The first-ever benchmark study on major gifts fundraising. Today, I’m thrilled to introduce the 2017 Major Gifts Fundraising Benchmark Study. The research was led by Melissa S. Brown and supported by the Association of Philanthropic Counsel. I just funded the effort. MORE
My pal Dr. Russell James is at it again. This time, he researched what fundraiser job titles inspire more engagement, connectivity, and giving. MORE
If you have not yet heard the news, Fidelity Charitable now sits at the top of the Philanthropy 400 list that ranks nonprofits according to the amount of money they raise from private sources. It was bound to happen sooner or later. I know some folks have their gripes with donor-advised funds. MORE
Greg and Tim discuss the six expectations donors have of non-profits in this episode of Engagement Fundraising. The post Donor Expectations – Episode 7 appeared first on MarketSmart, LLC |. MORE
That’s right. Most planned gift prospects actually don’t ever want to meet you. They’ll even go so far as to tell you that they will never, ever make a legacy gift to your organization. But then, guess what? They do! Because most are not rich. Tweet This! MORE
Remembrance. Honor. Memorialize. Pay tribute. Fairness. Right wrongs. Give back. Hormones. Oxytocin “the love hormone” Cortisol for focus. Brain. Neurons transmitting information. Mirror neurons support empathy. Religion. Find meaning. Satisfy dictates. Allay guilt. Social. MORE
According to Brian Saber, “Your ‘Asking Style’ is based on your personality and unique set of strengths in fundraising.” ” But, don’t be fooled by stereotypes. MORE
Jim Collins, author of the best-selling book Good to Great , has three big recommendations for all organizations: Get the right people on the bus. Get the right people in the right seats. Get the wrong people off the bus. So what does this mean for you? MORE
Veritus Group knows more about fundraising than most people learn in a lifetime. Here’s some of their wisdom : 5 things truly great nonprofits do: They pay staff well! They make their projects and programs awesome! They invest in reporting impact in a meaningful way! MORE
People give billions of dollars each year to waiters for a lot of the same reasons they give to charities. Social conformity (simply because it’s something you are supposed to do). Reciprocity (in exchange for something of value – service). MORE
Recently I was asked the following: “The whole idea of the ‘ask’ is very uncomfortable to me. How can I become more comfortable with it?” ” Here’s my answer: First, if you are uncomfortable with asking, it’s probably for one or all of 3 reasons. MORE
Firstly, email subject lines are actually headlines. The great advertising legend David Ogilvy once said, “On average, five times as many people read the headlines as read body copy. So, when you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.” MORE
Thanks to the Education Advisory Board , we now know what the ideal major gift officer looks like. Their Advancement Forum sought to understand what makes a top major gift officer tick. So they surveyed over 1,200 major gift officers at 89 colleges and universities in the U.S.A MORE
Here are 5 great lessons fundraisers can learn from Subway : 1. Ask for feedback. Say please. . Use the word “YOU” often. It makes people feel special. Create menus to make it clear what you want them to do (menus will help them make a decision too). MORE
I’m always a bit baffled when I see fundraising letters that fail to take into consideration the following. After all, research by Professor Siegfried Vogele has clearly proven what people read and in what order. MORE
Abraham Lincoln famously said, “When I do good, I feel good; when I do bad, I feel bad; and that’s my religion.”. Booker T. Washington said, “If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else” and also said, “Those who are happiest are those who do the most for others.”. Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”. The Dalai Lama said, “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”. MORE
Recently I was interviewed by a woman named Mazarine at Wild Woman Fundraising ! You can hear the interview here. Here’s one big point from the interview I figured you’d want to read (in case you don’t have time to listen to the whole thing). MORE
I’m always surprised when I click on a major gift or planned gift fundraiser’s LinkedIn profile and see that they only have 30, 50 or 100 connections. How can that be possible? MORE
An old book filled with timeless lessons. I was cleaning out a cabinet last weekend and I came across an old book I read long ago titled Strategic Selling. MORE
