Here are a few cliches about why donors give: “Donors don’t give to meet your institution’s needs, they give to meet their own needs.” “Donors don’t give because you have needs, they give because you meet needs.” “Donors don’t give to institutions, they give through institutions.” “People give to people.” These cliches have become cliches…
Author: Jason McNeal
I provide leadership, advancement and fundraising consulting services to educational, healthcare, and non-profit organizations.
What’s Important To Know
Millions of dollars are spent each year on professional development. People attend conferences, webinars, conventions, workshops, and buy books all in an attempt to become more knowledgeable and become more valuable employees. Learning matters. The more we know, the more effective we become. That’s easy enough to understand. But if we can all agree that…
The Slow Yes
Recently, I listened as a candidate for a director of development position at a major U.S. university answered a question about how he handles rejection. His response was a winner: “Yes, every development officer hears “no” from time to time and you have to have a plan for how to respond to a “no” response…
Buying Ugly Socks and Answering For Donors
Last week I sat in a major gift donor prospect management meeting with a client and listened as a gift officer said, “What we know from visits and our research is that John (the donor) has the capacity to make a $5 million gift during our campaign. But I just don’t think he will give…
Why Empathy Matters in Leadership
“A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.” You’ve probably seen this sign on someone’s desk or door in your office. Perhaps someone even has muttered the words to you in a moment of frustration. Here’s the thing about this statement — everyone agrees with it. Everyone. If…
“A thought just occurred to me. . .”
A seasoned and effective development leader once told me, “never leave a visit – even a first visit – without asking for something.” His rationale was that the prospective donor understands your role and is expecting some sort of ask. If you don’t ask for something, you don’t appear to be doing your job. Over…
Make Yourself Uncomfortable
For most all of us, the reality is that we fall short of living out our full promise not because we fail in attempting something ambitious and important but rather because we simply get comfortable. Comfort comes in the form of familiar people, old habits, daily routines, and mindless decisions. In our fast-paced, 140-character, always…
5 Things Effective Development Professionals Say
It’s common for board members and other volunteers (and some development professionals) to ask the question: “What is the best way to ask someone for a gift?” What they are looking for, of course, are the “magic words.” The words or phrases that, when uttered with confidence and enthusiasm, wondrously unlock a donor’s generous spirit…
Are We Really Interested In Building Relationships?
Last week our family enjoyed celebrating my wife’s birthday. She received gifts, cards, Facebook greetings, and good food over the course of a few days of celebration. She even received a handful of text and email messages. In today’s world it is simple enough for a friend or colleague to drop a quick text or…
Further Evidence on the Critical Role of Donor Engagement
In today’s development field the phrase, “donor engagement,” get tossed around like a football owned by Peyton Manning. Everyone uses it. But not many people pause long enough to provide any definitional specificity to the phrase. What do we really mean when we say we need to “engage” donors? And why is it really important…