust with donors is harder today than ever before - which is accurate. Or, we can buck the current cultural trends and actually - ["We Need It Now!"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/01/we-need-it-now/) - Whatever "it" is - more budgetary support, an additional team member, increased giving totals - that statement is almost never true. Manufacturing emergencies and creating a sense of urgency can capture attention and can make people respond. But they rarely respond with their best. They rarely respond with inspiration. They rarely respond generously. If we - [Always Seeking "Yes"?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/01/always-seeking-yes/) - To aid in the success of giving discussions with donors, gift officers have been taught for decades to use questions or statements they believe the donor will respond favorably to. For example: "Since we agree that the mass spectrometer is critical to the future of the chemistry program. . . " or, "Because the impact - [Taking A Percentage](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/01/taking-a-percentage/) - Recently, I had a head of school ask me a question about paying a fundraiser a percentage of what they might raise for the school. "My board is filled with business people and they think this is the best way to motivate someone to fundraise more." I shared with him the fact that every significant - [It's Not About Me](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/01/its-not-about-me/) - During the Season of Giving that just occurred, we were encouraged in overt and various ways to move closer to actualizing the biggest human development lesson of all, "it's not about me." This lifelong lesson is a hard one for humans to consistently embrace, in part, because it is counter-intuitive. In the moment, it can - [Less Efficient, Better Results](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/01/less-efficient-better-results/) - Let's say we spend $250,000 to raise $1,000,000. Our cost to raise $1 is 25 cents. Now, let's say we spend $500,000, and because of the additional resources, we are able to raise $1,500,000. Now, our cost to raise $1 has ballooned to 33 cents and it would appear that we have become less efficient. - [Benefitting From Giving](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/12/benefitting-from-giving/) - Giving benefits the giver far more than the gift benefits the recipient. When we earnestly embrace the implications of this single sentence, the experience of tomorrow's holiday (for those who celebrate) fundamentally changes for us. As does the purpose of our work. Merry Christmas. - [Disorderly Conduct Holiday](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/12/disorderly-conduct-holiday/) - For those who are not scheduled to work, today is a holiday we often overlook. Today's holiday is different than the tradition of Christmas and gift-giving celebrated by many yesterday. Today represents an opportunity. As we awake this morning, many of our homes are filled with new stuff - toys, clothing, games, items to return, - [Ego and Mission](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/01/ego-and-mission/) - If I lead from my ego, I care about getting the credit. But, if I lead from our mission, I care about sharing the credit. If I lead from my ego, I worry that I'll look bad if we miss a goal. But, if I lead from our mission, I worry that someone we serve - [On Being Generous](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/01/on-being-generous/) - It's easy to equate the word "generosity," with financial giving, or gift giving of some kind, or volunteerism. Far less often do we include the notion of kind gestures, offering compliments, sharing an encouraging word, or simple smiling as forms of "generosity." Possibly, though, these micro-generosities may have the biggest impacts - on others and - [Chasing Wealth](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/01/chasing-wealth/) - Some advancement professionals chase wealth in their databases. The thinking is simple: If we don't work toward building relationships with those who have enhanced wealth profiles, we won't raise as much money as we could. These prospective donors have the money to give. But having money is not the same as being generous. Some of - [Making Friends](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/12/making-friends/) - Over the last 20 years, our world has seen an incredible transformation in the ways humans interact, including how we make friends. Not only has technology focused us more on screens than faces, we have experienced a global pandemic which distanced us from one another, and we are in the midst of deep crisis of - [The Distance Concept](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/01/the-distance-concept/) - There is a straightforward, fundamental, and easy-to-understand distance concept when it comes to advancement: "We can't be exceptional in this work if we aren't close to our donors." Most advancement practitioners will find this an easy concept to agree with. And yet, many gift officers complain that their calendars are so cluttered with institutional meetings - ["Our Donors"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/12/our-donors/) - It's easy to think of the people who support our mission as, "our donors." The reality, though, is that generous people give to many different organizations and causes. And "our donors," also support other institutions. Therefore, they aren't so much "our donors," as we are "an organization they support." This reframe is important. Instead of - [Playing Catch](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/12/playing-catch/) - One of the most helpful ways to become a better baseball player is to practice the simple game of playing catch. You and at least one other player get some distance apart and begin to throw the ball back and forth. This simple, repeatable practice can be a lot of fun. You can practice gripping - [Today's Message](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/12/todays-message/) - As an advancement professional, you might have planned a very compelling message to distribute by email and social media today - both to recapture past donors and invite gifts from first-time donors. Perhaps you have in mind a message that includes a student or participant story. Perhaps you have information about impact you want to - [Starting Over](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2026/01/starting-over/) - If your fundraising year runs on the calendar year, yesterday you started over. If you are everyone else, yesterday still offers you the opportunity to start over personally. All around us we are told that a new year brings with it big, new possibilities, fresh growth potential, new learnings, and even, reinvention. We might even - [Standing Ready or Shaping Up](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/12/standing-ready-or-shaping-up/) - I once worked for a president who was not a fan of the phrase, "stand ready" - as in, "I stand ready to help you in any way I can." He would say, "I don't want someone who 'stands ready.' There is no motion there. They are waiting for direction or for something else to - [Delighting Or Reminding?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/12/delighting-or-reminding/) - If we believe our job is to delight all donors we will end up frustrated, disappointed, and burned out. Not only is delighting all donors an impossible goal, it's also the wrong goal. While we know from research and practice that most donors give because of a belief in the goodness of our institutional mission, - [Adding More Value](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/12/adding-more-value/) - When we propose a new stewardship event after careful research and thought. . . When we create a new plan for the annual giving calendar. . . When we initiate a discussion about how major gift portfolios can be re-organized. . . When we recommend a new design template and theme for our e-newsletter. . - [Being Better Artists](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/12/being-better-artists/) - We talk a lot about philanthropy being an "art and a science." In fact, we also talk about it in that order: Our work is "an art and a science." We never say our work is "a science and an art." And, yet, my sense is that most folks spend the bulk of their energy - [Giving and Feeling](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/12/giving-and-feeling/) - Conventional wisdom is that we must evoke a sense of care, empathy, or concern in order to persuade people to give. So, we spend a lot of time and energy coming up with compelling stories. Clearly, many people will give once their "heart-strings are pulled." But, the reverse process is also true. When people give - [Luxury](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/12/luxury/) - Two kinds of luxury worth considering: First, is the kind of luxury offered to us by marketers. This luxury is perceived as exclusive, upscale, and usually expensive. It's also mostly for our benefit or pleasure. Any item or experience can be luxurious - from towels, to automobiles, to hotels and vacations. We can call this, - [The Seven Faces of Gift Officers](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/12/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 - [Thankful and Grateful](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/11/thankful-and-grateful/) - When we appreciate that someone let us merge in front of them while driving, we are thankful. When we acknowledge our privileges (we all have them, even if we can't easily see them), we are grateful. When we feel relief because a meeting ended early, we are thankful. When we reflect on the positive impact - [Groups and Individuals](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/11/groups-and-individuals/) - You can inspire donors in a group setting. You can educate donors in a group setting. You can engage donors in a group setting. You can relationship-build with donors in a group setting. You can share your strategic plans and funding priorities with donors in a group setting. You can receive feedback from donors in - [Understanding The Rules](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/11/understanding-the-rules/) - Without a keen grasp of the applicable rules, it's hard to be good at any game or activity. Imagine, for instance, that you and your friends decided to play a card game. You all gathered around a table and one friend dealt each person 7 cards, placed the remaining cards in a deck at the - [More Looping, Less Story-Swapping](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/11/more-looping-less-story-swapping/) - During visits with donors, if you find yourself regularly sharing a personal experience or anecdote because the donor brought up a similar topic, you might be story-swapping. Story-swapping during conversations is a natural way for humans to build rapport and isn't necessarily a poor practice for a gift officer to use. But, it also may - [What Major Gift Donors Want But Don't Always Get](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/11/what-major-gift-donors-want-but-dont-always-get/) - After decades of donor interactions and thousands of donor interviews, here is a list of what I've heard from major gift donors about what they want but don't always get: Follow-up and follow-through; Recognition - even, if only privately; Timely responses; Mission-centered impact reporting - doesn't have to be specific (i.e., "your gift provided the - [How Many?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/11/how-many-2/) - How many incoming media/content/messaging streams are you managing right now? How many tasks do you have on your to-do list today? How many transition periods (i.e., where you can breathe and reset) do you have built into your calendar today? We claim we are constantly overwhelmed. We complain about our schedule being too busy. We - [Taking Responsibility](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/11/taking-responsibility/) - If we want to get the philanthropic results that make the biggest difference in the lives of others, there is no getting around the notion that we also have to take responsibility. Here is a beginning list of ways we have to take responsibility if we want our work with donors to make a significant - [Asking, Inviting, and Nudging](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/11/asking-inviting-and-nudging/) - Less effective gift officers ask for gifts. When we ask a donor for a gift we don't position ourselves (nor our missions) in the most attractive light. We may even feel bad about asking because we don't want to be a bother. Asking reinforces a sense of "haves and have nots," that reduces our influence - [Strategy Clarification or Avoidance Mechanism](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/11/strategy-clarification-or-avoidance-mechanism/) - Seeking answers to strategy exceptions can be helpful. For example, if our strategy is to establish visits with each Board member and invite their gift in support of our newly-approved multi-year, comprehensive campaign, it becomes helpful to agree on how our strategy might change for Board members who have already given this year versus Board - [5 Questions For Every Advisory Group](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/11/5-questions-for-every-advisory-group/) - If you are involved in facilitating an advancement-related advisory group for your organization, the following 5 questions are critical to getting the most out of their engagement: What is the topic on which you are seeking their advice, perspective, feedback? Having a specific topic-focused theme for each advisory group meeting is an essential starting point. - [Knowing and Believing](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/10/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 - [How Does It Feel?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/10/how-does-it-feel/) - Earlier this month, our world lost the gifted musician and soulful vocalist, D'Angelo. He died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 51. If you are not familiar with D'Angelo, he created some of the most soul-stirring, deeply-emotive, grown folks popular music of last 40 years. In 2000, he won a Grammy award for his - [Distinctive Experiences](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/10/distinctive-experiences/) - "What makes our institution different or distinctive?" This question dominates most every nonprofit marketing and branding conversation. And, in a world in which competition seemingly continues to escalate - for students, patients, donors, and volunteers - each institution wants to differentiate themselves from the others. We want others to view our brand based on unique - [On The Path To Better](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/10/on-the-path-to-better/) - The first behavior to avoid if we want to get better is assessing blame over what could have been better, over what went wrong. Assessing blame is such a seductive act, though, because it's easy to point to a co-worker, or a boss, or a partner and identify their shortcomings. How they slighted us. How - [Mastering vs. Replacing](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/10/mastering-vs-replacing/) - Artificial Intelligence (AI) scares many people. I'm not yet sure whether I am one of them. At this point in its evolution, I don't believe I am. Here's why. New technology almost always has a scary aspect to it. Driverless cars? Doctors operating with the assistance of robots? And, don't forget, that 150 or so - [Intentionally Seeking Fewer](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/10/intentionally-seeking-fewer/) - Not fewer charitable gifts. Not fewer givers or sponsors. Not fewer charitable gift dollars. But, we might be far better off intentionally seeking fewer goals and fewer metrics. What significant difference does it make if the number of sybunts giving again this year is up, when the total number of donors is down? What real - [On Being "Donor-Centered"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/10/on-being-donor-centered/) - Being a "donor-centered" advancement professional has never meant that we: consent to all scholarship awarding criteria proposed by the donor; adapt our investment policies because the donor believes another approach is better suited for their gift; accept every gift offered by the donor; treat the donor as a customer and behave as if, "the donor - [The Point of Goals](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/10/the-point-of-goals/) - For some people, advancement goals feel intimidating. For some people, advancement goals seem punitive. For some people, advancement goals create unfair evaluations. For some people, advancement goals produce anxiety. And, so, some people push back consistently on setting goals for themselves or their teams. But, for others, establishing advancement goals provides an opportunity to narrate - [From 'Learn More' to 'Act'](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/10/from-learn-more-to-act/) - When will I know enough. . . . . . to meet that donor. . . . to invite that gift. . . . to take that leadership role. . . . to speak up. . . . to have a perspective. The internet is full of "learn more" buttons and click-bait "but, what about" - [Selling To vs. Partnering With](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/10/selling-to-vs-partnering-with/) - When a salesperson sells, the focus is on the transaction and on the separate parties. How much will it cost me? What do you owe me? How will this deal benefit me? But, when a partnership is established or strengthened, the focus is on the benefits of cooperation and the fresh, inspiring future value that - [What Are Their Objections?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/10/what-are-their-objections/) - Here is a good rule of thumb for development professionals: If we are unable to clearly write out (not just think about, but put words on screen), a donor's likely objections to our invitation to give and clearly write out how we would respond if the donor poses these likely objections, we are not ready - [From What Position. . .](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/10/from-what-position/) - . . . is our institution raising money? . . . are we seeking that next job? . . . is our team making decisions about fundraising goals? . . . are we making any decision? When we make decisions based on perceived or real weaknesses, lack, fear, pressure to get results, or anxieties we - [Identifying The Audience](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/09/identifying-the-audience/) - A giving day communications plan becomes more effective as we clarify our preferred audience(s) and craft customized messages that encourage their generosity. The message in our calendar year end direct mail invitation becomes more fruitful when we thoughtfully-construct segments and speak directly to why their support matters. The annual communications theme for our organization grows - [But Have You Asked?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/09/but-have-you-asked/) - Yes, I agree that you have the closest, most knowledgeable relationship with that particular donor. Yes, I know you have met with them more than anyone else at the organization. Yes, I recognize that your stewardship of their giving has been personalized and thoughtful. Yes, I know they have increased their annual giving over the - [Struggle](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/09/struggle/) - While not a fact I can point to, my experienced guess is that no one invited their first major gift without some level of apprehension or even anxiety. No one gave their first presentation at the annual stewardship event in front of hundreds of donors without some amount of nerves showing up. No one picked - [Reminding](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/09/reminding/) - All great advancement work is about reminding people. Reminding alumni of the life-directing experiences they had while on campus those many years ago. Reminding former patients of the life-saving care and hope they received when their health was uncertain. Reminding parents of their children's new and affirming joys when introduced to culture, music, faith, sports, - ["What Can I Do?"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/09/what-can-i-do/) - Our professional effectiveness, our leadership promise, our influence, even our general well-being can be surmised based on which word of this question we emphasize. For example, if we regularly think (or say), "What can I do?" with a sense of exasperation or a feeling of powerlessness, our outcomes will not be as robust and positive - [What Can I Assume?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/09/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 - [Is It Worth To-Doing?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/09/is-it-worth-to-doing/) - Take a look at your work-related to-do list for today. Rate each item with a 1, 2, or 3. A rating of"1" means the item has a direct connection to your annual goals. When you complete these items, you are positively impacting the achievement of your annual goals. A rating of "2" means the item - [Advancement and Philanthropy](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/09/advancement-and-philanthropy/) - As nonprofit leader, its important to keep in mind that advancement is not the same as philanthropy. We can get so focused on raising charitable gifts that we forget the real outcome we seek - namely, to advance the mission of our organization. Engaged volunteers help advance our mission. Aligned sponsors help advance our mission. - [Assumptions](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/09/assumptions/) - I believe our work is to get money from people. Versus, I believe our work is to invite and encourage people to experience the goodness of giving. I believe most people will only do what is in their interests. Versus, I believe most people want to help others. I believe wealthy people are selfish and - [Effort vs. Consistency](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/09/effort-vs-consistency/) - It's easy to be fooled into believing that effort is the most important variable to our success. If we simply work harder/smarter/more strategically, we will be more successful. The messages are all around us. "There is no substitute for hard work." "You need to give 110% effort!" "No pain, no gain." Because of this cultural - [Talking With Courage](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/09/talking-with-courage/) - When we think of "being courageous," we tend to think of the social expressions of courage. From small acts to big, we think being courageous is something that happens in the context of other people. The courage to present to an audience. The courage to jump in an help during a catastrophe. The courage to - [Whose Needs Are We Serving?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/09/whose-needs-are-we-serving/) - When we decide to hold our annual donor stewardship event on a day that makes travel inconvenient for a significant portion of our donor base, whose needs are we serving? When we arrive late for a standing prospect management meeting and keep the other gift officers and team members waiting, whose needs are we serving? - [Options](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/08/options/) - We could conduct our outreach to prospective donors via email or phone. We could invite our alumni via direct mail or social media. We could distribute our impact report digitally or hard copy. One option is not necessarily more or less effective than another. In some circumstances, outreaching via email may the wiser than using - [What's New?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/08/whats-new/) - "What's happening?" "What's the latest?" "What's going on?" "What's new?" These are the questions, either verbalized or acted upon, that drive a good bit of human interaction and behavior. We greet people with various forms of these questions and, because of that, we act - at least partly - based on the responses. The reality, - ["I'm Glad To Be Here"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/08/im-glad-to-be-here/) - The biggest hurdle newer gift officers face is not how to effectively outreach to assigned donors or prospective donors. We have proven strategies and outreach approaches that increase the likelihood that gift officers can get their foot in the door. Instead, the biggest hurdle for most newer gift officers is their mental approach to first - [Capacity Buckets](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/08/capacity-buckets/) - Yesterday and all the yesterdays of the past are untouchable and unchangeable. We can not unscramble eggs. Tomorrow and all the tomorrows of the future are unknowable and unpromised. We can only guess how thrown dice will land. At least for now, all we have real access to is the present. This moment. This activity. - [Facilitating Without An Answer](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/08/facilitating-without-an-answer/) - In most instances, leadership isn't about having the answer. Speaking up doesn't mean we must have the solution. Instead, facilitating the answer or solution is the more helpful way of thinking about good leadership. Who would be most helpful to be in the discussion? Where should the discussion take place? Who should invite those we - [A Life Well-Lived](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/08/a-life-well-lived/) - Today, the family and friends of Cal Stoney will remember and celebrate his life - one that, clearly, was "well-lived." I'm not sure we pause enough to think deeply about what that phrase should mean for us. But, as I think of Cal's life, I see suggestions for us all. Seeking purpose and meaning - - [Eye Discipline](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/08/eye-discipline/) - In sports, the phrase, "eye discipline," refers to the ability of an athlete to focus on the relevant and most important situational cues while not allowing their attention to be misdirected to irrelevant or misleading cues an opponent might offer. Eye discipline is critical to reacting effectively and quickly based on what an opponent is - [Applause and Engagement](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/08/applause-and-engagement/) - Applause from others shouldn't be our goal, although it feels fantastic to receive. Engagement of others should be our goal, although it can feel messy and even difficult to obtain. When we seek applause, we put the focus on us, our team, our performance, our sense of perfection. We present statistics and stories that make - [The Greatest Con](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/07/the-greatest-con/) - It's amazing how adapted human brains are to effortlessly catalogue each time we work hard, or we stay late, or we perform a task outside our job description, or we extend ourselves in some extra way. It's equally amazing how adapted our brains are to minimize or forget altogether every time we loaf, or we - [Small Notifications, Big Distractions](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/07/small-notifications-big-distractions/) - I've watched in meetings as people's eyes jumped to the corner of their laptop screens after hearing a faint notification bell. I've witnessed a gift officer turn her phone upside down on the table as the screen lit up only to have the buzz of vibrating notifications continue to capture the attention of everyone present. - [A Tip](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/08/a-tip/) - One late night, weary from a string of delayed and frustrating flights I found myself arriving in Atlanta and heading to the car rental facility on an empty stomach. As I departed the secured area, I saw the IHOP Express restaurant and walked to the register. A young man working there didn't make eye contact - ["Whatever Makes You Feel Good"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2017/02/whatever-makes-you-feel-good/) - In all the years I've flown through Denver airport, I can't recall ever having my shoes shined there. Earlier this week, though, I had a long layover and realized that my scruffy dress shoes were in desperate need of help. As I waited my turn at one of the chairs, I looked around but - [Responding To An Upset Lapsed Donor](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/08/responding-to-an-upset-lapsed-donor/) - We've all been there. You are on a visit with a lapsed donor and after pleasantries are exchanged, the donor opens the flood gates and the issue that has them upset begins to pour out. Perhaps it was a perceived slight by the president or the CEO. Perhaps it was a decision that was made - [Control](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/07/control/) - The concept of control is important in leadership. But the application can be misapplied. Great leadership doesn't control people. Great leadership doesn't control processes and methods. Great leadership doesn't "control and command." Great leadership controls the environment and the climate. Great leadership controls the context and the inputs. Great leadership controls the team culture. When - [The Dysfunctional Board](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/07/the-dysfunctional-board/) - As is said to be true of families, a dysfunctional board will be dysfunctional in its own unique way. But, there are at least 3 contexts that will lead a board into some form of dysfunction over time if not addressed: A Board Chair Unwilling to Speak Directly - speaking directly doesn't mean that the - [Life Endowments](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/08/life-endowments/) - Endowed funds have three components: The Principal - or the original gift that is invested and not spent. Typically, the principal is invested and not spent "in perpetuity," or forever (or as long as the organization exists). The Return - or the earnings and interest that the principal generates. Typically, the principal is invested in - [Perspective](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/07/perspective/) - "Explain your perspective on the proposed strategy to increase the number of first time donors?" Perhaps, this is the most important question for younger advancement professionals to address. Not, "what is the strategy?" Not, "what do you think will work best?" Not, "how efficiently can you get it completed?" Not even, "how effective will it - [Machine Mentality](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/07/machine-mentality/) - When we view advancement programs as machines, we constantly seek out the next new idea or technology that will help our machine be more efficient and effectively. We seek to learn from our peers how they calibrated their machines, and we expect to get similar results if we calibrate similarly. We become so data-focused on - [The Problem With Generosity](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/07/the-problem-with-generosity/) - The problem with generosity is not that it's no good for our physical wellbeing, or that it's no good for our emotional and mental health, or that it lowers our sense of happiness, or that it isn't correlated with living longer. No, acting generously - even in small ways - does the exact opposite for - [The BEST Strategy To Get More People To Care](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/07/the-best-strategy-to-get-more-people-to-care/) - The key question for advancement is not, "how do we get more people to give, volunteer, show up, etc.?" Those action-oriented questions are rather simple to answer. An act - like giving - can emerge when people care. But, we also know that people will give and not care. They will give because of peer - [Choices](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/07/choices/) - We choose whether we serve others or ourselves. We choose whether we are positive or critical. We choose whether we speak up or stay silent. We choose whether we take responsibility or pass the buck. We choose whether we are enthusiastic or apathetic. We choose whether we are accountable or check a box. We choose - [Getting The Help We Most Need from Campaign Volunteers](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/07/getting-the-help-we-most-need-from-campaign-volunteers/) - Recently I was part of a campaign steering committee meeting with an organization that has just gone public with their multi-year campaign. After quickly completing an exercise designed to identify potential new major gift donor prospects, the committee began to ask questions and offer suggestions that took over the remainder of the agenda. One committee - [Self-Restraint](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/07/self-restraint/) - We tend to spot a lack of self-restraint in others very easily: That friend who rarely pays their fair share when we go out. That donor who uses her influence to get a business deal with the nonprofit. That politician who abuses his authority. Far more difficult to admit our own lack of self-restraint: When we - [3 Simple Practices](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/07/3-simple-practices/) - The most effective advancement folk don't necessarily have access to the best technology. They don't have the largest budgets. They probably don't work for the biggest organizations or institutions. They aren't the smartest or the most well-educated. They aren't even the most enthusiastic always. Instead, there is a simple-ness to being especially effective in our - [Bigger Database Share?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/06/bigger-database-share/) - Let's say your database has 100,000 records. Perhaps you have 350 of those 100,000 records that are appropriately assigned in your major gift prospect management system. I say, "appropriately," because you may have 350 donors who possess the financial prosperity, propensity to give, and passion for your mission that you have identified and engaged through - [Why Do A Campaign?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/06/why-do-a-campaign/) - If we're not going to meaningfully engage volunteer leaders in the process of inviting others to learn more and give, why do a campaign? If we're not going to identify the most strategically-important priorities donors can support, why do a campaign? If we're not going to align our major gifts prospect management work to first - [Us, Donors, and the Cause](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/06/us-donors-and-the-cause/) - If we want to make our advancement work easier, we can lift up the importance of ourselves. If we want to raise more money, we can lift up the importance of donors. And, if we want to change the world, we can lift up the important of our cause. Making ourselves and our donors feel - [Hidden Distractions](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/06/hidden-distractions/) - A Board member wants to plan a gala to raise more money, but shows little interest in introducing their wealthy friend to your cause. Your CEO wants more gift income, but shows little interest in inviting donors to give herself. An influential donor wants his name on a building, but shows little interest in making - [Responsibilities](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/06/responsibilities/) - We are responsible for showing up with a willing attitude. We are responsible for being prepared, being strategic, and being detailed. We are responsible for communicating with inspiration and with an empathetic nod to the circumstances of others. We are responsible for inviting others well - to volunteer, to attend, to give, and to care. - [Too Much](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/06/too-much/) - The first president I worked for who understood philanthropy was fond of saying, "We can never thank a donor too much." I used to believe that and would even repeat the phrase. But, as I've aged in this work, I've changed my tune a bit. It's not that the sentiment hits wrong. . . or - [The 3 Cornerstone Roles of Team Leaders](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/06/the-3-cornerstone-roles-of-team-leaders/) - Identify a Progress Direction- Are we aiming to grow our number of donors? Is our goal to raise more dollars overall or for a specific priority? Is our objective to make our database more hygienic? What major progress will we make as a team? Affirm Metrics That Progress Evidence - What are the specific number - [The 3 "Sights" Of The Best Boards](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/06/the-3-sights-of-the-best-boards/) - The best governing boards have: Foresight - they ensure a cultural and practical framework for longer-term and strategic planning for the institution. Oversight - they embrace the concept of "noses in and fingers out." They ensure that progress is being made on important outcomes and they ask what is needed to gain additional successes. Insight - [What Would Your Donors Miss Most About Giving To You?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/06/what-would-your-donors-miss-most-about-giving-to-you/) - If a generous, consistent donor stopped giving to you today, what would they miss? The joy? The meaning and impact? The community of being part of a cause with others? The sense of being a good, generous person? The interactions with your institution's leaders? The interactions with those your institution serves? Something else. . . - [The Accumulated Value of Time](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/06/the-accumulated-value-of-time/) - Seventeen years ago when my consulting career began, I also began flying much more - just about every week, in fact. As I got used to the new daily rhythms of airports, rental cars, and hotels, I started experiencing the amount of time spent standing in line from a new perspective. The time it took - [Creatives](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/06/creatives/) - We tend to think of those who are artistic or inventive or imaginative as "creative" types. We also tend to box our creative colleagues into the advancement roles of graphic and web design, or marketing, or photography, or communications. But when we deeply think about the important outcomes of advancement work we should consider everyone - [A Healthy Annual Fund](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/06/a-healthy-annual-fund/) - In the rush (or pressure?) to grow our annual fund gift receipts year-over-year, we can lose the broader understanding of context and, in fact, advancement program health. What if, for example, we grew an annual fund from $1,000,000 to $5,000,000 over the course of a 5 year period. And, during that same time period total - [Vagueness and Showing Up](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/06/vagueness-and-showing-up/) - If our goals are vague, we can hide. If our performance metrics are vague, we can hide. If our annual evaluation criteria are vague, we can hide. We may say that we want to show up. We want to make a difference. We want to have an impact. But if we're not willing to be - [Integrative DX](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/05/integrative-dx/) - Most institutions have some form of "stewardship." The definition and application of this term can vary widely from institution to institution. Generally speaking, though, "stewardship," typically means, "how we thank our donors," or "how we report back to donors on the impact of their giving." Expressing our gratitude when donors give is, of course, important. - [Publicly and Privately](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/05/publicly-and-privately/) - One sign of an unhealthy advancement team culture can be found in the way people talk about themselves. Not the friendly Monday morning sharing of how our weekend was. But, the "peel the onion back," "let's hear how you really feel," observations we all make when times get difficult. For example, when progress is not - [Strategic Vulnerability](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/05/strategic-vulnerability/) - A current-day, counter-cultural engagement strategy for nonprofit leaders is to share a level of strategic vulnerability with key donors, stakeholders, and institutional influencers. Strategic vulnerability is the purposeful sharing of key problems, concerns, shortcomings, and other issues faced by our institution and, then, inviting others to help. Far too many leaders believe that the most - ["How Can I Get The Biggest Gift From This Donor?"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/05/how-can-i-get-the-biggest-gift-from-this-donor/) - This is the wrong question to pose. It's far more helpful to ask, "how can I help this donor make the biggest difference through our mission?" Gaining agreement on the level of impact is the best precondition to receiving the biggest gift. - [Donor Expectations](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/05/donor-expectations/) - "Use the gift as you see fit," is not the same as, "there is no need to tell me how my gift made a difference." "I won't be able to make the event," is not the same as, "I'm not interested in making a gift." "As a gift officer, he's a warm and engaging guy," - [Advancement Outcomes Matrix](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/05/advancement-outcomes-matrix/) - Here is a simple way to think about the potential advancement outcomes related to our annual planning. First, some definitions: Goals are qualitative statements that support our longer-term aspirations. The word "goals," includes the word, "go" - a reminder that "Goals" are direction setting statements, describing the focus we plan to embrace. Objectives, on the - [Another Way](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/05/another-way/) - The next time someone asks you what you do for work, explain your role without using the following 3 words: fundraiser (or fundraising) advancement development Being able to explain what you actually do - in a compelling and winsome way - is far more helpful than sharing your title. . . or leading people to - [Who Needs To See?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/05/who-needs-to-see/) - As a child I remember our family traveling a couple of times each year over the mountains to visit my grandparents. From Maryland to West Virginia, these trips weren't short and my two sisters and I would be somewhere flip-flopping and complaining in the backseat (of course, long before child safety seats or even regularly - [The Best and Most Human Things](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/05/the-best-and-most-human-things/) - As A.I. grows in applicability and opportunities for content creation multiply, there remains a space in which the best advancement professionals can shine. Here's how: We can empathize. We can show care. We can over-communicate. We can cooperate. We can give the benefit of the doubt. We can connect. We can smile and laugh. We - [Work Worth Doing](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/05/work-worth-doing/) - We don't talk a lot about adding value to our work, to our colleagues, to our programs, or to our organizations. We do talk a good bit about being too busy, about being over-scheduled, and about being rushed. But, if we focused more on adding value - and how to do that more often - - [Jumping To Tactics](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/05/jumping-to-tactics/) - It can feel productive to jump straight into tactics. A volunteer might ask, "What you want me to do?" A colleague might suggest, "What if we raised our sponsorship amounts for our gala this year?" A boss might opine, "You might think about adding another giving day to the calendar." Tactics get us moving. Tactics - [What We Say vs. What We Say](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/05/what-we-say-vs-what-we-say/) - Major gift officers are taught that their role is to guide donors in making gifts that align with their personal passions and values. Experienced gift officers will share stories of helping donors give in ways that are meaningful to them as an exemplar of effective major gifts work. This is what we say about our - [Motivations](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/04/motivations-2/) - In advancement, the most effective professional plans, implements, and follows-up with a motivation to guide the audience through a meaningful and joyful experience of giving and/or volunteerism. The fairly effective professional plans, implements, and follows-up with a motivation to respond and react to the audience. Whatever the audience wants dictates their work. The ineffective professional - [On Proposing](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/04/on-proposing/) - We talk a lot about asking in advancement. Asking for the gift. Asking for their feedback. Asking for their advice. Asking for their service. We talk far less about how to effectively and consistently get to point of asking. When we propose a potential gift, or propose a donor strategy, or propose a volunteer role - [Saving Time](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/04/saving-time/) - In its many iterations, A.I. will save all of us time. That's what the promise is, anyway. But, when have technology enhancements actually saved us time? Sure, I can now send a "letter" via email and it arrives almost instantly to a location around the world. Just a generation ago, that same letter might takes - [Gardening Or Manufacturing](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/04/gardening-or-manufacturing/) - A backyard garden can produce delicious tomatoes one year and then struggle to produce any at all the next. A multi-national manufacturer, on the other hand, can produce the same product line year after year with a high level of precision. With our talk of "pipelines," "moves management," and "engagement scores," we sometimes trick ourselves - [What Are We Teaching Them?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/04/what-are-we-teaching-them/) - If we seek to increase the overall number of donors, it makes sense to focus on increasing the number of first-time donors. To increase the number of first-time donors, we might choose to employ a token gift strategy. For example, we might offer branded socks or a t-shirt or some other tchotchke as a quid - [The Simple Reasons Why Donors Give](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/04/the-simple-reasons-why-donors-give/) - A few weeks ago, Sandy Weill, former Citigroup Chairman, and current Weill Family Foundation Chair, joined the folks on Squawk Box (CNBC) to announce a $50 million gift to the Weill Cornell Medical College. Squawk Box host Becky Quick, asked him, "why are you making the gift?" Without pausing he responded with 3 reasons: Longevity - [Wrong vs. Bounded](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/04/wrong-vs-bounded/) - In some instances, we simply hold wrong beliefs. For example, we might believe that donors are motivated to give primarily when they see a direct and defined return on their support. We know this to be wrong, because research has shown repeatedly that donors give primarily when their personal values align with the cause or - [Brand Sentiment](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/04/brand-sentiment/) - The U.S. Stock Market can be intimidating. It can be hard to understand what it is and how it works, especially in times like these. The people who seem to know - financial talk show hosts and reporters, for example - tend to communicate in a different language. They regularly use words like, "puts," and - [Touch and Connection](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/04/touch-and-connection/) - Quantum physics has taught us that we never really touch anything. What we think and feel related to touch is an illusion created in our minds to help us navigate the physical world. The seat you’re sitting on? Your rear is not really touching it. The keyboard in front of you? Your fingertips are not - ["Not What I Expected"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/04/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 - [Caring More, Today and Tomorrow](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/04/caring-more-today-and-tomorrow/) - Getting someone to show they care is a much different piece of work than getting someone who already cares to show they care more. If our goal is to get more folks to show they care, we should use donor acquisition metrics to gauge our success. How many donors did we add? We should recognize - [Push vs. Pull](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/04/push-vs-pull/) - The concept of momentum in fundraising is real. In advancement, we talk about "campaign momentum," or "engagement momentum," or even "brand momentum." While specific definitions are not easy to nail down, momentum is felt more than it is defined. As the old saying goes, "we know it when we feel it." Nonetheless, momentum in its - [An Advancement Brand](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/04/an-advancement-brand/) - Beyond your advancement mission statement (which should concisely describe what it is that you do as an advancement team), what is your advancement brand? As expressed as a tag line for your advancement team and program, you might come up with something like the following: "Generosity that inspires," or, "Generosity that matters," or, "Giving that - [Mission Motivation](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/03/mission-motivation/) - We know from a number of studies that a primary motivating factor for giving to a particular institution is a belief in the goodness of the mission. It's not that there aren't other motivating factors that encourage giving, but study after study shows that "belief in mission" is a top response when donors are asked - [Framing Volunteer Expectations](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/03/framing-volunteer-expectations/) - It is common for advancement leaders to share a list of "expectations" for Board members, Advisory Council members, and other volunteer leaders. Among a number of expectations, the list might include items like: We expect each member to be prepared for and to engage fully in meetings; and, We expect each member to make a - [Who Is The Decider?