“If a ruler’s anger rises against you, do not leave your post; calmness can lay great offenses to rest” (Ecclesiastes 10:4). Did you know that the average tenure of a fundraiser is two years or less? Fundraising is a tough job. A recent survey indicated that...
Your ministry sends lots of messages to your donors through direct mail, newsletters, annual reports, website, social media, email, and face-to-face meetings—but are you really connecting? Countless other organizations are also competing for your donors’ attention. Cut through the communication noise and learn what major...
“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15). Do you treat your donors as servants or friends?...
“Finishing Well” When I think of the phrase, “finishing well,” I am reminded of Paul’s encouragement to Timothy “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7). 2020 has been incredibly challenging from a fundraising perspective,...
“The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold as pure as glass… the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass.” Revelation 21:18-21 Does God...
“But generous people plan to do what is generous, and they stand firm in their generosity.” Isaiah 32:8 NLT Sometimes people who receive think that giving is easy, but that’s not true. Satan doesn’t want God’s kingdom to thrive, so he hurls many fiery darts at...
Today, when you hear the word, “philanthropy,” you think of Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, or Chuck Feeney. Perhaps one of the most generous philanthropists in the past century was John D. Rockefeller, Jr. (1874-1960), the only son and principal heir of John Rockefeller, the founder...
“When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame, she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions. Arriving with a very great caravan—with camels carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones—she came to Solomon and talked with him about all she...
This is a fair question that the men and women of TTG have been asked many times over the past 30+ years. Please allow me to go out on a limb early and give you a simple answer… “NO!” Let me harken back to my...
In our work with major donors, we often use the expression, “Asking permission to ask.” But what does that mean? When is it appropriate to use in a donor conversation? In Pat McLaughlin’s book, Major Donor Game Plan, he talks in depth about the transition...
