By: Elizabeth Smith, Project Coordinator Have you ever had a runaway committee member who hijacks the meetings and goes on never-ending tangents that cause the meeting to run over? If so, you have experienced a Wild Thing. In my experience with Wild Things, they have passion for the organization and excitement for the project,… Read more »
By: Katie MacKenzie, Project Coordinator A man in a small row boat once found himself caught up in a sudden storm. Waves were crashing. Wind was howling. The boat was impossible to control. In all of the chaos, one of his two oars was tossed overboard, never to be seen again. As the winds… Read more »
By: Nancy E. Peterman, Partner I had the good fortune on a recent flight Cleveland to sit next to an alternate delegate for the Republican National Convention. We decided not to discuss the election (well, at least not for the record.) Instead, we talked about the merits of our respective industries, particularly with regard… Read more »
By: Jerry W. Henry, Partner A highly-respected head of a fundraising firm spoke up at a recent national gathering of consultants and said, “all philanthropy is local.” (He was making a twist on the phrase “all politics is local” that is attributed to former Speaker of the House of Representatives Tip O’Neill from decades ago.) … Read more »
By: David T. Shufflebarger, Senior Partner Thanks to the good work of the Giving USA Foundation and its research partner, the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, we know that giving correlates most positively to the stock market. So, it is not unreasonable to wonder about the impact on giving when the markets move markedly.… Read more »
By: W. Milton Key, Jr., Partner Many of you reading this piece will know that, historically, July and August are the slowest months of the year for charitable fundraising, in general. Many board members and other donors and friends are busy with family commitments or vacations. You may be willing to travel to Aspen,… Read more »
By: Elizabeth Smith, Project Coordinator He’s just not that into you…the worst words for a single girl to hear after going on what she thought was a successful date. We all know you can’t always salvage a relationship when there is no chemistry, but what about donors? What do you do if they are not… Read more »
By: Nancy E. Peterman, Partner Those of us who have been in the field of development for more than 25 years have seen various ideas come in and out of vogue. There are other strategies that are a variations of a past practice. Here are three that are trending today: 1) Day of Giving: … Read more »
By: Jerry W. Henry, Partner I’ve always been a history buff. But, a new website has piqued my interest in a way that combines my love of history and my interest in philanthropy. A History of Modern Philanthropy, found at www.HistoryOfGiving.org, is an interactive website that takes a look at philanthropy since the 1500’s. … Read more »
Blog by: Katie MacKenzie, Project Coordinator I admit, I am little skeptical of certain types of online fundraising. I’m not a big fan of GoFundMe or any of those types of fundraising sites, as I never feel that they have the appropriate accountability checks in place – although I do admit I have given… Read more »