Are you looking to make nonprofit professional development fun? Here are 10 tried-and-true tips that will make your staff (and volunteers) get more interested their training.
Jerry Panas
Jerry Panas is one of our industry’s greats. I’ve learned so much from him over the years. Here is some of his best advice on how to nail the gift: Getting the visit is the toughest part. Be willing to fail. Enthusiasm is contagious. Keep your antenna alert. Talk only 25 percent of the time. Donors give to the magic of an idea. You never know until you ask. Your materials are not important in an ask. Take only 11 minutes to present your case. I would like you to consider a gift of …
The hardest thing for most development officers to do is to GET OUT OF THE OFFICE and spend time face to face with donors discussing a major or planned gift. Sometimes the problem is based on a latent fear of being put “on the spot” and not knowing what to say. One way to overcome the fear is simply to be enthusiastic. Take a cue from Vartan Gregorian, former CEO of the New York Public Library. According to Jerry Panas, author of “Asking: A 59-Minute Guide to Everything Board Members, Volunteers and Staff Must Know to Secure the Gift,” Gregorian makes everyone