No phrase in professional life is met with more frustration. It is almost always wholly unsatisfactory as a response, hints at passive aggression, and underlies a stubborn unwillingness to change. However, “that is how we’ve always done it,” is also a helpful reminder for leaders. When that phrase is used, we tend to focus on…
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In stark and startling-fast fashion, Americans are choosing to be alone more than ever before. According to various reports, by 2021, adults in the U.S. were spending 58% less time with family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers, than they were in 2014. Meanwhile, the amount of time spent completely alone has increased at a similar pace…
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For a number of years now, the four members of our family have annually used this month to identify charitable organizations we feel are doing good work and, then, have made a gift to each. Each child, my wife, and I have each chosen our own organizations to support. It’s been a rewarding, educational, and…
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your social media efforts are working? your gift officers are effective? your annual giving program is growing sustainably? your stewardship program is engaging? your database is healthier? your constituent relations program is expanding? By the way, “I will know because we are raising more money!” is a horrible response to all of these questions. Gift…
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The idea of magic is easy to fall in love with. There must be a secret code, a key, a phrase (“Abracadabra”), a spell, a process. . . And, if I can just learn the secret and apply it, work will become more frictionless, answers to vexing questions will be more clear, and all will…
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MacKenzie Scott has given away approximately $14 billion over the last 3 years. During her most recent giving cycle, Scott gave almost $2 billion to 343 organizations, and made the following statement: “I needn’t ask those I care about what to say to them, or what to do for them. I can share what I have with…
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At its core, the difference between annual giving and major giving is the size of the potential donor pool. While all constituents are invited to make annual or sustaining gifts, we only engage with a smaller subset of donors who have the prosperity, propensity, passion to make major gifts. This one difference drives all other…
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Not, why should donors give? Instead, why are you raising money? This is a question about your personal motivations for doing this work. The least motivating answer: “To build a building (or “start a program,” or “meet the budget,” etc.). The moderately motivating answer: “To better serve our mission – our students, participants, patients, community, etc..” The most motivating…
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“I have raised over $50 million. . .” No one ever raises charitable gifts by themselves. Ever. There was a professor decades before who showed interest in that donor as a student. There was a nurse who showed compassion to a family while caring for their loved one. There was a volunteer whose winsome words…
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“At what point during our campaign should our Quiet Phase end and our Public Phase begin?” The universal answer to this common question is some percentage of the total campaign fundraising goal. For instance, “you should never go public before hitting 60 or 70% of your goal.” But, this type of cookie-cutter response isn’t a…
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