Blog

I took advantage of the beautiful fall weather in Chicagoland over the Thanksgiving break to clean up my backyard. My neighbor had the same idea and we struck up a conversation. He asked me (as my mother used to ask me too) "what exactly do I do for work"?

Recently, the organization that runs "Giving Tuesday" - a nationwide event normally held the Tuesday after Thanksgiving - announced it would run a new day of giving on May 5 called Giving Tuesday Now.  Giving Days come in many shapes and forms, often being sponsored by a local or regional foundation or group of non-profits. 

I met with an experienced Major Gift Officer recently who shared a story about a donor he’d been close to for many years. That donor had made a transformational gift to the organization he represented within his first 3 months on the job. The CEO, management team and the board were awestruck that this new guy magically pulled in one of the biggest gifts they’d ever received. The prevailing thought was, “Wow – this is what fundraising should be! Just find the rich people and ask them for money.”

If you were welcoming guests to your home, you most probably would clean and de-clutter to make sure it was ready for visitors. Let me challenge you to do the same in your office these first few weeks of 2019. More than just cleaning off your desk, use the time to do a real inventory of the state of things before you launch into the new year.

It is Christmas season and while many know “It’s a Wonderful Life,” or “A Christmas Carol,” few have heard of the “The Bishop’s Wife,” a yuletide tale about a capital campaign to build a new cathedral. Star power of Cary Grant, David Niven and Lorretta Young aside, the plot is one that many might find far too familiar.

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, Bruce delves into a better way to approach the ask.

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.

Over the years I’ve had the great joy of working with hundreds of non-profit CEOs/Executive Directors (EDs) and development staff. A few years ago, a young executive director called me. He was frustrated and worried that he wasn’t doing his job. Why? He wasn’t bringing in enough big checks.

In Part I of this series, we discussed the hazards of being in the “special events business” versus true fundraising. If you recognized your organization in that post, your next question is probably: “How do we become an organization more focused on major gifts?” The answer is all about culture change.

My journey to loving fundraising starts with a story. I started my career as a young enthusiastic program director in the nonprofit world. I was hired by the YMCA and my area of expertise was fitness. Picture leg warmers, headbands, and those very becoming leotards. While I might be dating myself, some of you know exactly what I am talking about.