When the ‘other Margaret’ (you know, the editor-in-chief of FS magazine) asked me to write this article, I immediately thought of my first mentor and his canny advice: “Margaret, the donor is always right — even when they’re wrong.” After years of practice and thousands of conversations, I have to admit he was right! Situation ONE: Donor calls and wants to speak to someone “in charge.” That’s you. In less than a minute, you have the picture: “I told you to stop sending so much mail. I give twice a year — that’s it!” As you check the database you see that, for the past three
Margaret Guellich
All acquisition packages should be this effortless to navigate and still maintain an effective degree of emotion, credibility and urgency. New York’s Lighthouse International, which raises funds to help blind and impaired-vision individuals secure the skills and resources they need to live independent lives, is crystal clear about its mission, its needs and its prospects’ needs.
