Helping our donors and friends remember: the professor who encouraged them when they were unsure of themselves; the loving care and treatment their mom received during a life-threatening illness; the confidence-building experiences their children had on the courts and fields of play; the sense of calm that emerged when a
What do donors expect as a result of their giving? To answer this question, advancement professionals typically respond with a duality. The first duality is the donor-focused aspect. This response is focused on what the donor expects for themselves in response to their giving. Responses like: gratitude, recognition, special invitations, small gifts,
Before each visit with a donor or a prospective donor, we should ask, “what do I really want to know?” . . . about their financial capacity? . . . about their interest in our mission or cause? . . . about their willingness to be generous? . . .
November 19, 2026
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This webinar will cover how to develop a powerful annual fund case for support that serves as the foundation for fundraising appeals, volunteer engagement, leadership messaging, and donor communications.
“What will our donor get when they make their gift?” In some advancement shops, the response to this question is something specific – a pair of socks, tickets to a football game, a naming right, a tchotchke. In other advancement shops, the response to this question is nothing specific. A
November 18, 2026
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Join us for this insightful one-hour webinar as we explore the realities, opportunities, and challenges facing women in advancement today.
November 6, 2026
This Gonser Gerber Virtual Workshop for New Vice Presidents in the advancement and development profession is designed to support new leaders during their first few years on the job.
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This On Demand webinar will equip you with actionable tactics to align annual giving and major gift teams around a shared vision of donor engagement, stewardship, and growth.
It is common for some in advancement to hear the word, “persuasive,” and think, “manipulative.” But, the two are very different. When we aim to be persuasive, we: are ethical, transparent, factual, and logical; seek fair, win-win outcomes with others; respect people’s rights and responsibilities to choose for themselves, based
Advancement leaders can create 3 professional development environments for those in their care. These professional development environments can encourage team members to: Learn More Skills – develop the technical skills related to their work; Receive More Instruction – learn from others about how they have enhanced their work; Think More
I talk with clients a good bit about the time we spend brushing our teeth. I don’t know anything special about dental care, of course. Rather, I bring up that daily habit because it’s one of those everyday moments in which we can briefly be alone with our thoughts, staring at ourselves in a mirror. It’s a time where self-talk
The donor has interests and values she wants to express through her giving. Regardless of how aligned your organization’s mission or fundraising priority is with her interests and values, this donor is only going to giving significantly and with enthusiasm if she trusts the people she is giving to. Trust is interesting because many advancement professionals act as though it
This is a well-worn question we learn as young students in school. It’s also a limiting question. When we ask this question, the assumption is that the only value of education is how it prepares and benefits us for some specific test. Everything else that happens in the educational experience is a waste. This misunderstands the bigger and more important
We talk a lot in advancement about the importance of creating compelling stories for our donors and friends. Stories that personify the impact of giving and volunteering. And stories that encourage others do more of both. We invite donors to respond generously by telling a story of a life saved or changed because of our institution. We invite volunteers to
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Join this On Demand webinar on the Annual Plan for Your Annual Fund, presented by Senior Consultant Pam Spencer, who will share her years of experience with us in leading an annual fund planning process.
If our goal is to raise more money for our cause, a common sentiment expressed is something similar to the following: “We will need new donors to step up!” On it’s face, this sentiment seems to make sense. We absolutely could raise more money if new or lapsed donors respond generously. But, it becomes a mistake to prioritize the work
New leaders at all levels have an often-overlooked, but potentially critical asset at their disposal — the benefit of the doubt. The benefit of the doubt means that when a new leader arrives, her initial progress is viewed in the most positive light, instead of critically. The benefit of the doubt means that when a new leader arrives, a mistake
The central problem arising from giving gifts to donors as a result of their charitable support is far deeper than any “transactional vs. relational” discussion. Yes, we should be promoting a more relational approach to our advancement work with donors. And, yes, we have to be careful with teaching our donors to expect a gift every time they support our
To raise more money, my guess is that you could most likely invite current major gifts more often. You could most likely draft a more compelling case for support. You could most likely recruit Board and volunteer leaders who have more generous giving histories. You could most likely implement a better communications strategy and invite more planned gifts. In fact,
I had an experienced gift officer proudly share this comment with me recently. I don’t think it was the flex he thought it was. I’m pretty sure I understood the sentiment behind his statement: He engages donors in such compelling ways and with such skill that he doesn’t need to ask for the gift. They come to their own conclusion
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