Executive Issues

What percentage of your campaign goal should your board members give to your capital campaign? Twenty-five percent? Forty percent? Ten percent? Again and again, I’ve seen board members stumble over this question. They want to do what’s right; but really, they have no idea what’s appropriate or more importantly, what’s possible...

My question for you is this: What is the size of your caseload? If it’s above 150, it’s way to high. So, take steps to trim it down. It may feel counterintuitive, but if you focus on fewer good donors and go deep with them your result will be much better on several levels—relationally for the donor and for you and economically for the organization...

Start today to position yourself for future positions by acquiring proper and needed attributes. Prepare yourself properly for the complex nonprofit future and never stop running down a dream! Do not wait for the dream that “might” come to you. Be proactive and go for it!...

Great fundraising is focused on the long-term—taking that donor from first-time gift… to lifetime. And it’s built around the science of human behavior and what actually works. We see it time and time again: the very practice of donor-centricity leads to community...

Your nonprofit has served its mission statement well. So well in fact, that the directory of volunteers has grown from a half-page to just over three pages. Since those first meetings in a living room more than a decade ago, the nonprofit now has a conference room in a rented office. No more garage storage…

Have you had a day when you just felt like there had to be a better career to pursue than fundraising? I know I have. Fortunately, those days have been far outnumbered by those days when I feel honored to do the work I do...

Every morning at 7:00 a.m., I (Otis) get a very interesting email. It tells me everyone who has visited the Turnkey website in the past 24 hours. The names are ordered from top to bottom depending on how many times they have interacted with our website or opened our emails in the past...

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...

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...

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…