Giving is Good
“We don’t have the money to do that.” I hear this statement (or another variation on the theme – “we have too much on our plate already”) far too often. And it is almost never the reason why we don’t attempt a new direct mail strategy or make more visits on our most promising donors…
A common aim – usually unwritten – of advancement professionals is to “create a culture of philanthropy” within their institutions. The typical reason for this goal stems from a sense that board members and others with high giving capacity are not responding to the institution with a matching degree of generosity. I usually hear a…
It’s not uncommon for a gift officer to tell me that she knows very well the organization’s major donors. When I happily follow-up this assertion with a few questions, I sometimes learn what is really “known” is the origin of the donor’s wealth and little else. In some instances, very little of import is understood…
When we attend conferences, we are often encouraged to “take home 3 good ideas and implement them.” If we do that, we are told, the conference will have been of high value. Focusing on the content to gather up 3 good ideas is fine for the short term. If the presenters and the content are…
When soliciting a major gift prospect, it is best practice to engage only volunteers who already have made their commitment. This is the “Give First Rule.” Not only is this an ethical practice, but we know that modeling the giving process encourages others to respond favorably to a gift request. Development professionals smile when they…
Much research on leadership development suggests that, as an individual moves up the org chart, her work-style needs to evolve from task-orientation to relationship-orientation. Task-oriented people like to work on projects. They like jobs with deadlines. They get primary fulfillment from “checking off” their completed assignments. They measure success by “getting things done.” On the other…
Here’s the reality: every day marketers fill mailboxes with more direct mail packages, call more homes with pitches, place more advertisements on radio and tv (remember when cable tv meant that there was no advertising?), and fill more magazine pages with ads. And consumers are overwhelmed and not paying much attention anymore. According to David…
One of the biggest issues facing education and philanthropic organizations today is one of talent. Attracting and retaining talented individuals, especially on the development team, is becoming more and more difficult. It is estimated that development officers are staying in their positions an average of 1.5 – 2.5 years. Understanding that quality development work is…
When we ask for advice, we are usually looking for an accomplice. – Marquis de la Grange I love this quote. It can be read as manipulative, but I choose not to. And yes, “accomplice,” does convey wrongdoing of some sort. But if not taken so literally, it can be read in a way that…
Who do you attract to your Board? “The heavy hitters,” I heard recently when I asked this question. “These are people of influence and affluence.” Great! To our Boards we attract leaders from business, the clergy, political players, and other people of social and financial importance. And then, if we aren’t careful, we take…