3 min read
No Answer? Try 7 Times!
We have all had the experience. We try to contact donors and no answer. They will not answer the phone. They will not answer their email. They probably don’t open our mail. And the silence is...
Passionate Giving BlogTM
2 min read
Go Tell Your Donors They are Making a Difference!
“How are you telling your donors they are making a difference with their giving? No, really. How are you letting them know they are making an impact on the world?” Richard and I find ourselves asking...
3 min read
The Ideal Composition of a Caseload
Things are not going well for you as an MGO. You feel as though you are not managing your donors properly or, in many ways, you could be managing them better. You are behind in revenue and it’s time...
4 min read
How to Turn a Donor Into a Stranger
When Jeff sent me this letter I took a little trip in my mind. I went to this lady’s home and sat beside her as she was writing. It was a very sad experience. Take a moment to read what she wrote. I...
3 min read
It’s Not Enough to say Thanks
You know that when a donor gives a gift, your first job is to say thank you, as quickly as possible. Amazingly, colleagues in our industry, (and that includes Richard and myself), have written,...
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...
