F. Duke Haddad

The truth is the fundraising world is very complex and dynamic. We use simple tools and basic principles that we feel will provide easy answers for us. The truth is all of us make mistakes daily in our jobs. The question is do we know we are making mistakes and try to correct them, or do we assume the wrong way to do things is the right way to accomplish success?

June 1 marked the 80th birthday of “National Doughnut Day.” This day was established by The Salvation Army and is a tribute to the fact that, in 1917 and 1918, about 250 Salvation Army volunteers served American troops on the front lines in France, supplying clothes, support and baked goods...

I was at a church meeting recently when the topic of nonprofit office moves came up. One individual said he had been moved at least six times during his career in the same city. In fact, every person in the room had been affected by at least one nonprofit office move during their career...

Nonprofit volunteerism can be such a power thing. The other day, I woke up early, ready to spend the day as a volunteer to build a new playground for children at Hidden Falls Camp. I would spend five hours this day driving to and from this remote location in the southern rolling hills of Indiana...

The British Royal Family certainly promotes a great deal of philanthropy and charity in Britain and across the world. Thousands of those in need benefit annually from their generosity...

The bottom line for you is to get out of the daily grind and attend a nonprofit national conference at least one time each year. Your academic and social batteries will be recharged and you will quickly realize others have the same problems as you. I bet you leave your conference inspired...

I have also heard through the years from a few former pro football players that the term NFL means “not for long.” What they mean is players do not typically play a long time in the NFL because of the nature of football...

I am writing this blog post from the Miami International Airport waiting to return to Indianapolis. I have spent the last nine days on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship named “Navigator of the Seas.” My wife and I traveled to Haiti, Bonaire, Curacao and the Bahamas. My personal highlight was to see Aruba...

Very early in my career, I was given the assignment of being a planned gifts officer with no experience on the resume. In fact, I was given this assignment while I was directing the annual fund for a university. I also did not have any experience as a major gifts officer...

Years ago, while growing up in West Virginia, I had a dream. My dream was to obtain a doctorate degree. I was focused on the quest to obtain the degree and not on how I would ultimately use the degree. While I was a graduate assistant at the Marshall University Graduate College, I befriended a professor who was completing his doctorate degree...

I work for Indiana Division of The Salvation Army. The nonprofit mission is as follows: “The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination...

I was in church last Sunday and thought about the act and importance of giving. I feel good when I give and help others. I was curious as to the impact of religion on philanthropy...

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...

How often do you think about your current job and look back on your nonprofit organizational stops? I suggest you do an analysis on this area, especially if you have many jobs ahead of you. If you spend at least a third of each day at work, I assume you would like to enjoy the daily experience...

I was recently home taking a vacation day from work when I received an email from the Association of Fundraising Professionals. The email said that my Indiana Chapter membership was renewed until 2019. I was thanked by the organization that serves 33,000 individual fundraisers in more than 250 chapters throughout North America and worldwide...