Focus…Your Greatest Tool For Success
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 sub-par. Focus and successful advancement ...
What Comes Around Goes Around
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 not familiar with the concept, ...
Leadership… Be Careful
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 the right leader to raise ...
Warming Up to a Cold Call
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 about, the group came ...
Destined For Mastery
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 hasn’t been spotted on a ...
The “Who’s Asking?” Paradox
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 that many people feel uncomfortable ...
