“The secret to success is not to try to avoid or get rid of or shrink from your problems; the secret is to grow yourself so that you are bigger than any problem.” —T Harv Ecker Some days it seems everything is a challenge. Major gift calls cancel, the data base fails, you get bad […]
I’ve said it often, “I’m a face-to-face kind of girl” meaning I would rather sit down with a prospective giver and have a personal conversation. However, in fostering the engagement that leads to major investment, email can be a useful part of the mix for many prospective givers of ALL ages. So, here are four […]
I am a strong believer in coaching…and this is different than having mentors. Mentors are generally folks who help out other folks gratis…and that is a great thing. But sincere and deep change, I believe, happens faster and more effectively with a coach. Generally, you have invested some dollars into your coaching experience and this […]
What are you thinking about as you prepare to go on a visit to make a major gift ask? “He will probably not say ‘yes’ to this. There are just so many organizations after him to give.” OR “People love to give me money. I’m grateful to have this conversation!” As we journey with our […]
“Confusion and clutter are the failure of design, not the attributes of information.” Edward R. Tufte Something to consider as you do your major gift work — the power of one, or at most three. In our passion for not-for-profit work, many times we can actually drive prospective givers away with too many options. We […]
There seems to be a trend to “protect” major gift officers from getting “too involved” in the core work of the organization lest they get distracted from their donor calls. I get that. But I also get that the hard work of telling and re-telling the story — seeking that perfect fit for our prospective givers’ […]
This January, it’s time to celebrate, no matter where you are in your life or your advancement career. After years of making resolutions, my husband shared a simple, but powerful exercise that will dramatically help the new year turn out the way you envision it will now — in January. I’d like to share it with […]
“Whatever you do today, you’ve got to sleep with tonight.” —Aaron Tippin in the song, “You’ve Got to Stand for Something” Let me be clear on this. The ends DON’T justify the means. And if you are asked to do anything that “feels funny” — don’t do it. My colleagues at Penn State continue to try […]
“Optimism can take you anywhere!” — Jake and Rocket, Life Is Good Major gift development work is both rewarding and demanding. Even the most positive of us can get discouraged from time to time with heavy travel schedules, too many meetings, budget realities and well, just life. Our attitudes are contagious and not only will we […]
“People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can’t find them, create them.” — George Bernard Shaw In our major gift development work…as in […]
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