Posts by David Phillips
Building on Common Ground
There are an infinite variety of not-for-profit organizations in the world. Every cause imaginable has seen a charity or foundation created by its advocates. As I talk to representatives from a wide slice of these groups, I am struck by the fact that their needs and goals are far more similar than dissimilar. Successful fund…
Read MoreBuilding External Constituencies and Departmental Fundraising
University departmental isolationism is a thing of the past. The watchword of twenty-first century academe is engagement. University Deans have seen the terms advancement, development, and fund raising added to their job description. Now department heads are being presented with the same challenge.
Read MoreBuilding an Annual Campaign
This is the second article in a two-part series on starting and building annual giving programs. Many of the methods used for annual giving are the same as those used for major gift solicitations, just on a different scale. Development is all about building friendships.
Read MoreDo It The Easy Way—and Go Straight to Success!
Have you ever heard a police officer, a school teacher (any kind of teacher) or a ball coach say to a person, “You can do it the easy way, or you can do it the hard way: Which do you choose? We have all heard it, and unfortunately, we have not always heeded the call…
Read MoreDirecting a Fundraising Capital Campaign: Ways to Lead the Staff and Volunteers
It seems as though “leadership” is one of the first topics to come up whenever a discussion turns to fundraising. Who is going to lead the campaign, who is going to lead the givers, who is going to lead the meetings, who is going to lead the volunteers, and who is going to lead, lead,…
Read MoreCapital Campaign and Fundraising Leadership: Developing A Personal Vision
IntroductionAre you a visionary? Or do you prefer to spend your time in the here and now, solving problems and getting on with things? Achieving a balance between ‘dreaming’ about a desired future state and living in the current state is difficult. Many of us have a strong inclination towards one or the other…very few…
Read MoreDesigning a Communications Plan to Enhance Your Fundraising
A well-conceived communications plan will be essential to the success of your campaign, especially in the case of a broad-based effort that is directed to the general public. As components of this plan, the case for support, campaign brochure, and publicity plan will create an awareness of your organization’s value to the community and the…
Read MoreFundraising Solicitation: Dealing with Call Reluctance
Editor’s Note: This article was prepared for in-house training of our CDS Campaign Directors, but the subject matter (anxiety about making phone calls is prevalent in so many areas of sales, fundraising and life) is universal and so is the helpful advice contained herein. Thus, we present this for your consumption as fundraising professionals, as one of…
Read More