Executive Issues
May 24, 2017 at 7:43 am
Build a culture of philanthropy. Challenge your board and staff to embrace a donor-focused, relational approach. Invest in your board and staff and build a development program that is built to last—through leadership transitions and that grows stronger and stronger with the success and capacity-building of each campaign...
May 23, 2017 at 10:33 am
The fundamental building block for fundraising is relationships. This is true for major gift officers who sit across from donors to share a meal or a conversation. It is also true for direct response professionals who must skillfully identify the right stories and images to illustrate an organization’s mission to donors who may never witness first-hand the difference their contribution makes...
May 22, 2017 at 10:00 am
The median pay for the top paid nonprofit CEOs didn't change much in 2015, the most recent year for which data is available. That doesn't mean things stayed the same for individuals. According to an analysis of data collected by Crain, turnover and impending retirements among the top paid nonprofit CEOs were a leading factor…
May 22, 2017 at 9:55 am
In a previous blog post, I briefly examined what appears to be a growing sentiment in the nonprofit industry that direct mail fundraising is somehow flawed. Fundraisers have been slow to abandon outdated business practices or to evolve quick enough to react to the mounting challenges facing nonprofits today—and yes, there are many that we must overcome...
May 22, 2017 at 9:43 am
Letting go… It’s not always easy, is it? Anyone who has had to take their child to college or end a relationship knows saying goodbye is never easy. It’s also not easy for you as a major gift officer (MGO) when a donor, who you have been stewarding and cultivating over time, no longer meets the criteria as a major donor...
May 22, 2017 at 9:40 am
When fundraisers ask me this, the answer is: no better time like the present! And, you should be asking all the time! The more you ask, the more monthly donors you’ll generate...
May 19, 2017 at 10:49 am
Welcome back to #TrendingNow. This week, our readers were interested in some executive issues addressed by some of our top bloggers: Howard Levy, F. Duke Haddad and Jeff Jowdy...
May 19, 2017 at 10:34 am
In this post-truth age, anyone who pretends they’re listening when they’re not may well be among the most under-informed, misguided and misled folks of all. It’s shocking to realize that people who’ve been nodding vigorously in agreement with you for decades may just have been humoring you all along, may have had little or no intention of actually doing what you thought they were so very enthusiastic about...
May 18, 2017 at 11:22 am
A transformation of sorts has occurred over the last 20 years in regard to donors’ expectations of nonprofits. In years past, donors were generally satisfied with the act of giving itself, relying on little more than the assurances of the nonprofit beneficiary of their donation that their funds were being put...
May 18, 2017 at 10:55 am
Doesn’t it feel like the employee turnover rate in the nonprofit sector is unreasonably high? It sure seems that each time I talk to a nonprofit organization, the person who used to be my contact is no longer there. It can be frustrating for volunteers and donors to deal with what feels like a revolving door of staffers...
