Peggy Vinson

Often non-profit leaders get caught up in anxiously telling donors “everything.” They blurt out stats about programs and stories. They hasten to show impact and community need. As non-profit staff and volunteers, they have great pride in the mission so it’s easy for them to go on and on about what’s happening with the organization.

For many organizations embarking on a capital campaign, naming opportunities are used as a tool for donor recognition.  Often we find that this process of determining values for naming rights brings up questions for the nonprofit leaders.

April is National Volunteer Month. Over the next few weeks the Donor By Design Team will be reflecting on the impact volunteers have on our communities and our world. Today Peggy tells a story of how one gentleman became an “unintended volunteer.”

When people think of fundraising, they usually are thinking about The Ask – and that can be very intimidating. This month, the Donor By Design Team is taking on How to Ask. Today, Peggy urges us to trust our donors… and the process.

It’s November and our minds automatically go to being thankful.

We’re coming into the summer months and as usual, we want to make the most of these fleeting months. One of the biggest complaints I hear from staff I work with is that they have no control over their work/life balance. I wish to disagree.

Are you the sum total of what you’ve accomplished in the past?

This month, the Donor By Design Group is challenging you to take action, moving from resolutions to results. Today’s post is the final one of the series, reminding us that the only thing we need to do is the next step. 

Changing a board’s philanthropic culture is a big challenge. Convincing board members to become true ambassadors, as well as campaigners, for your organization doesn’t happen overnight, but is one of the best legacies you can leave. Cultural change takes time and consistent effort. Too often, we think of this as a one meeting announcement to our board and boom! We’re done.

As we travel the country doing feasibility studies, one thing we encounter almost every time, is a donor who cannot be interviewed because they are upset with the organization for not appropriately recognizing their contribution during the last capital campaign.