Over the years I’ve had the privilege of nurturing the growth of advancement professionals at early stages of their careers. To watch many of them develop into major gift rock stars has been deeply meaningful to me. I’m often asked, especially these days, “What exactly makes a great major gifts fundraiser?” I’ve seen it happen,Continue reading “Finding a Great Major Gifts Officer”
Category Archives: Major Gifts
Great Migrations
Three great migrations. No, not the wildebeests or the Monarch butterflies. Three migrations that have everything to do with our work. I get asked all the time how to know if a major gifts officer is “measuring up.” We can’t put the pen in the donor’s hand, but we can be mindful of the progressContinue reading “Great Migrations”
Major Gifts in Ten Minutes a Day
We were having coffee and my friend looked panicky. “What’s the matter?” “Rob, it’s nearly November and I’m not getting out. I haven’t made a visit in a month. My plate is so full right now, I can’t imagine even finding the time to try to get a visit. I need a day, a week,Continue reading “Major Gifts in Ten Minutes a Day”
The Reckoning
Do you hear the sound of engines revving in the distance? That’s the sound of hundreds – thousands – of development shops gearing up as the pandemic wanes. Fundraisers hitting the road. In-person visits. Special events being scheduled. In a few months that distant sound will be a roar. Organizations across the nonprofit landscape willContinue reading “The Reckoning”
A Dozen Tried and True Donor Cultivation Tips
The best cultivation technique I’ve ever found is this: If you want to do something nice for someone, don’t do it for them. Do it for someone they love.