Giving is Good
With the dawn of another U.S. Thanksgiving holiday just days away, we will soon welcome the commencement of the official “season of giving.” The month of December will experience millions of donors acting with great generosity and each year at this time I am reminded of the concept of philanthropic impacts. Specifically, and, it seems,…
Amid all of the publicity regarding Robert F. Smith’s announcement to repay the student loan balances for each of the Morehouse College graduates a Sunday ago, there is a key lesson to ferret out, if advancement and nonprofit leaders are willing to look (and listen) closely. Yes, the gift is wonderful and should be applauded. …
Just recently I was consulting with a university president when, in a moment of personal and professional transparency, he shared his lamentation that he had “gotten too close” to one of the institution’s most generous donors. I asked him what he meant by that and here was his all-too-familiar story. “I’m not quite sure how…
Imagine with me for a moment that you are sitting with one of your most generous donor couples. It is a husband and wife who are now contemplating the 7-figure gift invitation you have just extended to them. In the past they have given significantly to your institution – but not at this level. If…
They aren’t. . . your donors. You are one of their charitable recipients. your Board members. You are one of their volunteer priorities. your staff. You are one of the key factors in their workplace satisfaction. your Twitter followers. You are one of their social media interests. your prospects. They may not even be aware…
I sometimes wonder how many nonprofit leaders realize they are serving two distinct but related missions? First, of course, is the mission of service particular to your institution or organization. You may have an education mission, a healthcare mission, a nutrition mission, a faith-filled mission, a mission to assist the homeless, etc. Most nonprofit leaders…
How do you respond when someone asks about your profession – what you do for a living? While it can be tempting to offer a knee-jerk and readily-understood response such as, “I’m a fundraiser,” please don’t. Ever again. For the sake of our authentically-transforming work, just don’t. Fundraising is the transactional, point-in-time act of donating. …
Over the last few years, I’ve taken to explaining the purpose of donor and prospect management as the “management of exceptions.” By that phrase, I simply mean that all major donors and major donor prospects are “exceptions” to any conceivable universal rule one might use to engage them as a group. Each of these identified…
In a world seemingly plagued by insecurity, brittleness, volatility, anger, negativity, and senselessness, being involved as a professional in the arena of gift-giving and philanthropy is something for which you should be grateful. Each day you work in advancement, you are affirming the remarkable goodness of humanity through generosity. Consider what we know from research:…
I invite you to begin your New Year by watching this short “ted talk,” which was actually a presentation by Viktor Frankl, the 20th Century Austrian psychologist and more importantly, Holocaust survivor. He reminds us all that we have a responsibility to lift up, to inspire, and to encourage others. Regardless of your circumstances,…