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/03/who-is-the-decider/) - A common advancement team complaint can sound like this: "It takes too long to get something approved." Think campaign case statement and materials. Or, a magazine. Or, an e-newsletter. Or, a direct mail solicitation letter. Or, even an event invitation. When this type of concern is voiced, what normally comes next is a focus on - [Strengthening A Culture of Giving](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/03/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 - [What Agentic AI Models Won't Change About Work](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/03/what-agentic-ai-models-wont-change-about-work/) - Recent news on the Artificial Intelligence front has centered around agentic AI models. Essentially, agentic AI can better understand the context and operate multi-step processes in order to achieve more complex goals. Agentic AI can plan for the next iterative step to achieve a goal and can do more than simply translate data into knowledge. - [Underneath The Goals](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/03/underneath-the-goals/) - Most advancement leaders list their basic goals in two ways: dollars raised and/or number of donors. Sure, there are other advancement goals - event attendance or social media metrics are examples that immediately come to mind. But, for most advancement leaders, their primary, most fundamental gauge of effectiveness emerges from how many dollars were raised - [What Else Could We Be Doing?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/03/what-else-could-we-be-doing/) - For most everyone in higher education advancement, the spring and summer seasons are the time for annual goal setting, strategy setting, and plan making. If your team is like most, one of the questions asked during these days of planning is, "what else could we be doing?" The idea behind the question is that most - [Who Are We Educating?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/03/who-are-we-educating/) - "If 10% of our donor database gives over 90% of our total dollars raised, why fuss with annual giving at all? Why not just engage with the 10% who have both the wealth and a spirit of generosity?" I once had a university president who was looking to cut costs ask me this question. I - ["I Need Something Specific"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/03/i-need-something-specific/) - Gift officers will regularly say, "I need something specific to ask donors to give to." When they use the word specific, they usually mean they want a tangible way to show "how" the institution will use the gift. For instance: A gift for a specific priority, program, or initiative - like a department or college - [What Matters Most](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/03/what-matters-most-2/) - Recently, I facilitated an afternoon meeting of global business leaders, successful entrepreneurs, and branding experts. It was a small, invite-only group of about 15. Each of these individuals were not only super-successful in various publicly-traded and private businesses and organizations, they also were exceptionally generous. Most in the room had made $1 million+ gifts with - [Speed and Pausing](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/03/speed-and-pausing/) - It can easy to believe that talking about our work pace and including the attributes of quickness, speed, and busyness can make us sound important. "How fast can you get that back to me?" "I'm really busy and can't get back to you right now." "I'm working as hard and as quickly as I can!" - [Advice Seeking](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/03/advice-seeking/) - What if the real significance of people asking for advice, or counsel, recommendations, or feedback, or perspective, is not in finding a solution or answer to a problem, or in the learning that can occur, or in the value of the advice given more generally? Sure, we can seek new ideas and novel perspectives from - [Is 'Why People Give?' The Question We Should Be Asking?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/02/is-why-people-give-the-question-we-should-be-asking/) - When it comes to the field of philanthropy, there probably isn't a more ubiquitous research question than, "why do people give?" This question (or a variation of it) has fueled dissertation topics, been the focus of sponsored research, and has generated talking points for countless articles and presentations for decades. To their credit, many advancement - [The Participant vs. The Designer](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/02/the-participant-vs-the-designer/) - A fundamental difference between the unexceptional and the exceptional gift officer is how they view their donor visits. The unexceptional gift officer is thrilled to have the donor visit. After the donor visit, he will talk at great length about how "warm" or "positive" the visit was. He will report that the donor will "definitely - [Creating an Assistance Theme to Engage More Donors](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/02/creating-an-assistance-theme-to-engage-more-donors/) - One of the most helpful donor rapport building strategies for gift officers to employ is to utilize an "assistance theme." The psychology of an assistance theme is pretty straightforward. We know that humans, generally, want to feel useful or want to be helpful if they can. Certainly donors have shown evidence through their giving that - ["A New Kind of Giving"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/02/a-new-kind-of-giving/) - By now, you have probably read about The Center for Effective Philanthropy's research study focused on the impacts of MacKenzie Scott's $19 billion dollars worth of unrestricted giving to nonprofits. In short, the study found that Scott's unrestricted generosity was "transformational" for the nonprofits she supported. Turns out, nonprofit leaders won't be "overwhelmed" by large - [Organic Marketing](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/02/organic-marketing/) - I once conducted a campaign readiness study for a client in which a participant who had made a 7-figure gift some years back stopped our interview and asked, "I have a question for you. . . Is this institution still Christian?" A bit caught off guard, I responded by saying, "I'm not on campus every - [Stories About Givers or Stories For Givers](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/02/stories-about-givers-or-stories-for-givers/) - Most all advancement shops will curate stories to share about givers and sponsors. For example, "Why I Give," has to be one of the most ubiquitous headlines for e-newsletters and magazines produced by advancement professionals. These stories focus on the giver, "in their own words," and highlight why they have made the decision to be - [Giver's Empathy](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/02/givers-empathy/) - The best annual giving officers imagine the experience of going to the mailbox and receiving their direct mail solicitation. Is the envelope inviting? Does the packaging stand out? Is the chosen font readable and is the messaging clear? The best Deans create stories about important and timely problems of the world and, then, position what - [Signage as an Advancement Tool](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/02/signage-as-an-advancement-tool/) - On far too many campuses and in far too many healthcare settings, finding one's way around is difficult at best and downright distressing at worst. Whole buildings, floors, or offices may not be clearly marked. Arrows may be misleading or make little sense to the walker. Maps may not be updated or may not show - [Denouncing Goals](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/02/denouncing-goals/) - I can't stomach the thought of failing. I must be perfect. I already work hard. It's not obtainable for me. They might find out I'm an imposter. I don't want to be accountable. It's not fair to me. When we view a goal as a potential reflection of our core, fundamental selves (i.e., who we - [One Half Hour Per Week](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/02/one-half-hour-per-week/) - Everyone is busy. Life is hectic. What comes to us urgently consistently takes our focus from what is planned. But, when devote just one half hour per week to consistently working on our goals, we make substantive progress. One half hour per week to make phone calls to recent donors to thank them for their - ["What's Going On?"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/02/whats-going-on/) - When I ask this question. . . . . . folks in some advancement shops will respond first by sharing the latest gossip or drama at their institution. . . . folks in some advancement shops will respond first by sharing information about a new system, or software, or plan they learned about from colleagues. - [Building Nests And Raising Funds](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/01/building-nests-and-raising-funds/) - American robins typically live for about 2 years. During their short lifespans they typically care for 4-6 broods. For each brood, they either construct a new nest or substantially renovate a previously-used nest. The process of nest building and caring for chicks usually occurs during the 5 months between March and July of each year. - [What's The Recipe?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/01/whats-the-recipe/) - Some version of this question is asked by every person new to advancement work. "What are the steps to close a major gift?" "What is the process for increasing annual gifts?" "What's the recipe?" The advancement analogy of a food recipe is a good one. The personal meal preparer typically follows a recipe closely. The - [Increasing Empathy](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/01/increasing-empathy/) - The word, generosity, comes to us from the Latin language. . . In the middle ages, generosity was used in connection with royalty. It was viewed as a role royalty played to care for those who were subject to them. Royals owed being generous to their subjects (or so the thinking went). Today we talk - [Escaping The Special Events Horizon](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/01/escaping-the-special-events-horizon/) - The physicists who study black holes tell us that nothing, including light, can escape the black hole's "event horizon," or that place where the edge of the black hole meets the rest of space. The gravitational pull of the black hole is so strong that all matter crossing the event horizon falls inward. The "gravitational - [Our Role](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/01/our-role-2/) - It's not to get people to show up, although that is part of it. It's not to get people to engage, although that is part of it. It's not even to get people to give, although that is part of it. Our real role is to create the conditions so that more people want to - [It Didn't Work!](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/01/it-didnt-work-2/) - "Our calendar year end direct mail solicitation was not as successful as we had hoped." Was it because the message was ineffective? Or, was it because too many reviewers delayed the production process and made the piece late arriving in mailboxes? "I didn't have as many visits this year with my assigned donors as I - [Helpful Volunteers](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/01/helpful-volunteers/) - If we start with the belief that volunteers can help advance our mission in important ways, then, we need to also realize that it is likely they won't understand how to do that effectively without our guidance. It is unwise (and will be viewed as unprofessional, btw), to invite people to volunteer and, then, also - [Leadership is. . .](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/01/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. - [Working On or With Problems](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/01/working-on-or-with-problems/) - An alternative take on Seth Godin's recent post on problems and situations. It's easy to work on problems. Especially if they appear without warning and seem urgent. We stop and look for solutions. We put out fires immediately. It's much more helpful, though, to have the discipline to ask whether an emergent problem is - [Life Hacks](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/01/life-hacks/) - You may complete the task faster. The shortcut actually might get you there quicker. But there is a reason for the "longcut." For many important life outcomes, seeking a hack, bypass, or a quicker workaround is wasting time and potentially derailing our progress. Eating better. Getting physically fit. Feeling better emotionally. Saving for retirement. Building - [Noise](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/01/noise/) - Marketing colleagues talk regularly about breaking through the significant noise on social media, legacy channels, like direct mail, and even in face-to-face meetings. How can we capture attention? How can we keep attention? How can we motivate helpful action in others? Important to keep in mind, though, that some of the loudest, most disruptive noise - [The Data We Share](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/12/the-data-we-share/) - How many data points would it take to prove to your CEO, your board, your major donors - anyone, for that matter - that your fundraising program is healthy and growing? If you think it would take at least 5 data points and probably 10 or more, you might not be using data as effectively - [Informal Indicators of Future Financial Distress](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/12/informal-indicators-of-future-financial-distress/) - Here are some behaviors that point to a troubling financial future ahead for your institution: Your institution is investing more (more people, more financial resources, etc.) in "marketing" as opposed to investing more in traditional development efforts. During Board meetings, your institution's Board is awkward about or doesn't easily and regularly have open discussions about - [The Spiritual Roots of Giving](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/12/love-and-giving/) - Giving, I believe, is a spiritual act. I believe this, in part, because every major world religion points its adherents toward being generous to others: Judaism: Tzedakah is a Hebrew word that means "righteousness," or "fairness." In the Jewish faith tradition, tzedakah is operationalized as a obligation to help others and make the world more - [Belief Flexibility and Hiring For Success](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/12/belief-flexibility-and-hiring-for-success/) - Traditionally, we hire for advancement positions with a core set of attributes and characteristics in mind. For instance, we want people on our team who are: Ethical Excellent communicators Relationship-oriented Attentive to detail, and, Goal-oriented Even though the above list is just a sampling, we typically don't include "belief flexibility" as one of those core - [What Donors Value](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/12/what-donors-value/) - More often than not, it's not another tchotchke. Nor is it public recognition. It's not their name on a building, or even being told about the impact of their gift. Far more often, donors value an experience. And, donors value the good feelings that come with giving. Donors value the experience of access. Whether that - ["Top Down" or "Inside Out"?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/12/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 - [Former Board Members](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/12/former-board-members/) - Whether through the rhythm of regular Board meetings or in more individual and personal settings, institutional leaders are wise to pay attention to current Board members because of the important legal, fiduciary, and supervisory roles they hold. But, what about the relationships with individuals who previously served on the Board? Because they no longer hold - [What About Lightning?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/12/what-about-lightning/) - "What about asking the alumni who have never given?" "What about asking the wealthy business leaders in our community who haven't supported us?" "What about asking the Gates Foundation or MacKenzie Scott? It can be tempting to focus on the prospects who may have the financial capacity but have never shown the willingness or interest - [A Resolution for Generosity](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/01/a-resolution-for-generosity/) - Good morning and welcome to 2025! I hope the last evening of 2024 was an enjoyable one for you, your family, and friends. As many people establish resolutions for the New Year, I thought I'd share mine. I'm calling this "A Resolution for Generosity." I hope I can keep it. In a world full of - [Everything is Temporary](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2025/01/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 - [Today and Tomorrow](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/12/today-and-tomorrow/) - Today, we may want more resources for our annual giving program. On the other hand, tomorrow we may want to have more dollars raised from our annual giving program. Today, we may want another gift officer to meet with more donors. On the other hand, tomorrow we may want to have more discovery visits completed - [How Many?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/12/how-many/) - Because so much of our work is counted or can be counted, advancement folk often ask this question first. How many donors should we send this solicitation to? How many donor calls should we make so that we end the year strong? How many gifts will make this giving day successful? A far better question - [Little, Powerful Phrases](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/12/little-powerful-phrases/) - Instead of simply saying these phrases each day, what if we made the effort to mean these phrases each day? "Thank you." "You're welcome." "How are you?" "Good morning." "I'm sorry." "I appreciate you." "See you tomorrow." If we made a habit of saying these common, everyday phrases animated by their real meaning: advancement team - [The Same, But Different](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/12/the-same-but-different/) - Productive annual giving messaging often gets changed too quickly because the type of message feels "the same" and change feels like progress. Example: "Let's not use a student scholarship story for our end of calendar year direct mail annual fund letter since we used a student story in the last annual fund letter." Similarly, productive - ["No one cares!"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/11/no-one-cares/) - Turns out, this statement is right. "No one cares that your organization needs more money." "No one cares that your campaign is under goal." "No one cares that your development program is understaffed and overworked." But. . . "A lot of people care about your mission." "A lot of people care about those you serve." - [Paradoxical Life Lessons](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/11/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 - [Value, Growth, and Raising More Money](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/11/value-growth-and-raising-more-money/) - In the stock market investing world, two fundamental approaches hold court: Value Investing and Growth Investing. Value investing suggests that investors pay attention to the stock price of a company and compare that price to what they believe is the actual value of the company. If the current stock price is low compared to the - [The Case for the Annual Fund](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/11/the-case-for-the-annual-fund/) - 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 - [How Will AI Change Our Future?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/11/how-will-ai-change-our-future/) - Since I don't conduct technology-focused research and I'm not in the Artificial Intelligence market in any significant way, my best and most honest answer to this question is, "I don't know." But I'm also not convinced that this should be a concern for me. Here's a quick framework to prioritize our thinking about future developments: - [Giving And Letting Go](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/11/giving-and-letting-go/) - In our advancement work, we consistently focus on the process of and decisions surrounding giving. We facilitate giving and gifts from donors. We guide donors on how their gifts might make the biggest difference that is meaningful to them. We thank donors for giving. Clearly, the process and the decisions involved with giving are important - [Facts, Taglines, and Stories](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/11/facts-taglines-and-stories/) - Facts don't motivate people. Taglines don't motivate people. Stories motivate people. People don't create understanding from facts or taglines. People create understanding from stories. And yet, advancement folk spend significant time and effort collecting and sharing facts and wordsmithing pithy taglines - all with the hope that people will stitch together the motivational story for - [The Framing Of New Gift Officer Questions](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/11/the-framing-of-new-gift-officer-questions/) - New gift officers typically have many questions. Perhaps the question that dominates the thinking of new gift officers the most is some version of the following: "Do I know enough about my new organization/the program I'm assigned to/the campaign/etc., to answer questions from donors?" Framing the question this way puts the new gift officer at - [Time and Difference](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/11/time-and-difference/) - What if we took the time to. . . listen to the perspective of others who don't live like us? talk face to face more often instead of using a digital medium? read something written from a serious writer that challenges our worldview? volunteer to serve others or in the service of something bigger than - [20/20/60](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/10/20-20-60/) - Most people work in the tactical realm. To-do lists. Deadlines. Budgets. Some people lift their heads up and work in the strategy realm. Planning. Considering opportunities, strengths, and weaknesses. Coordinating tactics. But few people pause to work in the generative realm. Distinguishing which questions are most important to be asking and answering. Identifying institutional values. - [Copy & Please](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/10/copy-please/) - Many advancement leaders want to adopt what the "other institutions like us are doing." Copying is safe and easy, even if whatever it is that we are copying doesn't necessarily work well for our institution. Similarly, many advancement leaders are people pleasers. For example, if two donors out of 5,000 responded negatively to a giving - [Too Busy](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/10/too-busy/) - You almost never hear someone say they are too busy to scroll social media. Or, too busy to play Words With Friends. Or, too busy to watch T.V. Or, too busy to shop online. Or, too busy to listen to the latest gossip. But, you will regularly hear people say they are too busy to - [Taking Donors For Granted](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/10/taking-donors-for-granted/) - It doesn't matter how elevated a donor's wealth screen score is. It doesn't matter how generous a donor's giving history with your institution is. It doesn't matter if a donor attends every event you hold. It doesn't matter how passionately a donor has previously championed your mission to others. If we invite this donor to - [Asking the Wrong Question](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/10/asking-the-wrong-question/) - "What impact would you like to make with your giving?" is a fashionable question for gift officers to ask donors. Supposedly, questions focused on "impact," will help the donor think about increasing their giving so that the impact also will increase. But I remain unconvinced that this is a helpful line of questioning. First, many - ["How Long Does It Take?"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/10/how-long-does-it-take/) - A relatively new-to-advancement university president and I were recently discussing a strategy he might use to propose a significant gift to a donor. After a few minutes of tossing around potential ways to frame the importance of the gift to the donor, the president stopped me and asked, "I just want to know. How long - [Discouraging Generosity](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/09/discouraging-generosity/) - Every day, I see advancement teams make decisions that discourage acts of generosity or involvement from others. The direct mail thank you note and receipt for the donor's most recent gift that also includes an ask for another gift. The governing board or advisory council meeting agenda that only presents the wonderful and positive updates - ["Just For The Money"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/09/just-for-the-money/) - Recently, a gift officer said to me, "My biggest concern with donor visits is that I don't want them to think I'm only visiting just for the money." "What do you want them to think you are there for instead?" I asked. "I want them to know that we appreciate them and to thank them - [Consistency vs. Conviction](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/09/consistency-vs-conviction/) - It's, actually, not much of a contest. The depth of belief in the effectiveness of a strategy isn't nearly as important as consistently implementing a strategy. We can spend a lot of time convincing ourselves and others that a particular strategy is the "right/best" strategy. Perhaps because it is a strategy we proposed. Or perhaps - [A.I. and Mannequins](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/09/a-i-and-mannequins/) - From a distance, you might be fooled into thinking a department store mannequin is a flesh-and-blood human. The size is about right, the figure proportionate, the silhouette convincing. But, only from a distance. Get within just a few feet of the mannequin and you can easily tell that it is a lifeless pattern meant to - [Responding Promptly](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/09/responding-promptly/) - A donor emails you with a question regarding their gift and how it will be spent. Your response tomorrow is usually sufficient from a timing standpoint. Your boss asks you about the progress of the design of an invitation for the special event. Sharing the latest version with him tomorrow is usually considered timely. Your - [Talking Points For The Annual Fund](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/08/talking-points-for-the-annual-fund/) - Private educational institutions (either preK-12 or higher ed.) typically have a need for annual budgetary-relieving gifts. These gifts can be either unrestricted and used however the institution wishes or can be restricted, but supportive of the institution's operating budget. However defined, these annual, "repeatable and replaceable," gifts are typically part of the institution's Annual Fund. - ["The World Is Coming To An End!"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/08/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 - [Why Donors Give](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/08/why-donors-give/) - Over the last 20 years or so, a stream of research on giving motivations has regularly pointed to a simple yet powerful factor: Donors tend to give then they are asked. For example, the Study of High Net Worth Philanthropy has been biannually produced since 2006 by the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and Bank - [What Happens When The Response Is "No"?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/08/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 - [What We Can Learn From the Carnival Barker](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/08/what-we-can-learn-from-the-carnival-barker/) - "Step right up, ladies, gentleman, and boys and girls of all ages!" This is the well-known patter of the old-fashioned carnival barker - or, as those who work in this field preferred to be called, "carnival talkers." But underneath the slick, shouting, and staccato speech patterns recognized by most anyone who has attended a circus - ['It Will Be Living Document"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/08/it-will-be-living-document/) - Your organizational strategic plan shouldn't be. Your annual giving solicitation plan shouldn't be. Your major gifts officer metrics program shouldn't be. We shouldn't create plans with the intent that they will change. Instead, we should do the hard work up front to identify the most impactful priorities, discern the most appropriate and inspiring goals for - [Scaling Generosity](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/08/scaling-generosity/) - Everyone wants to "raise more money." But few people (at least that I'm aware of), speak of wanting to "scale generosity." There is a difference. We can raise more money through a gimmick or activity that goes viral. Recall the ALS Association's Ice Water Bucket Challenge, which is celebrating a 10-year anniversary this summer. We - [Becoming Less Certain And More Discerning](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/08/becoming-less-certain-and-more-discerning/) - Finding agreeable voices can feel affirming. Whether from our team members, from our supervisors, or from donors. We believe in our proposed strategy to grow the number of consecutive year givers and now 3 other colleagues agree with us. We are convinced that our proposed tactic to raise more major gifts will work and now - [Separate, Secondary, and Supportive](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/07/separate-secondary-and-supportive/) - With shrinking budget appropriations, challenging student demographics, and rising expenses, today's public higher education institutions are looking to their foundations for more resources. As institutionally-related foundations seek to provide these resources, foundation board members should make certain that they are addressing 3 important questions: Separate. Is our foundation-institution relationship appropriately separate? Secondary. Does our board - [Influence And What We Care About](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/07/where-competence-begins/) - Do you care about the mission of your institution? Care enough to work beyond the end of the day without even noticing? Do you care about bettering yourself professionally? Care enough to read a book (or follow a blog!) about our advancement work? Do you care about the quality of your work product? Care enough - [Old Relationships](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/07/old-relationships/) - Some years ago on Facebook, I friended my favorite history professor from college. She was kind enough to accept and even though I'm pretty certain she did not recall me from 30+ years ago, she traded some messages with me back and forth. During one of our first exchanges I called her the only name - [Is Your Planning Strategic?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/07/is-your-planning-strategic/) - All effective advancement work, from fundraising and constituent engagement, to communications and back-of-house data systems, begins with an institution-wide, mission-centered strategic plan. Donors don't give to your institution as much as they give through your institution because of your mission and your future plans to make a meaningful difference in the world. To create a - [The Recipient of the Gift](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/07/the-recipient-of-the-gift/) - When a donor makes a gift to support our mission, we think we are receiving it. Or, we think our students, or our patients, or our programs, or our participants, are receiving the gift. We aren't and they aren't. Not really. The real recipient of the gift is the donor who gave. As human beings - [A Direct Mail Invitation to Give "Formula"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/08/a-direct-mail-invitation-to-give-formula/) - Thinking in terms of "formulas" for advancement work is akin to thinking that there is (or should be) a "formula" for the relationships within our families or our close friend groups. When we think of our personal relationships, we easily recognize that there is no helpful formula or equation that works for all of these - [Convincing](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/08/convincing/) - Show someone a peer-reviewed, published study that contradicts their worldview and you might just hear, "those studies are all biased." Share with someone recent data that suggests there are macro-level trends emerging that challenge their beliefs and you might just hear, "the organization that compiled that data is untrustworthy." Present someone with statistics that suggest - [Brainstorming Doesn't Work (And How To Fix It)](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/08/brainstorming-doesnt-work-and-how-to-fix-it/) - "Let's get the team together and spend some time brainstorming new initiatives for the coming year." This type of statement and planning is done ubiquitously in our work. Advancement professionals brainstorm a lot. But, it turns out, the concept of getting groups of people together to creatively come up with new ideas - i.e., "brainstorming" - ['How' Is The Call To Action?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/08/how-is-the-call-to-action/) - If our goal is for more donors to increase their support for our cause, we have to start by asking how will we invite them to give. If our goal is to have 100 people show up at our event, we have to start by asking how will we invite them to attend. If our - [What Do We Assume?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/07/what-do-we-assume/) - It is not uncommon for someone new to the advancement field to hold strong assumptions about fundraising, giving, and the human spirit of generosity, that are at odds with the true state of reality. For example, if you ask people who do not have a history of working directly with donors a question like, "what - [Values and Facts](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/07/values-and-facts/) - Love is more productive than hate. Empathy is more unifying than self-centeredness. Generosity is more freeing than stinginess. Kindness is more healthy than indifference. Justice is more efficient than bias. These are values that we should lean into regardless of the circumstances or facts. Facts change. Every day we learn more about our world, our - [Bylaws](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/07/bylaws/) - Bylaws can be helpful when significant change is afoot within an organization. Or, when a significant problem arises. So, they are needed. They can help guide organizational decision-making. But bylaws can also become the point of the organization - which is almost never good. The point of your organization is your mission and advancing that - [Patience](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/07/patience/) - Almost everything gets better when you add patience. Patience is not synonymous with delaying. Or waiting because of fear or anxiety. Or "paralysis by analysis." Patience is willing discipline. Patience is knowing the outcome you are seeking and not getting distracted by chasing something else. Patience is kindness in the midst of turmoil. Patience is - [Rights, Outcomes, and Leadership](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/07/rights-outcomes-and-leadership/) - We all have the right to speak. But there is no right to be influential. We all have the right to invite others. But there is no right to hear an affirming response. We all have the right to show up. But there is no right to get results. We all have the right to - [Making It Look Easy](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/07/making-it-look-easy/) - Effectiveness should never be confused with working with great effort or working fast or working long. The most effective magicians don't appear to be trying hard to fool us. Their actions can almost seem minimal. The most effective athletes don't appear to be playing hard. Their play can almost seem effortless. The most effective teachers - [Sure!](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/07/sure/) - My father will be 90 years old in January of 2025. For years he has told a story that dates back to the early 1950s when he was in his mid-teenage years. During the summers he would leave his home in WV and travel by himself to Cleveland, OH, to look for work. The story - [Beyond Engagement](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/07/beyond-engagement/) - It's easy to talk about engagement and we do it a lot in our work. Donor engagement. Prospect engagement. Team engagement. Volunteer engagement. It's more difficult to consistently behave in ways that engage donors, prospects, volunteers, and colleagues, though. And, it's incredibly uncommon to consistently behave in ways that would warrant the addition of qualifiers - [Certainty and Culture](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/06/certainty-and-culture/) - No one can tell us if a particular direct mail package will succeed in encouraging more first-time donors to give. We can't know - for certain - if the email announcing a matching gift will encourage giving from current donors to increase enough to meet the match. It is not a certainty that our off-campus - [Taking Blame](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/06/taking-blame/) - One morning recently, I attempted to pull into a McDonald's to grab a cup of coffee (McDonald's coffee is the best, don't @ me). I say attempted to pull into a McDonald's because the particular entrance I was using to get into the parking lot was marked as a one way entrance and there was - [The Big Arc](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/06/the-big-arc/) - Amid the confusion, contentiousness, frustration, outrage, division, anxiety, and despair, it can feel sometimes like the world we are leaving for our children and grandchildren is going in the wrong direction. Pick an important personal, societal, or global topic and it can seem like negativity and virulence surrounds it. When we look back on human - [Wheeler's Which and Major Gift Fundraising](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/06/wheelers-which-and-major-gift-fundraising/) - Development folk are not salespeople. But, there are elements of selling psychology that can be helpful for development officers to understand. Enter Wheeler's Which. Elmer Wheeler was a sales trainer almost a century ago in Texas. He came up with the well known phrase, "Don't sell the steak. Sell the sizzle." He also came up - [The Task and The Result](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/06/the-task-and-the-result/) - A lot of people are willing to do the task. Make the phone calls to major donor prospects. Finalize the run of show for the upcoming giving day. Create the leadership-giving direct mail solicitation letter. Choose the pictures for the magazine's next cover story. Edit the videos for the campaign's website. Far fewer are willing - [Intelligence and Practice](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/06/intelligence-and-practice/) - It's fairly easy to find most any advancement-related strategy, program, approach, or tactic within minutes through an old-fashioned Google search. We can attend professional development conferences in person. We can engage in synchronous and asynchronous online education programs. We can listen to podcasts and read books, blogs, and articles. Today, we can even engage artificial - [The Most Compelling Donor Discovery Visit Question Rarely Asked](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/06/the-most-compelling-donor-discovery-visit-question-rarely-asked/) - "I'm struggling to get my assigned donors to agree to visit with me." Without question, this is one of the most uttered complaints of gift officers. When prompted to share their outreach message, it is common to hear the following: "I tell them I'd like to thank them personally for their support." "I tell them - [Extending Ourselves](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/06/extending-ourselves/) - Be the first to: Offer a helpful hand. Provide a compliment. Find the good. Say, "I was wrong." Walk away from gossip. Encourage someone. Deliver on time and better than expected. Provide a solution to a problem. Speak up. Change the subject away from complaints. Smile. These behaviors can often feel awkward, difficult, or vexing - [What To Ask In A Group](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/06/what-to-ask-in-a-group/) - A president has invited a small group of major gift donors and prospects to serve on an advisory council for a new strategic initiative for the institution. These are current or previous donors who have given significantly in the past, have a sense of ownership about the institution's future success, and are especially interested in - [Pitching, Asking, or Inviting](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/06/pitching-asking-or-inviting/) - A quick riff based on yesterday's Seth Godin's pitching vs. asking blog. According to Godin: We are pitching when we have a goal in mind and we are working from a script of some sort. We are asking when we are willing to learn (and potentially change our perspective) from the interaction. Godin says this - [Positive Planning](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/05/positive-planning/) - With the fiscal year ending for many in the higher education advancement world, the "season of annual planning," soon will be fully upon us. Creating agendas for sessions, retreats, and meetings to plan for the new fiscal year's aspirations, goals, and objectives is critical to healthy and effective planning. In many instances, though, we program - ["Stretch" Goals and Moving the Goalposts](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/05/stretch-goals-and-moving-the-goalposts/) - "Our goal for the annual fund this year is $1.1 million. And, we have a "stretch" goal of $1.3 million." I hear this type of statement from development leaders far more than I wish. Usually, I respond with something like, "so, what is your goal for the annual fund this year?" I respond this way - [Why "Boy Toys" Are Good](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/05/why-boy-toys-are-good/) - We know that the acronym BOY ("Because of you"), is a compelling phrase in solicitations because it helps connect the prospective donor directly to the impact of the mission. "Because of you, we were able to graduate more students like Lauren. . ." "Because of you, we were able to help over 1,000 patients receive - [The Problem With Perfect](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/05/the-problem-with-perfect/) - It's not that perfect doesn't exist (it doesn't, of course). It's that perfect doesn't exist, yet we act and talk as if it does. We spend too much time reviewing and finalizing that direct mail letter because we are seeking the perfect message. We take too long to set up the visit with that great - [Frictionless](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/05/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 - [Context and Purpose](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/05/context-and-purpose/) - Both context and purpose are critically important if we aim to be consistently effective on donor visits, meetings with colleagues, phone calls with prospective donors, email outreaches to volunteers, implementing special events, sending direct mail invitations to give - really anything we do in advancement. By context, I mean the surrounding issues related to the - [3 Aims of Constituent Relations](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/05/3-aims-of-constituent-relations/) - If we define constituent relations as those programs and activities designed to encourage people to engage more deeply with your mission or cause, then there are three primary aims of those efforts. First, constituent relations efforts should educate people. Yes, this is education on your mission and it's important impacts. But, this version of education - [Farmers Plant The Most Productive Seeds](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/05/farmers-plant-the-most-productive-seeds/) - Not long ago, I interviewed a couple who are significant major gifts donors and asked them how they got started making significant gifts. When and how was the seed planted for them to give generously? The husband and wife looked at each other for a moment and then he shared with me a brief story - [Fundraising As Art](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/05/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. - [Fundraising Dollar Goals](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/05/fundraising-dollar-goals/) - Dollars fundraised is, in most cases, an unhelpful goal. They are outcome measures over which we regularly do not have much control: "How much of that $50 million was in current giving vs. planned gifts?" They are misunderstood: "You mean that most of that $250 million raised will come in over the next 5 years?" - [Why?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/04/why/) - Why are we holding that special event? Why are we sending that specific direct mail piece? Why did we request that particular list of donors? Why are we reaching out to our donors via phone? Why do we want to meet with that donor couple next month? Why are we highlighting that alumnus in our - [Listening](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/04/listening/) - We can. . . . . .listen to defend ourselves. . . .listen to reply. . . .listen to rebut. . . .listen to negate the other's perspective. . . .listen to convince. . . .listen to block. Or, we can. . . . . .listen to understand. . . .listen to co-create. . . - [Seeking Feedback](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/04/seeking-feedback/) - Most everyone will say feedback is good - helpful and productive. But, some folks really don't want it. Their decision feels good to them. Their choice makes sense to them. Their motivations are pure from their perspective. Their actions are the best they can do. When others, then, have a different viewpoint or experience with - [The Complex Old World](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/04/the-complex-old-world/) - With each passing day, the roles we play grow more complex. No matter how we might define ourselves, our lot in life, our specific roles, or our individualistic views and perspectives, what we do becomes more complex over time. If you are a parent, for instance, your children aging and developing by the day makes - ["I don't know."](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/04/i-dont-know-2/) - I enjoy watching Denzel Washington act. His character range is staggering and I can't recall a character he's played that I found unbelievable. Recently I watched, "The Equalizer 3," where he stars as Robert McCall, a retired special operations officer turned vigilante righting wrongs against evil across the globe on behalf of the innocent and - [5 Advancement Basics](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/04/5-advancement-basics/) - Annual Giving - consistently invite donors to give in support of your cause/mission comprehensively; Constituent Relations - consistently engage volunteers to get others more involved with your cause/mission; Advancement Services - consistently produce standing reports that have clear and important purposes; Major Giving - consistently send creative and compelling messages that encourage donors to visit - [The Question of Fear](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/04/the-question-of-fear/) - Fear in the workplace is a corrosive, anti-productive emotion. It prompts us to assume bad motivations in others without evidence. It prompts us to tell others about our value/experience instead of listening for ways we can learn from them. It prompts us to remove ourselves when we should lean in and be heard. It prompts - [The Agenda Or Bust!](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/04/the-agenda-or-bust/) - Employing a well-planned, written meeting agenda is critical to making progress, staying focused, and, making people feel valued enough not to waste their time. However, in some circumstances, deviating from a well-planned agenda is warranted. If a governing board is discussing the potential of moving forward with a major fundraising campaign, that topic is probably - [Our Donors Don't. . .](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/04/our-donors-dont/) - . . . give to the annual fund. . . . care about giving levels or giving societies. . . . attend events. . . . respond to phone calls. . . . agree to face-to-face visits. It may, indeed, be true that, "our donors don't," do this or that. The data may support our - [Giving Trust](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/04/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 - [On Being a Fanatic](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/04/on-being-a-fanatic/) - The University of Tennessee men's basketball team played yesterday in the "Elite Eight" of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament - otherwise known as "March Madness." This means that out of 351 Division 1 men's basketball programs, there are only eight teams left playing basketball. And one will become the national champion. In the - [Mission, Vision, and Values](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/03/mission-vision-and-values-2/) - The words of our mission statement are less important than how consistently we use our mission to make budgetary decisions. The directions described in our vision statement are less important than how enthusiastically we use our vision to invite donors to give. The specific virtues expressed in our values statement are less important than how - [The Decision-Making Process](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/03/the-decision-making-process/) - Leaders have 3 types of decision-making approaches from which they can choose. They can be: Leaders who allow others to make the decision. Leaders who make the decision without listening to the perspectives of others. Leaders who make the decision after listening to the perspectives of others. Let's use the hiring of a gift officer - [The Un-Asked Question About Campaign Readiness Studies](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/03/the-un-asked-question-about-campaign-readiness-studies/) - Our firm regularly helps institutions prepare for major, multi-year fundraising campaigns. One of the most requested services we provide is what we call our Campaign Readiness Study. These studies are comprehensive, thorough, and typically include anywhere from 50-75 confidential interviews with the client's most capable and engaged donors. In addition, we review all kinds of - ["You Should Run Your Business More Like a Nonprofit!"