Major Gifts
March 23, 2017 at 8:28 am
The entire nonprofit community—in the U.S. at any rate—is obsessed with “major gifts.” You know the ones. Those gifts, which are of such size, that create big waves as they wash up on the beach of the nonprofit...
March 20, 2017 at 8:45 am
Let me assure you, no matter how much success you have had with your “free-flow” approach, you would have had double the success had you been working with a system that harnessed that energy and directed it towards high-value activity—believe me...
March 10, 2017 at 2:31 pm
Through my experiences of fear and working to move past it, I also know what it’s like to live in freedom. Believe me, that freedom place is so much better. Today, I’m going to outline what it looks like when major-gift professionals allow fear to take over and then what it looks like when we can live in freedom. ..
March 8, 2017 at 9:08 am
Boston Medical Center has received a $25 million gift—the largest in its history—and plans to use the money to fight what it calls the “heartbreaking” public-health crisis caused by drug addiction and the opioid epidemic. The donation to BMC, which serves more low-income patients than any other medical facility in New England, will create the…
March 7, 2017 at 10:34 am
Chance the Rapper held a press conference at Westcott Elementary School in Chicago to announce that he is donating $1 million to Chicago Public Schools. “Our kids should not be held hostage because of political positions,” he said. He later revealed that he and Common will speak on the phone to discuss further funding. The…
February 27, 2017 at 1:55 pm
Typically when Richard and I talk to MGOs about building a culture of philanthropy at their organization, there is a lot of finger pointing from the staff at management. I get that. It’s easier to look outside yourself to see what is wrong with a situation then to look inward...
February 20, 2017 at 9:58 am
All of us in major gifts know that there are different stages in the major-gift process. Many brilliant major-gift people have written about it. Words like identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship come to mind as descriptors of some big stages or phases of major gifts...
February 17, 2017 at 10:52 am
The MacArthur Foundation has chosen eight semi-finalists for 100&Change, a competition awarding a $100 million grant to the nonprofit or for-profit organization with the most distinguished, world-changing proposal. Submitted ideas include changing the way we care for orphans, treating blindness in Africa, providing virtual access to specialty medical care for the underprivileged and more...
February 15, 2017 at 11:38 am
If eye contact can prompt the purchase of cereal, what can meaningful eye contact mean when someone is sharing their passion about an opportunity to transform or save lives?...
February 14, 2017 at 10:38 am
Undertaking the biggest transformation in its 21-year history, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has received a historic $9 million donation from Chris and Sara Connor to create the Connor Theater. When it opens this summer, the theater will house an epic signature experience featuring arena-quality sound, larger-than-life video screens and fan interactivity that will…
