What should you do 60 days (or less) until the end of the giving year? Less than sixty days remain in the calendar year, but who is counting? Less than sixty days are left to mobilize the giving you need this year. What should you focus on? Have you thanked your donors? Have you reported […]
Finalize Year-End Giving
All the work you do in development from January through September is reflected in the response and activity from givers in October through December. From a development standpoint, there are two pivot points in the year at which you are trying to ask people to make a giving decision. In the first half of the […]
The Illusion of Effectiveness
My father wisely taught me there are no expenses in development. There are only investments. Every dollar and hour spent on development should have a corresponding result and impact on giving. Why? You don’t exist to keep people employed in development. That’s not why you’re there. You’re there to bring others alongside you to support […]
Ask In All Seasons
As leaders, we must proactively reach out in specific ways to people willing to give at different times of the year. Many nonprofit organizations use a fiscal year that starts in August or September and finishes the following summer. Some do operate on a budget year, otherwise called a calendar year. This distinction is important […]
Work Smarter, Not Harder | Limits of Leadership
Let me give you a framework to think about using your capacity. Imagine your junk drawer at home. The larger the junk drawer, the more junk you will find to put in there. Eventually, you will fill it up and go to junk drawer 2.0. There will always be junk to fill the drawer. Capacity […]
Work Smarter, Not Harder | List More, Overthink Less
Ideally, you’re in the room with your donors at least once every eighteen months to two years. You’re touching base. You’re updating. You’re refreshing their memory of your ministry’s vision. You’re repeatedly moving through the cycle of thanking and reporting. As your organization’s advancement leader, I encourage you to continually work on your lists so […]
Work Smarter, Not Harder | Maximize Your Calendar’s Potential
Picture your calendar. What’s the first thing you see in your mind’s eye? Is it a due date? An upcoming party or birthday celebration? The start of a new semester? Time management research shows that the majority of stress and feelings of overwhelm are due to the next two weeks on a person’s calendar. Knowing […]
Where You Go Is Determined by Where You Are
If you’re in development, chances are you’ve already racked your brain for the best ways to expand your network. Look around you. Who do you see? Start there. For those of you working in schools or ministries with gatherings, it’s sadly common for people to only interact with others they know. If there’s a stranger […]
Your Ministry Needs YOUnity
As leaders, we must work impactfully with individuals and just as effectively with teams. I have compiled practical tips for your interactions through leadership that will grow trust, influence, and results with others, whether a large group or a party of one, ultimately benefiting your ministry. Let’s dive in, first focusing on EIGHT ways to […]
Self-Leadership Isn’t Self-Explanatory
Self-leadership is an area of passion and growth that’s hard for me to talk about because I have many regrets about habits and lack of discipline many years ago. I want to be careful, too, because I’m still growing in this as well. The goal is not to be perfect. God is the one doing […]
Start Well to End Well
Have you ever planned for a long vacation with your family? Different family members have different takes on what “planning” looks like. Some consider remembering toothpaste to be above and beyond, while another individual who shall remain nameless would label socks if given a chance. Who do you think everyone goes to on day two […]
Asked and Answered | Fundraising Events
Leaders of communities with diverse backgrounds and economic means must manage the perception that some fundraising activities are being geared only toward those small groups that might be more apt to be able to give financially. Cultural implications exist in an organization’s community when you do fundraising events. While not as big of an issue […]
Head On
Imagine a minivan parked on the side of the road. Now imagine shifting the van into neutral. Please give it enough oomph to make it 500 feet to a gas pump right up the road if needed. What if this same van was on a slight incline? Feel confident? You may need a friend to […]
Now Is the Time for Massive Action
If you are serving in a Christian school or ministry, we firmly believe that NOW is the time to take massive action to grow significant giving that moves you forward. YOUR potential donors likely feel a sense of opportunity and even urgency in finding and giving to deserving impactful organizations. Will they choose your ministry […]
Reinvention IS Innovation
The start of the calendar year is an excellent time to take a step back and look at the big picture. To look at what you’re working on within your organization. To look at who you’re working with at your ministry. At Development and Leadership Coaching, we hear weekly from one organization or another that […]
5 Numbers to Know in the New Year
The start of a new year is when people are driven and willing to sit down and look at what’s working and what needs to be reworked. A clean slate is more than just exciting – it’s a prime opportunity to clarify who your organization is and what it stands for, allowing for disciplined planning. […]
Planning With Purpose in the New Year
For some of us, the dawn of a new year represents a clean slate, a fresh start, perhaps another opportunity to get going on all of the resolutions we set aside last year. For those of us in development and leadership, a new calendar year also signifies that it’s time to determine a strategy for […]
Are They Picking Up What You’re Putting Down?
Think about the members of your team. Picture them in your office or workspace. What do you see? Who’s listening to music? Who can’t work unless their space is tidied? Does anyone have a variety of colors and textures in their area? What about seating selections? Does everyone use a classic chair or do some […]
Giving | How to Talk the Talk
Leaders in development are aware there are deficits – costs that must be covered and debts that must be paid. This is not, however, what donors are interested in hearing. What’s an organization to do? What Do We Focus On? It’s important not to think or talk in percentages – even internally – about development. […]
Approval or Affirmation?
There’s an old saying: ask for forgiveness rather than permission. If you’ve been in advancement for more than two minutes, you’ve been tempted to take this same approach with your board of directors more than once! How can people who don’t see the ins and outs of how you and your team are killing themselves, […]