3 min read
The Anatomy of a Great Touch Point
Not long ago, I received one of the most meaningful donor touch points in my life—and I didn’t see it coming. It caught me completely off guard in the best possible way, and it reminded me just how...
Passionate Giving BlogTM
Relationships
3 min read
How to Unlock a Transformational Gift This Year
I want to let you in on something I’ve been seeing again and again in our coaching sessions with fundraisers this year. You have transformational donors in your caseload right now. They’re sitting...
2 min read
What is Your Mission? It's Bigger Than You Think
Every week, I talk with non-profit leaders who can eloquently articulate their organization's mission. They speak passionately about feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, protecting the...
2 min read
Why a Mid-Level Fundraising Program Is the Key to Donor Respect
If you ask most CEOs or Executive Directors whether their organization is relationship-centered, they’ll usually say “yes.” But when you look closer, the reality often tells a different story. For...
2 min read
Why Age Doesn't Matter in Major Gift Fundraising
Let me be straight with you – I'm worried. I'm worried because I see too many good fundraisers getting distracted by the wrong things. And right at the top of that list is this obsession with donor...
3 min read
New Year, New Thinking! Strengthening Your Internal Relationships
A three-part series to start the New Year right I love starting off a new year with goals, resolutions, and new ways of thinking. I love being inspired and pumped for the year ahead. In thinking...
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 (including Richard and myself) have written, conferenced,...
2 min read
Express Gratitude to Donors Daily
One thing that’s difficult for me to do is to focus on the positive things people do. Jeff and my wife both tell me regularly that I am too problem-oriented. There is good and bad news to this...
2 min read
You’re Using Campaigns as a Crutch!
If your non-profit has done more than two capital campaigns in its history, it’s most likely because you don’t have a strong major gift program and/or you’re using it as a crutch not to develop...
4 min read
Changing Your Major Gifts Program from Transactional to Relational
I was told about this experiment back in 1986, and it has stuck with me all these years. A teacher was given false information about the IQ and abilities of her classroom students. This changed her...
