Giving is Good
As we steam toward another year end, full-tilt in the “Season of Giving,” it’s easy to let the busy-ness of development work become all-consuming. So much to be done. And, all on a deadline of December 31. During this hectic time, my hope is that you and the members of your team will take time…
People say the financial environment is difficult and that raising money today is tougher than ever. Yes, there are challenges. But there are always challenges. Raising money never seems easy when we are doing it – only in hindsight does it appear to have been effortless. Tara Loader Wilkinson, a reporter for the Financial News…
Our friends at Crescendo Interactive have offered up the following guidance regarding IRA rollovers – good stuff! On the afternoon of December 17, 2010, the President signed into law The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010. This bill restores the IRA Charitable Rollover for 2010 and permits its use in…
Many development professionals and most volunteers believe solicitation to be the most important stage of the giving cycle. Webcasts, conferences, and books on ‘making the ask’ sell because people are convinced of the preeminence of the solicitation. The conventional wisdom is that there must be a special technique, a preferred tactic, or a eloquent turn…
Charm and nothing but charm at last grows a little tiresome. It’s a relief then to deal with a man who isn’t quite so delightful but a little more sincere. – W. Somerset Maugham, “The Painted Veil“ The Painted Veil is a sweeping, enjoyable early 20th Century novel which chronicles the spiritual development of Kitty,…
Meaningfully engaging donors and raising significantly more money are not functions of. . . Your organization’s number of facebook likes; The average number of tweets your organization produces each week; Integrating cutting edge widgets onto your website; Supplying planned giving calculators on your website; The number of hits on your organization’s website; The number of…
We often talk about “educating” our donors. And education is a good thing. But sometimes, the way we practice educating our donors is a bit misguided. It is easy to conceptualize the education process as the delivery of information or knowledge. In this model, we believe it is our job to teach, to convey, to…
. . . when you are asking for money. Everyone has heard this comment. Mostly from non-donors, but occasionally from donors as well. One read of the comment is that the speaker wants more information about the institution and fewer solicitations. In fact, that’s typically how a development professional frames this comment. And the response…
Making a difference in the lives of others, in our communities, and on our world is noble and fulfilling work. To wake up each morning with the recognition that our organizations educate, heal, transform, support, and uplift others is a blessing. Because I feel called to be a part of non-profit advancement work, I am…
My credit card company doesn’t have a phone number. Neither does my preferred airline. And neither does the hotel chain I frequent when I’m on the road. Many businesses act as if they don’t have a phone number. Instead, what they offer on printed materials, even on their websites, is a mix of numbers and…