Everyone says the number one reason why people give is because they were asked. I think this axiom might need a bit of a tweak as follows: The number one reason why people give is because they were asked questions about themselves before they were asked to give. Tweet this! MORE
Every marketing channel needs to be optimized and employed properly. Sadly most fundraisers are using email the wrong way. Email should NOT be used primarily for fundraising. Rather it should be used mostly to build engagement. It should be used to tell stories, involve supporters, report back how gifts were used and make them feel good … not so much for asking. Think of an email to a donor as you would an email to your friend. Would you only ask for money from a friend in every email? MORE
A while back I wrote a blog post that included 5 best practices for delivering progress reports to major donors (sometimes including legacy gift supporters too). Later on, my kids wanted Domino’s Pizza. Honestly, I don’t like their food. MORE
In January, Inside Philanthropy interviewed legendary fundraiser Jerold Panas to discover his secrets of attracting wealthy supporters. Here’s his list: It isn’t about your organization or its needs. Rather, it’s about the donor and their needs. Go big or go home because big projects tap into donors’ dreams. Go in person to get the most generous contributions. Avoid dining with donors in restaurants; they make it hard for you to focus on them. The more the merrier. MORE
Andrew Olsen knows a thing or two about direct marketing. On his blog , he debunks 3 major donor myths that pertain to marketing. You can find them below. Here’s his proof that they aren’t true. Myth #1: Major donors don’t give through the mail or online. MORE
KHOU 11 News posted this image last night highlighting the fact that this family urgently needed help (and even included their home’s address in the post). Disaster. Friends, our fellow Americans are facing trillions of gallons of water. MORE
Funny thing about fundraising is that it all boils down to this: Making sure that your supporters feel good! I know, I know. In the books and webinars, they’ll say, “It’s all about proving impact and results.” ” Others will say, “It’s all about relationships.” MORE
Montgomery was a famous author in the early 1900’s. Her novels were internationally renowned. She once said, “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” ” This is so true. Involvement is one of the best ways to build seriously deep connections. It can mean the difference between no gift and the ultimate gift. There are millions of ways you can do this. Here are eight of them: Be transparent and give them access with a personal tour. MORE
Is the fundraising donor pyramid dead? Recently I was reminded of a blog post I wrote four years ago that got a lot of attention. Some of the reactions were not so kind. MORE
The left-leaning Institute for Policy Studies crunched the data from Giving USA Foundation’s annual philanthropic survey to figure out who was giving what. MORE
Most fundraiser’s LinkedIn profiles are screwed up! They look like resumes, not invitations. After all, are you trying to raise money or are you looking for another job? MORE
Dialogue. Major donors expect to be able to have a dialogue with an organization and its staff. Permission. Major donors expect to maintain power over whether or not they grant permission for dialogue to happen. Convenience. Major donors expect their engagements to be convenient for them. Focus. MORE
Here are the top 10 reasons why donors like taking donor surveys: 1. They want to be perceived as (or see themselves as) a helpful person. They want to be more involved in your mission. They want their voice to be heard. They want to affect change. MORE
I failed to get into business school. I hoped to be a business major at the University of Maryland in the 80’s. But my ability to read, comprehend and recapitulate the institution’s business lessons was not so good. I didn’t make the cut and failed to get even close to acceptance into the business school. So, I decided to become a journalism major instead even though I wasn’t very good at writing. My dream was to have my own ad agency some day. MORE
Cultivation starts and ends with great communication. Goodbyes are just as important as hellos. So here are some great ways to end emails you send to donors: 1. First name], I’m really counting on you! MORE
