Question of the Month: What are the guiding principles of The Veritus Way of fundraising?

No matter how long you’ve been following Veritus Group, you’ve probably heard us encourage you to adopt “The Veritus Way” of major gift fundraising. But what exactly does that mean?

First and foremost, it’s about building authentic relationships with donors and growing a culture of honesty, partnership, and service. We knew from the beginning that this approach could transform not only how non-profits engage with their donors but also how they foster a supportive and dynamic internal culture.

Over the years, we’ve attended numerous fundraising conferences and seen firsthand the incredible impact of The Veritus Way and how our approach has transformed so many non-profits. In this Question of the Month video, Jeff shares how The Veritus Way started and discusses the ways it can positively impact your organization, too.

Watch the Question of the Month here:

Read the transcript below:

Hi. I’m Jeff Schreifels, Principal and Owner at Veritus Group. Today, I want to talk to you about the guiding principles that we teach our clients and our academy participants, what we call The Veritus Way. So first, let me share a bit about how Veritus Group got started. When Richard asked me if I wanted to join his major gift consultancy back in 2009, he had already established the backbone of the strategy, structure, and process of what we now call The Veritus Way of Major Gifts. But Veritus Group itself didn’t come to life until we were in my living room near Philadelphia, where we came up with the name. That name was rooted from the Latin truth and authenticity in community. We wanted to be truthful and authentic to ourselves, our clients, and to each other.

After we came up with our name, we started discussing what our values were going to be. Things like honesty and transparency, partnership and mutuality, relationships and service to humankind and our planet. Then we worked on the mission, which was to provide relational and data-driven donor management strategies for non-profits worldwide that would result in higher donor retention and giving across mid-level, major gifts, and planned giving. The process we built around those goals is what we now call The Veritus Way. And it’s more than just a strategy. It’s a philosophy. It’s about building authentic relationships with donors and growing a culture of honesty, partnership, and service. We knew from the beginning that this approach could transform not only how non-profits engage with their donors, but also how they foster a supportive and dynamic internal culture.

Over the years, I’ve seen firsthand the incredible impact of The Veritas Way. At recent fundraising conferences, I’ve heard fundraisers talk about how our approach has transformed their work, often without realizing I was even in the room. It’s moments like these that make me proud and grateful for the journey we’ve been on. If you’ve adopted The Veritus Way, you’re already seeing the benefits. But if you’re new to it or need a refresher, I encourage you to review our principles. Print out our Visual Guide linked below, and keep it handy as a reminder of how to engage with your donors authentically.

Thank you for taking the time to hear more about The Veritus Way. For more information about working with us, or getting started in one of our courses, visit our website or reach out to us directly. We’re here to support you every step of the way.