You’ve just been hired as (check off one): ___Director of Development ___ Chief Development Officer ____Director of Major Gifts Your charge is to increase funding from individuals and, perhaps, institutions such as foundations and corporations. You’ve been set a pretty ambitious goal for your first year. So what do you immediate begin to do? If… Read more
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Asking for Help
Even as a shy (yes, I have overcompensated!) young girl, I prided myself on my independence. It was important to me to do things on my own; to never ask for help. I can’t say that attitude always served me well. Indeed, I can pinpoint many times when I needed assistance and should have sought… Read more
The Dynamics of Cultivation
The problem, she told me, is that they don’t ask. I demur. The problem, I retort, is that they ask without cultivating. Oh yes. You send your donors your newsletters, invite them to events. You send them handwritten letters, post pictures on social media…all one-way actions really aren’t getting you to better know your donor and, really,… Read more
The Wrong Board
A colleague who has spent her career at large, well-resourced nonprofits was complaining about a recent event she attended. The purpose of the event was to match potential board members with nonprofits needing new board members. The problem according to my colleague? The potential board members were all inappropriate—too young, too unconnected, too little financial… Read more