It’s Time to Rethink the “Great Wealth Transfer”
61% of estate dollars from surviving spouses were transferred by decedents in their 90s and 100s. This statistic should change…
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Prepare Your Team for Successful Outreach – Here’s What You Need
Making outreach to major donors requires more than pre-qualified prospects. That’s essential, and it’s the reason MarketSmart exists. But even…
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Why Qualitative Donor Data Helps Find More Major Donors
Major donor discovery and cultivation depend on far more than quantitative data like wealth capacity and giving history. In fact,…
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1 Fundraising Finding: Permanence and Death Reminders
Today’s experiment highlights a key legacy-fundraising concept. Mortality reminders trigger two responses: avoidance and/or pursuit of symbolic immortality. The second…
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How to Use LinkedIn for Outreach to Major Donors and Prospects
You may not realize it, but LinkedIn is often the most effective social media channel for making initial contact with…
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The Big Bequest Misunderstanding: Why You Can’t Ignore Your Oldest Friends
Half of all charitable bequest dollars will come from people passing at this age and older: 89. The big wealth…
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Why Your Board and Wealthy Donors Don’t Send You Any Referrals
We all know the value of networking. We also all know that some of your best and most valuable donors…
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What Is Preliminary Qualification for Major Donors and Prospects?
For decades, major gifts fundraising has revolved around a process for working with wealthy donors to raise money. It involved…
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Introducing the Staff Position You Never Knew You Needed That Can Boost Major Gifts Efficiency and Reduce Turnover
There’s too much to do and not enough time to do it. While this may be a common feeling in…
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6 Reasons Why Major Donor Prospects Ignore Your Outreach Efforts
Major donor outreach isn’t easy. When you have success, it feels great. But more often, your efforts to make contact…
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Stewardship with Soul: Emotional Intelligence Beyond the Gift
Too many fundraisers treat stewardship like the closing chapter. The thank-you note. The impact report. The ribbon-cutting ceremony. But in…
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What It Will Take to Secure More Major Gifts
Major gifts, if they are to prove to be more effective philanthropic conversation starters and, ultimately, investment worthy will have…
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Why Traditional Major Gift (and Legacy Gift) Fundraising No Longer Works
Fundraising seems to be getting more difficult, and the problem is affecting the entire industry. Low-dollar donors are dropping out…
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5 Steps to Take As You Prepare For Outreach to Major Giving Prospects
Winning major gifts is a complex process, but it can be broken down into a series of steps. You can…
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How to Help Major Donors Give More By Knowing Their Own Motivations for Giving
Dr. Russell James (the foremost researcher in our field) often speaks about the primal motivations for giving, emphasizing that donors…
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Dollars Up, Donors Down: How You Can Buck the Trend
If your revenue seems to be holding steady or even increasing year over year (dollars up), good for you! That’s…
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Boomer Giving Vs. Millennial Giving: Myth-Busting Facts
Contrary to common belief, more Millennials give than Boomers. A smaller percentage of Boomers give but contribute more dollars and…
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Mastering Donor Outreach: 5 Mistakes to Avoid and 6 Best Practices to Boost Your Results
Donor outreach is hard. There’s no sugarcoating required. We all know it. But like anything, there is a skillset, and…
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Don’t Squander Your Philanthropic Potential
Do you want to know the secret to being a better fundraiser? Segment and tailor your funding requests to your…
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We Can’t Make People Philanthropic But We Can Deepen or Discourage Their Philanthropy
In a long career that led me to interact with thousands of donors, I can say with certainty that I…
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Fundraising is Not About “The Ask.”
Fundraising is not about “The Ask.” But it is about asking the questions below. When you do, “the ask” becomes…
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Putting the Right Idea in Front of The Right Donor in the Right Way at the Right Time
Put the right idea in front of the right door in the right way at the right time. The more…
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What Is and Isn’t Philanthropic
To be philanthropic is to acknowledge that we are in this together; that: Your misfortune is mine because I have…
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9 Powerful But Often Overlooked Ideas for More Effectively Thanking Major Donors
Are you falling behind on thanking your major donors? Are you neglecting it entirely? If so, unfortunately, you’re not alone.…
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