10 Reasons Why Most Major-Gift Programs (Stink)! — Nos. 8-10

Gulp! You know that knot that forms in the pit of your stomach when something bad happens? That's what the ED had right then. He calls the donor as soon as he could and apologizes profusely. The donor was very kind, but then said, "Hey, I understand, in fact you're not the only one. The year I gave you that $25,000 gift I also gave eight other organizations the same amount. Only one organization told me how my gift made a difference. It was a small food pantry with two employees, and I got a detailed account from this little old woman who runs the place. So, now I give her most of my annual giving, and I only support organizations that report back to me."