2 min read
Turning Their “No” Into Your “Yes”
Every fundraiser has gotten a “no” at some point in their career. Sure, it’s part of the job, but it’s an experience that can make you feel frustrated and dispirited with your work and your...
Passionate Giving BlogTM
3 min read
Why Developing a Major Gifts Program Takes So Long
Are you getting antsy? Wondering why money hasn’t started pouring in from your major gift program? We hear this all the time from leaders and managers and it feels like a crisis. Many non-profit...
3 min read
What Major Gift Success Looks Like
To create a successful major gifts program, it is essential for MGOs and their managers to establish clear plans and goals, and maintain strong communication. This approach forms the foundation for...
3 min read
Six Surprising Attributes of Extraordinary MGOs
When you’ve been coaching and working with major gift officers for as long as I have, you meet a lot of good ones and, unfortunately, some pretty bad ones. But throughout my career, I’ve also had the...
2 min read
Fear and Trembling: The Current Non-Profit Crisis
The non-profit industry is coming up against another crisis. With the latest freeze on government funding for many agencies, we will start to see a ripple effect down to the everyday non-profit...
2 min read
You’re Not as Unique as You Think You Are
If I had a dime for everyone that has said to me how their donors are different than other non-profit’s donors, I would be extremely wealthy. Let me begin by saying that I’ve pretty much seen it all...
3 min read
[Video] How Do You Report Back on Impact When Your Mission is Not Direct Services?
Reporting back on impact is THE key in retaining your donors. In fact, when donors are asked why they stopped giving, one of the top reasons is that the donor didn’t know the impact of their gift....
2 min read
Why Should You Care About Your Donors?
I remember sitting at my desk 36 years ago, opening reply envelopes from a mailing I sent out weeks prior. I was right out of college, and this was my first job… working as a fundraiser for a small...
3 min read
Do You Know What Makes or Breaks a Great Non-Profit?
Development Directors are the unsung heroes of a non-profit. Over the years of working on major gifts (and by that, I mean mid-level, major, and planned giving), Richard and I have developed the...
2 min read
Value Over Time
There is a high turnover rate in relationship fundraisers. Statistics tell us, most leave within an average of 18 months. There are a lot of reasons for that… But for those that stay, there is a...
2 min read
What Does Tradition Have to Do with Donors?
What holiday traditions do you love? We just celebrated a number of holidays with many beautiful traditions. One of my family’s favorite tradition is to make Scandinavian Almond Bars together, a...
3 min read
New Year, New Thinking! Assessing Your Donor’s Behavior
A three-part series to start the New Year right It’s January and it’s the best time of the year (after your books on 2024 close) to start evaluating your donor file. Why is this so important? Because...
