Master Gift Officer… Shifting a Paradigm
Mark Twain, a true master of the written word, observed “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug.” Yes, language is very important. And like most professionals, those of us in fundraising can get stuck in the inertia of our own dated vernacular. How many of you are ...
How Are Nonprofits Doing These Days?
As a fundraising and strategic consultant for not-for-profit organizations, I am repeatedly asked the same questions from people wherever I go… How are nonprofits doing these days? Are donations down? Perhaps it’s a sign of the times that these inquires are top of mind when it comes to considering the well-being of many of our essential healthcare, social services, arts, ...
Where Are The Mentors?
Success... some folks are born with a natural tendency for it, but in reality most of us need a little help to achieve it. This is especially true when it comes to career development in the world of non-profit fundraising. Being in my third decade in the advancement profession, I got to thinking recently about those “people, places, and things” ...
Entertaining Endowments
I recently had the privilege being a panelist at an event focused on exploring the issues surrounding endowments. The forum, sponsored by the Boston area Foundation for MetroWest, was attended by regional board members from nonprofits with a range of missions and budgets of $500,000 through $5+ million. A common denominator among attendees was their need to raise annual and ...
The Job Tenure Myth
It has become common lore that the average tenure of a fundraiser is 24 months. Is it true? As an executive recruiter for advancement professionals, I have to say that the majority of resumes we receive for positions we represent, typically vice presidents, director of development or major gift officers, reflect this average. 24 – 30 months seems to be ...
Building a Philanthropy Relationship Network
Don’t you know all the people who have money? This is both wishful thinking and sometimes the refrain from a non-profit CEO or volunteer during a job interview. Every successful philanthropy development enterprise must utilize the personal and business networks of board members, volunteers and staff in order to find and build connections with potential supporters. In the sage words ...
