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 March 19, 2010  


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 ArticlesArticle CategoriesMajor Gifts and Planned Giving Review   
 
Major Gifts and Planned Giving Review

About Major Gifts and Planned Giving Review

Nonprofit organizations and institutions know that the largest category of support comes form private charitable contributions. Major Gifts and Planned Giving Review focuses on large gifts from individual donors, from two perspectives. Articles examine the creation, challenges, opportunities and best practices of fund development programs. They also examine the structuring of gifts to meet the goals, desires and needs of the donor as well as the organization and institution. Thus, both the management of fund development programs and the gift structure are covered. Articles are predominantly from the US context, though colleagues from other countries will find much of interest as well.


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Major Gift Prospecting and Prioritization

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

by Norman Olshansky

One of the most important activities a nonprofit needs to undertake prior to initiating a major gifts campaign is the identification and prioritization of prospects. Some organizations spend a lot of money, time and human resources on prospect mining and research. Others try to identify pockets of wealth in their community and then determine what is the best way to contact and solicit those individuals.

For many organizations, I recommend the following simple and inexpensive technique to identify and prioritize major gift prospects....

Why does your nonprofit organization need a gift acceptance policy?

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

by Norman Olshansky

Decisions related to acceptance of out of the ordinary donations and pledges can be among the most challenging issues nonprofit professionals and leaders have to address, related to fundraising....

Ten Basic Fundraising Axioms: Simplified

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

by Norman Olshansky

Yes, science, technology and skill sets are necessary to be successful as a fundraiser for nonprofit organizations. However, there are also several very basic axioms which, if followed, will greatly increase your success....

Are Your Board Members N.I.C.E.?

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

by Lynne T. Dean, CFRE

How can I get my board more involved in fundraising? When we ask nonprofit leaders to share their most daunting challenges, they frequently regale us with sagas of boards with amazing passion for the organization but yet an unexplainable inability or even lack of will to transform that passion into fundraising.

Because we’ve heard that same answer so often, we’ve developed an array of suggestions, strategies and techniques to help organizations and board members overcome what many refer to as the “fear of fundraising”. While the idea of fundraising can send shivers up the spine of some of the most-experienced board members and a few executive directors as well, I contend that the real dilemma for many of those most fearful is that they don’t understand that fundraising is much, much more than asking for the gift. And that yes, they can succeed at fundraising.

What Builds Trust Between Professional Donor Educators?

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

by Charles Bernard Maclean, PhD

Why Ask The Question: The new generation of donor educators recognizes that it is essential to build trust with their peers, financial advisors, fundraisers and the client/donor. With that trust comes the promise of supporting giving, building collaborations, sustaining practices and growing the field.

Before You Start A Fundraising Campaign: The Pre-Campaign Planning Study

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

by Norman Olshansky

All too often, nonprofit organizations jump into fundraising campaigns without proper preparation and without a well thought out campaign plan. Initial volunteer passion and enthusiasm frequently results in a “ready-fire-aim” mentality. To achieve goals and “hit your targets,” it is critical to take time to properly....

What is a Development Audit and when does your organization need an audit?

Thursday, September 24, 2009

by Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE

A Development Audit is an internal assessment of your fundraising program and your readiness to embark on new development ventures. The Development Audit looks at involvement of board, staff and volunteers in the fundraising process and offers recommendations on how to best use the human resources available to the organization. It further evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of your development systems, including fundraising software. The audit also offers suggestions to help improve donor communications and stewardship.

Many organizations consider a Development Audit when they are....

Ten Tips for Major Gift Solicitors

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

by Norman Olshansky

Here are 10 tips to help you in making the ask. Here's the first one: Do your homework....

Marketing Planned Gifts

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

by Norman Olshansky

Nonprofits are facing increased competition for and more challenges related to annual fundraising for operations. Organizations that have strong endowments have been able to weather the storm. Today, forward-looking nonprofit organizations are looking to develop endowments. Those that have had the most success have demonstrated that endowment fundraising is more about long-term relationships and stewardship than advertising and print marketing.

Return on Investment: Getting the Most From Your Fundraising Efforts

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

by Norman Olshansky

This may seem like blasphemy to some, but events should primarily be utilized to attract new donors, cultivate existing donors and volunteers, say thank you to your donors, volunteers and staff, or to provide community education. For most organizations, events (with a few notable exceptions) should not be undertaken if they are....

Major Gifts: Answer to All My Problems or Major Delusion?

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

by Shelley Uva

If you are currently looking for a development job, you have probably noticed that almost every job advertised these days seems to focus on major gifts. The reason for this is simple. During the past 10 months, the stock market has gone down precipitously and, as a result, many foundations have lost a significant portion of their funds. Many of them are no longer taking on new projects, and a significant number are either cutting back on projects they are already funding or declining to renew grants. As foundation money remains difficult to secure, greater numbers of nonprofits are turning to major gifts as their best hope.  Twenty years ago, the next big thing in fundraising was marketing. Today it is major gifts.

The Heart Leads the Way

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

by George Colabella

Let me begin with a few points.   I have been a fund raiser for about 30 years and confess to being “old school.” I believe in personal contacts, prefer to speak with people rather than send an e-mail, and  have very strong suspicions about on-line donations.   I do not believe that having an exciting web page is a form of cultivation, am totally unimpressed by a message that informs me it was sent via a blackberry, and am particularly leery of those who tell me that people just want the cold facts so they can make a gift and go about their busy techno lives.
 
Everything I have ever learned and everything that I believe revolves around a simple fact....

Keeping Track of Key Donors

Wednesday, July 27, 2005

by Michele Hickey, CFRE

A good donor tracking system keeps you on top of your game by helping you focus on actions that help build long-lasting relationships for your organization.

Screening Sessions for Major Donors

Thursday, July 15, 2004

by Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE

Many times in smaller organizations, executive directors and development directors will bemoan the fact that they do not have the "movers and shakers" on their board and, therefore, cannot consider a major gift program or a capital campaign that relies heavily on leadership level gifts. Before writing off your board members, consider doing some brainstorming on major donor prospects. You may be surprised at the connections your board has in this regard

The 'New Look' of Major Giving

Wednesday, June 25, 2003

by Judith E. Nichols

...How does our increasing longevity affect major giving? By focusing on bequests and planned gifts, many organizations will actually bring in more money from a broader base of supporters than they can through a focus on current gifts!...

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