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/03/you-should-run-your-business-more-like-a-nonprofit/) - It is fairly common to have smart, engaged volunteer Board members complain that our institutions should be "run more like a business!" You may have even heard colleagues and administrative leaders at your institution sharing similar sentiments. Perhaps that sentiment has merit. But, the reverse is also worth exploring. What if a business was "run - [Can I Be Better?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/03/can-i-be-better/) - In most instances, the objective answer is, "yes." I can be better at understanding and acknowledging my biases. I can be better at listening to others. I can be better at my job from a technical standpoint. I can be better with staying consistent with productive habits and minimizing unproductive ones. I can be better. - [Becoming More Human](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/03/becoming-more-human/) - Like you, I sometimes wonder how A.I., and other technologies generally will impact our world, work, relationships, and lives in 25 or 50 years from now. What will the future be like? I don't have a crystal ball. I'm no technology futurist like Ray Kurzweil. But I do wonder if a big, important part of - [Work Prioritization](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/03/work-prioritization/) - The challenge of personal work prioritization hinges on 3 basic questions: Should I do this or not? In other words, will investing myself, my time, and my resources into this activity likely lead to the outcome I desire? When should I do this? If the answer to the first question is "yes, it's worth my - [Loving The Idea](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/03/loving-the-idea/) - Loving the idea we are implementing is important. Without our enthusiasm, the donor may not stretch his giving nearly as much. Without our energy, phonathon callers won't be nearly as productive. Without our creative initiative, the special event won't be nearly as captivating. But we should love our ideas only up to a point. And - [What Are You Doing?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/03/what-are-you-doing/) - Humans have a habit of doing what is easier. Doing what we like. Doing what we enjoy. Doing what is pleasurable or what we want in the moment. Not necessarily doing what is in our best interests. For instance, it's in our best interests to exercise regularly and eat healthily. That helps us stay strong - [The Nineteen Hundreds](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/03/the-nineteen-hundreds/) - As teenager coming of age in the late 1980s, my music of choice was the burgeoning rap sound coming out of New York and later, California. The soundtrack to those formative years of my life were filled with Big Daddy Kane, Eric B. & Rakim, MC Lyte, EPMD, L.L. Cool J, Run-DMC, Special Ed, 3rd - [What's A Campaign For?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/03/whats-a-campaign-for/) - A major, multi-year fundraising campaign's primary purpose is not to raise more money. It's not even to build the building. Or grow the endowment. Or, add the new program or equipment. A campaign's primary purpose is to strengthen the perception among all involved with our institution that charitable giving is a robust, healthy, and needed - [A Leadership Choice](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/03/a-leadership-choice/) - It's easy to get consumed by the workplace drama of the moment. A teammate is upset because a colleague hasn't yet responded to an email request. A supervisor is frustrated because expectations weren't met during a meeting. A vice president is irritated because team members consistently arrive late for work. A common response in these - [Charitable Giving Capacity](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/03/charitable-giving-capacity/) - It's not equal to a donor's lifetime total giving to your institution. It's not equal to how much a donor has been giving more recently. It's not equal to how much you may decide to invite a donor to give next. It's not equal to how much a donor tells you they will give. It's - [*Free* Subscription Drive](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/02/free-subscription-drive/) - 2024 marks the 15th year of Jason's Blog. I'm beyond grateful for the thousands of readers and subscribers who have been on this journey with me and appreciate the kind words, additional good thoughts, (as well as spelling and grammatical catches!) so many have shared with me over the years. This blog is for each - [5 Advancement Beliefs In Need of Improvement](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/02/5-advancement-beliefs-in-need-of-improvement/) - Belief #1: "It's all about relationships." Improvement: "It's all about purposeful relationships." Belief #2: "You should listen far more than you speak." Improvement: "You should ask far more questions than you make statements." Belief #3: "Our donors have giving fatigue." Improvement: "Our donors are tired of giving for visionless purposes." Belief #4: "Our Board should - [What We Know](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/02/what-we-know/) - The most knowledgeable mechanical engineer may have very little to say about the complex dynamics of intimate human relationships. The most advanced scholar in the humanities may have very little to offer when the topic of agriculture technology comes up. The most gifted and successful surgeon may be of very little help when it comes - [Scaling Results](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/02/scaling-results/) - When most advancement leaders are asked what they need to raise more money or engage more alumni, or do more of anything, the answer usually has something to do with hiring more people. But, when presidents, Board members, engaged donors, and other non-advancement leaders are asked the same question, they usually start by assessing if - [The Advancement Errors We Love](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/02/the-advancement-errors-we-love/) - Our institution needs more money . . . "we need to hold a gala!" Our major donors aren't giving as generously as they could . . . "we need more donor relations staff!" Our Board members don't engage meaningfully with fundraising . . . "we are a working Board!" The fundamental problem with the most - [Pieces and Purpose](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/02/pieces-and-purpose/) - When we think about our work, it's easy to get caught up in the pieces. For instance: the specific steps we have to complete to get the next direct mail package to the printer; or, the tasks we agreed to implement to plan our next special event; or, the visits we need to confirm to - [Potential vs. Willingness](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/02/potential-vs-willingness/) - In advancement, we focus a great deal of energy and time on the financial potential of donors. Their capacity to give. We spend valuable resources on electronic wealth screens. We organize donor lists based on wealth screening scores. We plan meetings around strategies based on the financial capacity of donors and prospects. We rarely spend - ["It would be interesting to know. . ."](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/02/it-would-be-interesting-to-know/) - This seemingly helpful set-up to a question (usually posed by a well-meaning volunteer or an ally to your institution's mission or cause), is actually one of the more strategically-derailing phrases that can be uttered. "It would be interesting to know how many of our donors are under 35." "It would be interesting to know how - [Creating A Helpful Distinctive Advantage](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/01/creating-a-helpful-distinctive-advantage/) - When most marketing professionals, academic leaders, presidents, board members, and others think about marketing institutional distinctive advantages, they focus almost exclusively on programs and quantitative data. For instance, 88% of our pre-med graduates go on to medical school, or; 93% of of our education graduates pass the state teaching licensure exam, or; 100% of our - [Purpose](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/01/purpose-2/) - We can hold one of two divergent beliefs about the purpose of our lives: First, we can order our lives with the belief that our purpose is to seek comfort, ease, luxury, or convenience for ourselves. Or, second, we can order our lives with the belief that our purpose is to seek meaning, significance, and consequence - [Change](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/01/change/) - Few people will disagree with the notion that their advancement team could be more productive in some way(s). "I know we need to, and could, raise more money," they will say. Or, "I agree that our donor communications and stewardship could be more consistent," they will acquiesce. But, most people resoundingly disagree with the notion - [Generosity Lag](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/01/generosity-lag/) - For many folks in North America, we are now entering the coldest days and weeks of the year. Yet, we know that the shortest day of the year - the day with the least amount of sunlight hitting North America - was December 21, the Winter Solstice, just over a month ago. Why, then, when - ["You Doing Too Much"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/01/you-doing-too-much/) - My son's high school basketball team regularly finds themselves at our house. They come over after practice. They come over to watch film. They come over between school ending and their game that night. They are around a lot. We enjoy having the them in our home - even with the noise, the mess, and - [The Past, The Others, The Future, And Today](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/01/the-past-the-others-the-future-and-today/) - If we want to be less productive, achieve fewer meaningful results, and invite frustration, anxiety, and fear into our work as advancement leaders, we can simply allow one of the following perceptions to captivate us: The Past - the perception of our advancement program's past is rarely accurate, but is almost always presented as unquestionable - [Letter From Birmingham Jail](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/01/letter-from-birmingham-jail/) - Around the time of each Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday in the U.S., I pause to re-read, "Letter From Birmingham Jail," written by King to Christian and Jewish clergy in April of 1963. I encourage you to read it if you haven't recently. It only takes me 10 minutes and I'm not a super-fast reader. - [The Best Idea Fairytale](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/01/the-best-idea-fairytale/) - Raising more money isn't a function of "finding the next, best new idea." Creating more trust with your alumni base won't occur because you spent a half day in a brainstorming session to identify how best to communicate with them. Your next campaign won't be successful because you came up with the most imaginative, viral - [Caring Before Calling](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/01/caring-before-calling/) - It's helpful to know why we are reaching out to a donor or prospective donor prior to the call, email, letter, or note. Are we calling to secure a gift commitment? Calling to set up a visit? Calling to invite them to an event? Calling as a follow-up to a past visit? Or, are we - ["How Much Money Did You Raise?"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/01/how-much-money-did-you-raise/) - Easily, one of the most unhelpful questions to ask someone in development, especially during a position interview. In many instances: The money received today was actually raised months, years, even decades ago; Even if the money received today was raised today, there were, most likely, other people and diverse motivations encouraging the donor to give; - [Hope](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/01/hope/) - Hope gets a bad wrap. It's viewed as tentative. Easy. Even foolish. Anyone can hope. To be viewed as strategic or consequential, we are told to: create written plans with measurable goals, or else we are just wishing; speak of lofty aspirations with timelines, or else we aren't serious; build gantt charts with individual assignments, - [Donor Stewardship](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/01/donor-stewardship/) - It's not about benefits, access, trinkets, or tchotchkes. It's not even about impact, reports, recognition, or gratitude. It's about the donor's feelings. Before deciding to implement any particular donor stewardship activity or initiative, simply ask yourself this question: "If I were the donor on the receiving end of this experience, how would I feel about - [3 Simple Advancement Resolutions for 2024](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2024/01/3-simple-advancement-resolutions-for-2024/) - Here are 3 simple advancement resolutions for the New Year, which, if implemented consistently, are guaranteed to make 2024 one of the best years you and your team have experienced. Invite more people. Consistently invite more people to volunteer, to give their advice, to offer their feedback, to visit with you, to attend an event, - [Redefining Generosity](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/12/redefining-generosity/) - We often view generosity as an ideal human quality - a virtue attainable only by a privileged, wealthy few. Being generous is seen as a behavioral exception that people aren't able to choose until and unless certain advantageous life circumstances coexist. For instance, people will say: "I'd give if I made more money," or "I'll - [Giving As Loving](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/12/giving-as-loving/) - "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16 I memorized that verse as a child in Sunday School but never paid much attention to the lead-in phrase: "For God so loved the world that he - [What Do You Mean By 'Fundraising'?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/12/what-do-you-mean-by-fundraising/) - The word, 'fundraising,' conjures up so many different definitions and understandings that I have grown fond of asking people what they mean when they use it. For instance, 'fundraising,' can mean broadening the base of support, or inviting more people to give, or getting more people to participate on a giving day, or implementing a - [The Real Reason](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/12/the-real-reason/) - Recently during a nonprofit board meeting, a board member asked the following questions and received the following responses from the advancement team members: Q: Won't asking for major gifts over the next 3 years hurt our annual giving results? A: There is no evidence that will occur. We will be asking everyone to make or - ["It's All About The Fundraising Results"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/12/its-all-about-the-fundraising-results/) - Except when. . . it's really about creating a culture where more people care enough to respond generously; it's really about growing the board's understanding of their philanthropic leadership; it's really about helping the CEO experience the joy of inviting others to be supportive; it's really about encouraging others to embrace the act of giving - [Segmenting and Aggregating](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/12/segmenting-and-aggregating/) - Whether we have 1,000, 10,000, or 100,000+ donors, when we decide to invite each of them to make a gift we have choices to make. Typically, the first and most discussed choice is focused on segmenting our donors, or deciding which of these donors will receive which of our specific invitations. If we are doing - [The Most Important Campaign Readiness Question](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/12/the-most-important-campaign-readiness-question/) - As you prepare for a campaign, you probably have a lot of important questions that need answering. The most important question, though, is not: How much money can we raise? or, Do we have enough front-line fundraisers to achieve the goal? or, Do our donors have enough financial capacity to give in excess of our - [Chores](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/12/chores/) - When society was framed around agriculture, people experienced the value of chores. Gather the eggs. Feed the livestock. Plant the seed. Not just once in a while. Consistently. Every day there was some chore that needed completing. As we become more disconnected from engaging with the land, other animals, and our natural world, we also - [Taking "No" For An Answer](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/12/taking-no-for-an-answer/) - Our culture celebrates those with the grit, determination, force of will, and interpersonal skills to bend reality in their favor. It can be easy, for instance, to embrace the notion that the best development folk, "never take 'no' for an answer" from a donor. The effective fundraisers, this ubiquitous thinking goes, are the ones with - [Of, For, To, and With](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/12/of-for-to-and-with/) - Advancement professionals routinely talk about their desire to "create a culture of philanthropy." Far better, I think, to "create a culture for philanthropy." Our cultures shouldn't be of philanthropy. Our cultures shouldn't be idly possessed or inactively influenced by philanthropy. Instead, our institutional cultures should be for philanthropy. Our cultures should actively promote, enthusiastically inspire, - [Inviting Effectively](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/12/inviting-effectively/) - There are 2 primary components that lead to effectively inviting people to engage more deeply. First, we have to have clarity in what we want them to do. What, specifically, are we asking of them? Give for the first time? Attend an event? Be a member of the governing board? Increase their giving to a - [The Pressure For Gifts](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/12/the-pressure-for-gifts/) - There are two types of pressures gift officers can embrace. On the one hand, many gift officers can feel pressured to invite the biggest possible gift from a donor as quickly as possible. This pressure can cause gift officers to feel as if they have to "ask big," and "not leave money on the table," - [What Comes After "Giving Tuesday" . . . For You?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/11/what-comes-after-giving-tuesday-for-you/) - Last Thursday in the United States (back on October 9 for our Canadian friends), the Thanksgiving holiday was celebrated. This holiday has evolved into a time for pausing to feel gratitude, to count one's blessings, and to focus on the positive, even when the negative may be surrounding us. Yesterday was "Giving Tuesday." A day, - [What Should Concern Us More?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/11/what-should-concern-us-more/) - "We've gotten some push-back from the direct mail piece we sent. People are saying we ask for money all the time." "People complained that we sent too many emails on our giving day." "We've had people hang up on our phonathon callers." Whenever I hear these types of observations from advancement folk, I regularly ask - [How Do You Think Best?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/11/how-do-you-think-best/) - Not when or where do you think best. We all have stories of that a-ha moment while taking a shower or waking up with the solution to an especially thorny problem we are facing. But, how do you think best? Do you think best by bouncing ideas off of other people? Do you think best - [A Better Donor Question - At Least To Begin](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/11/a-better-donor-question-at-least-to-begin/) - "I'll ask them what impact they want to make." This was the answer I received recently when I asked a gift officer what question they might pose to a donor couple in order to get into the major gift giving discussion the gift officer was seeking to have with them. On the surface, this would - [2 Mistakes With 1 Specific Thing](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/11/2-mistakes-with-1-specific-thing/) - What's the 1 specific thing you want a prospective donor to do based on receiving your direct mail? What's the 1 specific thing you want an alum to do based on their interaction with your social media campaign? What's the 1 specific thing you want to accomplish with the prospective major donor during your visit? - [Giving As Good Governance](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/11/giving-as-good-governance/) - There are at least 3 reasons why giving should be a key aspect of a governing board's work: Board member giving signifies to employees, donors, and the broader community that they believe in and fully support the CEO. If the board desires the CEO to be successful, then personal giving of some amount from each - [How Busy Is Too Busy?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/11/how-busy-is-too-busy/) - When we become so busy there isn't a time to learn, we are too busy. When we become so busy there isn't time to read, we are too busy. When we become so busy there isn't time to relax, we are too busy. When we become so busy there isn't time to plan, we are - [The Giving Docent](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/11/the-giving-docent/) - If you've ever been on an inspiring and engaging guided tour of a museum, a zoo, a historical site, a botanical garden, or even a city, chances are you were led by an experienced and talented docent. The word, "docent," is defined most simply as a college or university teacher or lecturer (not at the - [All We Know](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/11/all-we-know/) - First, the printing press made knowledge and information distributable to those who could read. Then, terrestrial radio and television broadcast knowledge and information to anyone with the hardware to receive the signals. Next came the searchable internet which connected hardware so that the whole planet (mostly) could share knowledge and information. Now, we are experiencing - [My Mom's Biscuits](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/11/my-moms-biscuits/) - Simply stated, they are fantastic. They always have been since I can remember. Made from scratch, warm, flaky, and perfect for topping with apple butter. The problem is that she can't tell you how she makes them. She has no recipe. It's not difficult - flour, baking soda, buttermilk, etc. But, there is no formula. - [Beyond the Donor's Legacy](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/10/beyond-the-donors-legacy/) - We focus a good bit on inviting donors to "leave a legacy." Or, talking with donors about their giving legacy. But what about your legacy in this work? Will you be known as a person who encouraged others on the team? Will you be viewed as the individual who put the mission or the cause - [Create or Magnify?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/10/create-or-magnify/) - Whether we have 5,000 or 500,000+ constituent records in our database, the percentage of "engaged constituents," is far less. For example, if we define "engaged" as giving recently, or showing up at an event, or interacting via social media, or opening an email, or receiving a direct mail piece, etc., it is not uncommon for - ["Your Gift Truly Matters!"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/10/your-gift-truly-matters/) - I recently made an online gift to an institution and here is the automated email receipt and thank you message I received: "Hello Jason: Thank you for your gift. We appreciate your generosity and support of . Your gift truly matters!" Then there was the gift receipt information and a bit more about thanking - [How To Ask Better Questions](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/10/how-to-ask-better-questions/) - Advancement leaders should be expert question-askers. We should be asking strategic questions to better understand our donors. We should be asking encouraging questions to embolden those who report to us. We should be asking generative questions to inspire our boards and other volunteer leaders. We should ask questions to learn, to engage, and to raise - [Engaging Our Community](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/10/engaging-our-community/) - Advancement leaders talk a lot about "engaging our community." It could be engaging our alumni community. Or, even more specifically, engaging our young alumni community. It could be engaging our town, city, or region. It could be engaging our campus community. Or, engaging our school community. But, we talk about "engaging our community" a lot. - [A Race To Indistinguishable](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/10/a-race-to-indistinguishable/) - "How do we compare to other institutions like us?" "How are other institutions responding to this situation?" "Have you tried ChatGPT to create the letter?" Regardless of the work or metrics, it seems we are being encouraged from all sides to become more identical, more indistinct, less original, and less inspired. And, in an increasingly - [What Are We Afraid Of?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/10/what-are-we-afraid-of/) - If we are afraid of failing, we won't try new things. If we are afraid of looking stupid in front of others, we won't take the lead. If we are afraid the donor will say, "no," we won't invite the gift. If we are afraid of confrontation, we won't speak plainly to each other. If - [The Best Annual Giving Evaluation Question Rarely Asked](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/10/the-best-annual-giving-evaluation-question-rarely-asked/) - Evaluating annual giving results can invite the following types of questions from annual giving directors and their supervisors: "Did our last direct mail solicitation raise as much money as last year's?" "Is our phonathon on pace to meet our goal for dollars committed?" "What was the final giving total from our giving day?" But such - [Allowing Others To Care](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/10/allowing-others-to-care/) - The best advancement leaders and development folk understand that inviting others to give is important, but allowing others to care is essential. As leaders, we allow others on our team to care when we encourage them to try something new and, simultaneously, eliminate the anxiety of potential failure. If the new thing doesn't work, ask, - [Working Historically](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/10/working-historically/) - Fifty years from now, someone may write a history of your institution and it likely will include observations about today's advancement program successes. For instance, the history might note that, during this period, your year-over-year total giving increased significantly. It might report on the fact that your comprehensive campaign went over goal by some significant - [Making It Easy vs. Making Them Care](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/10/making-it-easy-vs-making-them-care/) - Making it easier for donors to give is a fantastic technical success story. In the span of 25 years we have gone from a process that has taken days (even weeks) by giving through snail mail (with actual reply envelopes, paper checks, and live stamps), to almost instantaneous one-click, electronic giving on mobile devices. There - [Our Role](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/10/our-role/) - Far too many of us in the advancement and development world misunderstand our role. We believe it's to ask for money. Or, to steward donors. Or, to implement events. Or, to strengthen relationships. Or, to focus on some other technical aspect of our work. When really, we all are here to help more people believe - [They Might Be Right](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/10/they-might-be-right/) - During his life, Howard Baker, Jr., the longtime politician and diplomat from Tennessee, credited his father with the following quote: "You should always go through life working on the assumption that the other guy might be right." Not only does this quote strike me as a thoughtful way to travel through life personally, but it - ["We Don't Make Enough To Give"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/09/we-dont-make-enough-to-give/) - Recently, I provided a keynote address to a gathering of high school presidents. During our time together, we discussed faculty and staff giving at their high schools and multiple presidents said, "We had tremendous pushback during our faculty and staff annual giving campaign, so we don't do that anymore." "What was the primary objection from - [In A World](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/09/in-a-world/) - In a world where you are told to "build your brand," commit yourself to a cause instead. In a world where people are constantly busy, be productive instead. In a world where posing is applauded, work when no one is watching instead. In a world where spectacle is celebrated, create meaning instead. In a world - [Just Something Special](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/09/just-something-special/) - Go to any college or university and interview alumni who are proud of their school. "There is just something special about this place," you will hear over and over in various forms. The reality, though, is that there isn't that much truly special (or different) about the place. It's an institution of higher education (like, - [Big Change](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/09/big-change/) - Every year, every decade, every generation brings with it societal-level questions that are complicated and unsettling legally, socially, politically, morally, and ethically. The U.S. has had to confront some of its thorniest and deeply disquieting societal issues and questions since its founding. For instance. . . From 1787 until 1865 and the passage of the - ["I Don't Know. . ."](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/09/i-dont-know/) - "I don't know how we will reach the goal. . ." "I don't know where the next major gift is coming from. . ." "I don't know who is willing to lead this campaign. . ." After we establish a goal, create a fundraising plan, or design a campaign, our advancement work is filled with - [The Formula](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/09/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 - [A Not-To-Do List](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/09/a-not-to-do-list/) - "What are you going to say, 'no' to?" I asked this question of a client when their alumni relations team was looking at their annual planning calendar and it was clear they had more great ideas than they could implement. I posed the question not only to get them to think about prioritizing their list - [More New Major Donors](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/09/more-new-major-donors/) - "If we are going to have success in this next campaign, we will need to find new major donors." Almost certainly you have heard a board member, a president, or someone else state something similar. Or, perhaps, you have said something similar! While there are a variety of issues related to this type of statement, - [When We Start](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/09/when-we-start/) - When we attempt a new task, most of us usually aren't that good at it. It can feel awkward the first time we attempt to ice skate. Presenting for the first time in front of a group can create anxiety. Baking a cake for the first time can be a messy (and, perhaps, a less - [A Better Response. . . And A Better Question](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/09/a-better-response-and-a-better-question/) - This past Friday night, my teenaged son and I traveled to Nashville, TN, to see the University of Tennessee Volunteers play football against the University of Virginia. We stayed at a Hilton hotels property that night and, upon check-in, the front desk attendant asked if she could have my mobile phone number to put on - [Leadership and Negative Thoughts](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/09/leadership-and-negative-thoughts/) - Positive thinking, or maintaining a positive attitude even in difficult circumstances, has been shown to have various tangible personal benefits. From workplace productivity to stress reduction to higher brain functioning, working on seeing the good in people and situations is smart. Negative thought patterns, on the other hand, are correlated with a number of less-than-helpful - [Trust](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/08/trust/) - People, businesses, and foundations make charitable gifts to your institution every day. Comprehensive (unrestricted) gifts, restricted gifts, and, gifts of all amounts. The motivations behind each of these gifts are almost as numerous as the number of gifts themselves. Important to keep in mind, though, that donors are motivated to make major gifts to your - [Volunteer Courage](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/08/volunteer-courage/) - Advancement leaders consistently talk about the need for volunteer leaders to be enthusiastic advocates for the institution. However, Advancement leaders rarely help their volunteer leaders develop the courage to advocate on behalf of the institution when faced with concerns, critiques, criticisms, and disapprovals from donors and other constitutes. For instance: A major donor shares privately - [What Are We Going To Do?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/08/what-are-we-going-to-do/) - When it comes to fundraising, we regularly plan our actions and activities. Maybe we're going to: finalize the Run of Show for our upcoming giving day create the next direct mail solicitation package plan the next special event design the annual impact report ask the donor to make a gift Or maybe it's a hundred - ["I need to think about it."](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/08/i-need-to-think-about-it/) - You've invited one of your best prospective major donors to make a significant gift to help construct an exciting new facility. You know that the donor is generous and has made other significant gifts in the past. You know that the donor values your mission. You know that the donor agrees that constructing this facility - [A Day And A Half](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/08/a-day-and-a-half/) - If I asked, "Do you have a day and a half you can use simply for yourself? To disconnect. To focus on yourself with no other responsibilities for family or work, etc. For self-care, for feeling better, for getting healthier." Most likely, the typical response would be something between laughter and suspicion regarding my sanity. - [On Seeking Advice](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/08/on-seeking-advice/) - Not long ago a family friend just starting his career came to me with a question. He was looking at two potential job opportunities. One was a part-time position for a company with which he had already interned. The part-time position had no benefits but he knew who his supervisor would be (and liked her) - [Spreading Ideas](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/08/spreading-ideas/) - The essence of fundraising (i.e., development) is often analogized with "asking for the gift," or "engaging the giver," or "cultivating the prospect," or even "stewarding the donor." But almost never is fundraising viewed as "spreading ideas." Spreading ideas, though, is exactly what the best development and advancement leaders and teams do exceptionally well. They effectively - [The Dribble or Taking The Shot](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/08/the-dribble-or-taking-the-shot/) - Too often we think of the donor's next gift as if it is their final gift. "Don't leave money on the table." "I asked for too little." "We could have gotten more." These are familiar statements we use nonchalantly but they deeply shape how we think about a donor's current gift. It's as if we - [How Others Feel](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/08/how-others-feel/) - Perhaps one of Maya Angelou's most well-known quotes is her wise sentence on interpersonal influence: “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” During our firm's Annual Conference this past weekend, our Gonser Gerber family recognized and thanked - [Open or Closed](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/07/open-or-closed/) - "Open" people are the ones you should be spending the bulk of your time engaging as an advancement professional. People who are open are learners. They are interested in ways to make tomorrow better than today. They are willing to charitably invest in others who are working to make tomorrow better than today. "Closed" people - [Chasing Income](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/07/chasing-income/) - The business minded folks in our institutions view gifts as income. Sometimes they don't like to make concrete decisions with budgets based on potential gifts (i.e., the annual fund) because they view gifts as "soft income." "Perhaps," the thinking goes, "that income won't materialize so it's safer not to make plans with it in mind." - ["The hardest money to raise."](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/07/the-hardest-money-to-raise/) - The story is that "unrestricted" or "where needed most" or "comprehensive giving" is the most difficult money to raise. It's the story we tell ourselves in meetings. It's the story we tell our colleagues and bosses and Board members. It's the story we hear at professional development conferences. But, why is this the story? The - [Which Goal Leads To The Best Outcome?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/07/which-goal-leads-to-the-best-outcome/) - A donor has been making generous annual gifts consistently for years. Then, 3 years ago, the giving abruptly stops. No one on the team has a clear understanding why this donor stopped giving. You decide to reach out to this donor and see if you can set up a visit. The donor agrees. What would - [How To Decide](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/07/how-to-decide/) - The most important part of leadership is deciding. Deciding which direction to go. Deciding which choice to make. Deciding what project not to put resources behind. Deciding what idea not to pursue. But making decisions isn't the most difficult part of deciding. Each of us make decisions every day. We have preferences. We have interests. - [A Fresh Approach to Board Engagement](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/07/a-fresh-approach-to-board-engagement/) - Board member engagement can be a tricky business. While we want (and need) the engagement of Board members in some ways (think opening the door to a generous friend), we don't need (or want) their engagement in other ways (think telling you who to hire). We know, though, that appropriate Board engagement is healthy and - ["Yes" and "No" Are Overrated](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/06/yes-and-no-are-overrated/) - "I'm writing to let you know that we will make the gift of $50,000." "Unfortunately, we aren't going to be able to give this year." The first quote represents the wonderful news that the donor will give. Yes! This is a fantastic message to receive and we rejoice in receiving it. The second quote, on - [Receiving and Inviting](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/06/receiving-and-inviting/) - Many advancement teams have a primary culture of receiving gifts. In general, these teams spend the bulk of their time, energy, and resources after gifts have been made. They are really good at responding, thanking, stewarding, and showing gratitude. Some advancement teams have a primary culture of inviting gifts. These teams spend more time, energy, - [Why Consistent Giving Is So Difficult](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/06/why-consistent-giving-is-so-difficult/) - According to the Fundraising Effectiveness Project, the average nonprofit donor retention rate (or, the percentage of your donors who gave last year who also will give to your institution this year), is about 45%. Advancement leaders have lamented this "below 50%" data point for years. In response, all kinds of analyses and solutions have been - [Extending Conversations](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/06/extending-conversations/) - Invite the gift when the prospect poses a question like, "What do you all need to make this happen?" Turn the conversation toward your campaign priorities when the prospect asks, "What are you all working on today?" "Could you see yourself providing a leadership gift for this project?" is a fantastic response when a major - [2 Types of Meetings](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/05/2-types-of-meetings/) - Collaborative Meetings. These meetings are designed to brainstorm together, to collectively create, to "bounce ideas off of each other." The purpose of these meetings is to involve others in the idea formation process. Responsive Meetings. These meetings are designed to react to a proposal, to refine an idea, to improve a plan. The purpose of - [The Agenda and The Work](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/05/the-agenda-and-the-work/) - "We can't get our Board/Advisory Council/Volunteer Group to focus on consistently helping us with fundraising and giving." I hear this complaint regularly from advancement leaders. And, then, I review the previous meeting agendas for the group and find: Too much reporting from institutional leaders, instead of time for question-asking and discussion; Too much quantitative data - [3 Ways We Make Decisions](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/05/3-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 - [More and Less](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/05/more-and-less/) - Everyone expects "more." Each year, our annual fund goal increases. Our new campaign will be the biggest ever. The goal for the number of donors next year will be more than this year's goal. Getting to "more," though, often means focusing on less. If our annual fund goal is increasing, who are the small subset - [Asking The Right Questions](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/05/asking-the-right-questions/) - This past week Jason's Blog broke. The specifics don't matter much (mostly because, while I'm comfortable with technology, I'm definitely not a techie and I still don't fully understand what happened). Just that the site went down, it was not a simple issue, and I didn't know how to fix it. So, it was time - [Strolling vs. Scrolling](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/05/strolling-vs-scrolling/) - Humans are built to walk. Our walking ability not only provides us with the mobility to enjoy and govern our physical world in ways most other species can not, it also is a great form of exercise. Simply walking consistently produces a host of wonderful benefits including reducing body fat, enhancing memory, strengthening bones, lowering - [What Should We Do Now?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/05/what-should-we-do-now/) - The economy is in recession. We've experienced a natural disaster. Our institution just endured a difficult leadership transition. The latest downturn in the stock markets has hit our community especially hard. What should we do now? Whenever real or perceived crises hit, it is not uncommon for advancement professionals to urgently ask this question. Too - [Telling The Donor Story](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/05/telling-the-donor-story/) - Gift officers are notorious for attending Prospect Management meetings and recounting the biographies and histories of the donors to which they are assigned. Over and over again, they tell the stories of what has happened in the past with that donor that sets up the potential for the next gift. What if, instead of focusing - [7 Degrees of Generosity](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/05/7-degrees-of-generosity/) - Here is a Human Generosity Scale I've been considering for some time. It's still in a draft form, but I thought I'd share this version: The model posits that there are 2 types of people who are unwilling to give - the Consciously Ungenerous and the Unconsciously Ungenerous. The difference is that the Consciously Ungenerous - [Diffusion of Responsibility and Inviting a Gift](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/07/diffusion-of-responsibility-and-inviting-a-gift/) - In the sociopsychology world, the concept of diffusion of responsibility is well studied and researched. Basically, diffusion of responsibility suggests that when individuals are confronted with an emergency, they are less likely to help when there are more people around. This diminution of helping behavior occurs because each of us believes others in the group - [Practicing Gratia](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/06/practicing-gratia/) - What is the purpose of giving? If I were to answer that question by analyzing the appeals for charitable gifts from a variety of nonprofits, I'd come up with a clear answer: The purpose of giving is to meet the important and various needs of others. Students need a robust education. Communities need the best - [Should Giving Be Easier?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/04/should-giving-be-easier/) - A mere 25 years ago there wasn't widespread adoption of email or internet technologies. Texting from mobile devices didn't become popular until the early 2000s and smart mobile phones weren't ubiquitous until later that decade. Email, the internet, texting, mobile devices. . . We have experienced tremendous technological advances over the last 25 years. And, as - [2 Types of Advancement Vision](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/04/2-types-of-advancement-vision/) - Creating a vision statement for your advancement program is a helpful step in becoming more effective. If the advancement mission statement is focused on our purpose, or what we do, the vision statement is focused on what we are aiming to achieve, or why we are doing what we do. Our vision statement should be - [Just Go Play](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/04/just-go-play/) - My son plays high school basketball. During the fall of 2020, his freshman year, his high school made the difficult decision to cancel most of their season due to the pandemic. Because he would be missing a full year of his high school career, my son went to his coach and asked what drills he - ["Be Gentle. Push Harder"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/04/be-gentle-push-harder/) - Not long ago I interviewed a major donor for a faith-based institution. I asked her about her perception of the advancement team's effectiveness. She was complimentary of the team and then said, "they need to be gentle, and push harder." As we continued the interview, I asked more about what she meant. She shared that - [Feeling Questions](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/04/feeling-questions/) - People feel the intent of the question, regardless of the word choice or content. "Can you help me understand the numbers?" can be an authentic, even humble question. Or, it can be a passive-aggressive bomb. "Were you invited to the meeting?" can be a question that elevates one's sense of value. Or, it can be - [The Big Gift vs. The Best Gifts](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/05/the-big-gift-vs-the-best-gifts/) - We can be convinced that the solution to our problems must be in receiving the "big gift" from our wealthiest donor prospect. Maybe for your institution that's $25 million. Maybe it's $10 million. Maybe its $1 million. For a time about 20 years ago, the idea of the "mega gift" and the people with the - [5 Fundamental Guidelines to Advancement Success](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/04/5-fundamental-guidelines-to-advancement-success/) - Advancement and fundraising success comes from the consistent and persistent implementation of fundamental strategies and approaches. But with so many technological "solutions" and various tactics one can be introduced to online or at a multitude of conferences, which strategies and approaches should we be consistently implementing? Here are 5 basic guidelines to help you discern - [What We Need](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/04/what-we-need/) - We may, legitimately, need another gift officer on the team. Incontrovertibly, we may need another gift processor. There may be no question that we need more budgeted resources to implement our alumni program. All of these limited-resource realities (and many others) might be accurate and true. But none of them change the fact that today, - [The 3 P's of Discovery](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2015/12/the-3-ps-of-discovery/) - “I finally have a visit scheduled with Dr. Smith for tomorrow!” This was the joyful exclamation made to me recently by a gift officer. I smiled and congratulated him on the achievement. Dr. Smith had been one of those prospects who made himself very slippery. He was believed to have the capacity to make a - [3 Questions To Ask Before Visiting A Donor](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/04/3-questions-to-ask-before-visiting-a-donor/) - What do I know about this donor? What do I want to learn about this donor? What is the preferred outcome from this visit? The first and second questions should be focused on what we know and want to learn about the donor based on their their professional life, their personal life, our institution's priority - [Marketing Your Annual Fund](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/07/marketing-your-annual-fund/) - Development leaders often make the case that donors aren't eager to give to the annual fund because its not compelling to support "keeping the lights on." But, donors aren't ceasing their giving to your annual fund because they want to, "give to something specific" instead. Or, because your annual fund, "is a black hole." Or, - [Hope and Indifference](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/04/hope-and-indifference/) - Two socially transmitted doctrines. In one, we invite an authentic, joyful, heartening belief to overtake us: "Tomorrow will be better than today." In the other, we give in to a cynical, misanthropic, resigning frame of mind and heart: "I'm not concerned about tomorrow." There is no question that advancing our institutions is done best when - [Wanting More](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/07/wanting-more/) - Most of us want more of something. More dollars raised. More donors. More attendees at our signature event. More effectiveness. More communication. More quiet time. More peace. More time to think. More. . . something. Wanting more is natural for humans. It's in our DNA. And, for teams of humans with an identified purpose, wanting - [Helping Donors Make Exceptions](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/06/helping-donors-make-exceptions/) - "Young people today don't love our country and they don't want to work." This statement was made by a major gifts donor I interviewed a couple years ago. The interesting thing about this quote is not that an older, white, U.S. citizen made such a statement. These types of statements from folks in this demographic - [Setting The Table](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/06/setting-the-table/) - Most institutions understand the concept of marketing - offer an attractive opportunity along with an easy way for people to respond. We market programs, special events, activities, athletics, ticket sales, annual giving opportunities, naming opportunities, planned giving, etc. But what comes before marketing - public relations - is at least as important as the marketing - [Leading Volunteers](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/05/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 - [The 3 Most Critical Steps To Create Lasting Change](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/05/the-3-most-critical-steps-to-create-lasting-change/) - Leadership and Advancement - [From "How" To "Why?"