I recently attended a coffee and conversation event set up by my staff. The purpose of the event was to educate, thank and inform donors in a special and warm way. The event numbers, by design, was small and intimate in nature...
F. Duke Haddad
Organizations need to enhance their nonprofit marketing efforts. There are a variety of reasons why they do not achieve this objective. Greater attention for nonprofit marketing must begin today...
What does it mean to be a cheerful giver? I am sitting in my hospital development office, and I am asked to come to the front desk. I see a woman that I have never met before, and she asked to come to my office...
I love to make presentations. In order to make a successful nonprofit presentation, you must understand how to properly prepare in advance. I do extensive research on the topic to present...
Our professional know-how drives organizational missions. Skillsets like creativity, resilience, adaptability and the power to create meaningful connections with donors are what truly distinguish effective fundraising professionals. The question is do we go to work, share our talents and go home each day?...
I have worked with many nonprofit boards in my career. In my role as an executive or consultant, I have witnessed many examples of dying boards. In some cases, nonprofit board members were tired of serving. In other cases, leadership on the board had simply dried up without replacement steps...
As one who strives for perfection and success regardless of age, I seek opportunities to renew and to look ahead. There is no better time to regroup and prepare yourself than a change in calendar year. So, with that said, it is now time to make New Year’s resolutions...
When I was growing up in West Virginia, both of my parents had to work to provide for me and my three siblings. We had a very loving family. No one loved Christmas more than my mother. She celebrated Christmas the entire year...
Many of us are working very hard to close the 2018 calendar year on a positive fundraising note. With Christmas coming quickly, many of us are already looking to the next year. If possible, get a little rest between Christmas and the new year. I do not have a crystal ball, but I am very interested in what may happen in 2019. I wonder if we will have a Happy New Year?...
The National Philanthropic Trust references the word philanthropy in a history of modern philanthropy. This word comes from the Greek word philanthropia, meaning the love of mankind...
According to CNN, many people take advantage of a provision in the tax code that enables benefactors to donate appreciated stock to charity. It is a win-win situation: charitable organizations get a nice contribution (they usually sell shares immediately), while donors can write off the gift and avoid paying capital gains taxes on the stock gains...
If you bring up the question of how to measure nonprofit success to several organizational executives, you will probably receive many different answers...
The world of fundraising spins quickly throughout the year. It seems to spin at a constant speed for nine months. During year end—beginning in October—the spin rates pick up dramatically and continue to increase throughout November and December when sparks begin to fly...
I had a meeting the other day with a board member. My assignment was to ask for a pledge/gift to a fundraising effort we were undertaking. I did not know this individual well. He had a unique personality and communication style. I immediately realized that I would have to give 100 percent attention on literally…
I went to the movies to see the movie, “First Man,” last weekend because I was interested in what happened July 20, 1969. This reminded me of a capital campaign...