According to the author of a book titled WHO REALLY CARES, Arthur C. Brooks , there are 4 forces in American life that are primarily responsible for making people charitable: Religion. Skepticism about the government’s involvement in people’s economic lives. Strong families. Individual entrepreneurism. NOTE: He’s the president of the right-leaning think tank, the American Enterprise Institute. Some people believe his research was seriously flawed. I’ll let you decide.). MORE
1- Permission. Donors have immense power these days. They can ignore your communications! The best way to ensure that they don’t exercise that power is to gain their permission to communicate with them. Having a list of 100,000 matters little if no one engages with your outreach. MORE
Sick of my rants yet? I’ve droned on and on about the fact that your job is to make your donors feel good and to facilitate the exchange of dollars for value. And, of course, value is in the eye of the beholder (the donor’s eyes). MORE
The flow chart below makes me very uncomfortable. Here’s why: Science and experience have led me to realize that a donor’s objective is usually, first and foremost, to find meaning in their life through giving and to feel good knowing their legacy gift will make an impact. MORE
Humanity – Understanding human beings — really taking a deep, genuine interest in their wants, needs, desires, hopes, and dreams. MORE
Volunteerism is the gateway drug leading to major giving and legacy gifts. Proof can be found in the 2016 U.S. Trust® Study of High Net Worth Philanthropy. The study is based on a survey of U.S. MORE
For those of you who are new to the field, Mal Warwick played a tremendous leadership role in fundraising and direct marketing. In his book titled How to Write Successful Fundraising Appeals , he outlined the 4 levels of donor commitment. MORE
He’s back! And this time he’ll be talking about one of my favorite subjects — donor surveys. Sure, I’ve got some experience in this area. MarketSmart has been conducting surveys on behalf of hundreds of nonprofits in 4 countries around the world. MORE
Here are 14 things you must know about your donors if you want to raise major and planned gifts (13 of which can be obtained from a donor survey ): 1- Why do they care about your nonprofit’s mission? 2- What programs interest them and why? MORE
iMarketSmart
SEPTEMBER 20, 2017
Most fundraiser’s LinkedIn profiles are screwed up! They look like resumes, not invitations. After all, are you trying to raise money or are you looking for another job?
iMarketSmart
SEPTEMBER 13, 2017
The first-ever benchmark study on major gifts fundraising. Today, I’m thrilled to introduce the 2017 Major Gifts Fundraising Benchmark Study. The research was led by Melissa S. Brown and supported by the Association of Philanthropic Counsel. I just funded the effort.
iMarketSmart
SEPTEMBER 8, 2017
Volunteerism is the gateway drug leading to major giving and legacy gifts. Proof can be found in the 2016 U.S. Trust® Study of High Net Worth Philanthropy. The study is based on a survey of U.S.
iMarketSmart
SEPTEMBER 15, 2017
An old book filled with timeless lessons. I was cleaning out a cabinet last weekend and I came across an old book I read long ago titled Strategic Selling.
iMarketSmart
AUGUST 4, 2017
Jim Collins, author of the best-selling book Good to Great , has three big recommendations for all organizations: Get the right people on the bus. Get the right people in the right seats. Get the wrong people off the bus. So what does this mean for you?
iMarketSmart
SEPTEMBER 18, 2017
He’s back! And this time he’ll be talking about one of my favorite subjects — donor surveys. Sure, I’ve got some experience in this area. MarketSmart has been conducting surveys on behalf of hundreds of nonprofits in 4 countries around the world.
iMarketSmart
JUNE 7, 2017
1- Permission. Donors have immense power these days. They can ignore your communications! The best way to ensure that they don’t exercise that power is to gain their permission to communicate with them. Having a list of 100,000 matters little if no one engages with your outreach.
iMarketSmart
AUGUST 24, 2017
Greg and Tim discuss the six expectations donors have of non-profits in this episode of Engagement Fundraising. The post Donor Expectations – Episode 7 appeared first on MarketSmart, LLC |.
iMarketSmart
JANUARY 20, 2017
The left-leaning Institute for Policy Studies crunched the data from Giving USA Foundation’s annual philanthropic survey to figure out who was giving what.
iMarketSmart
MARCH 15, 2017
A while back I wrote a blog post that included 5 best practices for delivering progress reports to major donors (sometimes including legacy gift supporters too). Later on, my kids wanted Domino’s Pizza. Honestly, I don’t like their food.
