10 Reasons Why Most Major-Gift Programs (Stink)! — Nos. 8-10
Reason #10 — When money becomes the objective, not the result
One of the toughest things for me to witness is a major-gift officer (MGO) who is under extreme pressure to make either her monthly or year-end goal and she hasn't been communicating with her supervisor or board.
Why? Because it tells me two things: 1. Something is broken with the philosophy and strategy of the major-gift program, and 2. When MGOs start to "press" for a gift, they lose their brains, forget about the donor and focus on getting the money.
Jeff Schreifels is the principal owner of Veritus Group — an agency that partners with nonprofits to create, build and manage mid-level fundraising, major gifts and planned giving programs. In his 32-plus year career, Jeff has worked with hundreds of nonprofits, helping to raise more than $400 million in revenue.
