Giving is Good
Wednesday was NSD. For those who don’t follow college football in the United States, NSD is “National Signing Day,” the day in which high school football players make official their college choice. For the year-round college football fan NSD is a big day. Better football players signed in February will hopefully mean more victories in…
Weak leadership is betrayed by the use of possessive pronouns. When I hear a vice president or president talk about “my staff,” or “my cabinet,” experience suggests that I’m dealing with someone who cares more about position and less about performance. Of course, the person using the “my staff” language believes such language portrays a…
There are two approaches to developing funding opportunities: Develop a compelling vision for the institution’s future based on mission and values by engaging key leaders, donors, and constituents in a planning process. Specific funding priorities are identified that support this compelling vision. Develop a comprehensive list of institutional needs and encourage donors to support the…
I hear it all the time from institutional leaders: “We need to identify what makes us distinctive.” “Our strategic plan/viewbook/brochure/website/direct mail letter/(you name it) should highlight the distinctive aspects of our programs.” “Our institution has to show how it is different from every other institution out there.” It seems that most institutional and advancement leaders…
So far I’ve identified four principles which I believe are keys to fundraising success as a result of the 2008 recession. The principles (Income Stream Diversity, Database Depth, Bench Depth, and Big Value Communication) highlight new thinking based on the economic realities in which institutions (and their donors) now find themselves. The final principle is…
Since the Great Recession, fundraising has changed fundamentally – especially major gift fundraising. In recent posts, I’ve identified three principles (Income Stream Diversity, Database Depth, and Bench Depth) that are keys to institutional success in today’s fundraising environment. The fourth principle for successful fundraising in The New Universe is Big Value Communication. Big Value Communication…
The nature of fundraising has changed. Thus far, I have proposed two principles (Income Stream Diversity and Database Depth), which, if implemented regularly and effectively, will provide your institution with an approach that leads to transformational outcomes. The third principle for fundraising in The New Universe is Bench Depth. Bench Depth refers to the capacity…
Institutions today are faced with a series of issues that fundamentally have changed our fundraising environment – it is a New Universe. In my last article, I suggested that development offices need to diversify their institution’s income streams. Today, I am offering the second principle that I believe is important if institutions are to thrive…
Our universe has changed – dramatically. And, the old universe ain’t coming back anytime soon. So, I have posited a set of principles which, when implemented, will provide our institutions with opportunities for success in this new environment. Principle number 1 is: Income Stream Diversity. Income stream diversity refers to expanding the sources of income…
Our known universe has changed. Savings rates for individuals are trending up. Philanthropy is down. The mega-gifts that fueled campaigns (and fundraising totals) over the past few decades are decreasing. The housing market is still tanking in many areas so people are feeling much “less rich.” And unemployment remains stubbornly high. Most everything we’ve understood…