2 min read
Why We Can’t Think Big.
A few weeks ago I was in a meeting with a non-profit development team and their CEO. The CEO came into the meeting, sat down, and with a big smile on her face, said, “Team, I want us to dream big. I...
2 min read
The Economics of Major Gift Fundraising Series #4 – Credit – Who Gets It?
Let me say, right at the top, that the MGO gets all the credit for revenue from any donor on his or her caseload with the exception of planned gifts IF a PGO was involved. There are a lot of people...
3 min read
Transporting Your Donor to the Scene: Take Your Donor Into the Need
It never fails. The MGO is stuck in his relationship with the donor. He can’t seem to get her engaged. He even knows what the donor is interested in, but nothing seems to be working. So I ask: “Did...
4 min read
Packaging Your Budget For Donors, Series: #1 – The Principles
In 2004 the Sony Corp came out with a revolutionary product. It was the LIBRIe, the first e-book reader with electronic ink display. It was impressive back then and technology experts saw it as a...
3 min read
The Meaning Of “No”
One of the most difficult words to hear is “no”. It cuts to the core of our being. It is immediately personal. It often feels bad. When I was younger the word “no” caused me a great deal of anxiety....
2 min read
Landing the Big Donor…
I can’t tell you how often I see a headline in a fundraising magazine, e-mail or tweet about “Landing the Big Donor.” It’s infuriating. What’s even crazier is that fundraising professionals and...
2 min read
Stay out of the Hairball!
The worst thing you can do as a major gift officer is to get involved in the Giant Hairball. What is the Giant Hairball? My good friend, Jeff Brooks, writes about it in his Future Fundraising Now...
3 min read
How Events Ruin A Major Gift Program
It is not surprising to me that many major donors do not give as they could to the causes they love. The primary reason they don’t is because MGOs do not ask them to. And one of the ways this happens...
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3 min read
Who Should Be On My Caseload?
The subject of caseload composition is a hotly debated topic in major gift circles, just like the subject of how many donors should even be on a caseload. What kind of donors should be on my...
3 min read
Who Should Be On My Caseload?
The subject of caseload composition is a hotly debated topic in major gift circles, just like the subject of how many donors should even be on a caseload. What kind of donors should be on my...