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/04/from-how-to-why/) - Yesterday, I used OpenAI's artificial-intelligence chatbot, ChatGPT, for the first time. I asked ChatGPT the following question: "How can I raise more money as a university development officer?" Here, in full, is the response I received in less than 10 seconds: "As a university development officer, your primary responsibility is to raise funds for your - [Tribes or Ecosystems](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/05/tribes-or-ecosystems/) - Brand tribes have been a buzz concept in marketing circles for a few years now. From a marketing perspective, tribes - or customer communities made up of like-minded people who gather together based on shared interests and brands and the values those brands project - represent an opportunity to efficiently engage and motivate a large - [Are We Getting Better?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/04/are-we-getting-better/) - We are busier than ever before. We are working harder than ever before. We feel more harried than ever before. We have more tasks on our to-do list than ever before. We feel more pressure than ever before. But, are we getting better? Better at communicating. Better technically. Better at engaging donors. Better at inviting - [Raising More Money](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/03/raising-more-money/) - What if that isn't the goal? What if the goal is to invite more people to care? Or to educate more people on why your institution's mission matters? Or to generate more understanding about the lived experiences of others? Or to encourage more people to experience the joy of giving? Or to connect more people - [Believing What We Say](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/03/believing-what-we-say/) - "We don't believe what we hear. We believe what we say." Social scientists have proved this old saying over and over again in a multitude of studies. For instance, and as Daniel Lieberman and Michael Long report in their book, "The Molecule of More," if we talk with someone about the importance of honesty and - [I Need Better Data](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/03/i-need-better-data/) - "I need better data," is the response we often hear (and sometimes give ourselves) when we are uncomfortable with a next step. Consider: "I need more data before I know how much to invite him to give. . ." "I need better data before we can run an accurate list of donors who gave at - [Letting The Outside In](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/03/letting-the-outside-in/) - I visit with many college and university presidents, nonprofit executives, and other leaders. When I ask, "so, how are things right now?" I often get one of two types of answers: A reflective, introspective response focused on what is happening within the institution. How things are progressing with the leadership team, for instance. Or, how - [Goals and Strategies](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/03/goals-and-strategies/) - What are you trying to accomplish? Increase your donor base OR Increase your dollars raised? Enhance the number of people you serve from your community OR Enhance the sense of community among the people you serve? Raise more annual fund money OR Raise more money through annual giving? Get more people to respond to your - [3 Campaign Decisions Only Leaders Can Make](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/03/3-campaign-decisions-only-leaders-can-make/) - Multi-year, comprehensive campaigns have lots of moving parts and many engaged parties. There are many ways that campaigns can be successful (and, also, many ways they can fail). But, as with most things on which human cooperation depends, successful campaigns require effective leadership. Specifically, there are 3 campaign decisions only leaders can (and should) make. - [Campaigns and Priorities](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/03/campaigns-and-priorities/) - The campaign is successful when the charitable giving total exceeds the goal(s). The priority being funded by the campaign is successful when it is implemented, or built, or started. The difference between the campaign and the priorities it funds becomes apparent in how we communicate progress in stories (i.e., the campaign's progress or the priority's - [Simply Listening](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/03/simply-listening/) - Listening to another's feedback, opinion, perspective, story, proposal, recommendation, or advice doesn't mean. . . I agree with you. I am bound to do as you say. I would have reacted the same way. Your perspective makes sense to me. Your approach is the correct one for me. I'm of the same mind as you. - [Where Do You Work?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/03/where-do-you-work/) - Some people work in the future. The next donor visit. The next gift. The next goal. The benefits of this approach are that the future is almost always perceived to be better and some sort of progress almost always occurs. The downsides with this approach are that others may not feel important to us and - [Place Matters](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/03/place-matters/) - In the for-profit world, scale matters. If 100 widgets cost me $100 to produce, then 1,000 may only cost me a bit more, perhaps $200, to produce. If I sell my widgets at a local famer's market, I can sell maybe 10 on a Saturday morning. If I utilize the web to sell my widgets, - [Affiliative and Agentic Relationships](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/03/affiliative-and-agentic-relationships/) - Advancement leaders sometimes find themselves awkwardly positioned with donors. On the one hand, the donor and advancement leader may have a warm, friendly, and comfortable relationship. They genuinely may enjoy spending time with each other. Social scientists call these types of relationships, affiliative. On the other hand, the advancement leader understands that the donor relationship - [Inviting More](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/03/inviting-more/) - For a vast number of nonprofits, there is a single, simple adjustment that could be made which would radically change how much is received through charitable giving. . . they could invite more gifts from their donors. Just ask more. That's it. It's not a difficult concept to grasp. It's been backed up by research - [Promotions vs. Promoters](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/03/promotions-vs-promoters/) - Advancement teams spend tremendous amounts of time, energy, and resources on promoting events, activities, campaigns, solicitations, receptions, giving days, etc. Promoting and marketing is so ubiquitous in advancement, it can be difficult to accurately assess the amount of staff energy and effort, the design time, the printing and mail costs that go into promotions and - [Defining Board Work](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/02/defining-board-work/) - "Our Board is very dedicated, but we are more of a working Board." When this type of statement is made - by an institutional leader, an advancement leader, or a Board member - there are two unhelpful assumptions being made: First, this definition of "working Board," almost always is limited to one in which Board - [Acceptably Ambitious](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/02/acceptably-ambitious/) - When setting a dollar goal for a significant, multi-year campaign, it can be tempting to reduce the process to some mathematical formula or calculus. For instance, Average amount raised over the last few years X number of years of the campaign X some campaign multiplier effect = campaign goal. Another, more subtle and intuitive approach, - [Applying Fresh Starts](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/02/applying-fresh-starts/) - Katy Milkman at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania suggests that Mondays, first days of the month, New Year's Day, birthdays, many holidays, and other "temporal landmarks" are a great times for humans to make changes. Dr. Milkman's "Fresh Start" theory posits that moments in culture that we all celebrate (such as New - [Renting vs. Owning](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/02/renting-vs-owning/) - When everyone worked from an office location 5 days per week, employers owned the results and employees rented out their services to their employers. "You have purchased my attention, energy, and work product for these hours on these days," was the message from employee to employer. Of course, employees stayed late and came in on - [The Problem Effective Altruism Thinks Its Solving Is The Problem](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/02/the-problem-effective-altruism-thinks-its-solving-is-the-problem/) - Effective altruism is a global research, philosophical, and social movement which, "advocates using evidence and reason to figure out how to benefit others as much as possible, and taking action on that basis." In other words, effective altruists aim "to find the best ways to help others, and put those ways into practice." But, there - [Speed vs. Direction](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/02/speed-vs-direction/) - When it comes to fundraising results, the first, easiest, and most misguided focus is on speed: "How quickly can the money be raised for the new building?" "I needed more unrestricted gifts yesterday!" "When will we reach the campaign goal?" Instead, the healthier, more accommodative focus should always be on direction: "In our community, who - [Who Will You Hire?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/02/who-will-you-hire/) - When you are the hiring decision-maker, you are wise to seek and receive input on the final candidates for the position from a variety of sources: people who will be colleagues with the new team member, people who will report to the new team member, donors who are close to your institution, etc. Worth keeping - [The 5 Beliefs of the Best Annual Giving Leaders](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/02/the-5-beliefs-of-the-best-annual-giving-leaders/) - Inviting gifts via direct mail is "not dead." In fact, it is a vital, effective channel to invite gifts from all prospective donors, including younger prospects. Like direct mail, using the phone to effectively invite gifts is "not dead." In fact, when we create a fun, engaging, high-energy event, we can gather groups of people - [Recruiting Your Team](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/02/recruiting-your-team/) - The primary problem with position searches is that institutions view them as episodic and discrete activities. When a position becomes open, the response is to conduct a search. This doesn't match a reality in which there are so many opportunities and benefits that employers are willing to offer and so few capable people. These opportunities/benefits - [Integration or Assimilation](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/02/integration-or-assimilation/) - The best advancement teams are an integration of role-specific professionals. From advancement services, to development, to constituent relations, to communications, high-functioning teams recognize both the specific functional roles of each team member as well as the integration among all those roles and members. On the other hand, focusing all team members, regardless of role, on - [10 Truths About Motivating Generosity](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/02/10-truths-about-motivating-generosity/) - Generous charitable support is consistently motivated by: being invited to give by someone the giver admires; believing in or having been personally impacted by the institution's mission; trusting in the institution's leaders to deliver on their vision for the future; having a personal connection with the institution today; believing that making this gift will be - [iLeadership](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/01/ileadership/) - When he unveiled the original iMac computer in 1998, Steve Jobs told us that the "i" in Apple products stood for "internet." However, as the spate of new "i" products from Apple emerged, one could also define the "i" as a stand-in for "individual" as well. The iPhone, iPad, iTunes, etc., have provided individuals with - [Amplification](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/01/amplification/) - In today's social media soaked world, almost everyone is amplifying something. Whether we are liking or following or commenting or pausing to read, all of us are signaling and boosting particular themes, memes, and narratives. It wasn't that long ago that only giant media companies had the reach and resources to amplify and promote to - [The Diagonal Problem](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/01/the-diagonal-problem/) - Organizational charts matter. They aren't the final answer to the question of "how effective are we?" But they are an important component of that answer. When we don't communicate based on the organizational chart, we risk problems. Take, for instance, a Dean of a college engaging the Foundation CEO regularly instead of her gift officer. - [Critics](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/01/critics/) - In August of 2009, Usain Bolt became the fastest human to ever cover 100 meters under their own power. He ran the distance in 9.58 seconds, easily besting his previous record of 9.69. It was an astonishing feat of speed, power, and coordination. He was superhuman that night. Not long after, I remember reading an - [The 3 C's of Fruitful Visions](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/01/the-3-cs-of-fruitful-visions/) - We can receive major gifts without a vision. But, we can't raise major gifts without a vision. All institutional visions, though, are not created equal. Some simply don't create the kind of generous donor response that others do. Visions need help to become compelling from a development standpoint. Fruitful visions are built on the 3 - [Fundraising Naked](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/01/fundraising-naked/) - Long-distance runners are a peculiar group. Typically, they love numbers, setting goals, and tracking progress. In fact, in the long-distance running world, every run - even for recreational runners - is tracked by a phone, running watch, or other tracking device. The term "running naked," emerged a number of years ago to simply mean, "run - [The Incremental Invitation](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/01/the-incremental-invitation/) - One of the most helpful but underutilized strategies available to gift officers is the incremental invitation. An example: After making a gift of $2,500 in 2022, a donor who has been giving consistently for the last few years, is assigned to a gift officer's portfolio. Not knowing much about this donor - save the giving - [5 New Ways To Get Great Abs!](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/01/5-new-ways-to-get-great-abs/) - There is a simple reason headlines like this are used over and over again on fitness magazine covers or fitness posts on social media, etc. They work. For a whole host of reasons, many people seek slimmer midsections so they are curious about, "5 new ways. . ." As a result, such tried and trusty - [What Else Culture Eats](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/01/what-else-culture-eats/) - Peter Drucker is credited with having said, "culture eats strategy for breakfast." This durable quote means, of course, that no matter how elegant your plans, they will fail if the collectively team attitude is not affirming. Here is something else "culture" eats: by-laws. If you find yourself spending huge chunks of time with a governing - [Remember When. . .](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/01/remember-when/) - It was second weekend of March 2020, and the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the western world. PreK-12 schools flipped almost completely during this weekend from in-person instruction and activities to virtual. Restaurants, bars, and other public spaces closed. Airline travel basically disappeared. Business offices and workplaces shut down and "#WFH" became a reality for hundreds - [So, Now What?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2023/01/so-now-what/) - Welcome to 2023! You made it. In fact, you probably more than "made it." You probably finished 2022 with more gift income than in calendar year 2021. You probably achieved some important campaign goals in 2022. You probably succeeded in a whole number of important advancement and development ways. And, you probably are tired. Maybe - [When Mistakes Happen](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/12/when-mistakes-happen/) - A math student takes an exam and ends up with the right answer to a particular problem. However, the professor notices that the student made a small mistake in his calculations to solve the problem. Regardless of the student's natural aptitude toward math, will the professor be more or less forgiving of the miscalculation if - [How Do You Give?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/12/how-do-you-give/) - "What I really need are funds that have no strings attached. What would really help us generate more impact through our programs is unrestricted money." If you sit with nonprofit leaders of any stripe and type and ask them what they really need, this response will almost surely be in their top 2-3, if not - [Some People](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/12/some-people/) - Your case statement isn't designed to delight every prospect. Your proposal isn't crafted to appeal to every donor. Your website can't be created to attract every visitor. Your direct mail solicitation isn't written to enthrall every reader. You shouldn't be seeking to connect with everyone. That's a fool's errand. Far too wide and too broad - [Why I'm Not Donating During This Season of Giving](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/12/why-im-not-donating-during-this-season-of-giving/) - In 2 days, over 2 billion people worldwide (or about 1/3 of the world's population) will celebrate the Christmas holiday. Whether folks celebrate Christmas as a religious or cultural event, a primary component of the holiday is the act of "gift giving." During the Christmas season, people give gifts to friends. They give gifts to - [5 Fundamental Leadership Responsibilities](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/12/5-fundamental-leadership-responsibilities/) - If you provide leadership to an individual or team, you have 5 responsibilities: Goals - With their input, agree to the 4-6 most meaningful goals to their role or function that should be achieved over the next year. These goals should be specific, quantifiable or timebound; Plan - Help them (as needed) prepare and present - [Clarifying Expectations](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/12/clarifying-expectations/) - Leaders regularly engage with different groups to advance the enterprise in various ways. In many instances, though, we don't address well the fundamental questions those groups have about our expectations for their service. Here is a handy chart that provides some language to help clarify the role and purpose for 5 key groups who are - ["That is how we've always done it"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/12/that-is-how-weve-always-done-it/) - No phrase in professional life is met with more frustration. It is almost always wholly unsatisfactory as a response, hints at passive aggression, and underlies a stubborn unwillingness to change. However, “that is how we’ve always done it,” is also a helpful reminder for leaders. When that phrase is used, we tend to focus on - [Giving And The Loneliness Epidemic](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/12/giving-and-the-loneliness-epidemic/) - In stark and startling-fast fashion, Americans are choosing to be alone more than ever before. According to various reports, by 2021, adults in the U.S. were spending 58% less time with family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers, than they were in 2014. Meanwhile, the amount of time spent completely alone has increased at a similar pace - [2 Simple Questions That Are Rarely Asked](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/12/2-simple-questions-that-are-rarely-asked/) - For a number of years now, the four members of our family have annually used this month to identify charitable organizations we feel are doing good work and, then, have made a gift to each. Each child, my wife, and I have each chosen our own organizations to support. It's been a rewarding, educational, and - [How Do You Know. . .](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/12/how-do-you-know-2/) - your social media efforts are working? your gift officers are effective? your annual giving program is growing sustainably? your stewardship program is engaging? your database is healthier? your constituent relations program is expanding? By the way, "I will know because we are raising more money!" is a horrible response to all of these questions. Gift - [Magic, Manner, and Consistency](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/11/magic-manner-and-consistency/) - The idea of magic is easy to fall in love with. There must be a secret code, a key, a phrase ("Abracadabra"), a spell, a process. . . And, if I can just learn the secret and apply it, work will become more frictionless, answers to vexing questions will be more clear, and all will - [On MacKenzie Scott and the Impact of Giving](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/11/on-mackenzie-scott-and-the-impact-of-giving/) - MacKenzie Scott has given away approximately $14 billion over the last 3 years. During her most recent giving cycle, Scott gave almost $2 billion to 343 organizations, and made the following statement: "I needn’t ask those I care about what to say to them, or what to do for them. I can share what I - [A Smaller Group Of Donors](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/11/a-smaller-group-of-donors/) - At its core, the difference between annual giving and major giving is the size of the potential donor pool. While all constituents are invited to make annual or sustaining gifts, we only engage with a smaller subset of donors who have the prosperity, propensity, passion to make major gifts. This one difference drives all other - [But, Why Are You Raising Money?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/11/but-why-are-you-raising-money/) - Not, why should donors give? Instead, why are you raising money? This is a question about your personal motivations for doing this work. The least motivating answer: "To build a building (or "start a program," or "meet the budget," etc.). The moderately motivating answer: "To better serve our mission - our students, participants, patients, community, - [The Point of Saturation](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/11/the-point-of-saturation/) - "At what point during our campaign should our Quiet Phase end and our Public Phase begin?" The universal answer to this common question is some percentage of the total campaign fundraising goal. For instance, "you should never go public before hitting 60 or 70% of your goal." But, this type of cookie-cutter response isn't a - [The 6 Advancement Responsibilities of the Board](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/11/the-6-advancement-responsibilities-of-the-board/) - Be an advocate for the institution. Be a ratifier of the institution's mission, vision, and strategic plans. Be an advisor regarding the capacities, interests, and opportunities to more deeply involve current donors. Be a door opening influencer for institutional leaders to engage new donor prospects. Be a resource guarantor so the advancement program has the - ["I have raised over $50 million. . ."](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/11/i-have-raised-over-50-million/) - No one ever raises charitable gifts by themselves. Ever. There was a professor decades before who showed interest in that donor as a student. There was a nurse who showed compassion to a family while caring for their loved one. There was a volunteer whose winsome words struck a chord. There was a leader who - [What Do I Want To Learn?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/11/what-do-i-want-to-learn/) - This is the most important question a gift officer can (and should!) ask themselves before a visit with a donor or prospective donor. It brings into quick focus the fundamental purpose of the visit. It requires a plan (and, usually, additional questions) to have prepared prior to the visit. And, it is a reminder that - [Philanthropic Timing](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/11/philanthropic-timing/) - Sometimes, the prospective major donor is not ready to be invited to give. She needs to learn more about the initiative. She has questions. She hasn't made a major gift previously. There could be any number of different reasons. Other times, the relationship between you and the prospective major donor is not ready for the - [The Annual Giving Bomb Set Is Coming](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/11/the-annual-giving-bomb-set-is-coming/) - Surfers live for the "bomb set." This is the series of the largest, most rideable waves that come along only every so often. The surfers in the lineup wait for the bomb set to arrive and then frenziedly work to position themselves for the best rides of the day. In the annual giving world, we - [5 Phrases Used By the Ablest Gift Officers](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/10/5-phrases-used-by-the-ablest-gift-officers/) - "I don't know." This phrase provides a reason to circle back with the donor (if needed). Just as importantly, this phrase builds trust because it positions the gift officer as a professional who is confident and humble enough to admit there is something they don't know. "It occurs to me. . ." This is a - [The Absolute Worst Time To Start A Campaign](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/10/the-absolute-worst-time-to-start-a-campaign/) - "Donors won't be able to give because inflation is too high." "The stock market's downturn will cause donors not to give." "There is a recession coming so this isn't a good time to start a campaign." You've probably heard Board members, donors, or well-meaning colleagues make statements similar to these when the idea of a - [Strengthening Your Advancement Culture](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/10/strengthening-your-advancement-culture/) - If the only people who are involved in major gifts discussions are the major gifts officers, silos will be built. If the only people who pay attention to advancement budgets are the accounting and finance professionals, disconnections and confusion will emerge. If the only people with a focus on recruiting attendees to an event are - [Things Good Leaders Say](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/10/things-good-leaders-say/) - Not long ago I had the good experience of listening to Adam Weinberg, president of Denison University address parents and families of current students. He delivered prepared remarks for about 15 minutes (no powerpoint) and he spent another 45 minutes addressing questions from the audience. Here are 3 things president Weinberg said that struck me: - [Budget Decisions](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/10/budget-decisions/) - Most advancement leaders agree: Major and principal gifts most often emerge from longer-term, trusting relationships built with donors on a foundation of personalized, face-to-face interactions. Annual giving programs are most effective when they are built on a foundation of consistent, multi-channel direct invitations to give. Special events should be few and are inefficient for fundraising. - [Volunteers As Priceless Reviewers](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/10/volunteers-as-priceless-reviewers/) - If you are seeking a service, a product, or an experience, you can find an online review as quickly as you can access Google. Of course, finding online reviews quickly is not the same as trusting online reviews. In fact, it is estimated that between 30 - 50% of all online reviews are fake and - [Trust-Based Philanthropy And Who Knows Best](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/10/trust-based-philanthropy-and-who-knows-best/) - "Trust-based philanthropy," is all over the business news pages these days. Essentially, in a trust-based model of giving, donors embrace three perspectives regarding their support: Unrestricted giving, when done through helpful nonprofit partners, offers the best type of philanthropic support to make a difference; Helpful nonprofit partners are those who are willing to be transparent - [Be The Wave](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/10/be-the-wave/) - Ocean waves are constant. If you're like me, that constancy is big part of the allure of a beach vacation. The dependability of both the visual and aural "white noise" of waves at the beach cause an immediate sense of peace and calm for me. But ocean (or Gulf) waves are more essential than providing - [The "Well Won't Go Dry" As Long As You Do This](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/10/the-well-wont-go-dry-as-long-as-you-do-this/) - You've heard the expression in advancement and development circles, "We can't keep going to the same donors over and over again. The well will go dry." That's not altogether true. But since it's such a widely-used analogy, let's play with it a bit. Certainly real water wells can "go dry." So, that part is accurate. - [5 Simple Steps to Raise More Money](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/10/5-simple-steps-to-raise-more-money/) - The 5 critically-important, unvarnished, and uncomplicated steps to raising considerably more money: Start by creating an institution-wide strategic plan that invites input and perspectives from a variety of constituents. The finished plan should specifically identify key priorities your institution will pursue over the next 3-5 years and should paint an inspirational narrative of how you - [Becoming Expert vs. Becoming An Expert](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/09/becoming-expert-vs-becoming-an-expert/) - Becoming expert (adjective) is different than becoming an expert (noun). The former implies a willingness to embrace a developmental journey focused on enhancing one's experience, knowledge, skill, adroitness. The latter evokes a desire to seek a position or standing among others. Becoming an expert is an end result in which one is viewed as a - [Life's Most Fundamental Lesson](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/10/lifes-most-fundamental-lesson/) - "It's not about me." If there is a bigger lesson life's developmental process is designed to teach us than that statement, I don't know what it is. From infancy to childhood to adolescence to middle age to growing older, our lives are broken down into various moments and seasons of re-learning this fundamental lesson. Siblings - [The Future of Stewardship](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/09/the-future-of-stewardship/) - In today's advancement world, the function of "stewardship" is constrained (typically and artificially) to those activities and responses the institution makes once a gift has been made. For instance, we steward a donor through our public recognition programs and how we extend thanks based on their giving level, etc. But this constrained view of stewardship - [Translations](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/09/translations/) - The primary role of your case statement is to translate the funding priorities of your institution into messages prospective donors will embrace with enthusiasm. This translation occurs in two fundamental ways: First, your case needs to do the practical work of translating all of your "institutional speak" into everyday language that regular folk understand. Acronyms, - [Indirect Skills](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/09/indirect-skills/) - A list of skills not directly related to advancement but all of which will make you better as an advancement professional (with some linked resources to become better): How not to take things personally; Building strong connections with others; How to ask better; Failing well. Building more trust in teams. Enjoy! - [Taking Notice](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/09/taking-notice/) - It's easy to take notice of the mass happenings. The red news banner on the bottom scroll of your television visibly blaring the phrase, "Breaking News." The homerun in the 9th inning of a tied world series game that has everyone in the stadium on the edge of their seats. The Netflix show that everyone - [Systems Of Care](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/09/systems-of-care/) - "We're sorry to hear of your loss of Mamie, and our hearts go out to you. We know this time is tough, and we're always here if you need anything. Love, Jair, Chewy.com" With the recent passing of our family pet, one of the chores we had to complete was ending the autoship arrangement we - [Working Large](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/09/working-large/) - All advancement programs have finite resources, both human and financial. The idea that you can spend whatever you wish to accomplish your goals and aims is not reality. Sure, advancement budgets at some institutions are larger than at others, but there is always a limit. And, over the last few years - regardless of the - [3 Leadership Statements That Build Team Trust](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/09/3-leadership-statements-that-build-team-trust/) - One version of leadership posits the leader as a know-it-all. This is the supremely confident individual who has most all the answers and always knows a direction for future growth. The strongman (or woman) model. However, under this form of leadership, team trust is rarely optimized, which means that team effectiveness is rarely optimized. In - [Blah, Better, Best](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/09/blah-better-best/) - Ineffective gift officers will (perhaps) spend time with prospective donors; Better gift officers will spend time with prospective donors. And they, also, will invite the gift; The best gift officers will spend time with prospective donors. They, also, will invite the gift. And they will utilize the influence of others to increase the chances that - [Time and Money](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/09/time-and-money/) - Most every institutional and advancement leader will say they want to raise more money in the future. In fact, most will say adamantly that they need to raise more money in the future. However, many leaders will also say in the very next breath, "but we don't have money to add a new gift officer - [5 Lessons Dogs Teach Us About Fundraising](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/08/5-lessons-dogs-teach-us-about-fundraising/) - Pay more attention to others, less to yourself. Dogs don't care about what they are doing. They care about what you are doing. And that makes us feel good. Don't let a "no" derail your efforts. Sure, your dog might pout or cower if told "no" forcefully. But dogs don't stay in that negative emotional - [Winging It And Authenticity](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/08/winging-it-and-authenticity/) - Some gift officers chafe at the idea that Prospect Discovery visits should be purposefully planned with specific questions prepared to ask. "It feels too staged. . . too inauthentic. . .to probe with specific, planned questions," they respond when presented with questions they could ask the prospect. "I just let the conversation emerge organically and - [Concealed Benefits](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/08/concealed-benefits/) - **This Jason's Blog entry is a bit more personal than usual. I hope you still find it helpful** Today, our family will travel together to move our oldest child and only daughter (and sister) to college. I'm a first generation college graduate. I grew up professionally in the higher ed. administrative and teaching spaces. I've - [Fear, Anger, and Hate](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/08/fear-anger-and-hate/) - You can raise a lot of money very quickly appealing to negative emotions. Humans are hard-wired to respond physically to negativity. When we are fearful, or angered, or bitter, our bodies release stress hormones that prepare us to fight or flight. Our physical and psychological responses to negativity are powerful motivators. In the short term, - [The Donor Awareness Matrix](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/08/the-donor-awareness-matrix/) - A key aim of our advancement work should be to gain deeper awareness of our donors (and prospective donors). What do they believe about our institution? What is their motivation to volunteer? To give? What are their specific reasons for engaging with us? How would they describe their values? What other organizations do they support - [Where, Who, and How](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/08/where-who-and-how/) - "What makes us distinctive or different or unique as compared with other institutions like us?" This is a question that Board members, administrative leaders, advancement folk, and others ask regularly and with some measure of irritation. The regularity of asking this question stems from the fact that our answer is fundamentally important to our marketing, - [Distracting Ourselves](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/08/distracting-ourselves/) - If a menacing alien lifeform wanted to take over our world by systematically distracting us, I'm relatively certain they could not hatch a more effective plan than to introduce email into our lives. They would sell us on the ease, cost-efficiency, and instantaneous nature of the communication. And, used to only phones, snail mail, and - [Being Open To A Different Answer](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/08/being-open-to-a-different-answer/) - Recently, I gave a 20-minute presentation designed to address the question, "when should you go public with your campaign?" The core of my response to this important question was (I admit unsatisfyingly), "it depends." Simply put, there are no specific points of progress, no formula, nor definitive alignment of variables which would consistently forecast, for - [Describing before Prescribing](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/08/describing-before-prescribing/) - Gift officers put tremendous time and energy into identifying the best possible gift ask amounts for each of the donors they engage. They also focus a great deal of attention on identifying the area or purpose of the proposed gift. In other words, gift officers spend a lot of time prescribing gifts to donors. "We - [Point Of View](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/08/point-of-view/) - Without a point of view, any strategy that sounds good is worth trying. Without a point of view, it becomes exceptionally difficult to choose what to do and, (more) importantly, what not to do. Without a point of view, the annual calendar quickly devolves into a hodge-podge of activities without a general theme or purpose. - [What Museums Teach Us](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/08/what-museums-teach-us/) - For many, the concept of a physical museum in today's fast-paced, hyper-connected, digitally-enhanced world feels antiquated at best and useless at worst. Everything can be found online, so why still have immense, inefficient spaces to view artifacts? Two reflections come to mind: First, physical museums are designed to create stories that highlight how our lives, - [Engaging Board Members](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/08/engaging-board-members/) - Advancement leaders tend to fall into 3 categories when it comes to their approach to Board member engagement: Keep Board members at arm's length as much as possible because they are more nuisance than helpmate; Engage Board members as needed, primarily on their governance and fiduciary roles; Appreciate Board members and engage each in various - [It's Never Too Late](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/08/its-never-too-late/) - . . . to better engage your Board; . . . to reinvigorate your institution's social media presence; . . . to make your direct mail solicitations more compelling; . . . to do something about climate change; . . . to get on the road and visit with donors more; . . . to - [Comparisons](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/08/comparisons/) - One institution has a president who is deeply embedded in the advancement process, enjoys engaging with donors, and is good at this work. Another institution has a president who doesn't enjoy advancement nearly as much and, instead, prefers spending time leading other institutional issues rather than being with donors. One 150-year, 4-year institution has a - [Building Trust vs. Promising Specifics](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/07/building-trust-vs-promising-specifics/) - If you ask a conference full of major gift officers how to best motivate major gifts from new donors or how best to encourage increased giving from already generous donors, a significant number likely will respond that communicating how their major gift will make an impact is the way to go. The conventional wisdom is - [Doing Less](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/07/doing-less/) - In 1945, Pablo Picasso famously created, The Bull, a series of 11 lithographs which showed the evolution of a picture of a bull from more detailed version down to the essence of the animal. The evolution between Picasso's first bull and the last bull in the series is striking: The first version of the bull - [The N=Me Fallacy](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/07/the-nme-fallacy/) - Here are some potentially less helpful starting points when brainstorming new advancement strategies with colleagues: "I wouldn't go to that event . . ." "I don't respond to direct mail . . ." "I'm not seeing that much at all on my social media . . ." There are 2 potential problems with these strategy-setting - [Jimmy Buffett Can't Sing](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/07/jimmy-buffett-cant-sing/) - Even if you aren't a "parrothead" (the endearing term given to Jimmy Buffett's most loyal fans), you probably know at least a few lines of a Buffett song. "Wastin' away again in Margaritaville. . ." is a classic many recognize. If you've ever been to a Jimmy Buffett concert, you know that a whole lot - ["Why Should I Care?"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/07/why-should-i-care/) - Everything we do in advancement should help a current, past, or prospective donor answer this question concisely and easily. "Why should I care about the campaign?" "Why should I care about the institution's end of fiscal year?" "Why should I care about being a consecutive year donor?" "Why should I care about responding to this - [The Real Reason 'Dollars Raised' Is A Horrible Evaluation Metric - Part 2 of 2](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/07/the-real-reason-dollars-raised-is-a-horrible-evaluation-metric-part-2-of-2/) - In part 1 of this post, I made the case that evaluating how gift officers approach their work is far more important than the outcome. That using a "dollars raised" metric as part of gift officer's evaluation is unhelpful and unhealthy for gift officer and program development. Today, I turn attention to 3 fundamentally effective - [The Same River Twice](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/07/the-same-river-twice/) - We know "we can't step into the same river twice." Typically, we think about the river itself changing which makes it a different river over time. However, we also change over time and so we can't step into the same river twice as well. So many variables and complexities wrapped in this simple reminder. Why, - [The Real Reason 'Dollars Raised' Is A Horrible Evaluation Metric - Part 1 of 2](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/07/the-real-reason-dollars-raised-is-a-horrible-evaluation-metric-part-1-of-2/) - For gift officers and development leaders there is not a more damaging, distorting, and destructive evaluation metric than 'dollars raised.' Yes, I'm aware that just about every gift officer and development leader uses 'dollars raised," as an evaluative tool today. Yes, I understand that current industry-wide thinking is that raising more money this year as - [Motivations](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/07/motivations/) - We regularly discuss donor motivations, why people give and get involved, and how to appeal to their interests. What's far less common are discussions focused on why we ask donors to give, why we invite volunteers to get involved, or how to appeal to our own motivating factors. If you are an advancement leader and - [Asking Questions](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/06/asking-questions/) - If your aim is to be a high-quality, effective leader, ask your questions early. Be genuinely curious. Gather information. Listen to understand perspectives and positions. Empathize with different experiences. Learn what you don't know. And then, use what you've learned from others and their realities to offer solutions. Waiting until after a solution is offered - [The Donors We Inherit](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/06/the-donors-we-inherit/) - Every advancement team inherits most of its donors. You may be new to your role, or you may have been at your institution for years. But the bulk of the donors you will engage have a giving history with your institution that precedes you. Percentage wise, a few of these inherited donors are exceptionally generous - [Becoming Better With Major Gifts](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/06/becoming-better-with-major-gifts/) - One reason it's difficult to teach someone how to be a better major gifts professional is because it's not about teaching specific words or phrases to use during an ask. It's not about teaching a particular process or formula to follow in order to prepare for asking a prospect for a major gift. It's not - [Pulling Donors and Donors Pushing](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/06/pulling-donors-and-donors-pushing/) - At the two extremes of the Gift Initiation Continuum, our work can be described as either pulling donors along with our institution's vision and priorities. Or, having donors push their priorities and interests onto us. We can either initiate a gift by proactively sharing a winsome vision for the future with donors and inviting them - [The Strategy Or The Board](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/05/the-strategy-or-the-board/) - In poker, the "board" is the context of the community cards (the cards dealt face-up in the middle of the table and available for any player to use in putting together her hand) during any given hand. A "dry board," for instance, occurs when the community cards do not have much connection or relationship with - [Asking Your Way To Becoming Distinctive](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/04/asking-your-way-to-becoming-distinctive/) - Our daughter is in the final stages of her college search and selection process. She has participated in virtual events, on campus events, Zoom calls, email exchanges, and other communications with a number of colleges and universities. As she is narrowing her list, our family is now visiting a few of these wonderful institutions for - [Listening To The Critic](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/04/listening-to-the-critic/) - Listening to the critic can help you get better. That special event reception was too short, perhaps. Or, that annual report did contain too few pictures that emphasize diversity. Or, our phonathon callers probably could be more engaging. But, there are times when listening to the critic is wrong-headed. When the critic sends back your - [The 3 Commitments](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/03/the-3-commitments/) - If your aim is to secure fundraising success for tomorrow, there are 3 commitments you should make today: 1. The Commitment to Encounter - in our hyper-linked, liked, and shared digital world, it is easy to believe in an illusion of human connection, in a misimpression of relationship, in a counterfeit version of knowing others. - [Conforming To A Standard](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/03/conforming-to-a-standard/) - There are 3 standards advancement programs can be measured against: The Standard of Averages - this compares your program results to an aggregate of other institutions which may (or may not) be similar to your institution and advancement program; The Standard of Specific Institutions - this compares your program results to a set of specifically - [And Now What?