Major Gifts

How to Put Stupid Into Major Gifts, Part 2
June 26, 2018 at 10:56 am

Over the years I have trained myself to focus on the need. Why? Because the right fix on the need drives everything you do in major gifts fundraising...

How to Put Stupid Into Major Gifts, Part 1
June 25, 2018 at 11:44 am

It happened several years ago. And I haven’t forgotten it. And when I heard about it I thought, really? Can anyone be so stupid? Now, I know stupid is a strong word and usually I don’t use it. But really, this was one of the worst twists of logic I have ever seen...

Major Gift Officers: Do Your Words Really Matter?
June 11, 2018 at 12:25 pm

Jeff and I very strongly feel that authenticity is one of the key attributes of a successful major gift officer. And one key to authenticity is that the words coming out of a MGO’s mouth are believable and true...

The Race to Nonprofit Mediocrity
May 21, 2018 at 12:58 pm

Over the course of a year, I would guess that Richard and I speak with over a hundred different leaders and managers of nonprofits. Every one of them desperately wants to grow their major gift revenue, but they, in turn, race to nonprofit mediocrity...

Is CFRE Certification Worth It?
May 14, 2018 at 11:53 am

We are often asked if a degree or CFRE certification is necessary to be successful in major gifts. And this goes to a much larger question of the role education plays in preparing a person to do the job...

Don’t Talk Yourself Out of a Big Nonprofit Gift
May 7, 2018 at 11:10 am

I think I’m going to lose it. In the past couple of weeks, I’ve talked to the leadership of three different organizations that have created a belief in their heads that “their” major donors will not give big nonprofit gifts...

10 Donor Records Every Major Gift Officer Should Keep Track Of
April 30, 2018 at 11:34 am

You would think that it would be difficult to “lose” a donor who gave a significant gift. But in the last two weeks, I have received stories of a $73,000 donor disappearing, a $100,000 donor gone missing and a lost check from a $25,000 donor...

Being Vulnerable Strengthens Your Nonprofit Donor Relationships
April 23, 2018 at 12:54 pm

Building trust in any relationship is essential if that relationship is going to be real and authentic. And creating mutual trust in your nonprofit donor relationships is really your ultimate goal. Why? Because if you have mutual trust, then you and your donor will feel comfortable to be real with one another...