Giving is Good
We tend to think of those who are artistic or inventive or imaginative as “creative” types. We also tend to box our creative colleagues into the advancement roles of graphic and web design, or marketing, or photography, or communications. But when we deeply think about the important outcomes of advancement work we should consider everyone…
In the rush (or pressure?) to grow our annual fund gift receipts year-over-year, we can lose the broader understanding of context and, in fact, advancement program health. What if, for example, we grew an annual fund from $1,000,000 to $5,000,000 over the course of a 5 year period. And, during that same time period total…
If our goals are vague, we can hide. If our performance metrics are vague, we can hide. If our annual evaluation criteria are vague, we can hide. We may say that we want to show up. We want to make a difference. We want to have an impact. But if we’re not willing to be…
One sign of an unhealthy advancement team culture can be found in the way people talk about themselves. Not the friendly Monday morning sharing of how our weekend was. But, the “peel the onion back,” “let’s hear how you really feel,” observations we all make when times get difficult. For example, when progress is not…
Most institutions have some form of “stewardship.” The definition and application of this term can vary widely from institution to institution. Generally speaking, though, “stewardship,” typically means, “how we thank our donors,” or “how we report back to donors on the impact of their giving.” Expressing our gratitude when donors give is, of course, important. …
This is the wrong question to pose. It’s far more helpful to ask, “how can I help this donor make the biggest difference through our mission?” Gaining agreement on the level of impact is the best precondition to receiving the biggest gift. Follow and share Jason’s Blog:
A current-day, counter-cultural engagement strategy for nonprofit leaders is to share a level of strategic vulnerability with key donors, stakeholders, and institutional influencers. Strategic vulnerability is the purposeful sharing of key problems, concerns, shortcomings, and other issues faced by our institution and, then, inviting others to help. Far too many leaders believe that the most…
“Use the gift as you see fit,” is not the same as, “there is no need to tell me how my gift made a difference.” “I won’t be able to make the event,” is not the same as, “I’m not interested in making a gift.” “As a gift officer, he’s a warm and engaging guy,”…
Here is a simple way to think about the potential advancement outcomes related to our annual planning. First, some definitions: Goals are qualitative statements that support our longer-term aspirations. The word “goals,” includes the word, “go” – a reminder that “Goals” are direction setting statements, describing the focus we plan to embrace. Objectives, on the…
The next time someone asks you what you do for work, explain your role without using the following 3 words: fundraiser (or fundraising) advancement development Being able to explain what you actually do – in a compelling and winsome way – is far more helpful than sharing your title. . . or leading people to…