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The origin of the phrase “getting down to brass tacks” is most often attributed to the haberdashery trade where “…in order to be more accurate than the rough-and-ready measuring of a yard of material by holding it out along an arm’s length, cloth was measured between brass tacks which were set into a shop’s counter.”* This technique allowed for more accurate measurement and a much more efficient process in custom hat-making.

As we come to the end of 2016, we’re taking a look back at the posts that inspired the most conversations on the blog and with our clients. Today’s topic? Asking for a Gift.

Bo Schembechler Source

If you know me, you know this is my favorite time of the year: FOOTBALL SEASON! Football is a game with four quarters. The fourth quarter can be a critical time in not only the game being played, but also sets the tone for future games yet to be played.

Our board just isn’t a fundraising board.

We hear that feedback from nonprofit leaders – both staff and volunteer – nearly every day. Whether it’s said with regret or with frustration, nonprofits, schools and churches are clearly puzzled as to why their board seems disengaged or focused on less-important minutiae.

‘Thank you for getting us to the starting line and for the confidence that we are going to have a successful campaign.”

A volunteer was reflecting on the long, complex and (at times) frustrating process his organization had undertaken to determine how best to respond to community issues and opportunities.

At Donor By Design, we are guided by a series of axioms: core concepts that shape our work and have proven their worth over and over again. In this series, we’re digging into these axioms and clarify how they can help you achieve your development goals. Read Part 1 or Part 2. 

For years, the big fundraising lie has been the donor pyramid. You know what I am talking about: the image of a pyramid that shows we need a large gift at the top, a few more at the next level and so on until you get to the base of the pyramid. Nonprofit leaders have shared this with their boards and donors, but, if you do regression analysis on campaigns, the infamous pyramid looks more like a donor pagoda or, as I like to call it, the donor champagne glass.

I must admit that I am a bit impatient. My patience (or lack there of) has been tested in 2014 as travel delays due to weather (think polar vortex) have been maddening. I can’t wait for spring!