I used to think Mop & Glo was the greatest product known to man. Once a week, Iโd mindlessly squirt Mop & Glo on my tile flooring, run a damp mop over my tile and step back to admire the shine. Until the day came when there was no shine left to admire. So, are you using what I call "Mop & Glo fundraising"?...
I want to let you in on a secret. Almost every day Richard and I get notes and emails from major gift officers, who, like you, are readers of our blog and lament that their bosses, executive directors or boards are making it impossible to do their jobs. Richard and I have a ton of empathy for your situations....
While Valentine's Day is very symbolic for us, I will never forget what I was told decades ago: to show affection every day of the year and not just one special, designated day. I always have carried that premise over to donors in my career. We need to love them all of the time. Unfortunately, many professionals have not developed a proper method or process to do this over time...
When it comes to sending our receipts and thank-you messages, the most important goals should be โfast and grateful.โ So kudos to every organization that receipted meโand did it quickly. The typical donor will see the thank you and probably file it away for taxes; it may not seem to make much of an impression, but research shows that saying โthank youโ does matter as it is one more piece to building a relationship with that donor....
In 2016, there are five fundamental skills nonprofits must master to guarantee success in an overcrowded marketplace. Some of these skills will seem familiar, but the way you employ them may need to be tweaked in order for you to survive and thrive in our digitally revolutionized society. Other skills may be things youโve thought about or dabbled in, but havenโt really committed to with serious intent and dedicated resources....
Wow. We have never seen an election cycle like this one. To some it is edifying, and to others it is quite scary. No matter what your political persuasion, here are eight fundraising lessons we can take away from this primary season....
If you work for a nonprofit and are a leader in the direct-marketing space, you need to be in N.C. in May...
The reasons for major gift officer (MGO) failure, other than the person not having the skills to do the job, are pretty basic. What I find interesting is that MGOs can simply decide to not let any one of these points be a reason for their failures. They can, literally, flick switches in their minds and make the decision to head in another direction if they want.
As his NFL career began in Indianapolis, I had the honor of working with Peyton Manning on a capital campaign I directed to build the St. Vincent Childrenโs Hospital, later to be renamed the Peyton Manning Childrenโs Hospital at St. Vincent. I noticed early on that he always was prepared for every meeting, interview, event and activity. He was all business and knew his role...
Itโs one week later, and two things havenโt changed. First, four of the 23 nonprofit organizations that I sent a year-end gift to still havenโt said โthank you,โ and secondly, I remain convinced that a strong receipting/thank you program is a key component to building lasting relationships....