Effective Altruism – A Critique
Beware of academic modeling…unless you keep it simple it falls apart. The August 11, 2013 NY Times business section had an article by Peter Singer, professor of bioethics at Princeton University entitled “Good Charity, Bad Charity” that address the complex behavior of philanthropic giving and tried to fit it into an academic model. Singer addressed the hypothetical donor of $100,000 ...
The Little Engine That Could
Centre College in Danville KY is indeed a little engine but with a lot of horsepower. With total enrollment of 1325 students, this small and highly regarded liberal arts college uses what it has to gain standing among the giants in higher education. My June 23rd and July 7th GivingTake posts, 7 & 8 Figure Gifts – Why Some Get ...
Taking It to the Next Level
How do you know when it is the right time to plan for taking your advancement operation to the next level? And, how do you know that it is reasonable to expect you can? These are big questions that can be career making or career ending if not addressed or answered correctly. Many organizations are content with the status quo ...
7 & 8 Figure Gifts – Why Some Get Them and Other’s Don’t
It takes more than wishful thinking to get a share of the big gifts. I just read about Harvard receiving another eight-figure gift, substantially adding to its huge endowment coffers. And here you are, an advancement officer for a venerable institution, wondering what it is about Harvard that enables it to habitually attract such large gifts. As a consultant, I ...
“Mapping” Fundraising Strategies
Supermarkets do it. Telecommunications companies do it. Public health departments do it. Police departments do it. They use geographic information systems (GIS) mapping to improve the way they do business. It is about time the advancement profession uses it. We at Copley Raff are finding many applications for this technology to help elevate programs to the next level. GIS mapping ...
Getting Value from Training
There is no substitute for professional development and being a life-long learner. All professionals need to step out of the day to day to be immersed in new thinking, alternative approaches to challenges and stimulation of our creative side. There are a confounding number of training offerings for advancement professionals that offer a wide range of subject matter and teaching ...
