|
|
 |
|
|
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.
|
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!...
|
|
|
|
|
Would You Like to Write for CharityChannel?
CharityChannel was created in 1992 as a community of nonprofit-sector colleagues who shared a vision to create a professional community where members can help each other by sharing their expertise with each other. One of the most important avenues for the exchange of expertise is the opportunity to write original, down-to-earth articles. CharityChannel contributors have penned thousands of articles over the years, and they're just warming up – in the next weeks and months, we're going to expand the article subject areas.
If you have at least several years of experience in the sector and a specific expertise, as evidenced by a demonstrable record of accomplishment, in any of the topic areas listed to the left, you are invited to raise your hand to join one of our Contributors Panels organized around each topic area.
|