iMarketSmart
MAY 31, 2017
Recently I was asked the following: “The whole idea of the ‘ask’ is very uncomfortable to me. How can I become more comfortable with it?” ” Here’s my answer: First, if you are uncomfortable with asking, it’s probably for one or all of 3 reasons.
iMarketSmart
FEBRUARY 27, 2017
Andrew Olsen knows a thing or two about direct marketing. On his blog , he debunks 3 major donor myths that pertain to marketing. You can find them below. Here’s his proof that they aren’t true. Myth #1: Major donors don’t give through the mail or online.
iMarketSmart
FEBRUARY 8, 2017
Sick of my rants yet? I’ve droned on and on about the fact that your job is to make your donors feel good and to facilitate the exchange of dollars for value. And, of course, value is in the eye of the beholder (the donor’s eyes).
iMarketSmart
MAY 12, 2017
The flow chart below makes me very uncomfortable. Here’s why: Science and experience have led me to realize that a donor’s objective is usually, first and foremost, to find meaning in their life through giving and to feel good knowing their legacy gift will make an impact.
iMarketSmart
AUGUST 28, 2017
KHOU 11 News posted this image last night highlighting the fact that this family urgently needed help (and even included their home’s address in the post). Disaster. Friends, our fellow Americans are facing trillions of gallons of water.
iMarketSmart
APRIL 17, 2017
Here are 14 things you must know about your donors if you want to raise major and planned gifts (13 of which can be obtained from a donor survey ): 1- Why do they care about your nonprofit’s mission? 2- What programs interest them and why?
iMarketSmart
DECEMBER 21, 2016
I’m always a bit baffled when I see fundraising letters that fail to take into consideration the following. After all, research by Professor Siegfried Vogele has clearly proven what people read and in what order.
iMarketSmart
DECEMBER 14, 2016
Cultivation starts and ends with great communication. Goodbyes are just as important as hellos. So here are some great ways to end emails you send to donors: 1. First name], I’m really counting on you!
iMarketSmart
AUGUST 30, 2017
According to the author of a book titled WHO REALLY CARES, Arthur C. Brooks , there are 4 forces in American life that are primarily responsible for making people charitable: Religion. Skepticism about the government’s involvement in people’s economic lives. Strong families. Individual entrepreneurism. NOTE: He’s the president of the right-leaning think tank, the American Enterprise Institute. Some people believe his research was seriously flawed. I’ll let you decide.).
iMarketSmart
JULY 29, 2016
My pal Dr. Russell James is at it again. This time, he researched what fundraiser job titles inspire more engagement, connectivity, and giving.
iMarketSmart
JULY 21, 2017
In January, Inside Philanthropy interviewed legendary fundraiser Jerold Panas to discover his secrets of attracting wealthy supporters. Here’s his list: It isn’t about your organization or its needs. Rather, it’s about the donor and their needs. Go big or go home because big projects tap into donors’ dreams. Go in person to get the most generous contributions. Avoid dining with donors in restaurants; they make it hard for you to focus on them. The more the merrier.
iMarketSmart
JUNE 27, 2016
Here are 5 great lessons fundraisers can learn from Subway : 1. Ask for feedback. Say please. . Use the word “YOU” often. It makes people feel special. Create menus to make it clear what you want them to do (menus will help them make a decision too).
iMarketSmart
AUGUST 14, 2017
Abraham Lincoln famously said, “When I do good, I feel good; when I do bad, I feel bad; and that’s my religion.”. Booker T. Washington said, “If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else” and also said, “Those who are happiest are those who do the most for others.”. Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”. The Dalai Lama said, “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”.
iMarketSmart
OCTOBER 21, 2016
According to Brian Saber, “Your ‘Asking Style’ is based on your personality and unique set of strengths in fundraising.” ” But, don’t be fooled by stereotypes.
iMarketSmart
MARCH 18, 2016
Humanity – Understanding human beings — really taking a deep, genuine interest in their wants, needs, desires, hopes, and dreams.
iMarketSmart
JULY 14, 2017
Is the fundraising donor pyramid dead? Recently I was reminded of a blog post I wrote four years ago that got a lot of attention. Some of the reactions were not so kind.
