Giving is Good
Institutions of all sizes spend lots of money to test the feasibility of conducting fundraising efforts. Reports, which are sometimes encyclopedic in size, are generated with all sorts of data attached (some helpful, some not-so-much) to help answer a simple question: How much money can we raise? But when you get right down to it,…
Saying thank you to a leadership donor – and doing it well – is not always easy. First, you have to say it in a way that is meaningful for the donor. Second, you have to do it in a way that doesn’t break the bank! Recently, I was visiting with a donor stewardship director…
When working with educational and non-profit executives I encourage each to consider their capacity to convene. Specifically, how effectively can they convene individuals of influence and affluence from a variety of perspectives – business, political, religious, and/or other leaders – to advance the organization? Or to put it another way, how often will important people…
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…
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) In part II of our three-part series, I am focusing on the “It’s All About The Ask” Urban Legend. Specifically, this Urban Legend purports that fundraisers…
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) This week, my aim is to debunk a few urban legends regarding fundraising. These are examples of “conventional wisdom” that, over the years, I’ve heard repeated often by otherwise…
According to the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education (and many others) the higher education system in the United States is already out of financial reach for many in our society. Taking on debilitating debt is the primary way (if not the only way) to fund college for most families. But not so…
In my work with university leaders I’ve come across 3 basic categories of leaders: The Teller – this is the leader who thinks of the plans herself and then tells those in her charge the end goal as well as the path to get there. From my experience, I would say this is about 60%…
Ahh, yes, the ole College tour remains alive and well. Even in a horrible economic downturn, that elusive but all-important variable, college “fit,” still encourages families to spend money and time to travel and tour prospective college campuses. People still want and need to feel welcomed, to be part of a community, and to touch…
A see-saw doesn’t balance for long. That’s the visual I have always conjured when people talk of “work-life balance.” In a former life, I studied the concept by surveying employees only to find that sustaining work life-balance is, you guessed it, awfully hard. I think the problem is that the very phrasing we’ve used to…