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Julie Whelan Capell | Asking for major gifts is not as hard as many people think, but it does require quite a bit of preparation. As I discussed in last month’s post, first you need to figure out who you should be meeting with. Once you have a prioritized list of qualified prospects, the next […]
Julie Whelan Capell | Asking for money. If you’re a leader (staff or volunteer) of a nonprofit, eventually you’ll have to ask people for money. It’s part of the job description. I’ve often worked with clients who want to pass this job off to their development staff. That’s okay for some prospects, but the biggest, […]
Sara Wilson, CPCC, ACC | In a conversation with a leader this week she said she was learning that accountability is not the same as micro-managing. Wow! What a great thing to learn. It also made me reflect on how many leaders–at all levels–struggle with holding themselves and other individuals accountable. It’s worth a minute […]
Sara Wilson, CPCC, ACC | I recently had a couple of experiences that got me thinking about how we can always work harder to improve our listening skills: During a conversation, rather than listening, I started thinking about how to respond. I was talking to someone and suddenly their phone’s email notification sound dinged and […]
Julie Whelan Capell | I’ve been a fundraiser for a loooooong time–more than 30 years. In that time, I have heard many variations on statements like these: “Fundraisers are like used car sales people, they just talk at you until they wear you down” (that was my boss, the CEO of a large nonprofit. I […]
Sara Wilson, CPCC, ACC | One man can be a crucial ingredient on a team, but one man cannot make a team. ~ Kareem Abdul-Jabbar It’s that time again – March Madness – and for basketball fans it’s a big deal that becomes the focus of conversations and life. For others it’s “meh.” Anyway, I […]
Julie Whelan Capell | Contributed by Julie Whelan Capell, MWA Associate It’s that time of year when nonprofits start to think about annual reports. We have a couple of clients who still do a printed one, but they are in the minority, and the reports they print are getting shorter every year. I want to […]
Sara Wilson, CPCC, ACC | Do you have one? A Talented Terror? You know, the staff member who is smart, capable AND wreaks havoc in your team? Most of us will experience this in our career–either as a boss or as a member of a team. I’ve worked with many leaders who become paralyzed when […]
Julie Whelan Capell | Contributed by Julie Whelan Capell, MWA Associate Were your year-end appeal results much better than expected last year? First, let’s take a moment to celebrate your success. Your hard work, and the work of your board members and staff, paid off! Look at all those increased gifts, and all the new […]
Sara Wilson, CPCC, ACC | Executive directors have to keep their eyes focused in two directions: out over the horizon and on the everyday running of the organization. Those two vantage points give you the opportunity to see areas in need of change. Your team is probably made up of individuals who dread change and […]
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