Here is my list of the qualities and characteristics of exceptional leaders I have collected over the 45 years of my career.
Richard Perry
When managing our organization or department, we can struggle and wander. Here’s how to stay focused on your fundraising goals.
Bad structure and poor division of labor can harm the economy of your organization and even more harm to the donor experience.
Often, donors are not giving what they could because you are not presenting them with a donor offer that motivates them to give more.
Major gifts fundraising is often misunderstood. If you are facing ignorance, here are some ways you can educate fellow team members.
A frontline fundraiser can have a long list of credentials (schools attended, diplomas, certifications, etc.) and be a total failure at actually doing major gifts. Conversely, a frontline fundraiser can have no schooling, no credentials, no certifications and be an outstanding high-achieving frontline fundraiser.
Here is an easy-to-use checklist that ensures frontline fundraisers won’t miss a step when contacting a donor.
When nurtured successfully, relationships with donors will pay off economically in surprising ways.
Using data in the form of stories, not statistics, is a powerful idea that applies to major gifts as it relates to wealth data.
Here is how one major gifts officer turned a donor’s $2,600 annual giving one year into a gift of $56,500 the following year.
Caring for the donor is the best way to care for the organization. Do not let unrealistic expectations get you off that basic truth.
I’m often asked for a formula for adding major gift officers. There are many variables, but they boil down to these four points.
One tiny report makes a tremendous amount of difference. Because it closes the giving loop. Read these stories to see the impact.
One problem in major gifts is the lack of emotional intelligence. It’s not about the money or strategy.
The good part about an annual society or membership fee is that it is repeated, so there is donor and value retention. The bad part about it is that the donor is not asked to increase giving or give again in the same year. We have trained the donor to give your society or membership gift and you have done all that is needed this year.
