Write Your Major Gift Message with Emotion and Heart
Maybe you’ve heard that old adage: information tells, emotion sells. I suggest you print that out and put it in front of you when you’re writing, so that you make sure you start with emotion and then sprinkle your writing with information, and NOT start with...
Transporting Your Donor to the Scene
“Did you take her right into the need? Right where the person lives – the person you are trying to help?” we asked the MGO. He couldn’t break through to show the donor how truly transformational her gift could be. “No, she won’t go. She doesn’t seem interested in...
Be Careful with Those Wealth Ratings
“Useful data comes in the form of stories, not statistics.” This is a quote from an article in Quartz at Work, written by Taddy Hall, Senior Partner at Lippincott. And it is a very powerful statement that is important to apply in major gifts, related to the use of...
After You Are Gone, Who Will Know the Donor’s Story?
Today, I’m writing from sunny San Diego at the annual Nonprofit Storytelling Conference. Richard and I are here to talk about the importance of storytelling in major gift success. There are over 500 people here, all talking about two things: 1) The donor’s story, and...
How One MGO Gets Close to the Need
We are constantly talking about how important it is for you to get close to the need, so that you keep your heart warm and ready to properly represent that need to your donor. I was fascinated to read how Peter Zehren does it. He’s a MGO from the Wisconsin Upper...TOP RATED PODCAST
Twice monthly, Richard and Jeff address current topics and classic problems in major gift fundraising.
