The Ascent

Last week alone, I heard of 10 organizations seeking new or additional gift officer positions. Unfortunately, most were replacing people they felt were not productive.  OUCH! Why is this?  Why does our industry struggle so often with talented development professionals? We could expound on the reasons: Too few leads Not the right fit Lofty expectations, etc., […]

We’re all familiar with the Apostle Paul’s intent to travel to Asia. But God stopped him and sent him instead to Macedonia. Acts 16:6-10 tells the familiar story of the Macedonian Vision. Immediately when Paul received the vision of the man calling for his help to come to Macedonia, Paul responded and prepared to shift […]

That’s a concept from one of my favorite (if sometimes crassly scripted) British comedies, W1A. An affectionate but satirical look at the BBC which it turns out is like any other bloated government endeavor – ever seeking to justify its budget and to some degree immune from practical, ground-level influence. The Way Ahead Task Force […]

Development teams in nonprofits have big hearts and desires. The people in those teams are relational, considerate, and truly passionate about the mission. These are amazing qualities. Development teams also desire to raise their effectiveness in raising funds and in building relationships. That’s the job and the foundation of the ministry.  However, at least three […]

We all wrestle with minute, daily decisions, but sometimes nonprofit leaders spend month’s worth of time and energy coming to a conclusion when a decision requires the full weight of our prayer, conversation, and time to process. The question to ask is if the decision you need to make actually needs as much wrestling and […]

Like you, I’ve heard the word “systemic” more times in the last two weeks than I have in the last two years.  And perhaps you, like me, have a grieving heart over the incidents in our nation.    In the wake of the terrible events in our country, I’ve had to think hard about what “systemic” really means.  “Affecting the […]

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BIG DONORS! In the next few articles, I’ll focus on the construction of a 7-figure caseload – a caseload of donors who annually contribute at least a million dollars to your organization per relationship manager. The Caseload consists of three major gift categories: Big Donors Bread and Butter Donors Beginning Donors (but still major) In […]

Bread & Butter Donors Heard a great (but rarely heard story) from one of our clients recently. See below. But first, we’re talking this month about building a Million-Dollar Caseload for each relationship manager on your team – annually. Today, we’re focused on the type of major donors we call “Bread-and-Butter Donors.” These good folks […]

On my wall hangs an art piece created by a time-tested technique by Vietnamese craftsmen. It consists of crushed eggshells, painted and glued in place. Mine depicts an elaborate scene showing a dock stretching into a placid, calm river. Up the hill from the dock is a traditional hut on a restful location, and two […]

Powerful Planning for Development Part 1: Where do you want to go? If you’ve ever used Mapquest or another navigation tool, you know certain inputs are needed before a plan for your trip can be devised. It all starts with where you are, where you want to go and how you want to get there […]

We’re halfway through first quarter. How are your New Year’s Resolutions coming along? You know, way back in January when the idea of creating a successful Foundation Strategy sounded like a great idea. Well, you’re right. A Foundation Strategy IS a great idea, but it’s doomed to fail without preparation. Four Key Indicators in a […]

My wife and I just bought our garden plants. The nursery was packed. The dreams of a bountiful harvest of flowers and vegetables were palpable. Each plant variety gave an estimated “harvest date” – when the plant would yield mature produce.  Wouldn’t that be helpful with donor cultivation? Imagine a tag that indicated when the major […]

Today, more than 1.9 million nonprofits exist in the United States (according to recently filed 990s). Most are dependent on charitable dollars to meet their annual expenses.   Make no mistake your organization IS competing to be heard and understood by the donor public. And you are competing for funding in a declining pool of charitable support. […]

The temptation to see major donors for what they can give is real. “We’ve got goals to hit, budgets to complete, after all.” It is a temptation we must resist. Henri Nouwen tells a compelling story in his classic A Spirituality of Fundraising of a rich banker who wants to help Nouwen with money. The […]

With Memorial Day behind us, summer has officially begun, and fundraising professionals know that giving goes down in the summer months. But it doesn’t have to. It’s true that donors may not be regularly seeing your communications, but summer can be a great time to prepare for an abundant harvest in the fall and end-of-year giving […]

When we first moved to Colorado Springs, Pikes Peak loomed before us calling out its challenge.  “See if you can make it to the top.” I, my wife, and then 13-year-old daughter took off with friends and with great expectations of summiting America’s Mountain. Filled with enthusiasm, we began the day-long hike through boulders, pines, […]

I talk to a lot of major donors.  Somehow, they feel comfortable telling me things they may not tell their ministry representatives. Summarizing their comments, I’ve come to conclude that most major gifts are motivated by 3 important factors. A STORY             The story you tell donors explains the grand journey you’re on to solve […]