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/03/and-now-what/) - Driving on a highway recently, I saw this sign: As I continued to speed down the roadway, I wondered what I was supposed to do in response to this new information that I, apparently, was entering a "blasting zone." What did that mean for me? Was I in danger? Should I get off at the - [15 Words And Phrases We Need To Stop Using](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/03/15-words-and-phrases-we-need-to-stop-using/) - "Asking for the gift" - instead, use "Inviting the gift" "Targeting the donor" - instead, use "Engaging the donor" "Donate" - instead, use "Give" "Small gifts" - instead, use "Modest gifts" "Donor appointment" - instead, use "Donor visit" "Hit rate" - instead, use "Proposal success rate" "Pushing donors to give more" - instead, use "Inviting - [A "Clean Handoff" Culture](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/03/a-clean-handoff-culture/) - Nothing much of significance happens in advancement through solitary effort. That gift the development officer is credited for soliciting? One colleague worked on the design of the proposal. Another colleague provided valuable insights about the gift amount through research. And, yet another helped arrange the lunch meeting where the donor was invited to give. That - [Combating The Biggest Lie](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/03/combating-the-biggest-lie/) - Snaking throughout all of human history, the biggest lie rears its hissing head time and again. It's the lie that begets all other lies. It's the lie that leads to indescribable atrocities and the lie that encourages and flames violence in all its forms. The biggest lie enables the "us versus them" lie. Because, the - [Being Busy](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/03/being-busy/) - Stay with any hotel that's part of a major flag since the beginning of the pandemic and one change that has stayed constant is the end of the daily housekeeping service. No fresh towels and no room cleaning each day, unless requested. The impetus for this change, of course, was the concern early in the - [Taking The Time vs. Making The Time](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/03/taking-the-time-vs-making-the-time/) - "Taking the time," implies that we are squeezing into our schedules an unplanned activity, engagement, or task. When we "take the time," we deduct from our current schedule. It implies something we should do. Perhaps, even, a burden. "Making the time," on the other hand, suggests that we are proactively planning to use our time - [Do This Before You Ask](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/03/do-this-before-you-ask/) - It's quite common for advancement professionals and volunteers to want the "silver bullet language" around asking for gifts. Surely there must be phrases, individual words, and conversation transitions which, when deftly strung together, will unlock the giving motivations in humans. There must be a process, a formula, a blueprint that makes the asking easier and - [Us vs. Them](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/03/us-vs-them/) - It works to make us feel better in the moment. It works to help us not examine our own possibilities, problems, or opportunities. It works to deflect responsibility. But it only works for so long. In time, "us vs. them" thinking crashes under its own weight of fear, insecurities, doubt, self-absorption, non-factual biases, and too - [Messy and Sticky](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/03/messy-and-sticky/) - If your aim is to enhance the visibility of your institution, engage more advocates for your cause, and raise more money by making your work more orderly, organized, and programmed, you will have limited success. If your aim is to increase the number of donors who give at the $1,000+ level, have more people attend - [The 3 Most Important "Case For Support" Questions](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/03/the-3-most-important-case-for-support-questions/) - Too many institutions start the draft of their "Case For Support" by focusing on the "support" part of that phrase. These are typical questions asked first: Project: What do we need money for? Priority: Is this project/initiative/building our most important priority? Details: How will we specifically spend the money? And while these are, ultimately important questions - [The Guide With The Candle](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/02/the-guide-with-the-candle/) - Perhaps the most concerning giving trend in the U.S. is the continuing decrease in the total number of donors making charitable gifts each year. Regardless of the variables and reasons researchers point to in explaining this decades-long trend, I remain convinced that people are not growing less interested in doing good. I remain convinced that - [Board Irrelationship](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/02/board-irrelationship/) - Ask most any educational, healthcare, or social nonprofit executive about the goals they have for their Board or Advisory Council and you will hear phrases like, "deeper engagement," "philanthropic leadership," and, "meaningful volunteer experience." What we say, however, often stands in stark relief when compared to how we actually behave. And, in the case of - [Breadth, Depth, and Time](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/02/breadth-depth-and-time/) - If year-over-year gift income has increased, advancement leaders will regularly make the case (to their bosses, to their Boards, etc.) that good work is happening. Fundraising totals are an easy-to-understand metric, they make comparisons easy, and they highlight what many people believe advancement programs should be doing. But assessing any enterprise - especially an advancement - [Doing The Far More Difficult](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/02/doing-the-far-more-difficult/) - It's easy to complain that our institution doesn't have the support from the types of wealthy donors that other institutions enjoy. Far more difficult to engage, invite, and steward the donors who currently support our mission. It's easy to identify the shortcomings of the individual who held our position before we arrived. Far more difficult - [3 Meaningful Questions](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/02/3-meaningful-questions/) - If you are seeking more meaning, satisfaction, and joy from your work as an advancement professional, addressing these 3 questions will be helpful: 1. Do I believe people to be more generous or more stingy? This question, which focuses on your deeply-held beliefs around the basic social DNA of people, will fundamentally shape the enjoyment - [It Didn't Work](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/02/it-didnt-work/) - "It didn't work, so we aren't planning to do it again." I've heard this statement from advancement professionals after phonathons, direct mail solicitations, donor surveys, and even, social media-focused giving days. But, when probing just a bit further, there are almost always two separate misunderstandings that are driving this statement. First, there usually is low - [What The Donor Wants](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/02/what-the-donor-wants/) - The practice of donor-centrism has morphed into a wholly-disconnected concept from its original intent. Gone is the admonition that donors and philanthropy should be embraced and celebrated as an important thread making up the fabric of an institution's culture - that institutions should actually care about donors. In it's place is the widespread misunderstanding that - [Productive Patience](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/02/productive-patience/) - In the "we need more gift income yesterday," reality of many institutions, the concept of practicing patience with donors can feel antithetical. There is no time for patience. The money is needed now. In these pressurized settings, the message is clear, "cultivate donors quickly and ask soon." But there is a lot to be said - [The Intelligent Donor. . .](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/02/the-intelligent-donor/) - . . . seeks to learn more about your institution's strategic plan. . . . asks if a 5-year pledge schedule is acceptable. . . . expects to sign a pledge document or gift agreement. . . . asks how many other donors are giving at the level they are. . . . asks how - [The Real Value of a Campaign Feasibility Study](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2009/10/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. - [The Urban Legends of Fundraising - Part III of III](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2009/08/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 - [Confusing Brand With Effectiveness](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/02/confusing-brand-with-effectiveness/) - You may work at a prestigious and nationally (or even internationally) known educational, healthcare, or social service nonprofit. Or, you may work at a local, small organization without a lot of general brand recognition. Neither of those settings help predict the effectiveness or sophistication of your advancement program. Institutions with strong brand recognition, larger teams - [The Test Invitation](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/02/the-test-invitation/) - Scenario: A major gift officer has set up a Discovery visit with a prospective major gift donor. This prospect either has never given to your institution or she has given infrequently and modestly to annual appeals or giving days (i.e. all gifts well under $1,000). During the Discovery visit, the gift officer realizes that the - [Increased Goals](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/02/increased-goals/) - Your Board wants you to raise more money. Your boss wants more unrestricted gift income. Your annual plan calls for an increase in new donors. Name the area of focus. Name the goal. It most likely involves an increase. It's not uncommon for advancement professionals push back on those increased goals. "How can we do more?" - [Motivating Generosity](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/01/motivating-generosity/) - Over the last decade, the Giving USA Foundation reports that total charitable giving in the U.S. rose by 58% ($298.42 billion was given back in 2011 and $471.44 billion was given in 2020). Over that same period, giving specifically in support of the environment, animals, and conservation efforts increased by an impressive 107% (from - [Identifying The Purpose](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/01/identifying-the-purpose/) - What is this event designed to accomplish for our institution? Why is this meeting being called? What are we attempting to achieve with our Giving Day? What is the outcome we are seeking with this donor visit? What message are wanting this edition of our magazine to deliver? What narrative about our progress do we - [Getting It Perfect](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/01/getting-it-perfect/) - The story you choose for your next direct mail solicitation won't be perfect. . . and you'll still raise money. The picture you choose for your next magazine cover won't be perfect. . . and people will still read the story. The major gift proposal you put together for the donor won't be perfect. - [The Bib And The Apron At Work](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/01/the-bib-and-the-apron-at-work/) - When we wear the bib at work, we are acting in service to ourselves. We are looking out for ourselves, our comfort, our security. Our wants, needs, and interests. When we wear the apron at work, we are acting in service to others. We are looking out for our colleagues, our team, our institutions. - ["Special but not targeted"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/01/special-but-not-targeted/) - Most donors - most people - appreciate feeling special. Most folk enjoy feeling admired, important, distinguished, and significant. People, generally, respond favorably to feeling valued. On the other hand, almost no one likes to feel targeted. To feel like they are the only one being asked. Or that they are the first one being - [For A Meaningful Purpose](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/01/for-a-meaningful-purpose/) - I listened recently to an experienced and capable gift officer talk about how good she feels when a donor makes a gift "for a meaningful purpose." "What does that mean, exactly?" I asked. "It means," she continued, "that I have to be convinced that the mission or purpose of the organization I raise money for - [The Beloved Community](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/01/the-beloved-community/) - American philosopher, Josiah Royce, coined the term, "beloved community," early in the 1900s. But it wasn't until the late 1950s that the phrase became more well known. In his 1957 speech, Birth of a New Nation, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "the aftermath of nonviolence is the creation of the beloved community." The concept - ["Sell Me This Pen!" - The Charitable Giving Version](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/01/sell-me-this-pen-the-charitable-giving-version/) - If you watched Leonardo DiCaprio portray Jordan Belfort in the 2013 film, "The Wolf of Wall Street," you probably recall the scene in which DiCaprio's Belfort asks the stockbrokers on his team to, "sell me this pen!" In the movie, the stated purpose of this exercise was for the stockbrokers to hone their sales pitches - [The Work, The Donor, and The Cause](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/01/the-work-the-donor-and-the-cause/) - Some advancement professionals focus on the work. For instance: generating the segmented distribution list for the next direct mail solicitation, or designing the invitation for the annual donor recognition dinner, or reviewing the latest wealth indicator scores for the upcoming prospect management meeting, or creating the agenda for the next Board Advancement Committee meeting, or - [Taking The Time](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/01/taking-the-time/) - In the days before omnipresent and mobile internet devices, I once sat in a 100-person theatre-style classroom at Harvard University's Management Development Program and watched in awe as a master-teacher recognized each student by name and by job-title. This faculty member had never been with our group previously and, yet, knew almost everyone's particulars. A - [Initial Expectations](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/01/initial-expectations/) - Humans are exceptionally artful when it comes to providing reasons for not behaving in ways that are in their long-term interests. For instance, ask people why they don't eat more healthily, exercise more consistently, or save more for retirement, etc., and you're likely to end up with a whole host of detailed reasons why, for - [5 Lessons for Post-Pandemic Fundraising](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/01/5-lessons-for-post-pandemic-fundraising/) - Here are 5 lessons the pandemic has taught us about fundraising: If your goal is to engage donors well, you should spend far more time asking about and learning from them than you do sharing your case for support; The narratives of how your institution impacts those you serve - i.e., your mission - are - [Let's Hope](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2022/01/lets-hope/) - As the first day of the new year dawns, there are fact-based reasons to hope that: The COVID-19 pandemic devolves into an endemic virus with seasonal surges like the common cold or influenza. The long-studied MRNA vaccine technology will help end so many chronic diseases such as HIV and many cancers. The record-setting $471.44 billion - [Invited To The Dance](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2021/12/invited-to-the-dance/) - Being invited to the dance is not the same as being invited to dance. But we often treat them similarly. For instance, we may wonder why an alumni event (either in-person or virtual) doesn't draw as many people as we had hoped. "They were invited to the event," we grouse. Or, we might question why - [The Leadership Choice](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2021/12/the-leadership-choice/) - It's easy to wait for direction. It's easy to stay quiet. It's easy to receive the gift. It's easy to avoid responsibility. Much harder, it seems, to go on the record. To offer something of value - a solution, a strategy, a proposal, or an approach. To be proactive. To show initiative. Because in that - [Now What?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2021/11/now-what/) - In the U.S. yesterday Thanksgiving was celebrated. Most people paused the routines of regular life to reflect on their good fortunes, to express appreciation and show gratitude, and generally, to give thanks. Now what? For most, it's back to routines. Or, for others, it's on to Black Friday, the official start of the holiday shopping - [5 Advancement Lessons from the Olympics](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2021/08/5-advancement-lessons-from-the-olympics/) - With the 2021 Summer Olympics concluded, here are 5 lessons the Games can teach (or remind) advancement leaders: The Outcome May Be A Story, But Not The Only Story- On Saturday, Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge won the men's marathon in dominant fashion, making him the second oldest winner and only the third to win multiple gold - [Building a Bird Nest](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2021/08/building-a-bird-nest/) - It takes birds - depending on species, materials used, construction type, etc. - between 2 days and 2 weeks to construct a nest. Most people, though, don't pay much attention to the nest building process. Instead, we walk by a tree in our yard or in the park and are surprised when we find a - [Believing and Knowing](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2021/08/believing-and-knowing/) - That beliefs drive human decision-making has never been evidenced any more dramatically than we currently are witnessing in the United States - and elsewhere around the world - with respect to COVID-19 vaccine uptake. Reading stories about people who would rather be hospitalized (or worse) than receive a vaccine suggests that something different than knowledge - [Answering A Different Question](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2021/07/answering-a-different-question/) - In major gift philanthropy, we regularly talk about "helping donors align their values with their giving," or "aligning our funding priorities with the donor's values." We regularly say we are striving to get to know our donors deeply and to engage them personally. These types of major gift donor engagement axioms are now ubiquitous in - [On Curiosity](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2021/05/on-curiosity/) - In general, folks can be curious in 3 ways: Curious about things; Curious about ideas; Curious about people. Typically, we all fall somewhere on the spectrum for each of these classifications. But, the most effective advancement pros lean heavily into the 3rd. (As an aside, some people are not curious about any of the 3 - [What's Their Story?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2021/01/whats-their-story/) - Too often gift officers focus on the donor and miss the human being. Donors are conduits for gifts. Donors are assets to be managed. Donors are, God-forbid, "giving units." Human beings, on the other hand, are holistic. They are complex and nuanced. They are souls with lived experiences and stories. When a gift officer shares - [2 Ways To Know](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2021/01/2-ways-to-know/) - Dollywood's Wild Eagle is one of my all-time favorite roller coasters. The initial drop is a smallish 135 feet and, while the ride lasts only 2 minutes and 22 seconds and hits a modest speed of 61 mph, it does have 4 inversions. It's the smoothness of the ride, though, that makes it so enjoyable - [Acquire vs. Inquire](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2021/01/acquire-vs-inquire/) - How do you prepare for donor visits - either virtual or in-person? What steps do you take to identify the purpose of the visit? How do you go about establishing specific goals for the visit? What overall mindset are you bringing to the visit planning process? The most effective gift officers plan for donor visits - [Consistently Small](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2021/01/consistently-small/) - One year ago this morning none of us had any idea what the next 12 months would hold. Similarly, today, none of us knows what the next 12 months will hold. All we do know is that we have limited control over all ways life will impact us. Some of you are waking today with - [The Harmful Allure of Point-Making](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2020/12/the-harmful-allure-of-point-making/) - Influence matters a great deal in the achievement of fundraising goals. The more influence an institutional leader, a gift officer, or a volunteer has with a donor or prospect, the greater the opportunity to encourage generous responses from that donor or prospect. People give to people. But the process of enhancing one's interpersonal influence is - [Committing To Quiet](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2020/12/committing-to-quiet/) - Last night - Christmas Eve - we had snow in East Tennessee. This is a uncommon occurrence for us but a welcome one, especially given the holiday. Falling snow is mesmerizing to watch as it dances toward the ground under the watchful eyes of street lamps. And I spent some time bundled up on our - [7 Words That Hinder Your Advancement Success](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2020/12/7-words-that-hinder-your-advancement-success/) - Donate - inviting people to "donate" is akin to asking for hand-me-downs. People donate used items. They donate old clothes, or used cars. Generally speaking, donations are second-thought give-aways, not charitable investments in your mission. Use give, giving, and gift, instead. Appointment - advancement professionals don't have appointments with donors. We have visits or meetings. - [Strategy vs. Enthusiasm](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2020/12/strategy-vs-enthusiasm/) - How should we go about inviting Mrs. Howard to make the lead gift? You might be inclined to respond to this strategy question by seeking to know more about Mrs. Howard as a person and as a donor. You would probably want to know more about her history with your institution, her financial capacity, the - [The 7 Most Important Reminders For Advancement Leaders](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2020/11/the-7-most-important-reminders-for-advancement-leaders/) - Your donor database will always have more inaccurate or missing data than you think is acceptable. You can still raise more money. Your institution's brand and messaging could always be more concise, clear, and compelling. You can still raise more money. Your case for support does not need to be completed for you to contact - [Today's Legacy](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2020/11/todays-legacy/) - We talk often about "leaving legacies," in development work. Mainly, of course, we talk about this concept with donors who might have an interest in making a planned gift of some sort. Another way to think of "leaving legacies," though, is not nearly as future-casted and is focused on your choices as opposed to the - [The Most Useless Fundraising Metric. . .Usually](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2020/10/the-most-useless-fundraising-metric-usually/) - In any given year, most advancement shops that work smart and with effort will focus on increasing either gift income or donor numbers. Those two metrics - gift income and donor numbers - are, easily, the most important when assessing the success of any given fundraising year. Occasionally, though, I'll hear an advancement leader proudly - [The 3 Most Important Variables To Successfully Inviting Gifts - And How You May Be Thinking About Them Wrong](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2020/10/the-3-most-important-variables-to-successfully-inviting-gifts-and-how-you-may-be-thinking-about-them-wrong/) - The Messenger The Message The Medium Those are the 3 most important variables when inviting a gift. In that order. It doesn't matter if it's a modest annual gift, a major gift, or a planned gift. That's the order of importance. Who does the asking is, without fail, more important than the message. And the - [You Will Raise More Major Gifts If You Do This 1 Thing Consistently](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2020/10/you-will-raise-more-major-gifts-if-you-do-this-1-thing-consistently/) - If you want to raise more major gifts - especially during our disrupted world of 2020 - the path is simple: Invite more prospective donors to make them. That's it. Sure, you can fret all you'd like over the impacts of the pandemic. You can spend your time commiserating with colleagues about the disruptions caused - [The 3 Questions Major Gift Officers Confuse](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2020/10/the-3-questions-major-gift-officers-confuse/) - "What amount could this donor give if she was enthusiastic about this request and our institution was her number 1 charitable giving priority?" "What amount am I going to invite her to give?" "What amount do I think she will give?" Far too often, major gift officers either do not know or are vague in - [Actually Doing The Work](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2020/10/actually-doing-the-work/) - A class I had in graduate school still resonates with me. It was a research methodology class and we had just completed reading a series of research articles about educational leadership that, seemingly, didn't provide many fresh or new insights on the topic. In class one evening, a classmate of mine spoke up to our - [What Volunteers and Donors Don't Always Know](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2020/09/what-volunteers-and-donors-dont-always-know/) - Steve Jobs, the former CEO and co-founder of Apple Inc., is quoted to have said, "Get closer than ever to your customers. So close that you tell them what they need well before they realize it themselves." I've reflected on this counterbalance to "the customer is always right" perspective for years. I can recall, for - [Unstated Expectations](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2020/09/unstated-expectations/) - When each was recruited to serve, what percentage of the members of your institution's governing or Foundation Board were invited into a conversation about the giving expectations associated with Board membership? How many of your institution's major donors have affirmingly stated, "we will continue to be supportive," after finishing their most recent major gift with - [A Broker For Hope](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2020/09/a-broker-for-hope/) - The very best, most successful advancement folk never confuse what they do with how they do it. You aren't a fundraiser. You aren't a gift officer. You aren't a relationship-builder. You aren't even a development professional (whatever that might mean!). Those are all examples of how you do your work. When you work exceptionally well, - [The Delusion of the In-Person Visit](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2020/08/the-delusion-of-the-in-person-visit/) - If we've learned anything over the last 6 months its that development officers and performance metrics' systems myopically focused on meeting in-person donor visit goals have struggled to adapt. That's because the real work has never been about the in-person donor visit. The real work has always been about creating learning opportunities and experiences so - [Out of Order](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2020/08/out-of-order/) - The phrase, "out of order," is used to describe when something is broken or not working or when someone is behaving in a way that is unacceptable or not customary. The reverse assumption, would be that "being in order," is synonymous with being correct or acceptable, or working properly. Words matter, of course. - [Who Is Speaking?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2020/08/who-is-speaking/) - Maybe you've been in this meeting. A colleague speaks up and with firmness states something like the following: "A lot of people are upset with our decision." Or. . . "Many of our donors are complaining about our communications." Or. . . "Our volunteers don't agree with our strategy." If you ever hear statements like - [Happy Byproducts](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2020/08/happy-byproducts/) - If you still believe "raising money" is the goal, you've missed the point. The point is to educate people regarding a meaningful need, share with them the benefits and the joys of acting generously, and invite them into partnership to help address the need. The money is just a happy byproduct of that work. If - [The "Move" Metric Makes A Comeback](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2020/08/the-move-metric-makes-a-comeback/) - "Donor visits" have been a cornerstone performance metric for most all gift officer evaluations. But, instead of advancement leaders communicating clearly that donor visits were only a proxy for donor engagement - that the visit only represented potential evidence of donor engagement - the donor visit itself became donor engagement. Sure, many performance metrics systems - [A Brighter Light](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2020/07/a-brighter-light/) - We often work in dim light. There are questions to every problem we are working on for which we don't yet have clarity. Sometimes important questions. And sometimes the problems themselves are important. You may be finalizing a direct mail piece. How many segments of that solicitation should you employ to get the highest - ["How Do You Know. . .?"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2020/08/how-do-you-know/) - When it comes right down to it, you are, at heart and in practice, an educator. You educate donors regarding the needs of those you serve and how your institution can better fulfill those needs with the help of their support. You educate new donors or "not yet" donor prospects on why their consistent, year-in-year-out - [Permission-Based Relationships](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2020/08/permission-based-relationships/) - If you are not asking your constituents what channels they wish to receive different types of communications, you are wasting a ton of time, financial resources, and energy. If you are not asking your major gift donors when they might be open to discussing their next significant investment in your mission before inviting them to - [The 3 Most Important Questions to Ask Before Hiring an Advancement Consultant](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2020/08/the-3-most-important-questions-to-ask-before-hiring-an-advancement-consultant/) - If you Google, "questions to ask before hiring a campaign consultant" (or something similar), you will no doubt wade through an almost-endless supply of results which purport to provide you with the keys to asking the most salient questions of potential consultants. There are tons of numbered lists - "the 10 questions every consultant should - [More Diversity](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2020/08/more-diversity/) - We know that the more biological diversity (at the species level, the genetic level, and ecological level), the more natural sustainability and productivity for all life forms. We know that the more investment diversity in our retirement accounts, the more opportunity for higher returns with less risk. We know that the more gender diversity on - [Squirrels, Doritos, Social Media, and Leadership](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2020/07/squirrels-doritos-social-media-and-leadership/) - Our family dog, Mamie, a shepherd-mixed rescue, loves chasing squirrels. It's her natural instinct - her prey drive. If she sees a squirrel outside, she is immediately ready to hunt. She has learned to relate the animal with the word, "squirrel," and, so, if you so much as whisper the word to her, she's ready - [Territoriality And Raising Money While You Sleep](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2020/07/territoriality-and-raising-money-while-you-sleep/) - There is a characteristic that most financially successful people share: They make money while they sleep. This characteristic refers to the fact that financially successful folks have figured out a way to extend their ability to make money beyond their own efforts. They have saved and invested their capital in ways that earns them - [The Outcomes We Predict](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2020/07/the-outcomes-we-predict/) - In his thoroughly-researched 2018 book, Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance, "running science geek," Alex Hutchinson, makes a compelling and fascinating argument. Gathering together decades of research from various fields, he argues that the limits of human endurance in activities such as running, cycling, swimming, hiking, etc., can only be - [Winning Donor Engagement Beyond The Pandemic](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2020/07/winning-donor-engagement-beyond-the-pandemic/) - Donor engagement will be different for a long while - perhaps forever - even after a vaccine for COVID-19 is in place and distributed widely. The ways in which we engage or involve donors will change because of the reduction of in-person opportunities, events, and activities. Additionally, a change in our approach to donor engagement - [When Being “Efficient” Is Not The Primary Goal](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2020/07/when-being-efficient-is-not-the-primary-goal/) - Supermarkets price milk and eggs (and turkeys during Thanksgiving) below, at, or just above their cost. These items (and others) are called “loss leaders” or “leader priced items.” Every time you buy milk or eggs, your local supermarket is, most likely, losing money on that transaction. If one were to analyze a supermarket’s value by - [Backward and Forward](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2020/07/backward-and-forward/) - Our culture is laced with references to both going backward and forward in time. "Monday-morning quarterbacking," and "hindsight is 20/20," are two examples of spending time looking backward. Similarly, "looking into my crystal ball," or "just around the corner" are idiomatic phrases of focusing on looking forward in time. While we can't physically go backward - [Being The Proposer](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2020/07/being-the-proposer/) - It's easy to critique. It's more difficult to create. It can feel less burdensome to evaluate. And far more arduous to produce. It can seem safer to be the respondent. And more vulnerable to be the proposer. But being the creator, the producer, the proposer, is a role the very best advancement leaders are willing - [The Real Change That's Coming Post-COVID-19](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2020/07/the-real-change-thats-coming-post-covid-19/) - We should all be imagining how advancement work will be rearranged, adjusted, and altered post-COVID-19. It's easy to think of remote-work or work-from-home norms as becoming commonplace policy, especially for gift officers. The integration of video conferencing and digital technologies with in-person, human-to-human donor engagement is another aspect of our work which, most likely, will - [Giving Is Greater Than The Gift](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2020/05/giving-is-greater-than-the-gift/) - The first 5 months of 2020 have been distressing. An understatement, I am aware. Just as the world was beginning to understand how to "re-open" safely from the COVID-19 virus and its vicious health and financial calamities, we were faced over the last week with an even tougher test - one squarely confronting the perceptions - [Mission Or Method](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2020/02/mission-or-method/) - If your goal is to increase the amount of gift income you receive, you can: Ask new prospective donors to give for the first time; Ask past donors to give again; Ask current donors to give more. Those, really, are the only methods (or some combination of these 3) to increase gift income. Developing plans - [Believers vs. Everybody](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2020/01/believers-vs-everybody/) - Believers in your institution's mission give consistently. Everybody won't do that. Believers in your institution's vision for the future invest charitably. Everybody won't do that. Believers in the leadership and values practiced at your institution remember you through their estates. Everybody won't do that. As advancement professionals, our job is not to invite everybody to - [The Day-Trading Boss](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2020/01/the-day-trading-boss/) - If you haven't yet worked for him or her, you probably will at some point. He's the VP who focuses more on metrics than on the relationships and processes the metrics are there to measure. She's the President who wants to know why gift officers aren't asking for major gifts during a first meeting. Day-traders - [What Am I Doing?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2020/01/what-am-i-doing/) - The world is filled with leaders in every industry (including advancement/development) who rarely ask themselves this important question. Posers, caring more about the perception of leadership than the practice of it, almost never ask this question. Even still, some are able to ascend to high-level, leadership posts (again, yes, even in advancement/development). It doesn't matter - [3 Ways to Market Giving](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2020/01/3-ways-to-market-giving/) - "Marketing," to an advancement professional almost always refers to the marketing of their institution's programs and services. You market what you do. Or more importantly, the impact of what you do. You market your mission as a way to communicate the rightness and goodness of people giving in support of your institution's efforts and outcomes. - [This Next Year. . . And Beyond](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2020/01/this-next-year-and-beyond/) - Today marks the first work day of 2020. And, while there is some measure of confusion, today also marks the first work day of the new decade - the decade of the '20s. Every New Year holiday brings with it the time and opportunity to reflect on the past and plan for the future. A - [The Most Important "Impact" of Giving Is Not What You Think](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2019/11/the-most-important-impact-of-giving-is-not-what-you-think/) - With the dawn of another U.S. Thanksgiving holiday just days away, we will soon welcome the commencement of the official "season of giving." The month of December will experience millions of donors acting with great generosity and each year at this time I am reminded of the concept of philanthropic impacts. Specifically, and, it seems, - [The Nuanced (But Key) Lesson Behind Robert F. Smith's Gift](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2019/05/the-nuanced-but-key-lesson-behind-robert-f-smiths-gift/) - Amid all of the publicity regarding Robert F. Smith's announcement to repay the student loan balances for each of the Morehouse College graduates a Sunday ago, there is a key lesson to ferret out, if advancement and nonprofit leaders are willing to look (and listen) closely. Yes, the gift is wonderful and should be applauded. - [It's All About The Donor, You, and . . . Who?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2019/03/its-all-about-the-donor-you-and-who/) - Just recently I was consulting with a university president when, in a moment of personal and professional transparency, he shared his lamentation that he had "gotten too close" to one of the institution's most generous donors. I asked him what he meant by that and here was his all-too-familiar story. "I'm not quite sure how - [Giving The Gift](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2018/11/giving-the-gift/) - Imagine with me for a moment that you are sitting with one of your most generous donor couples. It is a husband and wife who are now contemplating the 7-figure gift invitation you have just extended to them. In the past they have given significantly to your institution - but not at this level. If - [They Aren't](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2018/07/they-arent/) - They aren't. . . your donors. You are one of their charitable recipients. your Board members. You are one of their volunteer priorities. your staff. You are one of the key factors in their workplace satisfaction. your Twitter followers. You are one of their social media interests. your prospects. They may not even be aware - [You Have 2 Missions - And You Should Choose to Accept Both](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2018/02/you-have-2-missions-and-you-should-choose-to-accept-both/) - I sometimes wonder how many nonprofit leaders realize they are serving two distinct but related missions? First, of course, is the mission of service particular to your institution or organization. You may have an education mission, a healthcare mission, a nutrition mission, a faith-filled mission, a mission to assist the homeless, etc. Most nonprofit leaders - [You Are Not A Fundraiser](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2018/01/you-are-not-a-fundraiser/) - How do you respond when someone asks about your profession - what you do for a living? While it can be tempting to offer a knee-jerk and readily-understood response such as, "I'm a fundraiser," please don't. Ever again. For the sake of our authentically-transforming work, just don't. Fundraising is the transactional, point-in-time act of donating. - [5 Things Effective Development Professionals Say](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/04/5-things-effective-development-professionals-say/) - It's common for board members and other volunteers (and some development professionals) to ask the question: "What is the best way to ask someone for a gift?" What they are looking for, of course, are the "magic words." The words or phrases that, when uttered with confidence and enthusiasm, wondrously unlock a donor's generous spirit - [Every Donor Is An Exception](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2018/01/every-donor-is-an-exception/) - Over the last few years, I've taken to explaining the purpose of donor and prospect management as the "management of exceptions." By that phrase, I simply mean that all major donors and major donor prospects are "exceptions" to any conceivable universal rule one might use to engage them as a group. Each of these identified - [5 Researched Reasons To Be Grateful For Your Work In Advancement](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2018/01/5-researched-reasons-to-be-grateful-for-your-work-in-advancement/) - In a world seemingly plagued by insecurity, brittleness, volatility, anger, negativity, and senselessness, being involved as a professional in the arena of gift-giving and philanthropy is something for which you should be grateful. Each day you work in advancement, you are affirming the remarkable goodness of humanity through generosity. Consider what we know from research: - [On Meaning in the New Year](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2018/01/on-meaning-in-the-new-year/) - I invite you to begin your New Year by watching this short "ted talk," which was actually a presentation by Viktor Frankl, the 20th Century Austrian psychologist and more importantly, Holocaust survivor. He reminds us all that we have a responsibility to lift up, to inspire, and to encourage others. Regardless of your circumstances, - [The Law of Supply and Demand - For Development Programs](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2017/12/the-law-of-supply-and-demand-for-development-programs/) - We all recognize the "law of supply and demand," as a basic economic construct in free markets which states that ultimately, the price of a good or service will be determined by the supply of and customer demand for that good or service. But I believe there is a development program version of "the law - [A Perspective on Purpose](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2017/12/a-perspective-on-purpose/) - It is well known that, given the choice, younger people will opt to meet new people and participate in new experiences as opposed to spending time with a sibling or other family members. Conversely, older folks tend to prefer spending time with those closest to them - family, long-held friends, etc. - as opposed to - [The New Tax Bill and Charitable Giving: Another Take](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2017/12/the-new-tax-bill-and-charitable-giving-another-take/) - This week the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate passed the much-discussed tax cut and reform bill, which focuses, primarily, on reducing corporate tax rates and re-organizing the individual tax code. In the charitable giving sector, non-profit leaders have expressed concerns that the greatly-increased standard tax deduction levels included in the bill - from - [Best Practices or Best Thinking?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2017/11/best-practices-or-best-thinking/) - As an advancement professional, you see the hackneyed phrase, "best practices" a ton. Professional development opportunities tout the teaching of "best practices" for this advancement function or that one. Members of your team may spend time benchmarking other shops to identify, "best practices." Perhaps even you have sought or are seeking the silver-bulleted "best practices" - [The Believability Factor in Campaigns](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2017/10/the-believability-factor-in-campaigns/) - What makes a campaign successful? "It depends," is a well-established, go-to answer for consultants, but that doesn't mean it is an altogether unhelpful response. From leadership, to donor engagement, to giving history at the institution, successful campaigns do, in fact, "depend," on numerous important variables. One variable, though not often discussed, is exceptionally predictive of - [Causes vs. Symptoms](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2017/10/causes-vs-symptoms/) - I've been running now for about 10 years (actually, I jog, but that sounds 1980ish). Over those years, I've only experienced two injuries that were painful enough to sideline me this activity that I've grown to love. One of those injuries occurred about 8 years ago. It was a sharp pain on the outer side - [3 Ways Social Technologies Are Failing Development Efforts](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2017/10/3-ways-social-technologies-are-failing-development-efforts/) - I'll start this post by professing that I am neither a technological luddite nor hypocrite. I value and gladly utilize technology - in all its forms. Heck, I'm communicating with you via a distributed, social technology that makes our large world wonderfully and magically small. Technologies, especially social technologies, such as social media, wikis, blogs, - [The Gift and The Giver](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2017/10/the-gift-and-the-giver/) - It's easy to focus on "the gift." What is the amount we are seeking? For what purpose? Over what period of time? We talk about the gift in strategy sessions, when we ask for it, and when we receive it - especially when we receive one of significance! We write proposals that answer the questions - [3 Questions To Help Avoid "Ask Fever"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2017/10/3-questions-to-help-avoid-ask-fever/) - Within the U.S. space industry, the term "go fever," refers to the general idea that engineering teams sometimes rush to get a project completed or a program implemented without taking the appropriate time to assess problems or concerns. "Go fever," was identified as a contributing factor in both the Space Shuttle Challenger (1986) and Space - [Inputs and Outcomes](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2017/05/inputs-and-outcomes/) - In the April 1, 2017 edition of The NonProfit Times, Mark Hrywna writes about the challenges and opportunities large nonprofit organizations face in keeping employees engaged and feeling valued. In the article, Hrywna quotes Harry Johns, the President and CEO of the Alzheimer's Association as follows: "The thing that's most critical is engaging people in - [Who Are You Making Comfortable?