Giving is Good
How should we go about inviting Mrs. Howard to make the lead gift? You might be inclined to respond to this strategy question by seeking to know more about Mrs. Howard as a person and as a donor. You would probably want to know more about her history with your institution, her financial capacity, the…
Your donor database will always have more inaccurate or missing data than you think is acceptable. You can still raise more money. Your institution’s brand and messaging could always be more concise, clear, and compelling. You can still raise more money. Your case for support does not need to be completed for you to contact…
We talk often about “leaving legacies,” in development work. Mainly, of course, we talk about this concept with donors who might have an interest in making a planned gift of some sort. Another way to think of “leaving legacies,” though, is not nearly as future-casted and is focused on your choices as opposed to the…
In any given year, most advancement shops that work smart and with effort will focus on increasing either gift income or donor numbers. Those two metrics – gift income and donor numbers – are, easily, the most important when assessing the success of any given fundraising year. Occasionally, though, I’ll hear an advancement leader proudly…
The Messenger The Message The Medium Those are the 3 most important variables when inviting a gift. In that order. It doesn’t matter if it’s a modest annual gift, a major gift, or a planned gift. That’s the order of importance. Who does the asking is, without fail, more important than the message. And the…
If you want to raise more major gifts – especially during our disrupted world of 2020 – the path is simple: Invite more prospective donors to make them. That’s it. Sure, you can fret all you’d like over the impacts of the pandemic. You can spend your time commiserating with colleagues about the disruptions caused…
A class I had in graduate school still resonates with me. It was a research methodology class and we had just completed reading a series of research articles about educational leadership that, seemingly, didn’t provide many fresh or new insights on the topic. In class one evening, a classmate of mine spoke up to our…
“What amount could this donor give if she was enthusiastic about this request and our institution was her number 1 charitable giving priority?” “What amount am I going to invite her to give?” “What amount do I think she will give?” Far too often, major gift officers either do not know or are vague in…
Steve Jobs, the former CEO and co-founder of Apple Inc., is quoted to have said, “Get closer than ever to your customers. So close that you tell them what they need well before they realize it themselves.” I’ve reflected on this counterbalance to “the customer is always right” perspective for years. I can recall, for…
When each was recruited to serve, what percentage of the members of your institution’s governing or Foundation Board were invited into a conversation about the giving expectations associated with Board membership? How many of your institution’s major donors have affirmingly stated, “we will continue to be supportive,” after finishing their most recent major gift with…