Actually, this phrase is wrong. It can hurt to ask. Sometimes it can hurt bad. When you ask too soon in a relationship, you can appear greedy or needy. When you ask too late, you can appear slack or, worse, disinterested. Asking for something that a donor has no interest in can suggest you haven’t…
Author: Jason McNeal
I provide leadership, advancement and fundraising consulting services to educational, healthcare, and non-profit organizations.
Plan to Be Grateful and Build a Better Team
In addition to developing your goals, plans, and timelines for the coming year, what else are you accomplishing through your annual planning process? If you are an efficacious advancement leader, you probably are employing activities and exercises that enhance a positive sense of teamwork among staff members. I routinely encourage advancement leaders to increase the…
What Are Your Money Narratives?
Suze Orman, the personal finance personality on CNBC and author of a number of books about money, shared a story about how she came to understand the value of money. Apparently, when she was a little girl her father owned a small business. One evening, his shop began to burn. Before the flames had engulfed…
What is stopping you?
What is stopping you from planning that trip filled with discovery visits? From making that call? From making that donor visit? From sending those thank-you notes? From doing any of the other important relationship-building items on your to-do list? In answering the “what is stopping you?” question, you might respond in one of the following…
Why Presidents Fail
Some of you are aware that I spent my graduate school years researching the topic of why college and university presidents fail. I am pleased to announce that this research culminated in the book, “Presidencies Derailed: Why University Leaders Fail and How To Prevent It,” published by The Johns Hopkins University Press. “Presidencies Derailed” is now…
Where Are Your Cranes?
The other night I heard Jim Cramer, the TV financial analyst with the pronounced ADD affliction, suggest that the U.S. economic recovery isn’t as authentic as we might hope. Yes, the stock market has enjoyed a couple years’ worth of bull-market fun (although last week saw a sizeable sell off). But, Mr. Cramer asked a…
Overcoming The Pride and Trust Issues With Giving
Two of the most seemingly-impenetrable barriers to giving are connected to the broader human conditions of pride and trusting others. Specifically, if an assigned solicitor isn’t willing to humble herself enough to ask with conviction on behalf of her deserving institution, a gift won’t be made (or, if a gift is made, it won’t be…
Paying Attention To Causation
The conventional wisdom is simple. Higher self-esteem will lead to better life choices and results. So, we tell our kids they have “gifts” and are “special” even when they are not. (Ever watched “American Idol” when a horrible teenaged singer is confronted, quite possibly for the first time, with the assessment, “wow, you just aren’t…
Prioritizing the 4 Types of Major Donor Prospects
Essentially there are 4 categories of major donor prospects in your donor database: The Generous – Those with financial capacity who give to your institution up to their capacity; The Contributors – Those with financial capacity who give to your institution but are not as generous as they could be; The Non-Engaged – Those with…
“Deep Human Connection”
Recently, at Duke University’s Commencement, technologist and philanthropist Melinda Gates stated to the assembled graduates: “Technology is just a tool. It’s a powerful tool, but it is just a tool. Deep human connection is very different. It’s not a tool. It’s not a means to an end. It is the end – the purpose and…