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2017/04/who-are-you-making-emotionally-comfortable/) - We've all been in a social setting - perhaps a theatre prior to a performance - when a voice comes over the public address system and calmly states, "In the unlikely event of an emergency. . ." Or, if you board a airplane, you will certainly hear the phrase, "In the unlikely event of a - [Hiring the 25%](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2017/03/hiring-the-25/) - One of the least-discussed, but germane mysteries of our advancement profession is the fact that too many gift officers shy away from asking prospective donors for specific gifts. I'm not suggesting that gift officers are not receiving gifts. But just about every institution I've worked with has someone (or more than 1) on the team - [What They Will Do](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2017/03/what-they-will-do/) - Far too often I witness strategy discussions about major gift donors and prospects that leap too quickly to observations focused on what a particular donor "will do," in terms of his or her gift amount. The conversation plays out something like this. The Associate Vice President (or whoever supervises the Major Gift Officer) asks in - [Using Your Database to Invite, Report, and Steward](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2017/03/using-your-database-to-invite-report-and-steward/) - The most fundamental and effective organizing strategies when using your database (certainly not the only organizing strategies!): Inviting Donors and Prospects to Give - you will be most effective in inviting donors and prospects to give when you organize your database by giving history. In other words, to be the most effective and efficient in - [Why You Are Here Matters Most](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2017/02/why-you-are-here-matters-most/) - Over the past year, I've read two thought-provoking articles - "Donation Inflation," by Toni Coleman in CASE Currents and "Unplanned Obsolescence," by Paul Clolery in the NonProfit Times - which focus on different topics but speak to a similar root concern for the future of philanthropy in the U.S. In "Donation Inflation," Coleman highlights the - [Happy Anniversary](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2017/01/happy-anniversary/) - You may complain regularly that your database is deficient, inaccurate, or misused (or all three!). And because of your database shortcomings, you may get frustrated that you cannot consistently use it to improve and enhance your donor identification, solicitation, and stewardship. Here, though, is a database stewardship and solicitation strategy that all institutions can use - [Grow Up](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2017/01/grow-up/) - If you’ve ever been admonished to “grow up,” you know the sting of those words can linger. One of the reasons these words stick with us like they do is because they demand much more than a simple change in our behavior. Rather, they are meant to communicate a much deeper transformation – a maturation - [3 Steps To Increasing "Donor Durability"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2017/01/3-steps-to-increasing-donor-durability/) - Some number of your major gift donors are what I would term “durable.” They are the ones who continue to give (often generously) regardless of their own personal and financial circumstances; they are the ones who are deeply committed to your mission; they are the ones who show up when you need it most; and - [5 “Alternative Facts” for Advancement Professionals](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2017/01/5-alternative-facts-for-advancement-professionals/) - Recently, a U.S. political figure who shall remain nameless (only because it would be too embarrassing for her to be named) used the phrase, “alternative facts,” during a heated exchange with a reporter. And since a fact is, by definition, well, “a fact,” I have no idea what the phrase “alternative facts,” is intended to - [What Is The Work?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2017/01/purpose/) - What if the purpose of your campaign is not to raise extraordinary amounts of gift income, but instead is to educate potential givers on the need(s) being met by your institution? What if the purpose of your alumni relations event is not to ensure that people have an enjoyable experience, but instead is to remind them - [From "Why?" to "What?"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2017/01/from-why-to-what/) - "Why?" isn't the thing. It's not the building project. Nor the endowment fund. It's not the new program. Nor whatever the gifts might support. "Why?" is what will happen once you successfully build that building, or grow that endowed fund, or start that new program. "Why?" is how the money supports your mission and helps - [3 Often-Overlooked Principles for Effective Volunteer Engagement](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2017/01/3-often-overlooked-principles-for-effective-volunteer-engagement/) - Effectively engaging volunteers - be they Board members, campaign leaders, special event volunteers, advisory council members, or others - can be a tricky proposition. On the one hand, influential volunteers have an ability to open doors, leverage personal relationships, and tell the story of your institution with an authenticity that can be unmatched by those - [One Simple Way To Make Your Meetings More Productive](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2017/01/one-simple-way-to-make-your-meetings-more-productive/) - Workplace meetings are important. Studies show that collaboration in the workplace (meaning, when two or more people communicate to share ideas and achieve common goals) leads to all types of beneficial and excellent outcomes. From increased staff member retention to coming-up with more effective decisions, plans, and solutions, collaboration works. And while collaboration can happen - [The Most Important Resolution](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2017/01/the-most-important-resolution/) - About half of Americans state a specific New Year's resolution. Most of these resolutions are focused, as one might imagine, or enhancing health or well being, gaining more education, or increasing one's financial situation. And while all those resolutions are fine and good, I do wonder if focusing on resolutions that endeavor to make ourselves better - [The Real Reason Your Annual Fund Matters](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2016/12/the-real-reason-your-annual-fund-matters/) - Tactically, and even strategically-speaking, the Annual Fund for most non-profit organizations is credited with serving 2 purposes. The Annual Fund: Provides important (often-times budget relieving) annual gift income to fund current organizational priorities, and; Serves as a (hopefully expanding) pool of future major donor prospects for the organization. While these purposes are important, they are - [Don't Forget To Invite These Donors to Give Before December 31](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2016/12/dont-forget-to-invite-these-donors-to-give-before-december-31/) - Over the next 3 weeks, donors will be making far more charitable gifts than at any other time during the year. It is the season of giving - and donors respond. As you implement plans to encourage and remind donors to support your mission during this period of generosity, there is a group of donors - [The 5 Questions You Should Be Answering In Prospect Management Meetings](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2016/11/the-5-questions-you-should-be-answering-in-prospect-management-meetings/) - Prospect Management Team (PMT) meetings are often under-utilized as a major gifts program management tool and, sometimes, completely misunderstood. The purpose of PMT meetings is rather straightforward: to ensure that all major gift prospect managers within a unit, division, or institution are aware of the prospects with whom other prospect managers will soon be engaging. - [The Intersection of Politics and Giving](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2016/11/the-intersection-of-politics-and-giving/) - The 2016 U.S. Presidential election is now behind us (although my Facebook feed would suggest otherwise). If we can remove the divisiveness from the election for just a moment and look at what the candidates proposed about charitable giving policy, we will see that neither of the major party candidates were focused on enacting tax - [A Giving Revival](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2016/11/a-giving-revival/) - A wonderful benefit of my work as a consultant is the opportunity I have to interview some of the wealthiest and most generous individuals in North America. I ask questions about their philanthropy – where they give, why they give, and how much they give. I listen to their life’s stories. And I attempt to - [It's Lazy to Focus on "Working Harder"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2016/11/its-lazy-to-focus-on-working-harder/) - You've heard it before. You may have said it yourself - to yourself or to others. You probably even believed it when you heard it or said it. And you may have thought it would motivate people toward better results. "We've just got to work harder." In today's world with tighter budgets and higher expectations, - [Responding to the Preemptive Gift](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2016/09/responding-to-the-preemptive-gift/) - "Thanks for the lunch invitation. I appreciating you visiting with me," the donor said. Before the gift officer could respond, the donor reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a check for $3,000. "And before I forget, I wanted to make sure I gave this to you," he said. The gift was larger than - [The Value of Influence in a Post-Expertise World](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2016/09/the-value-of-influence-in-a-post-expertise-world/) - One of the by-products of our digitally-connected age is the waning value of expertise. The growing understanding today is that the everyone's right to express an opinion is synonymous with the notion that everyone's opinion is equally informed. Medical doctors and research scientists have been publicly second-guessed by celebrities with influence but no medical training - ["How Many?" versus "How Deeply?"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2016/09/how-many-versus-how-deeply/) - For many institutions, the concept of “advancement performance metrics” can be boiled down to a collection of quantifiable goals that represent some number more than last year's. For instance, you may have a metric for an increased number of $1,000 donors. Or, you may have a metric for an increased number of “moves,” or "visits" - [Early Exigencies](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2016/09/early-exigencies/) - When do you feel the need to act most urgently during the gift giving process? Perhaps this sounds like an odd question. It may, though, be an important one for you and your team. I have experienced many development professionals who become especially urgent during the stewardship phase of the gift giving cycle. Once the - [Customer or Community Member](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2016/08/customer-or-community-member/) - If people talk about your institution as "being a community" (or words to that effect) and yet, you don't consistently ask people to give of themselves and their resources, you are only talking about community, you don't have community. Many institutions behave toward their constituents as if they were customers, not community members. Customers are - [Generosity as Genius](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2016/07/generosity-as-genius/) - We tend to think of genius as a gift bestowed genetically on individuals in various ways - intellectually, artistically, scientifically, even athletically. Genius emerges based on a predisposition to greatness in some field or endeavor. While we understand that training, practice, effort, and focus are components of genius, perhaps honing and sharpening the raw, natural - [Why It Can Be Difficult to Ask](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2016/07/why-it-can-be-difficult-to-ask/) - Here are some examples of well-worn statements that underscore the culture-wide bias we have against asking. . . If we are in a jam: "I'll never ask you for anything ever again. . ." or, "I wouldn't ask you, but. . ." If we are uncomfortable: "He didn't bring it up, so I didn't ask - [The 3 Most Damaging Fund Raising Myths - Part III](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2016/07/the-3-most-damaging-fund-raising-myths-part-iii/) - Note: This post is part III of a series of III in which I identify 3 separate fund raising myths that make us less productive. The first installment in this series focused on the myth of donors giving only (or substantially more) for restricted purposes. The second post discussed the myth that case statements which focus - [The 3 Most Damaging Fund Raising Myths - Part II](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2016/07/the-3-most-damaging-fund-raising-myths-part-ii/) - Note: This post is part II of a series of III in which I will identify 3 separate fund raising myths that make us less productive. The first installment in this series focused on the myth of donors giving only (or substantially more) for restricted purposes. This second post springboards off that myth and highlights the - [The 3 Most Damaging Fund Raising Myths - Part I](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2016/06/the-3-most-damaging-fund-raising-myths-part-i/) - Note: Over the next few posts, I will identify 3 separate fund raising myths that make us less productive. This is Part I of III. Fund raising myths abound. People who have not been called into our noble profession will regularly (and perhaps disdainfully) inquire of us, “how can you ask other people for - [From Conduit to Conductor](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2016/06/from-conduit-to-conductor/) - If you are a successful gift officer, you might view your role as a bit like a conduit - a connector that weds donor interests with the needs of your institution. The best gift officers have carefully crafted questions and strategies designed to engage prospective donors so that deep understanding of values, beliefs, and interests - [Why Better Storytelling Won't Lead to Larger Gifts](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/07/why-better-storytelling-wont-lead-to-larger-gifts/) - Leaders of institutions often share with me the following general frustration about communicating with donors and prospects: "We don't tell our story well!" When probed, one (or more) of three underlying concerns almost always surfaces: A need to articulate more clearly, concisely, and authentically the positive "facts" of how the institution impacts students, patients, the - [The Human Storyline](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/06/the-human-storyline/) - Advancement professionals regularly are looking for ways to "better tell our institution's story." I have written in the past about how better storytelling alone won't lead to larger gifts. Instead, I've suggested that the concept of story-listening is a much better way to go about attracting larger gifts. It is the donor's story that is - [A Hypothetical Letter to a Non-Profit Board Member](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2016/06/a-hypothetical-letter-to-a-non-profit-board-member/) - Dear Board Member: I am back in my office having just completed our most recent Board meeting. As I reflect on our work together in support of our institution’s mission and vision, a number of thoughts are occurring to me. The most important of these thoughts, I believe, involve offering my sincere thanks and an - [The Tyranny of Knowing](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2016/05/the-tyranny-of-knowing/) - What do you know about your work? I mean, really know? The reality is that we all believe we know a lot more than we actually do. In fact, in all facets of life, we walk through situations believing we have more knowledge than we do. It’s part of being human. Each day our brains - [Making the Invitation](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2016/05/making-the-invitation/) - If there is one word in our work that captures people’s imagination and interest more than, “asking,” I don’t know what it is. Gift officers are conditioned to talk unremittingly about “making the ask,” presidents and CEOs wonder if they are “asking” enough and for enough, Board members want the development team to “ask” more, - [Do Not Solicit](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2016/05/do-not-solicit/) - Recently, I was with a client and we stumbled upon my donor record in their database. "Do Not Solicit," it read. "That's interesting," I observed. "Why would you have me classified as a "do not solicit?" "Well," came the response, "we didn't want you to receive all our phonathon calls and direct mail solicitations. . - [Guilt or Grace](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2016/05/guilt-or-grace/) - Which culture characteristic animates your advancement team’s efforts? While there are a number of ways to assess team culture, assessing your team’s placement on the “Guilt or Grace Continuum” can lead to helpful understandings. In the Guilt Culture, the fundamental assumption is that an organization gets better when problems or gaps in performance are identified - [3 Differences Between Nonprofit and For-Profit Boards](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2016/04/3-differences-between-nonprofit-and-for-profit-boards/) - Nonprofit organizations, including colleges, universities, and schools, seek financially-successful, influential, and generous individuals to serve as governing board members. In seeking individuals who fit this profile, nonprofits will regularly pull from a pool of successful for-profit leaders. Not only do many leaders in the for-profit world have access to significant financial resources, they also can - [Getting Ready. . . To Ask - A Professional Development Opportunity](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2016/03/getting-ready-to-ask-a-professional-development-opportunity/) - There are two questions consistently asked by serious advancement professionals: “How can our institution get better prepared for our next campaign?” and “How can I get better at asking for major gifts?” These questions, of course, are linked. Consistently soliciting gifts effectively will help ensure that an institution is well-prepared for a campaign. However, there - [What Are You More Afraid Of?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2016/03/what-are-you-more-afraid-of/) - Setting goals and not meeting them OR Realizing that your work isn't important; Not knowing the right answer OR Not knowing the best questions to ask; Feeling as though you have failed OR Feeling as though you didn't try hard enough; Being made fun of OR Being unable to make a significant difference; Giving your - ["This Needs To Be Run More Like A Business!"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2016/03/this-needs-to-be-run-more-like-a-business/) - Recently, I facilitated a focus group populated with private higher education governing board members. One slice of the discussion included a board member lamenting, “Our business model in higher education is broken. I simply do not understand why our tuition and fees are not sufficient to cover our costs. We need to be run more - [Fundraising Is Not A Commodity](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2016/02/fundraising-is-not-a-commodity/) - A lot of the services we experience from businesses today are commodified. For instance, there are 3 “legacy” airlines now – United, American, and Delta. While each has its own strengths (United has the best mobile app., Delta still serves the best free snacks on flights, etc.), the overall experience of air travel has been - [An Open Letter To A Governing Board Member](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2016/02/an-open-letter-to-a-governing-board-member/) - Greetings Board Member: We are writing today because recently we've been discussing our institution's engagement of you as a member of our board. Simply put, we recognize that we have failed you in the following important ways: When we recruited you, we failed to share with you a clear, written position description which included a - [Tickled Pink](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2015/12/tickled-pink/) - As I type this message, most of the world finds itself rushing toward the apex of the "Season of Giving." More personal gifts between family and friends and more tax-deductible charitable gifts will be given over the next 7 days than any other week during the year. Giving is the omnipresent message. And yet, even - [How Do You Expect Me To Give. . .?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2015/11/how-do-you-expect-me-to-give/) - . . . when I still have student loans to pay? . . . when I don't make much money? . . . when we haven't received a raise in 3 years? You may think your most important job as an advancement professional in this situation is to address these questions directly and convince the - [More Data or Different Data?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2015/11/more-data-or-different-data/) - Today, we have more donor and prospective donor data than at any time in history. From wealth indicators to database analytics providing giving predictions, generating donor data can be as simple as conducting a google search or as complex as conducting a paid wealth screen. All manner of donor data is ubiquitous and quite easy - [Humility vs. Transformation](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2015/11/humility-vs-transformation/) - There are two forms of humility. A healthy humbleness emanates from an accurate self-perception that takes into account both your greater and lesser strengths. It is rooted in the authentic recognition that you have distinctive as well as common characteristics when compared with others. Healthy humility is supported by a genuine yet quiet confidence. When - [Receiving vs. Creating Gifts](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2015/10/receiving-vs-creating-gifts/) - You have two choices really: either receive gifts from donors or create gift opportunities with donors. Far too many development offices are content to receive the gifts that donors give. These programs are reactive, unplanned, and regularly receive less than they need for their most important priorities. The gift receiving mentality is regularly accompanied by - [Making A Real Difference: Moving Beyond "Metrics" to Strengthening a "Community of Giving"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2015/09/making-a-real-difference-moving-beyond-metrics-to-strengthening-a-community-of-giving/) - As a consultant, not a week of client work passes without someone, somewhere asking me about "metrics." This word, "metrics," has come to be used in so many ways that it is beginning to be difficult to understand exactly what people mean when they bring up the topic. For instance, metrics can mean, "a tool - [Your Passion Matters](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2015/09/your-passion-matters/) - "Our alumni just don't come back for Homecoming at our institution like they do at other places." "We've never had a strong turn-out for our donor recognition event." "Our Board members just don't give like they should. It hasn't been part of our culture for our Board members to play a significant role in soliciting - [The Diminishing Value of Answers](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2015/09/the-diminishing-value-of-answers/) - It used to be that answers were power. Answers were not only important, in and of themselves, but they represented something valuable – the capacity and the willingness to problem-solve. If you had the answers, you would have the advantage, in part because you were better at problem-solving. You would get the best scholarships to - [Why Are You Asking?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2015/08/why-are-you-asking/) - Don’t ask because you hope to get; Ask because you hope to give. Don’t ask because performance metrics insist that you must; Ask because your passion for mission yearns to be shared. Don’t ask because you have needs; Ask because you have a plan to meet needs. Don’t ask because you've completed - [Institutional Addictions](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2015/07/institutional-addictions/) - We all understand the concept of addiction in individuals. The idea is that an individual is caught in a web of bad decision-making that, even when the person understands the decisions they are making are bad for them, they still make them. When a person is addicted, he or she will go to great lengths - [A Willingness To Be Transformed](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2015/07/a-willingness-to-be-transformed/) - Your best donors are those who believe deeply in your mission. They believe so sincerely that, in most instances, your most significant donors are those who encourage others to give as well. Perhaps they host an event for your institution. Or perhaps they speak publicly or privately about why they give. Or perhaps, they are - [5 Important Tasks of a "Working Board"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2015/07/5-important-tasks-of-a-working-board/) - Occasionally, I confidently am told by education or non-profit governing board members that they serve on a "working board." This statement is most often uttered as the follow-up to another less self-confident admission - namely that the board is not one that focuses on the topic of philanthropy. During these conversations, I am reminded that - [21 Advancement Truths](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2015/05/21-advancement-truths/) - The success of your ask was determined during the cultivation. Donors don’t give to institutions, they give through institutions. And they give through institutions to people they trust. Doing the fundamentals consistently is “the silver bullet.” Generous people don’t grow tired of giving, they grow tired of being solicited. When it is time to ask, - [AIM To Communicate Effectively](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2015/05/aim-to-communicate-effectively/) - If your goal is to educate, engage, and delight more donors, friends, supporters, or funders through communication vehicles, ask yourself if the AIM of your message is on point. For every written solicitation, every webpage, every special events invitation, every magazine article, and every newsletter story, etc., ask yourself if what you are communicating is: - [Annual Giving and Major Giving: Key Distinctions](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2015/05/annual-giving-and-major-giving-key-distinctions/) - If you want to enjoy strong results through your annual giving program, you should focus on educating/reminding people why your institution/program/service matters. The well-crafted annual ask encourages people to look back on the value of your institution/program/service and reflect on its importance. Donors make annual gifts to your institution because they have come to believe - [Writing Contact Reports That Matter](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2015/04/writing-contact-reports-that-matter/) - One of the most important and yet most misunderstood responsibilities of a development officer is to write helpful prospect contact reports on a consistent basis. Most development folk understand that they should write contact reports, but only some recognize why they are so vital to effective fundraising, and even fewer grasp how to write them well. - [Which Story Are You Seeking?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2015/04/which-story-are-you-seeking/) - When I was a higher education vice president some years ago, our institution was asking important questions about student retention. We brought in experts from around the country to look at our retention efforts and implemented a number of first-year and curriculum-wide programs to help more students persist until graduation. While we made some progress, - [Solving The Wrong Problem](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2015/04/solving-the-wrong-problem/) - It is rare that the first problem presented in a team setting is the most crucial to solve. In most instances, the first problem presented – usually in the form of a complaint – may have an urgent quality to it, but, represents only a symptom of a deeper, more fundamental issue that needs solving. - [Aspirations, Angels, and Agreement](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2015/03/aspirations-angels-and-agreement/) - If your goal is to engage others and do work of substance and consequence, utilize the "Essential A's": Aspirations - help others dream and establish the highest possible aspirations for your institution or program. It's easy to get distracted and discouraged in the weeds of work (which is why some people choose to live there, - ["They Are Going To Do Something"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2015/03/they-are-going-to-do-something/) - When working with natural partners (such as presidents, other administrators, or faculty) and volunteers in major gifts, one of the most troublesome statements I can hear during major gift donor strategy sessions is, "They are going to do something." Almost always, what this seemingly positive statement actually means is something akin to the following: "I - [An Open Letter To A Gift Officer](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2015/03/an-open-letter-to-a-gift-officer/) - Dear Gift Officer: Thank you for contacting me and asking for a first visit over coffee. I was honored to receive your call. And I especially was pleased that our schedules matched and we could meet on relatively short notice. When you arrived at the coffee shop, your warm smile and confident approach were appreciated. - [Building A Culture of Philanthropy](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2015/03/building-a-culture-of-philanthropy/) - When advancement leaders claim a desire for a stronger “culture of philanthropy,” what is typically meant is that they want a stronger “culture of giving.” They want more people to be more generous. From the Board, to advisory groups, to primary constituency groups, the idea is that more donors and more dollars are the best - [Ask Fever](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2015/02/ask-fever/) - In the U.S. space industry the term "go fever," refers to project teams making rushed decisions while "overlooking potential problems or mistakes." The reasons that "go fever" can grip a team can range from budget pressures to individuals not wanting to be viewed as the person who slowed progress or questioned authority. This concept has - [Centralized, Decentralized, and Compartmentalized](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2015/02/centralized-decentralized-and-compartmentalized/) - One way to describe the organization of advancement shops is the point at which they sit along the "centralized - decentralized" continuum. "Centralized" shops are ones that provide advancement services to the institution they serve through one or several offices that report to one positional leader. These shops are typically recognized as a "division of - [Creating Your "To-Who" List](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2015/02/creating-your-to-who-list/) - As someone who is part of the advancement process for your institution, you are in the relationship-building business. To be successful you must work effectively and efficiently with and through others. At its core, the work is about people. And you probably employ a task-filled "to-do" list in an effort to organize yourself and your - [What's The Purpose?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2015/02/whats-the-purpose/) - One organization I work with generates over $20 million per year from their direct mail campaigns. The purpose of their direct mail program is to increase gift income. Another client - a private higher education institution with about 1,600 students - welcomes back to campus approximately 1,000 alumni for homecoming each year. The purpose of - [Seeking Strangers vs Delighting Friends](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2015/02/seeking-strangers-vs-delighting-friends/) - Strangers usually won't invest significantly with you or your mission. They don't know you well enough to trust you. Friends, though, are much more apt to invest with you. They know you well, are invested in their relationship with you, and they believe in you and your mission. When institutions plan for ambitious campaigns or - [5 Steps to Asking Better Questions](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2015/01/5-steps-to-asking-better-qeustions/) - Effective questioning is a key skill of successful development officers. In addition to being the most efficient way to learn about someone, asking beautiful questions and actively listening to the responses evidences an authentic interest in the other person and helps to build trust. All of which leads to increased gifts. But while expert questioning - [Being Uncomfortable](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2015/02/being-uncomfortable/) - "I'm not at all comfortable - and I absolutely think we should do it!" This was a Board member's immediate response to the Chair's question: "Are we comfortable with Dr. McNeal's campaign plan recommendations?" I was giving a presentation with recommendations to this Board and leadership team to assist them with their campaign planning. Without - [Board Members and Major Gifts](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2015/01/board-members-and-major-gifts/) - If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know that engaging people - wholly, gracefully, and artfully - is a primary theme. Philanthropic investment is, most often, an action that succeeds (not precedes) other forms of engagement. Major gifts, then, begin with those who you know best, your institution's closest friends and - [Answers or Questions](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2015/01/answers-or-questions/) - It used to be that answers were power. If you had the answers, you had the advantage. You would get the best scholarships to the best universities. You would get the best jobs. And you would get promoted faster. All because answers weren’t easily and readily available. You had to work for them. Today is - [Why Do Other Donors Give?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2014/12/why-do-other-donors-give/) - Ask a Board member, an Advisory Council member, or other engaged major donor why he gives to your institution. Almost universally, you will hear how he believes in the mission of the institution. Or, how the institution made an impact on his life or on the life of someone dear to him. Or, how he - [Where Is The Money?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2014/12/where-is-the-money/) - The most important component of what we call "prospect research" is not finding those individuals, families, foundations, and corporations with money. It's not even finding those individuals, families, foundations, and corporations with money and an interest in your mission and vision. In most instances, you already know who has the money. Sure, there are modest-living - [5 Things Successful Advancement Pros Don’t Do](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2014/12/5-things-successful-advancement-pros-dont-do/) - Over the years, I have worked with, provided counsel to, or simply observed thousands of advancement officers. The good ones stand out, mostly because they behave in ways that less effective advancement officers don’t. For instance, the best advancement officers ask more questions. They listen more. And they genuinely like learning about people more. To - [Advancement as Teaching](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2014/11/advancement-as-teaching/) - Recall the one teacher in your life that made the most positive and lasting impression on you. Perhaps you remember a teacher from your earliest years. Or perhaps it was a university professor that made the impact. Although I’m no gambler, I would wager that this teacher engaged you far beyond the content of the - [Let’s Finish This Campaign Quickly! - One Phrase, Two Meanings](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2014/11/lets-finish-this-campaign-quickly-one-phrase-two-meanings/) - Case Study #1 A president who is new to campaign work and has found that she genuinely enjoys working in the philanthropic vineyard was in a meeting with the vice president for advancement and me. She said, “I’m so excited about what this new facility will allow us to do for our students and for - [.001 Seconds Do Matter. . .Sometimes](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2014/11/001-seconds-matter-sometimes/) - It seems that Bode Miller, one of the winningest downhill skiers of all-time, is focusing on becoming a thoroughbred race horse trainer. In making the transition from ski slopes to horses, Bode made an interesting observation. To his mind, the field of horse racing is not as technologically-advanced as skiing. And Bode understands technology - [The Right Answer vs. The Best Answer](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2014/10/the-right-answer-vs-the-best-answer/) - We are taught to seek out the single, right answer. And we are trained to learn the formula that leads us to the single, right answer in most all circumstances. The problem for development leaders, of course, is that there is almost never an unconditionally “right” answer. Qualitatively complex human interactions are far too varied - [When a Board Asks Questions](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2014/10/when-a-board-asks-questions/) - "It's the board's responsibility to ask questions. And it's the staff's responsibility to respond." We were discussing the roles of a non-profit governing board and the relationship between a board and an institution's administrative leaders, especially as it relates to strategic planning. The Executive Committee Board member who made this statement is new to non-profit - [If you don't ask. . .](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2014/10/if-you-dont-ask/) - Despite its triteness, the following platitude regarding our work is true: "If you don't ask, the answer will almost always be 'no'." We need to be out of our offices, asking for specific gifts. However, to do this work well, asking alone is not enough. To round out this statement, I would add the following: - [5 Alternate Questions You Should Be Asking](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2014/10/5-alternate-questions-you-should-be-asking/) - Instead of asking, "what's new?" ask, "what's working?" Instead of asking, "who failed?" ask, "what are our strengths?" Instead of asking, "how do I feel?" ask, "how are others reacting?" Instead of asking, "what went wrong?" ask, "what does 'high functioning' look like?" Instead of asking, "why did we make that choice?" ask, "what do - [Your Calling](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2014/10/your-calling/) - My hope is that you are in this work we call advancement because you are driven to make the lived experience for others better. My hope is that you chose this work because you are committed to a meaningful mission. My hope is that you wake up most days eager to fully live into a - [Getting From "Me" to "We"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2014/10/getting-from-me-to-we/) - A personality trait that most leaders desire in individual staff members can best be described as “being a good team player.” This trait is a combination of behaviors that, overall, puts the team’s goals and interests above those of the individual. You will hear people say positively, “he has more ego for the university than - [Practicing the Art of "Giftfinding"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2014/09/practicing-the-art-of-giftfinding/) - For all of human history until just very recently, people have used systems-level thinking to navigate the natural world and the opportunities and dangers it presents. For instance, the ancient people of Polynesia practiced the art of “wayfinding,” which applied a sophisticated understanding of broad natural cues to safely pilot a canoe from one island - [The Problem with Motions, Seconds, and Votes](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2014/09/the-problem-with-motions-seconds-and-votes/) - Following Robert’s Rules of Order during a governing board or foundation board meeting might be helpful for imposing order on the discussion. But, it is almost wholly unhelpful in engaging and exciting the philanthropic imagination of your board members so that ambitious goals can be achieved. If you want to get important things accomplished and - [A Search for Shared Vision](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2014/09/a-search-for-shared-vision/) - It is not the responsibility of the CEO to create the institutional vision. It is her responsibility to see that it is created. A big distinction. The next question, of course, becomes how best to create this institutional vision. I would quietly suggest that the CEO who decides to create the vision herself causes many - [The Illusion of Understanding](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2014/09/the-illusion-of-understanding/) - Recently, an annual fund officer was talking to me about making calls on past annual fund leadership donors who had not given in the last two years. This list of donors was not that long, but it was still troubling. All of these past donors had given at least $1,000+ annually until the 2012-2013 year. - [The Most Important Question To Ask Yourself](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2014/09/the-most-important-question-to-ask-yourself/) - Here is the most important question a development officer can ask himself: "Am I more focused on how I look or on what I see?" How I look vs. What I see. Where is your focus? On your own presentation or on the prospective donor? When you are more concerned with "how you look," you'll - [Why "Going Viral" Shouldn't Be Your Goal](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2014/08/why-going-viral-shouldnt-be-our-goal/) - The #ALSIceBucketChallenge has been a tremendous success no matter how one might define the term. The challenge began in July and, within the last month, the awareness of ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease as it is still known, is sky high. In addition, ALS is now reporting that the challenge has raised almost $80 million dollars - [On Fundraising Attitudes and Aptitudes](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2014/08/on-fundraising-attitudes-and-aptitudes/) - Being an advancement leader brings with it the responsibility to "teach up." Whether you work with a Dean, a Chancellor, a President, a CEO, or a Board member, getting the best possible results means working with and through others. In many instances, donors will respond more generously when an institutional leader plays a meaningful role - [The Value of Art and Donor Appreciation](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2014/08/the-value-of-art-and-donor-appreciation/) - Refrigerator artwork is deeply personal and meaningful to the owner but, to the outside world, may not hold much value. The value of the crayon-colored rainbow scribbled on a piece of paper flows from the little person who drew it and their relationship to you, the owner of the refrigerator. On the other hand, we - [Why Prospects Don't Respond](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2014/08/why-prospects-dont-respond/) - Recently, I served as a faculty member during a Gonser Gerber Institute webinar entitled, “Five Effective Strategies to Secure Visits.” This was a webinar I had long wanted to present as the issue of securing visits can, in many instances, be the most challenging facet of prospect engagement. I know many advancement officers – beginning - [Constantly Distracted](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2014/03/constantly-distracted/) - Back in the mid 1990s the word "pizzled" was coined. It was a mix between "puzzled" and "pissed" and was used to describe the feeling you might have when someone you were with decided to start talking on their mobile phone. Today, such distractions in the social arena are common and accepted. Have you been - [What Is Valuable?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2014/03/what-is-valuable/) - What We Are Told To Value What Actually Is Valuable Task Accomplishment Relationship Building Competition Cooperation Individualism Teamwork Knowledge Caring Problem Solving Question Posing Telling Listening Through culture and institutions, our western world encourages us to value the items in the left column of the table more than the items in the right column. But - [Authentic Inquiry](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2014/03/authentic-inquiry/) - To fully live into her promise, a development leader's most valuable skill set is what I refer to as "authentic inquiry." Here is how I define the concept: Authentic Inquiry is the gentle art of relationship-building through the process of asking well-framed questions based on your sincere interest in the other person and to which - [The Meal, the Menu, the Recipe, and the Grocery List](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2014/02/the-meal-the-menu-the-recipe-and-the-grocery-list/) - Meals are an experience. Good meals activates us. Exceptionally delectable meals with family and friends during special occasions are stored and relived as indelible memories for years to come. Some people (perhaps you!) can recall with fervid clarity the over-the-top chocolate dessert they had at a special restaurant a full 10 years later! When they - [On Becoming A Fundraising Artist](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2014/02/on-becoming-an-fundraising-artist/) - In David Bayles and Ted Orland's book, Art & Fear, they tell a great story about becoming a better artist. Here it is: "The ceramics teacher announced on opening day that he was dividing the class into two groups. All those on the left side of the studio, he said, would be graded solely on - [Get Better in 2014 - Advancement Webinars and Workshops from the Institute](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2014/01/get-better-in-2014-advancement-webinars-and-workshops-from-the-institute/) - Start the year off right with high-quality, mind-stretching, solution-rich professional development opportunities. The Gonser Gerber Institute is offering the following webinars and workshops to help you and your team do the best possible advancement work in 2014. Below are three programs being offered early in the year: 5 Essential Tips: Innovative (And Inexpensive) Ways to - [When the Gift Is a Message](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2014/01/when-the-gift-is-a-message/) - Sometimes a gift isn't a just a gift. Sometimes a gift - especially the gift amount - is a message. Consider the $1000 to $50 continuum. Let's say that a new donor gives your institution $50 one year and then $1,000 the next. In most instances, something has changed in a positive way with their - [Why You Shouldn't "Close" Your Next Gift](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2014/01/why-you-shouldnt-close-your-next-gift/) - I listened over the last few days as speakers at a conference talked about "closing gifts." I've never been fond of that phrase - "closing the gift" - but I've never went out of my way to find particular fault with it either. And then one speaker made the following statement in reference to the - [Finding the Car, Then the Dealership](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2014/01/finding-the-car-then-the-dealership/) - It wasn't that long ago (pre-internet, actually) that people interested in buying a car would show up at the local dealership and begin the process of being "sold" a car. Those days are all but gone. Today, when people are interested in getting a new vehicle, they first scour the internet for their choice and - [What do we REALLY get when we give to a good cause?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/12/what-do-we-really-get-when-we-give-to-a-good-cause/) - Recently, Seth Godin blogged on the subject of giving. His entry entitled, "What do we get when we give to a good cause?" was a bit off base from my perch. His answer to this important question was simply, "A story." He said, "In fact, every time someone donates to a good cause, they're buying a - [Being Grateful As An Effectiveness Strategy](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/11/being-grateful-as-an-effectiveness-strategy/) - "Reflect on your present blessings, on which every man has many, not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some." —Charles Dickens (M. Dickens, 1897) If you live in the States, the 4th Thursday of November is the day set aside to be thankful. We are encouraged to focus on our blessings and - [A Year End Reminder for the IRA Charitable Rollover](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/11/a-year-end-reminder-for-the-ira-charitable-rollover/) - As December 31, 2013, approaches it is worth reminding donors that the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (H.R. 8), passed this past January, extended the IRA Charitable Rollover provision which permits individuals to make a "qualified charitable distribution" to an eligible charitable organization without recognizing the amount of the distribution as income. Here - [Helping Donors Give On Purpose](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/11/helping-donors-give-on-purpose/) - We are quickly approaching the Giving Season. Soon, men and women in holiday costumes will stand outside of crowded store entrances ringing bells and seeking the coins loosely jiggling in pockets. Your snail mailbox will be stuffed with colorful envelopes filled with compelling pleas of support. Mostly all fine causes, to be sure. And donors - [Frictionless, Convenient, and Emotional - Branding Your Donor Experience](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/11/frictionless-convenient-and-emotional-branding-your-donor-experience/) - A few days back, Tom Groenfeldt, a contributor to Forbes, wrote about the intersection of technology and shopping patterns at Kroger's grocery stores. If you missed it, it is a worthwhile read on how Kroger (and other major retailers) are getting to know your shopping habits better than you know them yourself. The article introduced - [Counting, Reporting, Valuing, and Crediting Planned Gifts](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/10/counting-reporting-valuing-and-crediting-planned-gifts/) - In the most effective development programs, maturing planned gifts can account for 20 – 25% of total gift income in any given year. Whether in a campaign or during your institution’s annual giving efforts, you should have a clear understanding of and plan for how you will report, count, value, and credit planned gifts. The - [The Education of a Major Gift Prospect](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/10/the-education-of-a-major-gift-prospect/) - There are 3 components that need to come together for a major gift prospect to become a major gift donor: Assets - The prospect must have the financial capacity to make the major gift commitment; Personal Relationship - The prospect must come to understand, appreciate, and value the mission and vision of the institution or - [That Feeling Of Finding Something We've Lost](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/10/that-feeling-of-finding-something-weve-lost/) - There is something about finding something we feared we've lost. A couple of years ago on our annual family vacation, I was throwing a football in knee-high surf only to have my wedding band slip quietly off my suntan-lotioned finger. By the time I realized it was gone, the steady waves had shifted the sandy - [What Does A Donor Crave?