Giving is Good
“Our alumni just don’t come back for Homecoming at our institution like they do at other places.” “We’ve never had a strong turn-out for our donor recognition event.” “Our Board members just don’t give like they should. It hasn’t been part of our culture for our Board members to play a significant role in soliciting…
It used to be that answers were power. Answers were not only important, in and of themselves, but they represented something valuable – the capacity and the willingness to problem-solve. If you had the answers, you would have the advantage, in part because you were better at problem-solving. You would get the best scholarships to…
Don’t ask because you hope to get; Ask because you hope to give. Don’t ask because performance metrics insist that you must; Ask because your passion for mission yearns to be shared. Don’t ask because you have needs; Ask because you have a plan to meet needs. Don’t ask because you’ve completed…
We all understand the concept of addiction in individuals. The idea is that an individual is caught in a web of bad decision-making that, even when the person understands the decisions they are making are bad for them, they still make them. When a person is addicted, he or she will go to great lengths…
Your best donors are those who believe deeply in your mission. They believe so sincerely that, in most instances, your most significant donors are those who encourage others to give as well. Perhaps they host an event for your institution. Or perhaps they speak publicly or privately about why they give. Or perhaps, they are…
Occasionally, I confidently am told by education or non-profit governing board members that they serve on a “working board.” This statement is most often uttered as the follow-up to another less self-confident admission – namely that the board is not one that focuses on the topic of philanthropy. During these conversations, I am reminded that…
The success of your ask was determined during the cultivation. Donors don’t give to institutions, they give through institutions. And they give through institutions to people they trust. Doing the fundamentals consistently is “the silver bullet.” Generous people don’t grow tired of giving, they grow tired of being solicited. When it is time to ask,…
If your goal is to educate, engage, and delight more donors, friends, supporters, or funders through communication vehicles, ask yourself if the AIM of your message is on point. For every written solicitation, every webpage, every special events invitation, every magazine article, and every newsletter story, etc., ask yourself if what you are communicating is:…
If you want to enjoy strong results through your annual giving program, you should focus on educating/reminding people why your institution/program/service matters. The well-crafted annual ask encourages people to look back on the value of your institution/program/service and reflect on its importance. Donors make annual gifts to your institution because they have come to believe…
One of the most important and yet most misunderstood responsibilities of a development officer is to write helpful prospect contact reports on a consistent basis. Most development folk understand that they should write contact reports, but only some recognize why they are so vital to effective fundraising, and even fewer grasp how to write them well….