3 min read
The Myth of Doing It All Yourself
I have a confession. As someone who is an achiever and a perfectionist by nature, I sometimes have a bad habit of trying to handle everything myself. Not just because I want to make sure it gets done...
Passionate Giving BlogTM
2 min read
Stock Gifts Are Just Another Way to Transfer Value
Gifts of stock are not as complicated as you might think. Yes, there are some technical aspects. But just like every other kind of gift, it starts with knowing your donor: what they care about, what...
3 min read
One of the Biggest Barriers to Major Gifts (And How Leaders Can Remove It)
“I don’t have anything to present to donors.” A major gift officer said that to me a while ago. And before I could even respond, their manager jumped in, clearly frustrated.
3 min read
Why Your Mid-Level Officer Is Set Up to Fail Before They Even Start
Hiring a Mid-Level Officer feels like a big step forward. And it is! You’re signaling that you want to build a stronger pipeline, not just chase short-term revenue. But here’s what happens more often...
3 min read
The Metrics You’re Using for Major Gifts Are Pushing Your Fundraisers in the Wrong Direction
There’s a reason so many major gift programs feel busy but are underperforming. It’s not a lack of effort. It’s not a lack of talent. Most of the time, it comes down to what you’re measuring.
2 min read
What Your Back Office Is Saying About Your Mission (Whether You Know it Or Not)
If a donor could sit behind the scenes at your organization for a day and watch what happens after they give, what would they experience? Would they see a team that’s coordinated, responsive, and...
3 min read
Why Donors Get Stuck in Mid-Level (And How to Move Them Forward)
I’ve got a question for you. Do you know exactly which donors in your pipeline are ready for a deeper relationship right now? If you had to name them off the top of your head, could you?
3 min read
Who Thanks Your Donors? If You’re Not Sure, That’s a Problem
Let me ask you something. A gift comes in today—maybe a $25,000 check from a longtime donor. Do you know, right now, exactly who’s reaching out to thank them—and when?
3 min read
The Infrastructure Behind a Great ‘Thank-You’
You finally get the gift. The relationship has been building for months, maybe years. The conversation was right. The timing worked. The donor said yes. Hooray! That moment can feel like the finish...
3 min read
This Is What Your CRM Should Look Like
Your organization probably has a CRM. You log gifts in it, pull reports from it, and store donor contact information in it. That’s all good! But if you’re honest, you might still feel like something...
3 min read
The Major Gift Officer’s Guide to Managing a Full Caseload
If I had to guess, you probably didn’t become a major gift officer because you love spreadsheets, dashboards, and CRM data entry. You got into this work because you care about the mission. You wanted...
3 min read
Are You Using Your CRM the Right Way?
Here’s a hard but useful question to ask yourself: if you had to hand one of your donor portfolios to a new Major Gift Officer tomorrow, could they step in and keep those relationships moving without...
