Professional Fundraising

I learned so much about development from my Mamma. She always worked hard to teach me to be gracious, friendly and polite. She and Daddy always felt the social graces were at least as important as reading, writing and arithmetic. “At least your neighbors may find you tolerable,” my Daddy would say. I hope my…

Fundraising is a business oriented around communication. As such, we often think through our life’s experience, trying to find good analogies to demonstrate some of the fundamentals we discuss on a daily basis. We often talk about how fundraising is all about building and keeping momentum by sparking some activity with positive results. The equations…

Discussions about diversity arise in a variety of situations. Many boards are reluctant to bring up sensitive topics, and race, sexual orientation, and other matters are often difficult to discuss constructively. Mostly white boards committed to diversity still have difficulty recruiting and integrating people of color onto the board. We propose the following principles as…

The experience has been described as more terrifying than entering a lion’s den, more painful than the inquisitor’s thumb-screw, and hotter than a July afternoon in Arizona — but making a presentation to your board of directors doesn’t have to be difficult or frightening. In fact, with preparation and enthusiasm, you can make a professional…