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Marcy Heim Consulting | The Artful Asker
2679 Fahey Glen
Madison, WI 53711
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Happy Birthday Philanthropy! Now STAY Inspired!
Philanthropy is “the love of humankind.” National Philanthropy Day® (NPD)—November 15—is the day that thousands of people around the world come together to celebrate philanthropy. I share a birthday with NPD and thus get to celebrate each additional candle with some pretty amazing folks! Every year since 1986 when President Ronald Reagan first proclaimed […]
Fundraising is a contact sport. George should know.
My workshop, “Fundraising is a Team Sport – Leadership, Board and Givers Together” is popular. Simply put, when we focus on our mission – what we do to make this world a better place – we rise above roles and tasks to a loftier and more productive partnership – a culture of generosity. When […]
What you REALLY Deliver this Year End
Only Wisconsin has fall days like October 14. But even more brilliant was the joy of the family and friends of the late Dr. Owen Fennema, gathered at the Owen R. Fennema Professorship in Food Chemistry celebration. Elizabeth Fennema, with me here, was radiant. “We teach the future.” Professor Fennema said this often during his […]
I Am Biased and So Are You
I’m biased and proud of it! When it comes to doing a workshop, I want the whole day and big doses of content AND fun! I drive hard. I sing. I challenge. You need to shout, write, partner, create, and share! In this current climate, being biased has a negative spin. Today I’m sharing a […]
How to Ask when (you believe) it’s too soon to Ask
As of October 1st we are officially in the FINAL QUARTER of the year. I can feel it “setting in” with you. YEAR-END, YIKES! Like having a baby or buying a home, it’s never the “perfect” time. There are things we wish were different before we jump in – we had more saved, we were […]
4 Musts for a LASTING Relationship
Hah! Bet you thought I was talking about major donor relationships – well, I am, sort of. A long time ago I had a challenging boss. A wise mentor said, “Treat him like you would a major donor.” What? Actually, great advice. A strategy that applies to everyone – not just the difficult boss. What […]
Persistence Overcomes Resistance.
Action is poison to failure. I love to play Free Cell, a computer game using risk and strategy. Sometimes I say, “Screw it. Stupid game.” but I try one more time. Bingo! I win! That’s persistence overcoming resistance. Since 1998, I’ve been part of the faculty at the University of Wisconsin Fundraising and Development […]
Abracadabra!
Abracadabra! I always learn something from my participants and my session on the Power and Joy of Philanthropy with the United Way Loaned Executives was no exception. You see, I believe “We become what we think about.” (Earl Nightingale) and that our words – the specific words we CHOOSE to say, both reflect AND create […]
Fundraising – Just whose duty is it?
Generosity is a mindset. Board members and staff alike play a key role in creating donor relationships. Recently Sue Lambert, Director of the Senior Resource Center in Freeport, IL, and Jim Ferrar, Foundation Board member, attended my Fundraising is a Team Sport workshop in Rockford, IL. Jim sent in this question, and it’s a […]
Keeping up with Upkeep
How things look makes a difference. Today I’m going to share some stories (specifics omitted of course) about maintaining spaces and places named by donors. They put their name on it, or a loved one’s, and when they visit they want it looking nice. 1. The Smith Auditorium. This was a remodel of an […]