“Top performing gift officers always know ‘where their prospects are’ in relation to making a gift. Many reach the point of becoming a trusted philanthropic advisor for their donors.” That’s a quote from John Glier of Grenzebach Glier and Associates. He was giving a talk about research his firm had done on top performing gift officers – those consistently raising $1M+ a year. Becoming a donor’s trusted philanthropic advisor is a privileged … [Read more...] about Cultivation #4 – The Questions to Ask
Cultivation #3 – What To Do
Ever feel stuck in a rut with your cultivation? Last post, I mentioned my tendency to just invite prospects my organization’s next event. Didn’t matter who the person was or what the event was, that was my strategy. Now, don’t get me wrong. Sometimes events are great cultivation tools. But for every prospect? And every time? My approach was shallow and one-size-fits-all. It wasn’t that I needed new, innovative cultivation strategies. I just … [Read more...] about Cultivation #3 – What To Do
Cultivation #2 – Planning for Success
I went on a bit of a rant earlier this year. The bluster and noise was about gift officers and/or development shops with no systems and no plans. These folks are just “winging it.” You can get caught up here if you missed it. Cultivation, in particular, is an area where you can’t afford to wing it. It’s too important. I’m a little ashamed to admit that I used to meander my way through major donor cultivation. And I didn’t even know it! … [Read more...] about Cultivation #2 – Planning for Success
Fearless Major Donor Cultivation
So you had your first visit with a hot prospect. And it went well! You’re confident they have the capacity to make a big gift. They’re interested in learning more about your organization. Now what? Well, now the fun begins. Welcome to the longest stage of the fundraising cycle: cultivation. … [Read more...] about Fearless Major Donor Cultivation
Email Essentials for Gift Officers (Use These Word-for-Word Templates!)
The world runs on email. Any guess how many emails are sent worldwide in a given day? About 200 billion, according to the Radicati Group. That’s more than 138 million per minute. These numbers hurt my head a little bit. Now, yes, a lot of that is spam. But, spam aside, think about the amount of email you receive compared to the amount that actually gets your attention. Now think about your donors and prospects. They’re busy, successful … [Read more...] about Email Essentials for Gift Officers (Use These Word-for-Word Templates!)