The general operating rule we suggest in this situation is to serve the person whose interests and passions match those of yours.
Richard Perry
There are two words in fundraising that cause my stomach to tighten every time I hear them: “prospect” and “annual.”
There’s a lot of chatter about developing a culture of philanthropy. And quite a few people have pretty good ideas on how to do it.
Crediting for major gift pledges won’t work, which is why we suggest that you celebrate securing the pledge.
We believe a focus on helping donors fulfill their passions and interests through the organization is a far better approach.
We are often asked if corporations/businesses and foundations should be included in a major gift program.
The choice of words we use often carry more meaning than we might intend.
This is basic stuff. And you will get bored doing it because you will be doing it over and over again. But it works.
Remember, everything you do in major gifts is just one donor at a time.
Be sure you know the story of every donor on your caseload.
I am fascinated by the idea that it’s good to tell donors that 100% of their donation can go to program with none going to overhead.
There are a lot of Millennials in our country. And they may eventually be a force to contend with.
There are a lot of nonprofits that manage back office service really well. And then there are nonprofits that lack back office staff.
We’ve seen it over and over again: CEOs, presidents, executive directors who actually block progress in the major gift program.
One of the frustrating parts of my journey is getting leaders to provide major gift officers with usable resources.
