Mar
22
2019
Who should be Driving Fundraising?
I have stated many times before that I am a huge fan of Jason Lewis. He is really making some of us stop and think about how...
staff
Feb
22
2019
Life Expectancy of Your Staff
The world has changed a lot over the last few decades (duh). The notion of somebody coming to work for an organization, putting in their 30...
Feb
08
2019
Using program Staff as Expert Witnesses
I have maintained that fundraising is a team sport — it involves many different people (if done correctly). Your program delivery staff are integral to a...
HR / Leadership
Jan
18
2019
Pick up the Phone and MAKE THE CALL
So much has changed in the almost 25-years since I entered this profession. My first campaign had pledge forms filed on index cards and we were...
Sep
21
2018
How long a fundraiser is expected to stay
Something tells me that our profession, the fundraiser, will never be getting the gold watch after 50 years of service. There are varying statistics, but the...
Sep
14
2018
Do Underpaid Employees Perform Better Due to Dedication?
Paying a non-profit employee is always fraught with issues — there is never a right number. Somebody is always disappointed. It could be the employee or...
May
18
2018
Results are the only thing that matters.
Fundraising is very much an A-type personality profession. When I was consulting for various capital campaigns in the 90’s, nothing was more rewarding for me personally...
Feb
23
2018
Questioning the Status Quo
I am always questioning the status quo. Even as a child, my parents used to get so frustrated with me because I questioned everything. Ad nauseum. Now,...
Jan
19
2018
The V-formation — a Lesson in Life
Do you ever wonder why geese fly in a V-formation? It is a pretty neat reason — it has been proven that by doing so, they...
Dec
15
2017
Your database might be your biggest asset
This is a particularly busy time of the season for those in the fundraising world. Many of our donors choose to pay off their pledges (or...