Giving is Good
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…
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….
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…