Major Gifts
October 5, 2015 at 10:49 am
The NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering is set to change its name to NYU Tandon School of Engineering on Monday after receiving a $100-million gift donation, according to a press release. Donors NYU trustee Chandrika Tandon and her husband Ranjan Tandon want the university to raise an additional $50 million for scholarship aid. Tandon said…
October 5, 2015 at 10:33 am
If someone says “talk to the hand” to you, it could simply mean they do not want to hear what you have to say. But is it that simple? In the major-gifts world, when a major donor does not want to talk to you and, in essence, says “talk to the hand” it can mean so many different things...
September 30, 2015 at 6:00 am
Money is a key component of the philanthropic equation, but today’s innovative philanthropists want to do more. Money can serve to make their precious values and boldest dreams come true. To assure this happens, they’ll do whatever it takes. If you want to succeed in any kind of fundraising (major or otherwise), it behooves you to get inside your donors’ heads...
September 29, 2015 at 11:30 am
Eight conservative groups are backing an appeal to the Supreme Court over a controversial California regulation requiring nonprofits to disclose their big donors on a tax form, saying the rule tramples on donors' constitutional rights. Mark Fitzgibbons of American Target Advertising, a direct marketing and fundraising agency for nonprofit organizations, accuses California Attorney General Kamala…
September 28, 2015 at 10:13 am
Pierre Omidyar, who co-founded online giant eBay, has given 10 percent of his stock in the San Jose-based online auction company, worth an estimated $269 million, to undisclosed charities, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing. Pierre and Pam Omidyar's Omidyar Group, their philanthropic enterprise, didn't say where the charitable funding will go. The…
September 28, 2015 at 9:31 am
Right now I think you are probably pretty stressed. Like everyone in fundraising, a large percentage of your overall revenue comes in between now and the end of the year. So, my question to you is this: During times of high-level stress, do you still feel a sense of joy in what you are doing? Your answer is critical...
September 25, 2015 at 10:33 am
The Native American tribe leading the fight to change the Washington Redskins name is locked in a dispute—one that includes accusations of lying, bribery and exploitation—with the foundation that team owner Dan Snyder created to help Indians in need. On one side is the Oneida Indian Nation, backed by millions of dollars in casino money,…
September 21, 2015 at 11:23 am
As P.K. Subban walked into the atrium of Montreal Children's Hospital for what would be the most important announcement of his life Wednesday, he looked up in the giant room he was entering and it hit him. Up on the wall, in giant letters, were the words "Atrium P.K. Subban," a recognition of the $10…
September 21, 2015 at 10:36 am
I will never forget what happened to the major gifts officer (MGO) who went into the office of an owner at a very large company in California and asked for a gift. The donor said, “When you have something that has some vision and is in the million-dollar range, come back and see me. What you are proposing today does not interest me.” ...
September 14, 2015 at 10:31 am
At this time of year, many major gift officers (MGO) are evaluating their caseloads. Great MGOs understand the donors on their caseloads are really not theirs. They understand that in order to grow the major gift program, sometimes they have to “sacrifice” some of the donors they have been cultivating and “give” them away to another MGO who is building their caseload...