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/10/what-does-a-donor-crave/) - Why do donors make gifts? What motivates a donor to give? It's not because your materials are the most eye-catching or compelling. It's not because your institution has the most needs. It's not because you serve the most disadvantaged populations. It's not even because you have the most urgent and life-impacting case for support. If - [It's Not What You Have Or What You Know](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/09/its-not-what-you-have-or-what-you-know/) - You've heard these well-worn proverbs before: "It's not what you have, it's who you have." "It's not what you know, its who you know." The central theme of these old saws is, of course, that people matter more than things. The people who you count as close will have a larger impact on the quality - [Changing Your Mind](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/09/changing-your-mind/) - Poor leaders rarely have a coherent philosophy that guides their strategies and decisions. Ineffective leaders lack a well-thought out approach. They don't have a system that creates a sense of stability and understanding. They change their mind whimsically, based primarily on who has influenced them last. If there is an issue with the major gifts - [The "Culture of Ought"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/09/the-culture-of-ought/) - Recently I was presenting on the process of asking for a major gift before a diversified group of development professionals. The folks in the room that day spanned all levels of development leaders, gift officers, and support team members and ranged in experience from a few weeks on the job to seasoned pros. During a - [What Are You Selling?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/08/what-are-you-selling/) - Development officers are in the business of selling, right? So, what are you selling? The most ineffectual officers are selling themselves. Development folk of average effectiveness are selling a project, a building, a program, an initiative, or a campaign. The above average officers are selling institutional mission and vision. But the truly exceptional development professionals - [A Step Toward Integrative Prospect Research](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/08/a-step-toward-integrative-prospect-research/) - What does the phrase “prospect research” mean to you? For most advancement professionals, I would suggest that the phrase conjures up thoughts about a process of gathering data on a donor or prospect from sources other than the prospect. Whether we use fee-based or free electronic databases, newspapers, other institutions’ donor lists, or peer screens, - [The 3 Problems with Fundraising Performance Metrics](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/08/the-3-problems-with-fundraising-performance-metrics/) - Performance metrics are important. But performance metrics aren't the work. Performance metrics represent a proxy for our work. And sometimes a poor proxy at that. Our work is not some number of moves, visits, or even the asks or the dollars committed we can claim. Our real work is qualitative in nature. It's making people - [The #1 Thing You Should Be Teaching Your Board](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/08/the-1-thing-you-should-be-teaching-your-board/) - If you want to transform your Board into an engaged and dynamic fundraising body, then teach them the following: Fundraising is the exact opposite of begging. You should always ask for money from a position of confidence and while standing tall, not shrinking and bowing down. Do this because you believe in what our institution - [The Power of Words: From "Cultivation" To "Engagement"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/07/the-power-of-words-from-cultivation-to-engagement/) - Recently, I was involved in a strategy meeting with the president, vice president, and campaign chair for a higher education institution. The vice president was discussing how a key high wealth donor prospect had become excited about the purpose of the campaign and that a solicitation had occurred. She said, "Our major gift officer was - ["It Never Hurts To Ask"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/07/it-never-hurts-to-ask/) - Actually, this phrase is wrong. It can hurt to ask. Sometimes it can hurt bad. When you ask too soon in a relationship, you can appear greedy or needy. When you ask too late, you can appear slack or, worse, disinterested. Asking for something that a donor has no interest in can suggest you haven't - [Plan to Be Grateful and Build a Better Team](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/07/plan-to-be-grateful-and-build-a-better-team/) - In addition to developing your goals, plans, and timelines for the coming year, what else are you accomplishing through your annual planning process? If you are an efficacious advancement leader, you probably are employing activities and exercises that enhance a positive sense of teamwork among staff members. I routinely encourage advancement leaders to increase the - [What Are Your Money Narratives?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/06/what-are-your-money-narratives/) - Suze Orman, the personal finance personality on CNBC and author of a number of books about money, shared a story about how she came to understand the value of money. Apparently, when she was a little girl her father owned a small business. One evening, his shop began to burn. Before the flames had engulfed - [What is stopping you?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/06/what-is-stopping-you/) - What is stopping you from planning that trip filled with discovery visits? From making that call? From making that donor visit? From sending those thank-you notes? From doing any of the other important relationship-building items on your to-do list? In answering the "what is stopping you?" question, you might respond in one of the following - [Why Presidents Fail](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/06/why-presidents-fail/) - Some of you are aware that I spent my graduate school years researching the topic of why college and university presidents fail. I am pleased to announce that this research culminated in the book, "Presidencies Derailed: Why University Leaders Fail and How To Prevent It," published by The Johns Hopkins University Press. "Presidencies Derailed" is now - [Where Are Your Cranes?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/06/where-are-your-cranes/) - The other night I heard Jim Cramer, the TV financial analyst with the pronounced ADD affliction, suggest that the U.S. economic recovery isn’t as authentic as we might hope. Yes, the stock market has enjoyed a couple years’ worth of bull-market fun (although last week saw a sizeable sell off). But, Mr. Cramer asked a - [Overcoming The Pride and Trust Issues With Giving](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/06/overcoming-the-pride-and-trust-issues-with-giving/) - Two of the most seemingly-impenetrable barriers to giving are connected to the broader human conditions of pride and trusting others. Specifically, if an assigned solicitor isn't willing to humble herself enough to ask with conviction on behalf of her deserving institution, a gift won't be made (or, if a gift is made, it won't be - [Paying Attention To Causation](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/05/paying-attention-to-causation/) - The conventional wisdom is simple. Higher self-esteem will lead to better life choices and results. So, we tell our kids they have “gifts” and are “special” even when they are not. (Ever watched “American Idol” when a horrible teenaged singer is confronted, quite possibly for the first time, with the assessment, “wow, you just aren’t - [Prioritizing the 4 Types of Major Donor Prospects](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/05/prioritizing-the-4-types-of-major-donor-prospects/) - Essentially there are 4 categories of major donor prospects in your donor database: The Generous - Those with financial capacity who give to your institution up to their capacity; The Contributors - Those with financial capacity who give to your institution but are not as generous as they could be; The Non-Engaged - Those with - ["Deep Human Connection"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/05/deep-human-connection/) - Recently, at Duke University's Commencement, technologist and philanthropist Melinda Gates stated to the assembled graduates: "Technology is just a tool. It's a powerful tool, but it is just a tool. Deep human connection is very different. It's not a tool. It's not a means to an end. It is the end - the purpose and - [Why Donors Give: The Universal Truth](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/05/why-donors-give-the-universal-truth/) - Here are a few cliches about why donors give: "Donors don't give to meet your institution's needs, they give to meet their own needs." "Donors don't give because you have needs, they give because you meet needs." "Donors don't give to institutions, they give through institutions." "People give to people." These cliches have become cliches - [What's Important To Know](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/05/whats-important-to-know/) - Millions of dollars are spent each year on professional development. People attend conferences, webinars, conventions, workshops, and buy books all in an attempt to become more knowledgeable and become more valuable employees. Learning matters. The more we know, the more effective we become. That's easy enough to understand. But if we can all agree that - [The Slow Yes](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/05/the-slow-yes/) - Recently, I listened as a candidate for a director of development position at a major U.S. university answered a question about how he handles rejection. His response was a winner: "Yes, every development officer hears "no" from time to time and you have to have a plan for how to respond to a "no" response - [Buying Ugly Socks and Answering For Donors](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/04/buying-ugly-socks-and-answering-for-donors/) - Last week I sat in a major gift donor prospect management meeting with a client and listened as a gift officer said, "What we know from visits and our research is that John (the donor) has the capacity to make a $5 million gift during our campaign. But I just don't think he will give - [Why Empathy Matters in Leadership](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/04/why-empathy-matters-in-leadership/) - "A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part." You've probably seen this sign on someone's desk or door in your office. Perhaps someone even has muttered the words to you in a moment of frustration. Here's the thing about this statement -- everyone agrees with it. Everyone. If - ["A thought just occurred to me. . ."](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/04/a-thought-just-occurred-to-me/) - A seasoned and effective development leader once told me, "never leave a visit - even a first visit - without asking for something." His rationale was that the prospective donor understands your role and is expecting some sort of ask. If you don't ask for something, you don't appear to be doing your job. Over - [Make Yourself Uncomfortable](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/04/make-yourself-uncomfortable/) - For most all of us, the reality is that we fall short of living out our full promise not because we fail in attempting something ambitious and important but rather because we simply get comfortable. Comfort comes in the form of familiar people, old habits, daily routines, and mindless decisions. In our fast-paced, 140-character, always - [Are We Really Interested In Building Relationships?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/03/are-we-really-interested-in-building-relationships/) - Last week our family enjoyed celebrating my wife's birthday. She received gifts, cards, Facebook greetings, and good food over the course of a few days of celebration. She even received a handful of text and email messages. In today's world it is simple enough for a friend or colleague to drop a quick text or - [Further Evidence on the Critical Role of Donor Engagement](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/03/further-evidence-on-the-critical-role-of-donor-engagement/) - In today's development field the phrase, "donor engagement," get tossed around like a football owned by Peyton Manning. Everyone uses it. But not many people pause long enough to provide any definitional specificity to the phrase. What do we really mean when we say we need to "engage" donors? And why is it really important - [Asking Too Early or Asking Too Late](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/03/asking-too-early-or-asking-too-late/) - Both are bad. But asking too early is worse. You risk injuring the relationship by signaling that you value the donor's money more than the donor. And sometimes that is never repaired fully. When you ask too late you risk getting a smaller gift (you didn't strike while the iron was hot). And you risk - [The Social Media Question for Development Professionals](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/03/the-social-media-question-for-development-professionals/) - The most often-asked question about social media is, "How can we raise more money using Facebook/Twitter/Foursquare/YouTube/etc?" But this question has it a bit backwards. The more helpful question for us to ask is, "How can we use Facebook/Twitter/Foursquare/YouTube/etc., to raise more money?" When we turn the question around, our focus becomes using social media not - [Where Is Your Strategic Focus?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/03/where-is-your-strategic-focus/) - Recently, I was in attendance at a higher education institution's Board meeting and watched as an administrative leader at the institution rose to address the members of the Board. As she began her presentation on the progress to date on the institution's Strategic Plan, she projected a huge S-W-O-T Quadrant onto a screen behind her - [Is Your Mission Worth Sacrificing For?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/02/is-your-mission-worth-sacrificing-for/) - When talking with Board members or other major donor prospects, we often use the words, "meaningful" and "personal" when describing the characteristics of the gift commitments we would like them to consider making. But, I find fewer and fewer advancement professionals who are using the word "sacrificial" when describing the types of major gift commitments - [Time vs. Money](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/02/time-vs-money/) - Many people shy away from the process of asking others for a financial gift. Interestingly, the level of trepidation usually is much lower when people are confronted with the task of asking someone to spend their time (and not their money) helping out a good cause. Based on the differential responses to these activities, - [So Who Wants Some "Cookies and Cream"?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/02/so-who-wants-some-cookies-and-cream/) - You know, the ice cream flavor that regularly is voted as a favorite flavor of ice cream lovers everywhere. Do you know where this ice cream flavor was created? The University Dairy at South Dakota State University, in Brookings. This is only one of the fun reasons that effective advancement professionals should consider one of - [Do Bonuses Really Work?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/02/do-bonuses-really-work/) - Following a general trend in society and, specifically, a practice held up as productive in for-profit world, our advancement profession has been overrun in recent years with examples of bonuses for exemplary efforts. Sounds like a simple and logical proposition. “Let’s reward the folks who are doing the best work!” But, there is a basic - [Why our Definition of "Donor Research" Must Change](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/02/why-our-definition-of-donor-research-must-change/) - When your major gift colleague says, "I need more research on this prospect to have a better sense of his capacity," what do you think she means? My strong suspicion is that you believe she is talking about quantifiable, database-driven, wealth-indicating research. Research that is done principally online and answers such questions as: How - [Avoiding the Leadership "Comb Over"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/02/avoiding-the-leadership-comb-over/) - We've all seen it. The older man, clearly going bald, with extra-long strands of hair combed across the top of his head. With a part beginning just above one ear, he carefully orchestrates these long hairs until their ends find their way somewhere near his other ear. The comb over. When we see it, we - [Encouraging Others to Look Beyond The Blot](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/01/encouraging-others-to-look-beyond-the-blot/) - Take a normal sized, white-paged flip chart and, with a black magic marker, draw a round, big dot - about the size of your fist. Color it in fully. Now, ask people what they see. Most everyone will say they see a big, black dot. Almost no one will say anything about the large white - [Are you "of" or "for"?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/01/are-you-of-or-for/) - What is your title? Assistant Director of Annual Giving? or Assistant Director for Annual Giving? Associate Vice President of Development? or Associate Vice President for Development? Vice President of Advancement? or Vice President for Advancement? You get the point. Little words - even those we regularly gloss over - can have a big impact on - [5 Inexpensive (And Better) Ways to Thank Your Donors](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/01/5-inexpensive-and-better-ways-to-thank-your-donors/) - Extending thoughtful gratitude to donors is one of the most fundamental and yet under-utilized aspects of the gift cycle. As development professionals we invest a lot of time and resources in the identification of prospects, their cultivation and their solicitation. However, I would argue that the final phase of the gift cycle - stewardship - - [Why Are You Here?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/12/why-are-you-here/) - Why have you chosen a career in development, constituent relations, communications, advancement, or non-profit leadership? Why are you here? What is your purpose? Heavy questions, I know. But do you wrestle with these questions every once in a while? If not, you should. This past Friday at lunch, I wrestled with these questions. I was - [The Charitable IRA Rollover Is Back: Act Quickly With Donors](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/01/the-charitable-ira-rollover-is-back-act-quickly-with-donors/) - The most recent tax law passed by Congress and signed by President Obama, included the reinstatement of the charitable IRA rollover. To recap the context of this rule, people who are 70.5 years old and have traditional IRAs must take required distributions and pay tax on the withdrawals. This law reinstates the ability for - [The Government's Role In Helping Us Live Generously](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/12/the-governments-role-in-helping-us-live-generously/) - As the U.S. federal government approaches the January 1 "fiscal cliff" deadline, there continues to be discussion around closing tax "loopholes" in an effort to increase tax receipts. As has been discussed previously, the charitable gift deduction has gotten swept up into this conversation. It would appear that there are 4 ways in which the - [Why "You're Doing It Wrong," Is Wrong](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/01/why-youre-doing-it-wrong-is-wrong/) - Financial journalist Felix Salmon, recently wrote an opinion piece for Reuters entitled, "Philanthropy: You're Doing It Wrong." The blog is worth a read, if only because it clearly articulates wrong-headed concepts about how best to engage philanthropists. Allow me to highlight Salmon's thesis as best I understand it. He is criticizing the "mega-philanthropists: the people who - [You Don't Get Better By Telling Positive Stories](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2013/01/you-dont-get-better-by-telling-positive-stories/) - How should you go about becoming a more productive development professional? How should your team go about becoming more productive? How should your institution go about becoming better at fulfilling its mission? Fundamentally, there are two approaches we can take to get better: Focus on weaknesses. We can home in on the weak links, the - [Ask The Right Question First](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/12/ask-the-right-question-first/) - As a consultant, I'm regularly asked by clients and prospective clients a version of the question, "what would you suggest we do?" And while a satisfying answer to that question might seem sufficient or even helpful at the time, it really is neither in the long-term. It's really the wrong question. Instead, the better question - [Making the Novel Familiar](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/12/making-the-novel-familiar/) - You know the song “Hey Ya!” by OutKast – that funky, hip-hop/big band swing sounding song that earned a Grammy and sold 5.5 million albums. You probably have caught yourself humming the tune or even singing, “Hey Yaaaaaa.” But did you know that “Hey Ya!” was a flop at first? If you’re a Target shopper, - [A Parachute For Your Trip Over The Fiscal Cliff](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/12/a-parachute-for-your-trip-over-the-fiscal-cliff/) - I'm not sure what exactly will happen on January 1, 2013, should our esteemed elected officials in Washington, D.C., fail to pass some sort of legislation to avoid the "fiscal cliff." We are told that taxes will be increased, at least for those making over $250,000 per year. We are told that large spending cuts - [Giving For (More Than) Entertainment ](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/11/giving-for-more-than-entertainment/) - In 2011, Americans spent almost $500 billion on entertainment - sports, movies, games, music, books, internet access, etc. By 2016, that amount is projected to be almost $600 billion. Meanwhile, our friends at Giving USA, tell us that charitable giving totaled just under $300 billion in 2011. What if we saw it as part of - [Principles Before Practice](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/11/principles-before-practice/) - Our friends in the engineering fields have a saying: Don't dig before you know what size shovel you need. Most folks like to do things. They like to get results. It doesn't really matter what industry or profession you are in, most good folk want to make something positive happen. Engineers may want to start - [The Real Value of Technology](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/11/the-real-value-of-technology/) - Canada's Athabasca University is a world leader in providing on-line education. Because they are a comprehensive university specializing in distance learning, technology plays a large role in their teaching, research, and day-to-day operations. Most everyone associated with AU is comfortable with a range of technologies and computer applications. It's a neat place. Advanced technology oozes from - [Telling the Truth](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/11/telling-the-truth/) - What is the truth at your institution? Is it what you believe about your institution and its work? Or is it what your donors and constituents believe about your institution? If you are like many advancement pros, you spend a good amount of time and energy strategizing on how best to tell your institution's story. - [Be the Giving Example](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/11/be-the-giving-example/) - The end of the calendar year is approaching. The season of giving is almost here. You are preparing year-end appeals. You are making visits with donors who typically give during this time of year. You are preparing a number of follow-up strategies to finish the calendar year strong. You will ask lybunts to continue their - ["I'm Getting Ready To. . ."](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/11/im-getting-ready-to/) - If your aim is to "get yourself organized" before you call on donors, don't. If you believe you need a case statement or more materials before you can set up a prospective donor visit, you're wrong. If you are spending hours running or reading reports on the donors in your portfolio, you are wasting time. - [Re-Thinking the Phone Call Before the Discovery Visit](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/10/re-thinking-the-phone-call-before-the-discovery-visit/) - The sense among many development officers is that the primary purpose of calling a new major gift prospect is to get a visit. The initial research on the prospect's capacity has been completed and the next logical step, the conventional wisdom says, is to get the visit. But in this day of doing more with - [Capping the Charitable Gift Deduction](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/10/capping-the-charitable-gift-deduction/) - With all the ego, all the cross-talking, and aggressive posturing during the debates, you may find it surprising that both our presidential candidates agree on at least one thing - capping the charitable gift deduction is a good idea. As one might guess, non-profit groups - armed with studies that highlight how injurious such legislation would - [Talking Missional and Relational But Walking Transactional](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/10/talking-missional-and-relational-but-walking-transactional/) - Most advancement leaders talk a good game. Most can tell you that the primary driver behind giving is the donor's interest in the institution's mission and vision. They can tell you that building meaningful relationships with donors whose values and interests align with the mission and vision of the institution is the most effective way - [The Value of Random Acts of Stewardship](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/09/the-value-of-random-acts-of-stewardship/) - At the very least, most advancement leaders give lip service to the notion that donor stewardship is important. Thanking donors and recognizing them as appropriate are the baseline activities of solid advancement programs. Expressing gratitude to our donors is the right thing to do ethically and tactically. As the old saying goes, "Stewardship of the - [Preempting the Preemptive Major Gift](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/09/preempting-the-preemptive-major-gift/) - A vice president for advancement and a president recently were on a solicitation visit with a donor. The president is new to his position (less than a year) and the donor is a long-time supporter of this institution and is a major philanthropist in the region. The vp and president were there to ask for - [Do You Believe In The Benefits of Giving?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/09/do-you-believe-in-the-benefits-of-giving/) - Here's a simple "what's really important" check for you today: Do you believe that giving is an important component of a healthy life? Do you believe that giving stimulates our brains in much the same ways that food and sex do? Do you believe that giving reduces chronic pain? Do you believe that giving lowers - [The 3 Key Levers to Raising More Money](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/09/the-3-key-levers-to-raising-more-money/) - You will recall your days in elementary school when you first learned about the power of the lever and the fulcrum. This tool shows us that putting our emphasis on simple, well-positioned components can have huge effects. The Greek scientist, Archimedes is noted to have said, "Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum - [How Do Your Donors Learn?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/09/how-do-your-donors-learn/) - I like books. I have a Kindle. But I prefer books. And not because I’m a bookophile who craves the smell and texture of books. And not because I like to have books as intellectual souvenirs as Seth Godin describes. No, I like books because I learn better from them. I have read a number - [The Metrics of Perfection](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/09/the-metrics-of-perfection/) - How do you measure success? More importantly, how do you view success? By this, I mean, how do you think about what success looks like for your advancement team? For many institutions, an answer might be, "if we raise $(fill in the blank) million next year we will be successful." Or, "if we grow our - [How Volunteers Can Help You Shave Better](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/09/how-volunteers-can-help-you-shave-better/) - I have found that development volunteers typically fall into 1 of 3 categories - Latherers, Raisers, and After-Shavers. 1. Latherers - these are the volunteers who enjoy encouraging prospects to give or get involved. I once had a college roommate who could get a party together within a few hours by calling all of our - [The 5 Years Before You Raise Serious Money](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/08/the-5-years-before-you-raise-serious-money/) - Here’s an enlightening exercise: Go through your database and identify your current donors who have made leadership-level annual gifts, current major gifts, and planned gift commitments. Next, do the following: For those donors who have made leadership-level annual gifts (whatever the amount as defined by your institution), determine the average age at which they made - [Is "Hard Data" The Best Way to Make Your Case?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/08/is-hard-data-the-best-way-to-make-your-case/) - In building a case for support for our institutions, advancement professionals typically rely on one of two approaches: a fact-based, quantitative, logical approach, or a story-based, qualitative, anecdotal approach. Depending on the predilection of the author of the message, a reader or listener quickly can see a fondness for one approach over the other. If - [Interruption or Opportunity?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/08/interruption-or-opportunity/) - True story. Yesterday, a major gifts officer at one of my clients received a call from the President's office. Seemed the executive assistant had a man on hold who wanted to talk with someone about making a gift. The MGO took the call. Here's what happened next. The man on the other end of the - [How Do You Respond When A Mistake Is Made With A Donor?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/08/how-do-you-respond-when-a-mistake-is-made-with-a-donor/) - The gorgeously designed and perfectly-bound printed annual report was just mailed. It was a master-piece. It was a work of art. The VP's pride directed him to fan out 5 copies of it on his coffee table in his office. And then his phone rang. It was Mrs. Donald, the lead gift donor during their - [The Problem with "Handsome Clothes"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/07/the-problem-with-handsome-clothes/) - My son, who is 6, likes to refer to any nice suit of clothes as "handsome clothes." So, when I travel to visit with clients, or when we get ready for church, or head out for a nice event, he will ask me, "Daddy, which handsome clothes are you going to wear? I want to - [What Are You Promoting?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/07/what-are-you-promoting/) - The ineffective advancement professional promotes their institution. The average advancement professional promotes what their institution does. The artful advancement professional promotes why their institution does it. - [How Much Does It Take To Feel Wealthy?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/07/how-much-does-it-take-to-feel-wealthy/) - I recall some years ago working with a major donor who, after making it through the shuttering of one of his businesses and selling one of his four homes, said to me, "These days, I'm not feeling quite as wealthy as I used to." His remark wasn't born out of arrogance, he actually was a - [Attracting the Attention of New Donors](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/07/attracting-the-attention-of-new-donors/) - You may recall some year's back, the experiment in which the task is to count how many times the players wearing white passed the basketball. If you have not seen the video or do not know about the purpose of the study by Chabris and Simons, click the link now and participate. Focus on - [Donor Engagement as Coaching](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/07/donor-engagement-as-coaching/) - Last night, Pat Summitt, the legendary women's basketball coach from the University of Tennessee received the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage at the ESPY awards. If you missed the live broadcast, you would do well to take a few minutes and watch the video here. For those that may not know, Coach Summitt recently retired - [Clicks Don't Equal Engagement](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/07/clicks-dont-equal-engagement/) - The 2011 donorCentrics Internet and Multichannel Giving Benchmarking Report was released last month. A lot of interesting info and findings from this research. Here are two key findings: More new donors aged 64 and younger give online as opposed to offline; With only 11% of online donors acquired in 2007 still giving in 2010, retention - [Searching for the Major Donor Higgs Boson](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/07/searching-for-the-major-donor-higgs-boson/) - Last week, to international scientific acclaim, physicists from Geneva's CERN announced they had discovered a new subatomic particle which holds the promise to help explain all life on earth. The Higgs boson particle - or the "God Particle" as it has become known - has been theorized since the 1960s. But it wasn't until a mountain's - [Focused On The Mountain](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/07/focused-on-the-mountain/) - "The culture and history of our Board has never been to raise big dollars." "Our endowment needs to be twice what it is currently, and we just don't have the donors for that." "We are in year 4 of our 5-year campaign and we still have 30% of the money to raise. We'll never get - [A Report on Reports](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/06/a-report-on-reports/) - Bruce Cameron is credited with the quote, "Not everything that can be counted counts. And not everything that counts can be counted." In the world of measuring and evaluating development officer performance, we have many variables which we could employ to judge effectiveness. But just because we can track something and report it, doesn't mean that we - [Bringing Your Umbrella](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/06/bringing-your-umbrella/) - There is a often-told story about the distinction between activity and belief: "A rural church in the middle of farming country had a special service to pray for rain. A drought had hit the area hard and the farmers and community were suffering financially and spiritually. Many people came to the service to pray and, - [Reason and Relationship](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/06/reason-and-relationship/) - Effective development officers are said to blend science with art. While it sounds nice and is easy to say, I have never really found the "science and art" phrase to be overly helpful in explaining our work. Here's why: Being an scientist and an accomplished artist can occur from individual effort - I can - [The Bad Recordings In Your Head](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/05/the-bad-recordings-in-your-head/) - Recently, I visited with one of our newest consultants at Gonser Gerber, Robert Driver. Robert has a long history of both healthcare and higher education experience in development and he made an interesting point as we were talking about how we can help development leaders become more effective. He said: "I think a lot of - [Mission, Vision, and Strategic Plans - A Golf Analogy](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/05/mission-vision-and-strategic-plans-a-golf-analogy/) - You know that mission, vision, and strategic planning are key components to raising serious money. But it's not always easy to articulate clear definitions for each. To help us more clearly define and understand mission, vision, and strategic planning I like using a golf analogy. Imagine you have just stepped into the tee-box and are getting yourself ready - [The 5 Be's of Better Leadership](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/05/the-5-bes-of-better-leadership/) - Many have the mistaken belief that leaders should "do" more. But the opposite actually is true: Leaders should "be" more. 1. Be reflective. Slow down. If you find yourself regularly thinking, "I just don't have time," you are most likely focused on doing more as opposed to being more. Schedule time away from the hustle - [The ROIs of Advisory Boards](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/05/the-rois-of-advisory-boards/) - If your institution is like most, members of your advancement team help to plan, implement, and engage an advisory board of some sort. Perhaps it is an alumni board, a parents' council, an programmatic advisory board, or an institution-wide advisory board. Whatever the form, these groups take valuable time, energy, and resources from the staff - [Responsibility and Accountability](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/05/responsibility-and-accountability/) - The good leader is not responsible for everything that happens. She encourages and directs team members so that they grow into the best, most effective versions of themselves. She engages volunteers so that their passions are realized through their efforts on behalf of the institution. She manages those to whom she reports so that they - [Helping Others See The Whole Triangle](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/05/helping-others-see-the-whole-triangle/) - You are in year 3 of a 5 year campaign. Things have gone well to date, the Quiet Phase exceeded goals. But now, suddenly there has been a slowdown in commitments. Perhaps a major gift proposal wasn't fully funded. Perhaps you received a "not right now" answer from another prospect. And, perhaps, there are at - [The Myth of Quality Time](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/04/the-myth-of-quality-time/) - My wife and I are parents of an eight year old and a six year old. When I was studying the family-work dynamic in graduate school, I became very familiar with the research and positions associated with the "quality time versus quantity of time" argument of child rearing. You know the argument. The idea is - [Showing Interest vs. Seeking Interest](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/04/showing-interest-vs-seeking-interest/) - If you think your job is to get donors and prospects more interested in your institution, you've got it backwards. You will close many more gifts by showing authentic interest in your prospects than you will by working to get them interested in your institution. It's our job to show interest, not seek it. When - [Engaging Volunteers To Raise More Money - Webinar Opportunity](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/04/engaging-volunteers-to-raise-more-money-webinar-opportunity/) - For many institutions, utilizing volunteers in the development process is not always easy. The problems with volunteers can seem to outweigh the benefits. They take precious time, energy, and resources to manage and they don't always do what they are supposed to do (much less what we want them to do!) But, there are many - [Gifts That Santa Gives](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/04/gifts-that-santa-gives/) - If you observed Christmas and practiced the tradition of Santa Claus when you were growing up, here is a simple question for you: Were the presents that came from Santa wrapped or unwrapped? From my days studying family dynamics and sociology, I recall it is not uncommon for a young married couple to have a - [It Wouldn't Hurt To. . .](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/04/it-wouldnt-hurt-to/) - How many times have you heard someone suggest a last minute add-on to a direct mail solicitation, event agenda, or phonathon or visit script using this phrase? The problem with this statement is that almost always works. We think to ourselves, "yeah, that wouldn't be a bad idea." But ask yourself this, is it wise - [The Quality/Quantity Dilemma](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/03/the-qualityquantity-dilemma/) - Is quality more important in our work? Or is quantity king (or queen, as it were)? Quality, of course, suggests that we do only a few things - but do them exceptionally well. Quantity, on the other hand, suggests that we attempt as much as we can with less concern about being world-class. Both characteristics - [Remind Them Of Their Memories](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/03/remind-them-of-their-memories/) - The sliding door of the elevator closed and, after pressing the button for my floor, I looked up and saw a black and white Hampton Inns "advertisement." I put quotes around advertisement because if you stay at Hampton Inns, you know that these messages in their elevators are quirky, interesting, fun, and not your typical - [Instant and Archived](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/03/instant-and-archived/) - Today, every direct mail letter, every video, every tweet, every status update, every event script, every message (basically), is expected to have relevance to the happenings of the moment. We can't talk about what our institution did last year, or even last fall. Those messages have already been heard. The world seems to be in - [Our Vision or Our Donors' Interests](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/03/our-vision-or-our-donors-interests/) - When preparing a case for support for a major gifts initiative or campaign, institutional leaders will typically travel down one of two paths. Either they will present donors with a vision for the institution's future and list the specific priorities which need funding in order to achieve that vision or they will present a list - [Inspiring Generosity Takes More Than Words](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/03/inspiring-generosity-takes-more-than-words/) - We spend much time with our staffs and our volunteer leaders working on the mechanics of asking. Finding the right language. Searching for the perfect words. Role playing different approaches. All in an attempt to get comfortable with what we believe is the best possible method of soliciting the gift. And these mechanics are not - [The Problem with Perfection](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/03/the-problem-with-perfection/) - Peter Bregman has a great quote: "The world doesn't reward perfection. The world rewards productivity." Your donor lists are going to have a misspelling. Your gift receipt letters are going to address someone incorrectly. Your major donor strategies are going to miss on occasion. The point should never be to wait for perfection. It doesn't - [Developing Major Gift Habits](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/02/developing-major-gift-habits/) - According to Wikipedia, habits are routines of behavior that are repeated regularly and tend to occur subconsciously. An interesting point about habits, though, is that even though they may "tend to occur subconsciously," we can develop and shape them. For instance, after my second bout with kidney stones a few years ago, I made a - [Are You Working For Your Institution? Or Is Your Institution Working Through You?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/02/are-you-working-for-your-institution-or-is-your-institution-working-through-you/) - When we work for our institutions, we become restrained and captive. We begin mentally punching a time clock (even if we don't in reality). We easily can get weary and frustrated. We can feel powerless, unappreciated, and unimportant. We may even feel defeated. It is all about us and our predicament. But when we let - [Size Matters](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/02/size-matters/) - The size of your advancement team matters. On the positive side, there typically is a relationship between the number of team members and the amount of money raised. The more folks, the more money is raised, on average. Makes sense. But there are other issues tied to size. For instance, there is a relationship between - [Recognizing and Thanking Social Media Engagers](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/02/recognizing-and-thanking-social-media-engagers/) - Your institution has recognition societies, clubs, and circles based on giving levels. You may even have a recognition group based on consecutive year giving. You probably have an annual event or two that recognizes and thanks your donors based on these groups. You also have a strong sense that the "new world order" of communication - [The Volunteer "Voice" of Your Advancement Program](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/02/the-volunteer-voice-of-your-advancement-program/) - Have you seen the NBC television show, "The Voice"? It's a singing talent show of sorts with the gimmick of the old "Dating Game" - the judges can't see the contestants. They can only hear them. The human voice - tone, tenor, quality, pitch, etc. - provides us with numerous cues about the individual. When - [Building A Brand That Encourages Generosity](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/02/building-a-brand-that-encourages-generosity/) - When people buy products or services, they, in part, are buying a brand. Buying a Mercedes auto? Sure, you are buying high quality engineering - maybe the best. But you also are buying the notion that the car makes you feel "unlike any other." Buying a iPhone 4s? Sure, you are buying access to your - [3 Opportunities to Get Better At Our Work](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/02/2853/) - Recognizing a need to do professional development better for advancement folk, my colleagues at Gonser Gerber recently launched a new division - the Gonser Gerber Institute. The mission of the Institute is "to make advancement professionals and teams more effective by delivering dynamic and innovative educational content." The idea for the Institute came about because we were convinced that - [3 Keys To Receiving Ongoing Major Gifts](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/02/3-keys-to-receiving-ongoing-major-gifts/) - During campaign years institutions raise more money. The research is clear on this. A campaign focuses an institution and its donors on strategic priorities and gift income goals. During a successful campaign, the case for support is concisely articulated and the institution places an extraordinary level of energy on the discovery, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship - [The Gamification of Giving](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/01/2827/) - Spend time on Facebook each day? Want to help your favorite charity? You can now do both - simultaneously. GamesThatGive (now owned by Facebook software company Vitrue), allows gamers the opportunity to support their favorite charities simply by playing online games. The longer you play, the more money is donated by GamesThatGive. For those who - [3 Simple Ways To Enhance Your Creativity](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/01/3-simple-ways-to-enhance-your-creativity/) - Advancement work regularly requires our best creativity. Whether we are devising cultivation strategies for key major donor prospects, writing direct response solicitations, or designing case statements and campaign videos, each of us has to engage the most creative elements of ourselves consistently. The problem, though, is that we tend to think of creativity incorrectly. We - [Why Variety Is Not The Spice of Your Case Statement](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/01/why-variety-is-not-the-spice-of-your-case-statement/) - Gad Saad, in The Consuming Instinct, has penned an interesting and deep read around the notion of biologically-driven choices. He discusses how our biology drives our consumption behaviors in ways far more important than culture or socialization alone can account. I thought about our work as advancement professionals when Gad covered the "variety effect" and - [A Tale of Two Influences](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/01/a-tale-of-two-influences/) - Not long ago, I was in an airport looking forward to getting home after a long but productive week of client visits. It was late on a Friday night and a far away but severe weather system had wrecked havoc with the friendly skies. Although the weather at our location was perfect, a number of - [Manage The Mission, Not The People](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/01/manage-the-mission-not-the-people/) - How can you lead the members of your advancement team so that each performs even the most ordinary of tasks in extraordinary fashion? How do you motivate staff members to be the best version of themselves day-in and day-out? How do manage staff members so that they respond positively to new ideas or new strategies? - [What You Know Is More Important Than What They Know](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/01/what-you-know-is-more-important-than-what-they-know/) - Time to make the call on the prospective donors. You know which call it is - it's the ask. This is big. In fact, it's the biggest ask you've ever made of a prospect. You've set up the meeting and a member of your Board will be with you. You've created a call script. You've - [Here's a Resolution: Break Something Important In 2012](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2012/01/heres-a-resolution-break-something-important-in-2012/) - Forget about your stand-by New Year resolutions. As humans, we seem incredibly poor at keeping them. And, in the instances where we do keep them, they don't seem to make much of a difference. One year rolls into another and we find that we still want to get better at our work, we want to - [How Much Klout Do You Have?