Articles & Top Guides

30 May

Posted at 05:00h in Development by
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Frustrated with not hitting your stride in your advancement work? Wondering how to kick-start an action plan that leads to increased productivity and results? Asking some candid questions may be very helpful. But rather than ask the standard assessment tool questions that often appear on evaluations, consider asking some more penetrating questions. While working with a client recently, I was asked to do a performance evaluation of each person on the advancement team. I pulled up each person’s position description and asked them to answer five key questions. Their responses were submitted in brief written form prior to our meeting and they became a great springboard for discussion and action plans.

23 May

Posted at 08:30h in Major Donors by
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Jesus gave Peter and John some unusual instructions to make preparation for what would be the Last Supper. “As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, and say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ He will show you a large room upstairs, all furnished. Make preparations there.” “They left and found things just as Jesus had told them” (Luke 22:10-13a).

09 May

Posted at 11:14h in Development, Fundraising by
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I'm sure you've heard this expression, "There are no small dreams"… maybe in a leadership class… or maybe from a motivational speaker … or perhaps in a good article on business best practices? One of the more famous quotes in this vein reads, “Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the hearts of men.” That was penned by German poet, Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe. I’m not sure exactly when he said it, but I believe it was in the late 1700’s.

11 Apr

Posted at 01:00h in Development, Strategic Planning by
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Michael Jordan is arguably the greatest player in NBA history. His top accomplishments include: Rookie of the Year; Five-time NBA MVP; Six-time NBA champion; Six-time NBA Finals MVP; Ten-time All-NBA First Team; Nine time NBA All-Defensive First Team; Defensive Player of the Year; 14-time NBA All-Star; Three-time NBA All-Star MVP; 50th Anniversary All-Time Team and Ten scoring titles. When he retired from basketball, Jordan decided to chase his dream of becoming a professional baseball player. He had the athleticism, intelligence, and passion – but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t hit a curveball.

08 Apr

Posted at 10:35h in Development, Stewardship by
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All the world watched as teams from many nations around the world competed in the 2014 Winter Olympics. Athletes who trained their entire life, seeking to win, so they could stand on the podium and hear their national anthem played. They celebrated, then took their medals home to share with family, friends and countrymen. A very noble and life changing cause.

04 Apr

Posted at 01:00h in Capital Campaigns, Major Donors, Stewardship by
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Recently, I was privileged to conduct Pre-Campaign Study interviews on behalf of a client. Essentially, these interviews are one-on-one meetings with their key stakeholders. This capital campaign would be the single largest fundraising effort ever entered into by this organization - the total needs exceeding $5 million. When we conduct these interviews, we ask the stakeholders several questions to gather their perception of the need. These are confidential conversations. We end each interview by asking if they would consider supporting the campaign as described and to estimate what their three-year giving level might look like. These are not pledge commitments, but they do help us to evaluate what the total dollars might project to.
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