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We all want results. Right? The particulars about which results might differ from one situation to the next, but we tend to focus on the results we desire above anything else. No matter what outcome you’re looking for – more money, bigger endowment, new buildings, etc. – there are five ingredients necessary if you are […]
Too often, we spend so much time worrying about how to ask for a gift that we forget the most important part of the equation: listening. There’s really no point in asking unless you follow up with active listening. This involves three important organs… your ears, eyes, and heart True listening involves combining these three […]
Regardless of our line of work, we all face the possibility of hearing no all too frequently (check out my previous article HERE). In fact, sometimes we hear no when we’re really hoping and expecting to hear yes! How should we respond? Every time you make an ‘ask,’ you anticipate hearing yes. Even if you […]
As professional fundraisers, we frequently deal with the prospect of being “rejected”. Over the years, I’ve spoken to hundreds of fundraisers who have told me that this fear of NO is one of the biggest obstacles to their success. No one likes to be rejected. Whether it is getting turned down by your high school crush or […]
One of the more amazing examples of leadership in the face of great odds and pressure is that of Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister before and during World War II. Over the years, I’ve learned about Churchill and his story. I was listening to a program recently where some scholars were discussing this great […]
Answer: You do. . . if you want to get better at getting better. A few years ago, I was introduced to a book by Doug Lemov called Practice Perfect: 42 Rules for Getting Better at Getting Better. It was actually my friend Barron Ryan who first recommended the book, and he’s certainly someone who […]
Recently, I wrote about the Deadly Sins of Assuming and Guessing. Most often, the area in which we guess and assume…and then get it wrong…is with respect to amount of the gift. Somewhere along the way, two wrong alternatives came to be widely accepted: “Any amount is okay.””We need to make up an amount, because […]
Bylaws. Just seeing the word may fill you with a sense of dread. Or cause your eyes to cross and several yawns to follow. After all, what could be more boring than reading organizational bylaws? They seem so tedious and unnecessary, right? Every organization operates under a massive burden of laws and regulations. These legal […]
November marks the yearly celebration of National Philanthropy Day for various chapters of AFP all over the country. I look forward to this event every year! My home chapter, AFP Eastern Oklahoma, will celebrate National Philanthropy Day on Friday, November 3. I can’t wait to attend as part of the event team! I’m excited to […]
As a young man in Kansas, I worked on a farm during the summer between graduating high school and starting college. The family I worked for, Dwight and Nora Sauer, had a lasting impact on my life and the lives of many others. Dwight can be best described as very competitive. A college football player […]