by Richard Perry | Aug 11, 2023 | Cooperation, Non-profit Management, Performance Measurement | Focus, Management, Relationships, Teamwork
“Reach the goal, no matter what!!” That is the philosophy of many authority figures in many non-profits. And they maintain that philosophy because they really don’t know how to do it any other way. So “get the money at all costs” becomes the norm. And it chases donors...
by Richard Perry | Aug 4, 2023 | Assessments, Legacy, Planned Giving Associate, Planned Giving Officer | Major Gifts, Planned giving, Stewardship
You cannot imagine the times Jeff and I have found, at organizations large and small, that there is just one person who handles planned giving AND major gifts for the organization. This happens a lot in smaller organizations where the labor economics are driving the...
by Richard Perry | Aug 16, 2024 | Board Fundraising, board meetings, Board Training | Board of Directors, Fundraising, Leadership
Complaints about board members never seem to stop. To list: “I can’t get my board members to solicit donors.” “My board won’t come to events and talk to donors about what we do.” “My board members do not ask me how they can introduce their friends to us. Why can’t...
by Richard Perry | Jul 17, 2024 | Fundraising Offers, Giving, Reasons for Giving | Donor Offers, Giving, Major Gift Officers, Sales
You can’t have a successful retail store without a product to sell. You could have the world’s greatest logo, tagline, and storefront. All the window dressing to entice the customer to come in and buy your product. But that is not enough. You must have the goods...
by Richard Perry | Jul 26, 2024 | annual letter, Ask | Annual Fund, Communication, Passions and Interests
You probably know by now that Jeff and I are unreservedly against using anything in fundraising that has the word or the concept of “annual” in it. A letter, a campaign, a mention, even a thought. As we’ve said many times before, the word “annual” shouldn’t be in the...