What Advancement Must Become: Builders of Communities of Shared Interest
You don’t have to poke too far into most nonprofits’ fundraising results to see significant donor erosion, usually masked by…
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Why fundraisers who position themselves as a counselor and guiding sage for donors raise more money
Things look bleak. Fundraisers don’t stay. They don’t stay at the nonprofit. They don’t stay in the industry. They are…
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What happens when you change your mindset
“I don’t want to waste your time.” Here is another common objection you will hear when trying to schedule visits.…
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This is the #1 driver of fundraiser turnover
Good and bad stories Stories are powerful. They can provide meaning and motivation. They can be a source of personal…
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The Key to Better Fundraising Results: Less Training, More Practice
What happens all too often when advancement leaders announce that they’re bringing in an expert to train their staff? Some…
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The 8 Components of Engagement Fundraising
There are eight components of my innovative fundraising methodology: 1. Accepting the Pareto principle We’ve called it the 80/20 rule,…
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Always Remember – What Matters Most Is the DONOR’s Hero Story, Not Yours
Philanthropy is powerful. It can do more for the donor than just consuming more stuff would do. It can provide…
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Stop making assumptions about your donors
“Major donors like to give in their backyard.” I call BS! One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that…
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The 4 Core Values of First-Generation Wealthy Donors You Need to Understand
Wealth is becoming more concentrated among fewer people. You probably know that already. But what you may not understand is…
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Why you may need to reframe the donor’s hero story
Reframing the hero story The Hero is a high-ego character. It is at one extreme of the ego-social axis. For…
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How Confident Is Your Fundraising Posture?
Put the proposition in human terms. Imagine two people that you observe on multiple occasions: One seems to be playing a…
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Introducing the Most Effective Legacy Gift Fundraising Strategy You’ve Never Heard Before
Imagine the following two scenarios. Scenario 1: You have 100 donors who have capacity to give a five-figure legacy gift,…
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Do you have a job or do you have a mission?
“I was on a mission from God.” I met John the first year I started working in major gifts. John…
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How to be the Obi-Wan Kenobi of Fundraisers to Guide Your Donor’s Hero Journey
The monomyth The hero is a fundamental human archetype. Jung describes an archetype as, “a spiritual goal toward which the…
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How Stereotyping Wealth Leads to Missed Fundraising Opportunities
When you think about the wealthiest of earners in the U.S., those who fall into the top 0.1 percent, who…
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3 Simple Ways to Start Major Donor Conversations Off on the Right Foot
“I’m interested in your story” Beginning a donor conversation by showing interest in their story works very well because people…
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Why fundraisers must understand the 6 common elements of every donor’s hero story
As fundraisers, what exactly do we have to offer donors? Their gift goes away. Even if we call it an…
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Why your greatest enemy in major gifts fundraising is the status quo
This challenge had me angry for more than a week… “Pharmaceutical sales reps have 15 meetings per day. Why can’t…
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How to make your fundraising ask more effective — according to research, not hearsay
Story review A story progresses through Backstory and setting These establish motivation from the main character’s original identity. The inciting…
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How to help your donors score a victory and make an impact
What’s it about? An effective fundraising story isn’t just a good story. It must do something. It must lead to…
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Better Fundraising Begins With Better Terminology
Words matter. They shape our thoughts. Our thoughts shape our actions and influence our decisions. The lexicon of fundraising is…
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How to Respond When a Major Gifts Prospect Says ‘No’ to Making a Gift
No matter how well your major gifts conversation goes, sometimes the prospect still turns down the opportunity to make a…
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3 Big Reasons Why An ‘Ask’ Is Mostly About Your Donor’s Hero Story (Not Your Organization’s)
The narrative arc Story moves through a narrative arc. This includes: Backstory and setting These establish motivation from the main…
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Stories are more important than metrics
I was once at a fundraising event supporting an organization that houses pregnant homeless women. I saw one of the…
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