Major Gifts
July 27, 2016 at 11:18 am
In “How to Present the Perfect Pitch: From the Shark Tank to the Boardroom,” O’Leary offers 10 tips on how to ace a fundraising pitch. Whether you’re seeking venture capital or a philanthropic gift, many of the principles are the same. I’ve selected six of O’Leary’s tips I find perfectly aligned with what it takes to make a successful nonprofit ask...
July 27, 2016 at 10:38 am
As major campaigns near their ends, often there is a tendency to lessen the focus on best practices and the campaign discipline that has been key to your success. I believe that campaign goals should be met with major gifts. This strategy always should include plans to maintain and increase your ongoing annual support...
July 26, 2016 at 12:58 pm
Michael Jordan broke his silence Sunday about ongoing racial tensions and violence in America that have been heightened with more casualties from police-involved shootings involving black men, as well retaliations against police officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge, La...
July 25, 2016 at 11:12 am
The world stood still when news of pop icon Prince’s death began to flood the headlines on April 21, 2016. Months later, Prince is still making news, but now for something entirely different. Rumor has it that Prince may have donated $34 million to the San Francisco Foundation, a major local force in racial and…
July 25, 2016 at 10:43 am
Capital campaigns—those big, scary fundraising events that happen every once in awhile—embody some of the essential lessons of great fundraising. Capital campaigns raise money to springboard your organization to the next level. They are not your day-in, day-out slog. They’re inspiring, energizing and occasionally terrifying...
July 22, 2016 at 10:00 am
University of Michigan board chairman Mark Bernstein and his wife will withdraw a $3 million gift slated to help finance a new multicultural center on campus after concerns were raised about naming the building for them. The current multicultural center is named for William Monroe Trotter. It is the only building named for an African…
July 22, 2016 at 9:54 am
A California couple has claimed a $528.8 million share of a record Powerball jackpot from January and pledged to give much of it to charity. Flanked by security, Marvin and Mae Acosta went to a state lottery office in Van Nuys, Calif., on Friday to claim their winnings from the record $1.6 billion Powerball drawing,…
July 19, 2016 at 9:56 am
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates wants Africa's next generation of tech entrepreneurs to build a brighter future for their nations, so his philanthropic foundation will donate another $5 billion during the next five years to help sustain economic progress, including against diseases like AIDS, Zika and malaria. Gates made the announcement on Sunday during the annual…
July 18, 2016 at 11:47 am
My guess is that you or some of your colleagues in the field are thinking, "What the heck is Jeff talking about now? Spirituality and major gift fundraising? What’s this all about? OK, I get it. Today, when you hear the word "spirituality," all kinds of stuff comes bubbling up. Some of what comes up is pretty negative. There is no doubt about that...
July 15, 2016 at 9:38 am
Another summer, another hefty charitable donation from Warren Buffett. He once again beat his previous record, donating more than $2.86 billion worth of Berkshire Hathaway stock to a handful of charities on Wednesday. The gifts top the $2.84 billion he gave last July, which had bested the $2.8 billion he gave in 2014. According to an…
