Campaigns are not "business as usual." Far from it. Your campaign is a once-in-a-decade, perhaps a once-in-a-generation, opportunity for your organization. So, don't sell yourself short. Instead, make sure you're prepared to seize the moment. How? Good planning—lining up everything you need on the front end. Running a successful campaign takes resources and infrastructure above-and-beyond your "business as usual" fundraising … [Read more...] about Campaign Readiness – Leadership
gift officers
Fanatical Prospecting by Jeb Blount
Yes, Fanatical Prospecting is a sales book. And, yes, there is some debate within the non-profit space about whether fundraising shops should try to function like for-profit sales operations. I'm not really interested in that debate—not today anyway. The disciplines are similar enough. And we're smart people. Smart people are always able to take principles, ideas, and frameworks from other fields and use them to inform their own work. So … [Read more...] about Fanatical Prospecting by Jeb Blount
Are you setting your MGOs up to fail?
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?
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
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