The Power of Calm Leadership: Why Desperation Deters Progress
If you’re desperate, I can’t help you raise money. Nor can anyone else, though some may claim they can. Desperation…
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The Major Gifts Iceberg – What Lies Beneath that First Major Gift?
Have you ever closed a gift that left you underwhelmed and feeling like you left money on the table? Maybe…
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Rejection Without Resentment: The Emotionally Intelligent Fundraiser’s Response to “No”
In fundraising, rejection is inevitable. You’ll hear “no” more than “yes.” You’ll experience silence more than applause. And if you’re…
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Unheard Voices That Come Back to Haunt Fundraising
Too infrequently, unheard voices and various levels within our organizations include: Lapsed donors, whom we too rarely seek out, even…
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The Smarter Way to Prioritize Your Major Donor Outreach: Let Prospects Reveal Themselves to You
Fundraisers are constantly told to “get out and meet more donors.” But that advice misses the deeper issue: outreach takes…
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Planned Giving Is a Love Letter: Emotional Intelligence in Legacy Fundraising
There’s a special kind of generosity that lives in planned giving. It’s forward-looking. Reflective. Sacred. And almost always… deeply emotional.…
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Impact: How We’re Being Short-sighted in Responding to What Donors Want
As fundraisers, we’re being short-sighted as to what donors really want. Here’s an example. The Juilliard School of Music replaces…
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How Nostalgia Drives Giving and Why Donors Open Up When They Tell Their Story
There’s something we’ve been doing for our customers over here at MarketSmart for many years. But we haven’t shared this…
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Fundraising in Uncertain Times: Emotional Intelligence as Your Steady Hand
The world feels uncertain. Crises come fast. Budgets shrink. Priorities shift. And in the nonprofit world, fundraisers are often expected…
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Why Aren’t You Raising More Million-Dollar Gifts?
Have you ever wondered why you aren’t raising more million-dollar gifts? There’s plenty to go around, right? Why aren’t you…
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5 Outcomes You Can Expect When You Reach Out to Major or Legacy Donor Prospects
Outcomes, not Activities So many nonprofits put far too much emphasis on tracking activities instead of outcomes. At nonprofits using…
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Lessons from a Lifetime in Fundraising: How Emotional Intelligence Fuels the Human Spirit
After decades in this field—as a development officer, college president, consultant, and speaker—I’ve come to believe one thing more deeply…
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A Philanthropy Quiz: Test Your Knowledge
1. What famous philosopher is considered one of the first philanthropists and estate givers in Western history? Plato directed that…
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Major Donor Case Study Demonstrates Effective Automated Donor Communication
MarketSmart talks a lot about why automated communication is the best way to manage and grow relationships with major donors…
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Fundraising Is an Act of Love: Emotional Intelligence at Its Best
We often talk about fundraising as strategy. As science. As systems and models and analytics. But strip away the jargon,…
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The 10 Most Common Assumptions That Lead to Fundraising Struggles
Here is a list of the 10 most common assumptions that fundraisers make: We should go into another campaign shortly…
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The 4 Habits You Need to Develop for Productive Major Donor Outreach
Winning major gifts depends on consistently productive outreach to the right major donors and prospects. Of course, who you reach…
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Donor Motivation Is an Emotional Journey: Fundraising with Heart and Awareness
One of the most common questions I hear from fundraisers is: “What motivates someone to give?” There’s no one-size-fits-all answer.…
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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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How to Gain Trust of Major Donors and Be Accepted As Their Guiding Sage
When working with new major donor prospects, one of the most important principles is to wait and take time before…
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From Head to Heart: Teaching Board Members the Power of Emotional Intelligence in Fundraising
Many board members believe their role in fundraising is to open doors, approve budgets, or review campaign reports. All of…
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The Request That Donors Almost Always Agree To
Can you guess what one request donors always agree to? It is, “May we run an idea by you from…
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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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Emotions Are Contagious: Using Emotional Intelligence to Catalyze Major Gifts
Fundraising leaders talk a lot about strategy—segmentation, stewardship, solicitation. But behind every strategy that works is something more basic, more…
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