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/12/how-much-klout-do-you-have/) - Have you stumbled upon Klout.com yet? It's a quantitative value analysis of your online influence. Every facebook "like," every tweet, every published blog, every status update, and photo comment adds to your value as an online influencer. A higher score means you have more influence with others in the virtual realm. Recently, I read an - [The Celebrity, The Artist, And The Development Professional](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/12/the-celebrity-the-artist-and-the-development-professional/) - In our world today, there are many who chase after acknowledgment without a proficiency in any art form. Their goal is not to develop a craft, aptitude, or skill. They simply want to be famous. And, because a proficiency in an art is absent, others wonder aloud as to how these folk achieve any level - [Overcoming Your Hurdles](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/12/overcoming-your-hurdles/) - What are the hurdles you are facing in your work life today? What are the problems keeping you from reaching your Far Edge of Promise? Go ahead, list them. Not enough budget? Not the right people on the team? Not enough people on the team? Too much bureaucracy? A micro-managing boss? Support staff that doesn't - [Developing A Social Media 'Point Of View'](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/12/developing-a-social-media-point-of-view/) - Every institution that my firm, Gonser Gerber, works with has the same question when it comes to social media: How can facebook, Twitter, Google+, and other social media help us raise more money? Truth is, we are spending more time with our social networks - keeping content fresh, moderating discussions, etc. - and the energy - [Getting What You Want By Giving What They Want](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/12/getting-what-you-want-by-giving-what-they-want/) - So our good friends at The National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia have released the findings from their latest national survey of marital happiness. They surveyed 1,400 married couples and found that the level of generosity - or the amount of give and take that goes on in the relationship - is a - [What Is Important To Your Donors?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/12/what-is-important-to-your-donors/) - There is a story of an art collector who had amassed a sizeable and valuable collection of art masterpieces - paintings, sculptures, and other art pieces. He had grown up without the privilege of formal education beyond high school and had worked to establish and build a successful business. By the time he was 55 - [Giving Thanks and "Black-Eye Friday"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/11/giving-thanks-and-black-eye-friday/) - Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday in theory. A day in which we pause collectively to reflect, commune, and return thanks for all the many blessings each of can count. For most people in North America, of course, we have much for which to be thankful. So, in theory, it's an important holiday. Of course, - [Alleviating "Ask Fright"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/11/alleviating-ask-fright/) - We've all heard of stage fright - that fear that grips a performer when the lights come on and the audience is watching intently. A favorite method of alleviating stage fright is to take the focus off of yourself as the performer. Instead, acting coaches will encourage the performer to focus on the audience. "Imagine - [The Impact of Serial Tasking on Donor Engagement](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/11/the-impact-of-serial-tasking-on-donor-engagement/) - Our pressurized, over-scheduled lives seem to demand efficiency in completing multiple items on our to-do list simultaneously. Whether it is sending an email, checking a website, and talking on the phone, it isn't unusual to find that we are doing all of these tasks (and more) simultaneously. Most of us have convinced ourselves that multi-tasking - [Why a Donor-Centered Approach Is Wrong](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/11/why-a-donor-centered-approach-is-wrong/) - Over the last decade, the concept of "donor-centered" fundraising has gained traction for institutions of all sizes. Books have been written on the topic and a Google search of the phrase turned up 364,000 results! The idea - that all institutional activities and behaviors should be concentrated and focused in ways that best serve donors - [Working On Vs.Working For](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/11/working-on-vs-working-for/) - Do you focus more on what you are working on or what you are working for? What we are working on could be a mailing, setting up visits, getting prepared for Board meetings, etc. On the other hand, what we are working for are the big outcomes we are aiming to achieve. Strengthening our institutions - [The Rise of Fe-lanthropy](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/10/the-rise-of-fe-lanthropy/) - Recently, frogloop posted a story about the rise of the she-conomy. A story that should remind us that donors are not a monolithic category of people. Homogeneous groups, based on important variables, as well as all individuals, approach philanthropy differently. Our role as advancement leaders is to build the knowledge and capacity of our institutions - [How Generous Is Your Institution?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/10/how-generous-is-your-institution/) - As development professionals, our work is focused on encouraging generosity in others. We rarely pause to assess (at least publicly) our institution's level of generosity. I think we miss an important point when we go about our business in this way. Think about this: We tell our faculty/staff/doctors/etc. that the "family campaign" is important because - [What's Really Important in Grant Writing?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/10/whats-really-important-in-grant-writing/) - One of my favorite bloggers, Seth Godin, had a great riff recently about getting good at the important things in our work. Seth suggests that sometimes we "quickly jump ahead to the new thing, failing to get good enough at the important thing." Good point - and I would add a bit to it. In - [The Problem with "Donors"](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/10/the-problem-with-donors/) - We use the terms "donors," "funders," and, in some instances, "giving units" (yuck!) to refer to those individuals, businesses, foundations, churches, and other organizations that provide our institutions with gift income. Each of these terms is incomplete and, I believe, short-circuits our thinking about how we should relate to these important individuals and organizations. When - [Solve Their Problems](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/10/solve-their-problems/) - What problems do your prospects and donors have? What concerns do they carry? What issues are they facing? Do you know? Do you seek out their problems so that you can help solve them? They might not want to tell you about their problems (or they may not even know they have a problem!). So, - [What If Time Was Booked As A Gift](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/10/what-if-time-was-booked-as-a-gift/) - More and more I run across thoughtful and sophisticated advancement leaders who question the value of volunteers. I'm not talking about the volunteers who plan a charity auction or help out with a fun run. I'm talking about volunteers who help with personal solicitations on major and planned gift prospects. I'm talking about Campaign volunteer - [Authentic Engagement](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/10/engagement/) - You can't be in development today without at least saying that you aim to engage your donors. It's the language that all sophisticated development professionals use. I sometimes wonder, though, how many who use the engagement language actually understand and practice it. If you look up the word "engage," you come across the following synonyms: - [Giving Through](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/10/giving-through/) - My friend and consulting colleague, Jim Langley, likes to talk about the principle of "giving through." Here is a simple question for you to consider: Do you ask your donors to give to your institution? Or. . . Do you ask your donors to give through your institution to your students, patients, clients, etc? Simple, - [Curing The Sedentary Development Program](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/09/curing-the-sedentary-development-program/) - A growing body of research is forming around the role of exercise in heart disease and other ailments. Turns out, exercise alone may not be enough to keep a heart attack at bay. Today so many of us sit so much of the time that no amount of exercise can counteract some of deleterious effects - [Top 5 Thoughts Donors Won't Share With You](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/09/top-5-thoughts-donors-wont-share-with-you/) - Sometimes it seems donors tell us more than we want to know. But here are some important thoughts donors may not share with you. #1 - You set up a visit as if you only want to see me. You are making a mistake by not involving my spouse. #2 - My name is not "Friend." - [The Power of Being Predictably Dependable](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/09/the-power-of-being-predictably-dependable/) - When social science researchers who study successful marriages ask couples their secret to staying together for 40, 50, even 60 years, one of the key contributing variables which emerges is predictability. Specifically, couples will point to the day-in, day-out predictably dependable behaviors of their mate. He gets up at 6:00am, gets the paper and starts - [Why Donors Expectations Are On The Rise](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/09/why-donors-expectations-are-on-the-rise/) - Donors expect your every direct mail letter to be perfectly personalized. They expect your special events to begin precisely on time, to last just long enough (but not too long!), to be inspiring and engaging. They expect to receive a gift receipt before the ink dries on their electronic check. They expect your website to - [Are Your Values Aligned With Your Donors'?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/09/are-your-values-aligned-with-your-donors/) - The word "philanthropy" is said to have been coined some 2,500 years ago in ancient Greek. It means, "the love of humanity." The vast majority of your long time donors and your major donors are philanthropic. They give in support of your institution because they believe it will make a difference in the lives of - [A Resource for Gift Acknowledgement Letters](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/09/a-resource-for-gift-acknowledgement-letters/) - I once worked for a President who was known to say, "we can never say thank you enough to our donors." A wonderful sentiment for 501(c)3 leaders and advancement professionals to embrace. And, as important as it is to thank donors often, it also is important to thank them in meaningful and customized ways. For - [Requesting A Song and Engaging Key Constituents](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/08/requesting-a-song-and-engaging-key-constituents/) - The Nashville, Tennessee, airport has a decidedly "country-music feel" to it (as one might expect!). In fact, there are a few places throughout the airport that showcase country-music singers who are trying to make it. One such place is the well-known restaurant/honky tonk "Tootsies." Whenever I walk by Tootsie's in the Nashville airport some - [We'd Raise More Money If. . .](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/08/wed-raise-more-money-if/) - ". . . if we had another major gifts officer. " ". . . if we had more money in the budget for our direct response program." ". . . if our board would provide more philanthropic leadership." ". . . if our major donors responded more generously." These are common misunderstandings about why institutions - [3 Ways Development Pros Forget Human Nature](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/08/3-ways-development-pros-forget-human-nature/) - Despite how appealing a week marooned alone on a deserted island might sound in the fantasies of our hectic lives, the reality is that humans are intensely social creatures. When given the choice of aloneness versus togetherness, we dependably choose the fellowship of others. Think of the choices we've made over the eons of time. - [Food, Unavoidable Defects, and Getting Things Done](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/08/food-unavoidable-defects-and-getting-things-done/) - So, the Food and Drug Administration published their Defect Levels Handbook some time back. The purpose of the handbook is to identify levels of natural or unavoidable defects in foods that present no health hazards for humans. In other words, if food manufacturers stay below these levels of "unavoidable defects" in the products you - [The Problem With a Shift-Worker Mindset](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/08/the-problem-with-a-shift-worker-mindset/) - Development work can become a 24/7 lifestyle. There are always more events to attend. More lunches to have with donors. More trips to visit prospects. It can seem never-ending. And ultimately, if one is not careful, it can produce an unhealthy, out-of-balance lifestyle. In response to these very real pressures, some people apply a - [When Others Are Fearful. . .](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/08/when-others-are-fearful/) - Fresh from a conference with other college presidents, a client once called me to express his concern about moving forward with campaign plans. Like recent days, the markets had been up and down (mostly down) and the talk at the conference had apparently been about institutions pausing their campaign plans or stopping them altogether. "Jason," - [On Becoming A Better Leader](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/08/on-becoming-a-better-leader/) - Why do some leaders inspire action from those in their care and other leaders struggle to keep mutiny from occurring? Why do some leaders engender positive feelings while others give rise to feelings of angst, fear, or worse? Is it charisma? Experience? The ability to make others feel at ease? Even if we can answer - [Doing The Giving](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/08/doing-the-giving/) - The decision to make a "stretch gift" is driven, many times, more by the donor's psyche and her beliefs about giving than by the value of the institution or the program. I've listened to donors long enough to know this to be true - and I've seen it at work in my own life. Here - [The Influence of Expensive Wine](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/07/the-influence-of-expensive-wine/) - Perception is reality. . . or it at least helps create reality. We have known for some time that wine drinkers reported on surveys that more expensive wine tasted better. The problem with these surveys, of course, is that we never really knew if it was the status of drinking expensive wine that led people - [What Do You Want To Get Better At Doing?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/07/what-do-you-want-to-get-better-at-doing/) - Whenever I'm in front of a group of development professionals, I like to ask a question that goes like this, "when someone asks about your work, what do you say you do?" In most instances, I hear thoughtful and serious responses similar to the following, "I say that I build relationships with people who have - [Admiring The Butterfly](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/07/admiring-the-butterfly/) - "We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty." -- Maya Angelou Imagine for a minute the challenge of the caterpillar. Would you allow yourself to believe you could be transformed from a multi-legged, slow moving insect into a beautiful winged flyer? In - [Talking About Tools](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/07/talking-about-tools/) - My father ran a small heating and air conditioning company. Summer was his busy season. When summertime heat kicks in, people will do just about anything to get relief. And if the AC isn't working, they want it fixed. . . and fast! During the summers of my youth I went to work with my - [The 2 Questions A Leader Should Answer And The 1 A Leader Must](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/07/the-2-questions-a-leader-should-answer-and-the-1-a-leader-must/) - If you want to lead people - donors, team members, others at your institution - here are the 2 questions you should be able to answer: What are we doing? How are we going to do it? Most people can answer #1 - they know what they are doing. If you say, "what is your - [A Culture of Freedom](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/07/a-culture-of-freedom/) - Yesterday, the United States observed Independence Day. This pausing in the life of the country is designed to encourage reflection and celebration of independence from oppressive rule and individual freedom. Ok, we all understand what July 4th is about. But what about your development shop? How "free" is it? Here are 3 questions to ask - [The Outcomes That Matter](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/06/the-outcomes-that-matter/) - Think about the following scenario: You log into your yahoo news page and click on a story about someone who has just lost their home. The story is a vivid, personal account of a hardworking woman who lost her good-paying job in the economic downturn and, after 9 months of no job, ended up taking - [The Fives Things Department Chairs Need to Know About Fundraising](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/06/2330/) - If you serve an academic institution, check out my recent interview with Academic Impressions' Higher Ed Impact. I'm discussing the five most important things department chairs need to know about development work. This is a follow-up to an interview I gave them last year. Development is about education. Sometimes we educate donors, other times we - [Calling All Advancement Leaders](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/06/calling-all-advancement-leaders/) - Are you an advancement leader at your institution? Do you aspire to move up and become an advancement leader? If so, you will want to attend this upcoming workshop - Leading To Make A Difference. The Workshop is sponsored by GGTS and I'm serving as the keynote speaker. You will want to attend if: You've - [Trusting Donors](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/06/trusting-donors/) - In development circles we don't talk much about trust. We when talk about donors we focus on words like "asking," "strategies," "engagement," or "building relationships" (which, oddly, never seems to involve the concept of trust). But we don't regularly focus on the need for trust. There are few, if any, conferences focused on "building - [Slower Can Be Better](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/06/slower-can-be-better/) - Remember the sound of the dial-up modem? "eeeee-awwwwwww-eeeeeeeeee?" For a major donor I interviewed recently, that sound was music to his ears. During the "dial-up" period of our internet life, you may also recall that new modems with faster and faster speeds were being introduced about every 2 months. Everyone wanted to go faster so - [Are Volunteers Worth The Effort?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/06/are-volunteers-worth-the-effort/) - Recently, I listened as a well-respected higher education advancement leader say that using volunteers in the advancement function was mostly ineffective. Today's advancement shops, she argued, are staffed with professionals who are well-trained with specific skills making the use of volunteers obsolete. Even during campaigns, her position was that campaign cabinets and other volunteer groups - [Mirror, Mirror, On The Wall, Who's The Most Generous Of Them All?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/05/mirror-mirror-on-the-wall-whos-the-most-generous-of-them-all/) - Recently, the Harvard Health Blog published a summary of a new study from Arizona State University that looked at how your friends influence the size of your waistline. Turns out that humans are incredibly (and subconsciously) social beings who will "mirror" the behaviors of others naturally. One of the Arizona State researchers gave an example: - [A Learning Opportunity: The Importance of the Board-Advancement Relationship](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/05/a-learning-opportunity-the-importance-of-the-board-advancement-relationship/) - The roles of your governing board or foundation board are not always easy ones to explain. Are the members of these boards simply supposed to be effective stewards of the institution, fulfilling their fiduciary responsibilities and protecting the value of the many assets of the institution? Or, are the members supposed to be much more - [5 Ways To Leave A Philanthropic Legacy](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/05/5-ways-to-leave-a-philanthropic-legacy/) - Development leaders talk with donors each day about "leaving a legacy." Typically, this legacy talk involves a major or planned gift. It may involve naming a building or establishing an endowment. We position the gift as transformational for a program, a service, or our entire institution. Our "leaving a legacy" pitch can be very compelling. - [Are You Asking or Inviting?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/05/are-you-asking-or-inviting/) - Are you asking donors for something? Or, are you inviting donors to participate in something? Asking suggests a power imbalance and that you hold the donor's giving capacity in high esteem. Inviting suggests a partnership and that you hold the donor in high esteem. Giving has significant benefits for both the giver and the recipient. - [3 Ways to Increase Your Fiscal Year End Giving Totals](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/05/3-ways-to-increase-your-fiscal-year-end-giving-totals/) - The fiscal year for many institutions is quickly coming to an close. Like the calendar year end, the fiscal year end gives development leaders an opportunity to increase the giving urgency factor, especially in the annual giving program. "Give now so your gift can be counted," is the overarching message. Every institution should create a - [Are You Achieving Success or Significance?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/05/are-you-achieving-success-or-significance/) - You can complete tasks and cross off items on your to-do list. Success. You can implement an event that participants evaluate as a wonderful evening. Success. You can accurately claim that giving to your institution over the last year increased by some huge percentage. Success. But. But, while you may claim success, can you also - [Why Millennials Give](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/05/why-millennials-give/) - Why do Millennial donors give? According to a new study just released by Achieve and Johnson, Grossnickle, and Associates, 3000 donors age 20-35 reported a preference to give to organizations with a compelling mission and in whom they trust. Once they've made their decision to give, they prefer to make their gifts online. A couple - [How Professionalism Is Endangering Fundraising Success](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/05/how-professionalism-is-endangering-fundraising-success/) - Development practitioners pride themselves on their professionalism. Certifications like Certified Fundraising Executive or the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy Fellows program are growing in prominence. And I can understand why. In our world today, education is almost universally viewed as a good investment. And I'm all for education. But, I have a problem with our - [Ship Or Be Average](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/04/ship-or-be-average/) - Today, I read a Chronicle of Philanthropy article focused on the new IRS data which suggests that Americans gave much less than "Giving USA" reported during 2008-2009. Ok. And what exactly should this mean for development professionals? I'm not a huge fan of giving projections. First, no one really knows how much is given. But - [Developing Perspectives or Skills](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/04/developing-perspectives-or-skills/) - Are you more invested in developing new skills or developing new perspectives? Many development professionals seek to acquire new skills. However, developing new perspectives makes you a truly valuable professional. Developing a skill may help you write a tighter, more effective phonathon script. Developing a new perspective would encourage you to integrate your social media, - [Haute Couture Fundraising](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/04/haute-couture-fundraising/) - The phrase, "haute couture" refers to the creation of exclusive, custom-fitting clothing. This clothing is made from high-quality, expensive fabric, sewn expertly by the most experienced of seamstresses, and form-fitted for a particular client. Haute couture emerged in the mid 1800s in France. You know the names of many of the official haute couture firms - [Communication Frequencies](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/04/communication-frequencies/) - At what communication frequency do you most comfortably operate? Do you resonate most on the email frequency? Or maybe it is the face-to-face frequency? Or the phone frequency? Or the text frequency? Or the social media frequency? Or possibly there are still a few out there who resonate most with the touch-intensive letter frequency. Most - [Tetelestai!](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/04/tetelestai/) - Tetelestai is a wonderfully rich Greek word. Somewhat poorly translated it means, "It is finished!" As part of my work as a consultant I conduct vice presidential-level searches for institutions. A first-hand observation I would make after looking at thousands of resumes - many people leave positions too quickly. Different studies place the average tenure - [The Law of Exclusivity](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/04/the-backstage-pass/) - Recently, my wife and I celebrated 10 years of marriage with a long weekend in NYC. It was a fun and memorable trip. One of the memories we both will treasure was the night we saw "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying" on Broadway. The show was fantastic. But even more, one of - [Why Bacon Tastes So Good](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/03/why-bacon-tastes-so-good/) - Mashable recently ran a helpful short piece on why email bacon is effective while spam is a nuisance. Bacon, of course, is the email that we sign-up to receive. It's the Groupon coupons, the Facebook updates, and, yes, the Jason's Blog feed. Spam, on the other hand, is all of the unsolicited email junk from - [Reform or Transform](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/03/reform-or-transform/) - When we reform something we make it better. We correct. We amend. We revise. When we transform something we change it altogether. We reconstruct. We metamorphose. We revolutionize. We talk far more about transforming than we do about reforming. For instance, we say our institutions provide a transformational education experience. We tell our Boards that we - ["Active Recovery" Donor Stewardship](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/03/active-recovery-donor-stewardship/) - To counteract the impact that age is having on my metabolism, I started running last year. The past year's worth of running has taught me a lot. For example: It's rather easy to get injured running. Toenails can get mangled. Knees can ache. Ankles can twist. The simple act of running in a straight line - [The Value of Mixed Methods Donor Research ](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/03/the-value-of-mixed-methods-donor-research/) - The Far Edge of Promise has as a core fundraising philosophy the concept of knowing donors as personally as possible. This concept is simple, tried-and-true, exceptionally powerful, and leads to meaningful gifts from gratified donors. It also is rarely implemented well. For instance, most institutions can answer the following question about each of their top - [Developing Evangelists](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/03/developing-evangelists/) - Recently, I wrote about the importance of having the right person ask the right prospect. Understanding and implementing this concept will greatly enhance your fundraising outcomes with individual prospects. However, to increase your overall fundraising success, there is a broader concept that must be mastered: Developing Evangelists. Evangelists are those key people who regularly encourage - [An Arm's Reach Away](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2010/05/in-vitro-vs-in-vivo/) - Science has educated us on the term "in vitro" - which means to conduct work not in a living, whole organism but in a controlled, sterile environment. "In vitro" became part of our lexicon because of its use in reproductive science. The so-called test tube babies. On the other hand, we have heard less - [Do Dollars Matter?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/03/do-dollars-matter/) - Recently at a CASE conference, I heard a presentation in which the following statement about performance metrics for MGOs was made: If you create and track MGO metrics for visits, moves, and proposals (asks), you don't need a metric for dollars raised. The gift income will be a natural consequence of the activity of the - [Who Invited You?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/02/who-invited-you/) - On Saturday night, my 6-year old daughter and I attended my first Daddy-Daughter Dance. It was a fantastic event and we both had a blast. Fun music, some finger foods, and about 125 dads who were giving their all on the dance floor for their little girls. And I mean, the dads were really dancing. - [Fundamental Attribution Error and Donors](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/02/fundamental-attribution-error-and-donors/) - If a donor with high capacity doesn't give to our level of expectation, it is not uncommon for some to suggest she is simply ungenerous. Conversely, when we fail to respond fully to a solicitation from another organization, we tend to believe that the organization didn't do enough to garner our investment. The "Fundamental Attribution - [We Need To Twist His Arm. . .](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/02/we-need-to-twist-his-arm/) - Or, put the squeeze on her. These aren't fundraising strategies. They're assault. - [Is There A Difference Between Advancement and Leadership?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/02/is-there-a-difference-between-advancement-and-leadership/) - I have written previously about the similarities between the practice of leadership and the practice of advancement. Recently, I stumbled upon this older but concise definition of leadership: "Leadership is about articulating visions, embodying values, and creating the environment within which things can be accomplished." -- Richards and Engle, Transforming Leadership, 1986 If you want to - [On Feeling Wanted](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/02/on-feeling-wanted/) - Wednesday was NSD. For those who don't follow college football in the United States, NSD is "National Signing Day," the day in which high school football players make official their college choice. For the year-round college football fan NSD is a big day. Better football players signed in February will hopefully mean more victories in - [Stories Versus Menus](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/02/stories-versus-menus/) - There are two approaches to developing funding opportunities: Develop a compelling vision for the institution's future based on mission and values by engaging key leaders, donors, and constituents in a planning process. Specific funding priorities are identified that support this compelling vision. Develop a comprehensive list of institutional needs and encourage donors to support the - [My Staff](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/02/my-staff/) - Weak leadership is betrayed by the use of possessive pronouns. When I hear a vice president or president talk about "my staff," or "my cabinet," experience suggests that I'm dealing with someone who cares more about position and less about performance. Of course, the person using the "my staff" language believes such language portrays a - [The Distinctiveness Trap](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/01/the-distinctiveness-trap/) - I hear it all the time from institutional leaders: "We need to identify what makes us distinctive." "Our strategic plan/viewbook/brochure/website/direct mail letter/(you name it) should highlight the distinctive aspects of our programs." "Our institution has to show how it is different from every other institution out there." It seems that most institutional and advancement leaders - [Fundraising Principles For The New Universe: The Practice of Immersion](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/01/fundraising-principles-for-the-new-universe-the-practice-of-immersion/) - So far I've identified four principles which I believe are keys to fundraising success as a result of the 2008 recession. The principles (Income Stream Diversity, Database Depth, Bench Depth, and Big Value Communication) highlight new thinking based on the economic realities in which institutions (and their donors) now find themselves. The final principle is - [Fundraising Principles For The New Universe: Big Value Communication ](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/01/fundraising-principles-for-the-new-universe-big-value-communication/) - Since the Great Recession, fundraising has changed fundamentally - especially major gift fundraising. In recent posts, I've identified three principles (Income Stream Diversity, Database Depth, and Bench Depth) that are keys to institutional success in today's fundraising environment. The fourth principle for successful fundraising in The New Universe is Big Value Communication. Big Value Communication - [Fundraising Principles For The New Universe: Bench Depth](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/01/fundraising-principles-for-the-new-universe-bench-depth/) - The nature of fundraising has changed. Thus far, I have proposed two principles (Income Stream Diversity and Database Depth), which, if implemented regularly and effectively, will provide your institution with an approach that leads to transformational outcomes. The third principle for fundraising in The New Universe is Bench Depth. Bench Depth refers to the capacity - [Fundraising Principles For The New Universe: Database Depth](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/01/fundraising-principles-for-the-new-universe-database-depth/) - Institutions today are faced with a series of issues that fundamentally have changed our fundraising environment - it is a New Universe. In my last article, I suggested that development offices need to diversify their institution's income streams. Today, I am offering the second principle that I believe is important if institutions are to thrive - [Fundraising Principles For The New Universe: Income Stream Diversity](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2011/01/fundraising-principles-for-the-new-universe-income-stream-diversity/) - Our universe has changed - dramatically. And, the old universe ain't coming back anytime soon. So, I have posited a set of principles which, when implemented, will provide our institutions with opportunities for success in this new environment. Principle number 1 is: Income Stream Diversity. Income stream diversity refers to expanding the sources of income - [Fundraising Success In The New Universe](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2010/12/fundraising-success-in-the-new-universe/) - Our known universe has changed. Savings rates for individuals are trending up. Philanthropy is down. The mega-gifts that fueled campaigns (and fundraising totals) over the past few decades are decreasing. The housing market is still tanking in many areas so people are feeling much "less rich." And unemployment remains stubbornly high. Most everything we've understood - [Challenging Or Different?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2010/12/challenging-or-different/) - People say the financial environment is difficult and that raising money today is tougher than ever. Yes, there are challenges. But there are always challenges. Raising money never seems easy when we are doing it - only in hindsight does it appear to have been effortless. Tara Loader Wilkinson, a reporter for the Financial News - [My Best Wish](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2010/12/my-best-wish/) - As we steam toward another year end, full-tilt in the "Season of Giving," it's easy to let the busy-ness of development work become all-consuming. So much to be done. And, all on a deadline of December 31. During this hectic time, my hope is that you and the members of your team will take time - [IRA Rollover Passes for 2010 and 2011](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2010/12/ira-rollover-passes-for-2010-and-2011/) - Our friends at Crescendo Interactive have offered up the following guidance regarding IRA rollovers - good stuff! On the afternoon of December 17, 2010, the President signed into law The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010. This bill restores the IRA Charitable Rollover for 2010 and permits its use in - [The Ask is 12% of Success](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2010/12/the-ask-is-about-12-of-success/) - 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 - [On Being Delightful](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2010/12/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, - [What Matters Most](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2010/12/what-matters-most/) - Meaningfully engaging donors and raising significantly more money are not functions of. . . Your organization's number of facebook likes; The average number of tweets your organization produces each week; Integrating cutting edge widgets onto your website; Supplying planned giving calculators on your website; The number of hits on your organization's website; The number of - [Not The Pail, But The Fire](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2010/12/not-the-pail-but-the-fire/) - We often talk about "educating" our donors. And education is a good thing. But sometimes, the way we practice educating our donors is a bit misguided. It is easy to conceptualize the education process as the delivery of information or knowledge. In this model, we believe it is our job to teach, to convey, to - [I Only Hear From You. . .](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2010/11/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](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2010/11/a-reason-why-im-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](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2010/11/1-800-this-doesnt-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](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2010/11/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 - [How the Other Half Gives](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2010/11/how-the-other-half-gives/) - The 2010 Bank of America High Net Worth Philanthropy Study was released yesterday. This is the third biennial study which has been conducted since 2006. The headlines most reported about the study are similar to what the "Chronicle of Philanthropy" posited: "Donations By the Wealthy Dropped Sharply in the Recession, Study Finds" And yes, the - [Getting the Gift vs. Giving the Gift](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2010/11/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 - [Online Donor Reports](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2010/10/online-donor-reports/) - Institutions looking to cut costs associated with printed annual reports, president's reports, or donor honor rolls regularly turn to their websites. "Let's put it online!" is the knee-jerk response. And it's not a bad idea to put such reports online. But once the decision is made to go electronic, few institutions implement with the same - [Are You "Touching" Your Donors?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2010/10/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](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2010/10/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](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2010/10/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 - [The SuperStat](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2010/10/the-superstat/) - Donors invest because the work of our institutions makes both logical and emotional sense to them. Logically, donors have to recognize and agree that giving to our institution is a wise and productive investment. Their minds need to agree, “Yes, this makes sense!” Emotionally, donors need to feel that our institution's work makes a qualitative - [The 5 Characteristics of Mature Development Programs](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2010/10/the-5-characteristics-of-mature-development-programs/) - Annual Funds are successful prior to the start of the fiscal year. Campaign goals are achieved before they are announced. Tomorrow's planned gifts were solidified years ago. Our successes today depend on how mature our development program was yesterday. The more mature our programs, the more optimistic we can be regarding success today and - [On Being Peculiar](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2010/10/on-being-peculiar/) - We use the word all the time: "That's peculiar!" "He's just peculiar." And while our use of the word may not be snidely, on most occasions we use it to mean something less than positive. In fact, the first definition for the word given by dictionary.com is strange, queer, odd. Many of your major donors - [The Preemptive Gift](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2010/10/the-preemptive-gift/) - You've done your homework. You've cultivated her and her husband. You understand what drives their philanthropic decisions and you have a data-driven, clear sense of their capacity. You've crafted a proposal that highlights the meaningful intersection between their values and interests and your institution's work. You've engaged a key Board member - one of their - [Performance Metrics - Webcast Opportunity](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2010/09/performance-metrics-webcast-opportunity/) - If you are interested in learning more about how to implement performance metrics well, I'll be giving my take in an upcoming webcast sponsored by ALDE - the Association of Lutheran Development Executives. Here are the specifics: Date: Thursday, October 28, 2010 Time: 3:00 - 4:30pm Central Site Fee: $75 - you can't beat this - [Sleeping with Eyes Wide Open](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2010/09/sleeping-with-eyes-wide-open/) - Recently, our son who is four, appealed to my wife and I that he deserved to go to bed later than his older sister because he took a nap during the afternoon. The problem was that he, in fact, did not nap. But he argued to the contrary. Finally, after proving beyond all reasonable doubt - [What We Wish Donors Really Knew](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2010/09/what-we-wish-donors-really-knew/) - Development professionals work tirelessly to educate donors. In fact, I believe that donor education is really the core of our work. This education typically involves one or more of the following areas: Institutional education - we educate donors about our history, services provided, communities served, and institutional accolades; Vision education - we educate donors about - [Benedict Arnold And Your Donors](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2010/09/benedict-arnold-and-your-donors/) - The value in understanding history lies not in the notion that times stay the same, but, rather, that human nature does. Take the case of Benedict Arnold. We all remember him as the traitor during the Revolutionary War. But for many of us, that is all we know of the story. When historians attempt to - [What's More Important: Donors or Their Gifts?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2010/09/whats-more-important-donors-or-their-gifts/) - Does your institution care more about its donors or their gifts? Before you answer, let me ask the same question in a more practical, perhaps more helpful way. After you receive the gift, how long does it take, on average, for your institution to thank and extend a gift receipt to a donor? In the - [How Happy Are Your Donors?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2010/09/how-happy-are-your-donors/) - In prospect management meetings all across the country this week, advancement teams have prioritized donor portfolios based on the two most important variables currently in use: Capacity (a wealth estimate of some sort), and; Interest (an estimate of how 'close' or 'engaged' the prospect is with the institution). No matter the terms used for these - [Your Collective Board. . . Isn't](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2010/09/your-collective-board-isnt/) - A Board is a collection of individuals. The important word here is "individuals." Not "collection." Each member of a Board brings her own passion, interests, abilities, capacities, and shortcomings to the group. Boards work and are generous, not because administrators engage the collective group, but rather because administrators first engage each peculiar, individual member in - [Asking Every Day](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2010/09/asking-every-day/) - I'm teaching a class on "Annual and Major Gifts Fundraising," this fall in the Master of Nonprofit Management program at Northpark University. For one of the textbooks, I'm using Asking, by Jerry Panas. As one would expect, it's a great, spot-on, quick read. Jerry offers many, time-tested examples of how to go about the process - [Virtual Opportunities](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2010/09/virtually-amazing/) - The whole world is on Facebook. Or at least it seems so. And the whole world is changing because of it - including how money is spent. Since early 2008, we know that the Great Recession impacted every aspect of our lives. From steep home price declines, to almost 10% unemployment, to staggering government debt - [Benchmarking and Uniqueness](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2010/08/benchmarking-and-uniqueness/) - One of the first understandings an institution claims I need to have about them involves their uniqueness. It goes something like this: "Jason, we know you work with institutions and organizations across the country. But we are different here. Our institutional culture is different. This community is different. Our views on philanthropy are different. We - [The Problem With Metrics](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2010/08/the-problem-with-metrics/) - Performance metrics in development are important. CEOs and Board members want clear indicators which depict the value of our work. Savvy donors expect to see institutional efficiency. Even the government is poking around in the finances of non-profits like never before. However, we make a huge mistake when we make metrics our focus. Much like - [The Power of the Whisper](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2010/08/the-power-of-the-whisper/) - In college, I had a professor who, to get the attention of class and quiet the room, would whisper. After a few moments, every student would cease their talking and strain to listen to what the professor was softly saying. It was an effective way to gain the attention of the audience. It worked because - [Copy And Steal Everything](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2010/08/copy-and-steal-everything/) - For those of you who practice the craft of development in the education arena, you are aware of CASE - the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. A fine and helpful organization. Because CASE conferences have been effective in disseminating good ideas and initiatives, the friendly joke within development circles in education is that - [Lack or Faith](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2010/08/lack-or-faith/) - "We don't have the money to do that." I hear this statement (or another variation on the theme - "we have too much on our plate already") far too often. And it is almost never the reason why we don't attempt a new direct mail strategy or make more visits on our most promising donors - [Is A Culture of Philanthropy Really The Goal?](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2010/08/is-a-culture-of-philanthropy-really-the-goal/) - A common aim - usually unwritten - of advancement professionals is to "create a culture of philanthropy" within their institutions. The typical reason for this goal stems from a sense that board members and others with high giving capacity are not responding to the institution with a matching degree of generosity. I usually hear a - [The 3 Appraisals](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2010/08/the-3-appraisals/) - It's not uncommon for a gift officer to tell me that she knows very well the organization's major donors. When I happily follow-up this assertion with a few questions, I sometimes learn what is really "known" is the origin of the donor's wealth and little else. In some instances, very little of import is understood - [3 New Relationships](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/2010/08/3-new-relationships/) - When we attend conferences, we are often encouraged to "take home 3 good ideas and implement them." If we do that, we are told, the conference will have been of high value. Focusing on the content to gather up 3 good ideas is fine for the short term. If the presenters and the content are ## Pages - [Consulting](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/links/) - As a partner with Gonser Gerber Advancement and Leadership Consultants, I spend the bulk of my professional energy and time work with leaders and the advancement teams that drive the charitable resources to support important missions and inspiring visions. I invite you to learn more about how I, and our whole firm, helps our clients - [Learn](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/archives/) - [Engage](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/speaking/) - The best learning occurs in settings that are interactive, engaging, and filled with helpful content. I regularly speak to Governing and Foundation Boards, higher education and non-profit administrative leaders and conference participants. Presentation topics include: Values Fundraising: Building Sustainable Non-Profit Organizations Inviting Gifts That Matter The Role of Governing Boards in Advancing Non-Profits; Leading by - [About Jason](https://www.jasonmcneal.com/about/) - Welcome and thanks for reading! As a partner with Gonser Gerber, I work daily with Presidents, CEOs, Board members, Executive Directors, Heads of school, and other non-profit leaders formulating strategy to achieve institutional goals. 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