Giving is Good
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…
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…
“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…
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…