I received zero training in my first MGO job. Or support for that matter. My boss showed me the donor files, made sure I got into the database, and then said, “OK, go raise some money!” I was scared to death. … [Read more...] about Are you setting your MGOs up to fail?
fundraising
Stewardship Tactics
This is the final post in our series on donor stewardship. So far, our guiding principles have been: 1) stewardship is the right thing to do, and 2) good stewardship is a driver of future fundraising results. As always, we started big-picture. The first post was on the psychology of donor stewardship. It’s so important to understand what’s going on behind the scenes before diving into tactics. … [Read more...] about Stewardship Tactics
Fearless Major Donor Solicitation
You’re ready to solicit your prospect—congratulations! Getting to this stage is often the culmination of many months, years even, of work. Let’s talk about how to make the most of the opportunity. … [Read more...] about Fearless Major Donor Solicitation
Have asking anxiety? Do these 5 things.
I had a hard time falling asleep the night before my first ask. My brain was in overdrive: What am I going to say? How will he react? There were also a thousand “what if?” scenarios I didn’t feel prepared to deal with. In hindsight, the stakes weren’t very high. But that didn’t matter. I had just been promoted to my first frontline fundraising role and this was my very first ask. I think it was for $2,500. Asking people to give their money … [Read more...] about Have asking anxiety? Do these 5 things.
Cultivation #4 – The Questions to Ask
“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