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🙌 Is it a campaign or initiative

Campaign and initiatives' fundraising labels bring visceral and practical baggage for volunteers and fundraisers. Campaign implies an extensive infrastructure, lots of meetings, years of work, and a big goal. Initiative implies less of all of the above. Campaign aversion:    Many volunteers have a visceral reaction to the notion of a campaign. Seasoned volunteers have lived through campaigns and may not have fond ...
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/ _CRI Blog Post, #annualgiving, #capitalcampaign, #fundraisingconsultant, #fundraisingtraining, #majorgiftfundraising, #majorgifts, #plannedgiving, fundraising, Insights, Major Gifts, philanthropy

🗺️ Source donor wealth

Wealthy people may not be as “liquid” as you may think. The nature and location of their wealth can dramatically affect liquidity. Elon Musk showed us this when he had to liquidate billions in Tesla stock and then rallied investors to support his takeover of Twitter. Holders of Berkshire Hathaway stock, for instance, in an almost cult-like behavior, rarely sell ...
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/ _CRI Blog Post, #annualgiving, #capitalcampaign, #fundraisingconsultant, #fundraisingtraining, #majorgiftfundraising, #majorgifts, #plannedgiving, fundraising, Insights, Major Gifts, philanthropy

🏙️ Donor “street” research is essential

The go-to donor research tools are subscription services like DonorSearch, and Wealth Engine. They are the best tool you have - until they are not. We all have many examples of wealth estimates being wildly off,  high, and low. Why it matters: There is no substitute for what I call street research. Find out all you can about the donor ...
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/ _CRI Blog Post, #annualgiving, #capitalcampaign, #fundraisingconsultant, #fundraisingtraining, #majorgiftfundraising, #majorgifts, #plannedgiving, fundraising, Insights, Major Gifts, philanthropy

🎲 Game-changer institutional self-esteem

There is a reason some organizations regularly receive 7,8, and 9-figure gifts.  They have high institutional self-esteem, and their leaders are emboldened to divine a lofty vision and inspire prominent people to join them. This is a self-fulfilling cycle that you can create for your organization. Leadership matters:  Donors consider the quality and track record of the people who lead ...
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/ _CRI Blog Post, #annualgiving, #capitalcampaign, #fundraisingconsultant, #fundraisingtraining, #majorgiftfundraising, #majorgifts, #plannedgiving, fundraising, Insights, Major Gifts, philanthropy

😨 Your money bias risk

I conducted formal research over eight years with more than 400 advancement officers about determining significant gift ask amounts. They were presented with two donor case studies with 21 financial and behavioral variables. Remarkably, the suggested ask amounts from these officers ranged from $25,000 to $3,000,000! Why it matters: We were all raised with different financial circumstances, and our regard for what ...
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/ _CRI Blog Post, #annualgiving, #capitalcampaign, #fundraisingconsultant, #fundraisingtraining, #majorgiftfundraising, #majorgifts, #plannedgiving, fundraising, Insights, philanthropy

Should “Old School” be the “Now School” for Advancement?

We all know the saying, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” Like most advancement professionals, I did not start my career in the early 1980s thinking I would become a fundraiser. After graduating with a Master's degree in public health and clinical nutrition, I secured a grant-supported part-time position at a new statewide food bank in ...
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/ _CRI Blog Post, #annualgiving, #capitalcampaign, #fundraisingconsultant, #fundraisingtraining, #majorgiftfundraising, #majorgifts, #plannedgiving, fundraising, Insights, Leadership & Management, philanthropy