Larry Raff, Author at Copley Raff

Survey Results: How Boards Feel About Fundraising

By Larry Raff In Uncategorized Posted February 6, 2012 1 Comment

As someone with key fundraising responsibilities, it is essential to know exactly where your resources – as well as deficits – lie within your organization. A constant, regardless of the mission of your NPO, is that leadership from an organization’s board of directors is a key ingredient towards advancement success. Thus, it is critical to […]

Magical Thinking…Redux

By Larry Raff In Insights Posted January 23, 2012 0 Comments

I’m crossing my fingers here that this follow-up posting will really resonate with many advancement professionals. About a month ago, this blog featured an article about fundraising ideas so outrageous and/or inactionable that they appeared to come from a galaxy far, far away. We received a great deal of feedback that really brought the […]

Focus On … Annual Giving

By Larry Raff In Planning & Strategy Posted January 9, 2012 0 Comments

“In order to change something, don’t struggle to change the model, create a new model, and make the old one obsolete.” – Buckminister Fuller A commonality amongst high performing NPOs is a strong and well oiled annual giving program. Generally recognized as the foundation of advancement success, these essential efforts typically have two main objectives: […]

Magical Thinking… Be On Guard

By Larry Raff In Insights Posted December 27, 2011 0 Comments

Give me a show of hands…how many of you have been in a meeting when a board member, boss, or colleague proposed a fundraising idea so outrageous or nonactionable that it appears to come from a galaxy far, far away? As consultants, we frequently find ourselves protecting our clients from falling into the trap of […]

Occupy Advancement

By Larry Raff In Emerging Ideas, Insights Posted December 12, 2011 0 Comments

These are wild and wooly times we are living in right now. The polarization of wealth over the past 40 years has become apparent to the masses, who are expressing extreme discontent clear across the country from New England to Hawaii. Political pressure is mounting to address this growing inequality. This economic and financial situation […]

Focus…Your Greatest Tool For Success

By Larry Raff In Insights Posted November 28, 2011 0 Comments

Collecting your thoughts and focusing on the job at hand are essential when preparing to compose a blog post or any thoughtful or meaningful message. Without focus – the ability to draw a circle around a “to-do” and concentrate like a laser beam on it – the task is not accomplished, or the results are […]

What Comes Around Goes Around

By Larry Raff In Insights, Planning & Strategy Posted November 14, 2011 0 Comments

Funding for your organization can – and should – come from many sources. As advancement officers, it is incumbent upon us to be aware of traditional as well as newer forms of financial support. One relatively low profile, yet extremely impactful source of funds can come from local, regional, or national “giving circles.” For those […]

Leadership… Be Careful

By Larry Raff In Leadership & Management Posted November 2, 2011 0 Comments

Leadership is the essential ingredient to successful fundraising and advancement, and must come from both staff and volunteers. Much has been documented and validated about the qualities and character traits of great leaders as well as the fabric of leadership. Far less has been written about the art and science concerning the process of choosing […]

Warming Up to a Cold Call

By Larry Raff In Insights Posted October 17, 2011 0 Comments

Cold calls. Even the moniker of these usually dreaded method of outreach is, well, cold. But the best gifts, and relationships, always emerge from conversations, and they’ve got to start somewhere. I was recently asked address a meeting of chief advancement officers representing specialty post-graduate colleges. When asked what they would most like to learn […]

Destined For Mastery

By Larry Raff In Uncategorized Posted October 3, 2011 0 Comments

Master Gift Officer. Just the words alone conjure up confidence, optimism, energy, and success. And the phrase embodies what we all strive for: demonstrating the highest level of ability, talent, and dedication within the development profession. Today, the job title isn’t on the tip of the tongue of most nonprofit fundraising professionals or organizations, and […]

The “Who’s Asking?” Paradox

By Larry Raff In Insights, Planning & Strategy Posted September 19, 2011 1 Comment

Philanthropy – especially very successful philanthropy – always requires just the right “personal touch.” But what happens when relationships appear to close doors instead of opening them? Here’s what I mean. We’ve heard it from volunteers, and even from other advancement professionals: ”I’m too friendly with her to ask her for a contribution.” It seems […]

Economic Uncertainty or Deflection

By Larry Raff In Planning & Strategy Posted September 6, 2011 0 Comments

The United States, arguably, is in its fourth year of the “great recession.” Fallout from the country’s debilitating economic environment has created grueling financial, professional, and personal hardships for millions of people. A complicating factor bottlenecking recovery includes the shroud of “uncertainty” that continues to be cited as an obstacle to renewed hiring by the […]

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