Giving is Good
There is something about finding something we feared we’ve lost. A couple of years ago on our annual family vacation, I was throwing a football in knee-high surf only to have my wedding band slip quietly off my suntan-lotioned finger. By the time I realized it was gone, the steady waves had shifted the sandy…
Why do donors make gifts? What motivates a donor to give? It’s not because your materials are the most eye-catching or compelling. It’s not because your institution has the most needs. It’s not because you serve the most disadvantaged populations. It’s not even because you have the most urgent and life-impacting case for support. If…
You’ve heard these well-worn proverbs before: “It’s not what you have, it’s who you have.” “It’s not what you know, its who you know.” The central theme of these old saws is, of course, that people matter more than things. The people who you count as close will have a larger impact on the quality…
Poor leaders rarely have a coherent philosophy that guides their strategies and decisions. Ineffective leaders lack a well-thought out approach. They don’t have a system that creates a sense of stability and understanding. They change their mind whimsically, based primarily on who has influenced them last. If there is an issue with the major gifts…
Recently I was presenting on the process of asking for a major gift before a diversified group of development professionals. The folks in the room that day spanned all levels of development leaders, gift officers, and support team members and ranged in experience from a few weeks on the job to seasoned pros. During a…
Development officers are in the business of selling, right? So, what are you selling? The most ineffectual officers are selling themselves. Development folk of average effectiveness are selling a project, a building, a program, an initiative, or a campaign. The above average officers are selling institutional mission and vision. But the truly exceptional development professionals…
What does the phrase “prospect research” mean to you? For most advancement professionals, I would suggest that the phrase conjures up thoughts about a process of gathering data on a donor or prospect from sources other than the prospect. Whether we use fee-based or free electronic databases, newspapers, other institutions’ donor lists, or peer screens,…
Performance metrics are important. But performance metrics aren’t the work. Performance metrics represent a proxy for our work. And sometimes a poor proxy at that. Our work is not some number of moves, visits, or even the asks or the dollars committed we can claim. Our real work is qualitative in nature. It’s making people…
If you want to transform your Board into an engaged and dynamic fundraising body, then teach them the following: Fundraising is the exact opposite of begging. You should always ask for money from a position of confidence and while standing tall, not shrinking and bowing down. Do this because you believe in what our institution…
Recently, I was involved in a strategy meeting with the president, vice president, and campaign chair for a higher education institution. The vice president was discussing how a key high wealth donor prospect had become excited about the purpose of the campaign and that a solicitation had occurred. She said, “Our major gift officer was…