iMarketSmart
MARCH 20, 2017
Here are the top 10 reasons why donors like taking donor surveys: 1. They want to be perceived as (or see themselves as) a helpful person. They want to be more involved in your mission. They want their voice to be heard. They want to affect change.
iMarketSmart
OCTOBER 24, 2016
Firstly, email subject lines are actually headlines. The great advertising legend David Ogilvy once said, “On average, five times as many people read the headlines as read body copy. So, when you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.”
iMarketSmart
SEPTEMBER 7, 2016
Funny thing about fundraising is that it all boils down to this: Making sure that your supporters feel good! I know, I know. In the books and webinars, they’ll say, “It’s all about proving impact and results.” ” Others will say, “It’s all about relationships.”
iMarketSmart
JULY 19, 2017
Thanks to the Education Advisory Board , we now know what the ideal major gift officer looks like. Their Advancement Forum sought to understand what makes a top major gift officer tick. So they surveyed over 1,200 major gift officers at 89 colleges and universities in the U.S.A
iMarketSmart
FEBRUARY 3, 2017
People give billions of dollars each year to waiters for a lot of the same reasons they give to charities. Social conformity (simply because it’s something you are supposed to do). Reciprocity (in exchange for something of value – service).
iMarketSmart
MAY 8, 2017
Every marketing channel needs to be optimized and employed properly. Sadly most fundraisers are using email the wrong way. Email should NOT be used primarily for fundraising. Rather it should be used mostly to build engagement. It should be used to tell stories, involve supporters, report back how gifts were used and make them feel good … not so much for asking. Think of an email to a donor as you would an email to your friend. Would you only ask for money from a friend in every email?
iMarketSmart
JANUARY 23, 2017
Montgomery was a famous author in the early 1900’s. Her novels were internationally renowned. She once said, “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” ” This is so true. Involvement is one of the best ways to build seriously deep connections. It can mean the difference between no gift and the ultimate gift. There are millions of ways you can do this. Here are eight of them: Be transparent and give them access with a personal tour.
iMarketSmart
SEPTEMBER 21, 2016
Veritus Group knows more about fundraising than most people learn in a lifetime. Here’s some of their wisdom : 5 things truly great nonprofits do: They pay staff well! They make their projects and programs awesome! They invest in reporting impact in a meaningful way!
iMarketSmart
JANUARY 18, 2017
I failed to get into business school. I hoped to be a business major at the University of Maryland in the 80’s. But my ability to read, comprehend and recapitulate the institution’s business lessons was not so good. I didn’t make the cut and failed to get even close to acceptance into the business school. So, I decided to become a journalism major instead even though I wasn’t very good at writing. My dream was to have my own ad agency some day.
iMarketSmart
JULY 27, 2016
Recently I was interviewed by a woman named Mazarine at Wild Woman Fundraising ! You can hear the interview here. Here’s one big point from the interview I figured you’d want to read (in case you don’t have time to listen to the whole thing).
iMarketSmart
JUNE 24, 2016
Everyone says the number one reason why people give is because they were asked. I think this axiom might need a bit of a tweak as follows: The number one reason why people give is because they were asked questions about themselves before they were asked to give. Tweet this!
iMarketSmart
OCTOBER 3, 2016
I’m always surprised when I click on a major gift or planned gift fundraiser’s LinkedIn profile and see that they only have 30, 50 or 100 connections. How can that be possible?
iMarketSmart
MARCH 4, 2016
That’s right. Most planned gift prospects actually don’t ever want to meet you. They’ll even go so far as to tell you that they will never, ever make a legacy gift to your organization. But then, guess what? They do! Because most are not rich. Tweet This!
iMarketSmart
NOVEMBER 30, 2016
If you have not yet heard the news, Fidelity Charitable now sits at the top of the Philanthropy 400 list that ranks nonprofits according to the amount of money they raise from private sources. It was bound to happen sooner or later. I know some folks have their gripes with donor-advised funds.
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