Giving is Good
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…
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…
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…
“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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
“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”…