Is CFRE Certification Worth It?
May 14, 2018 at 11:53 am

We are often asked if a degree or CFRE certification is necessary to be successful in major gifts. And this goes to a much larger question of the role education plays in preparing a person to do the job...

Is Your Philanthropic Support Going to the Dogs?
March 23, 2018 at 2:06 pm

I was recently with a donor who is also an important volunteer to our organization. This donor is an excellent representative for our organization. My boss and I asked him to consider giving his philanthropic support to our upcoming campaign. He mentioned that our organization was at the top of his list of charities to support, but also noted when he passes away he was going to leave funds to the Humane Society for unwanted senior dog care...

Fundraising for Faith-Based Organizations in a Secular World
March 12, 2018 at 11:27 am

The good news is that the growing trend toward a more secular society has not produced a significant decline in financial support of the Army, and there's no reason it should stymie your efforts either. Following are important lessons for faith-based organizations to keep in mind while seeking support...

Why I Give Away Cash Out of My Car Window
January 17, 2018 at 12:30 pm

Around the first of each month, I go through my bankโ€™s drive-through and get some cash in $5 and $10 bills. I keep the money in the console of my car to give away to people on street corners asking for assistance when Iโ€™m driving around...

Graduate Education Is Your Catalyst for Career Growth
January 12, 2018 at 11:49 am

Each year, many young professionals contact me through a variety of ways. In late 2017, several contacted me through coffee sessions, job interviews, visits at special events, AFP lunches, CFRE interactions, contacts as a favor from a colleague, etc. These individuals are either in the nonprofit field or deciding whether to pursue a nonprofit career...

The Importance of a Caring Professor/Faculty Advisor
January 5, 2018 at 12:20 pm

On Christmas Eve 2017, I was driving on Interstate 64 near Charleston, West Va., when I passed the Dunbar exit. At that moment, I mentioned to my wife the impact of my former professor and how that individual affected me academically like no other in my life. She knew every time I would pass that exit, I would say the same thing. I told her I had recently sent a Christmas card like I always do to Dr. Jack Yeager. Dr. Yeagerโ€™s influence on me was profound...

Want Fresh Ideas? Put a Kid on Your Board of Directors
November 28, 2017 at 10:16 am

Teenagers are irresponsible. They are lazy and entitled and never look up from their smart devices. Wait, what about Jack Andraka, who identified an early detection mechanism for pancreatic cancerโ€ฆ while he was in high school? He not only invented it, he pitched the idea to 200 research professors to test it and earned workspace in a scientific lab...

Why Itโ€™s Important to Know the Numbers
October 4, 2017 at 12:52 pm

This week, I was having breakfast with an incredible leader. He owns three significant businesses in a metropolitan area and is one of the regionโ€™s most respected leaders, fully engaged in the civic affairs and direction. One of his affiliations is with a university. He was sharing with pride the caliber of the universityโ€™s current and past presidents and how, while with different leadership styles, they have taken the university to another level...

What Nonprofits Can Learn From the NFL
September 27, 2017 at 11:43 am

Former NFL Super Bowl quarterback Colin Kaepernick was a lone nut. He was the guy who famously took a knee during the playing of the National Anthem before games to protest discrimination and brutality against minorities by police. The events of the past week transformed him from a lone nut into the leader of a movement...

4 Reminders to Prevent Donors From Getting Compassion Fatigue
September 19, 2017 at 10:57 am

Given the recent string of catastrophic events, amplified by nonstop media coverage, you certainly canโ€™t fault people for beginning to feel compassion fatigue. After making personal or workplace donations to charities helping out in Texas, the Caribbean, Florida and elsewhere, itโ€™s understandable that donors might begin to feel worn out...