Giving is Good
In the second part of the Urban Legends of Fundraising, I talked about how asking for a major gift was similar to asking a girl to marry. In both instances you have the best opportunity for an affirming response when: you don’t ask too soon in the relationship; you both know the ask is coming…
According to Bersin and Associates, companies and organizations are spending well over $50 billion per year on formalized professional development programs for employees. These programs are designed to teach everything from basic computer skills to nuanced leadership strategies. Why do organizations make such huge investments in their employees? In large measure it is because they…
Clients regularly ask me what they should be accomplishing during major donor prospect discovery calls. Most understand that leaving a discovery visit with a clearer sense of financial capacity and a gauge of closeness to the institution are important. However, many clients want to know the other areas that are important to probe. In addition…
Today it seems we constantly are bombarded with claims about “personalized” or “individualized” customer service or patient care. Take a look at a hospital billboard on your local highway and it appears they will create a care regimen just for you. Or head to a university’s website, even one with over 25,000 students, and it…
Most non-profits have established their development programs to focus on donor capacity. For instance, most organizations have giving societies based on gift amount. Give a $1,000 last year and you are a member of the “Chairman’s Circle.” Few non-profits, though, put a focus on donor loyalty – or recognizing those donors who give consistently regardless…
What if your institution could attract new donors unlike any other? What if the programs and services you offered were so compelling that you really had no competition? These are two of the questions Blue Ocean Strategy by Kim and Mauborgne encouraged me to think about. If you’ve not read Blue Ocean, I would highly…
How do you ask lybunts, sybunts, and others to support your work during phonathons? Does the outline of your script look something like this? Introduction Rapport Building Make Case for Support Make Ask Ask to Send Pledge Card Ask If They Want to Pay with Credit Card Thank Them for Their Commitment and/or Time I…
Imagine an empty mason jar. Now, visualize taking rocks about the size of golfballs and placing them into the jar until the rocks reach the lip of the jar opening. Is the mason jar full? Now, imagine taking sand and pouring it into the jar. As the sand finds its way through the wide gaps…
The Chronicle of Philanthropy has posted a video that shows six examples of what are purported to be online and social media fundraising successes. I work with clients regularly to shape and integrate their online and social media messages with other traditional message vehicles. However, I remain a bit concerned that we aren’t being as…
Ambition is important for exceptional leadership, but probably in ways that you’ll find surprising. Studies show that early career ambition is a plus. “He’s a real go-getter” and “She’s determined and motivated,” are usually positive statements found on the early-career performance evaluations of rising stars. But, to paraphrase an old line, “a funny thing happens…