Preemptive Philanthropy
Preemptive philanthropy: Perhaps you’ve experienced something like this. The lead prospect for a major gift has been invited to a meeting. Following pleasantries and “small talk,” the board chair and the executive director begin sharing with the prospective donor their description of the organization’s plans for its capital campaign. They are just beginning to approachRead More Preemptive Philanthropy
A Fundraiser’s Take On Incentives For Giving
Much has been written and said recently about reforming the federal tax system. This is not a new issue but many people in the not-for-profit sector are concerned with the number of new proposals that would impact incentives for giving. For the record, I love America and philanthropy and I think Congress acted in theRead More A Fundraiser’s Take On Incentives For Giving
The Benefits Of Challenge And Matching Gifts
The utilization of challenge and matching gifts remains a very good strategy for securing more gifts and larger gifts. The influencing power of these gifts is multifaceted. These gifts are motivating to those being challenged. They want to help the organization secure the full challenge or, in the case of the matching gift, add toRead More The Benefits Of Challenge And Matching Gifts
Billionaires Are People, Too!
Fairly often I see major gift officers who are successfully cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding their portfolios of $25,000 to $100,000 prospects begin to change their style when the prospect is rated at $1 million or more. Some almost freeze up when it appears that the prospect might be capable of a $5 to $10 millionRead More Billionaires Are People, Too!
The Importance Of Closing The Ask
Have you closed a gift today? As fundraising consultants, we spend a lot of our time talking about (wait for it – big surprise!) FUNDRAISING. Fundraising always prompts for me a mental picture of raising a house—laying the foundation, building the walls, cutting out spaces for the windows and doors and chimney (because any houseRead More The Importance Of Closing The Ask
Nobody Wants to Fund Endowment?
I was sitting around the table with a group of campaign volunteers, who were also significant donors. We were discussing the organization’s proposed capital campaign elements and one of them said, “We need to reduce this endowment part, nobody wants to give to endowment anymore.” To my surprise, everyone else at the table agreed withRead More Nobody Wants to Fund Endowment?
The Power of “For”
I was at an educational session recently where the topic was nonprofit financing. It was a robust discussion about the use of capital, creation of endowments, financing growth, etc. The primary focus of the speaker was on the area of “growth capital” and the idea that, perhaps, too much of the equity in the nonprofitRead More The Power of “For”
A Tale of Two Gifts and Taxes
Gifts and taxes. Around this time last year, two of our clients were working with donors planning to make $1 million+ gifts, as the news media were ballyhooing the ‘fiscal cliff’ fast approaching and many proposals were flying around to adjust the charitable deduction. One donor chose to make his first pledge payment in December,Read More A Tale of Two Gifts and Taxes
Instagram for Nonprofit Marketing
Humans are predominately visual creatures. From birth, we are hard-wired to be attracted to the most visually-stimulating images in front of us, and it is no different as we grow older. When given the choice, would you read a book filled with colorful and engaging pictures, or page after page of black and white monochromaticRead More Instagram for Nonprofit Marketing
Confessions of a Raiser’s Edge Geek
I have a confession to make. I am a Raiser’s Edge (RE) geek. Those who know me say they could always see it, but it took me some time to accept. I now embrace my inner geek. The one place in the world where an RE geek feels fully accepted is at the Blackbaud ConferenceRead More Confessions of a Raiser’s Edge Geek
