Accountability

Independence Day was a welcome celebration of the founding of our country. It provided an opportunity for us to remember what we have in common, and it seemed, in most cases, a welcome respite from what can seem like a constant partisan bickering...

You want to develop a major gift program for your nonprofit, but you’re not sure you have enough donors to warrant hiring a major gift officer. Or you are growing your major gift program, and you’re wondering when it makes sense to hire another MGO to add to your team...

When you’re evaluating of the effectiveness of a fundraising program, you often have to look no farther than the internal language being used by the staff and volunteers who execute that program. Professional jargon is an unfortunate occurrence in just about any profession...

Recently, I had a conversation with Debbie Ezrin, director of development and communications of the Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless. Debbie had commented on one of my blogs in such a thoughtful way that I simply had to get to know her...

When your major gift officers end their meetings with major donors or prospects, what do you think is the first thing they do? You probably guessed right. Your team member grabs his or her mobile device to check emails and social media. We live in a world that is all about on-demand information...

The former head of a D.C. charity meant to benefit Vietnam veterans pleaded guilty to wire fraud after embezzling about $150,000, federal prosecutors said. John Thomas Burch, 75, of Alexandria was the president of the National Vietnam Veterans Foundation until last year, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia said in a statement. He…

There’s no substitute for the basics, as boring and tedious as they may be. This is true with anything in life, and major gifts development is no exception. The basics are boring, but they’re fundamental to your success...

There’s an ongoing debate about whether or not fundraising is considered a profession. Majority of fundraisers (if not all) will argue that it is, and then there are some naysayers who will say that it’s not...

Most people, businesses and charities that have achieved great success emphasize the why over the what and the how. Of course, the what and the how are a lot easier than the why, but if you properly understand and express your why, people who feel similarly will buy from you or donate to you willingly, regularly and for a very long time...

As development professionals, the level of service and excellence in which your organization delivers its mission impacts us directly. We must be ever-vigilant in observing and being proactive in solving situations...