Giving Tomorrow Archives
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Featured Cover: May 2023
Pazit Levitan
Director of Development
American Friends of Soroka Medical Center
Pazit’s doctoral research explored how women become influential leaders on nonprofit boards. As she interviewed seasoned board directors, she found solidarity and inspiration from others who were, like her, juggling it all.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “Better Late Than Never”
- Ask the Expert! (Should charities accept gifts of life insurance?)
- Initiating the Legacy Conversation
- Creating Chemistry
- Keep It Simple; Sell the Sizzle
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: April 2023
Chelsea Brown
Director of Development
Outlier Media, Detroit, MI
Chelsea had a secure job she enjoyed. But the unsettling events of 2020 caused her to reflect, and she felt she could use her skills to do more for society and the world.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “How Many Touches Does It Take?”
- Ask the Expert! (What to know about real estate before accepting it.)
- Keep It Up-to-Date
- How to Turn Monthly Givers Into Legacy Donors
- The Sexiest Seven Words in Fundraising
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: March 2023
Wayne Lynch
Ukraine Global School Consulting Group
Kyiv Christian Academy
Forty years ago Wayne realized he loved fundraising at a time when few others did.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “Technology: Relationship Builder or Destroyer?”
- Ask the Expert! (QCD changes, important for nonprofits?)
- Planned Giving Is Good Marketing
- When It’s Time to Stop Asking
- My Flight Attendant Knows More About Fundraising than Most Fundraisers.
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: Feb 2023
Jessica Gottlieb
Advancement Officer, Major Gifts
Minneapolis Heart Institution Foundation
Jessica survived a harrowing heart health experience – and then went on to work for the organization that saved her life.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “Asking When Money is Tight”
- Ask the Expert! (Donor testimonials a challenge with HIPPA rules)
- Finding Your Voice
- Three Donors, One Legacy Society
- 3 Strategies to Connect Donors to Cherished Values
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: Jan 2023
Kelly O’Brien & Nancy Greenwood Vehrs
Vice President of Philanthropy and Assistant Vice President for Principal Gifts
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
Last fall the Fred Hutch team celebrated the biggest single gift in the hospital’s 47-year history.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “Looking Forward”
- Ask the Expert! (How can we accept non-cash gifts if we are small?)
- Gift Influencers: Friend or Foe?
- Tips For Creating a Basic 12-Month Marketing Plan
- Why All Fundraising is Sales
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: Dec 2022
Hala Al-Madi
Legacy Giving Marketing Officer
Amnesty International, Ottowa, Canada
Hala was an immigrant with no connections. Then she found Amnesty – and found a job, a community, and a cause.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “That Personal Touch”
- Ask the Expert! (When to ask for a Major and Planned Gift?)
- Only the Rich & Famous Have Wills … or Not
- My Favorite Fundraiser Doesn’t Work for My Favorite Charity
- Knowledge Speaks; Wisdom Listens
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: Nov 2022
Sarah K. Nathan, PhD
Executive Director
Middletown Community Foundation
A born-and-raised Midwesterner, Sarah has dubbed Indiana “The World Capital of Philanthropy”
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “Hot Button Topics”
- Ask the Expert! (How can we set up to receive strange but valuable gits?)
- The F Word
- Inside Look at the Donor-Advised Fund
- Where are the Legacy Donors?
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: Oct 2022
James W. Murphy
Managing Program Director
Episcopal Church Foundation
Jim Murphy isn’t afraid to talk about money. That’s somewhat unusual in American culture – and highly unusual in church culture.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “Join the Club”
- Ask the Expert! (Do advisors actually help fundraisers?)
- The Art & Science of Asking for Money
- Small Estate, Large Legacy
- Three Time Management Lessons from Mr. Brown
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: Sept 2022
Dale Keshishian
CEO
HealthWorks Academies
Dale never planned nor wanted to start a nonprofit. She expected to find an established organization addressing the problem – someone she could join.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “Unusual Gifts”
- Ask the Expert! (New Rates American Council on Gift Annuities)
- Stories: A Multi-Purpose Tool
- Seven Tips to Supercharge Your Donor Interviews
- Three Key Details to Know About Your Prospects
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: Aug 2022
Troy Nuss
Director of Development
Ronald McDonald House of Delaware
Troy recounts the time, at a previous job, that a $10 million dollar gift fell into his lap.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “Keeping It Fresh”
- Ask the Expert! (Charitable Rollover Gift)
- Focusing on The Why
- One Donor: Six Lessons Learned
- Keep Your Donors by Answering These Unspoken Questions
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: July 2022
Phil Bloyd
Development Director
Sons of the American Revolution Foundation
Phil grew up in Louisville–home of baseball bats and thoroughbred horse racing–and dreamed as a child of becoming a jockey. Instead, he says, “fundraising found me.” Through his work with the Sons of the American Revolution, Phil has met some fascinating people and learned some surprising things about his own ancestors.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “Keeping It Fresh”
- Ask the Expert! (A New Printing Company?)
- The Most Important Element of Fundraising
- Finally Heard
- 5 A/B Tests to Try on Your Donation Page
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: June 2022
Stuart Sullivan
Chief Development Officer
Shriners Hospitals for Children
Many people who work as consultants start out in some career field and then, after acquiring years of experience, move into consulting others in that same career field. That’s what Stuart did. But then he did something most people don’t do. He left consulting and went back to leading a fundraising program.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “Keeping It Fresh”
- Ask the Expert! (Legacy Seeds)
- More Than One Kind of Smart
- Donor Recognition: Does it Work?
- Why Jews Give
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: May 2022
Michelle Staes
Senior Manager Planned Giving
Southern Poverty Law Center
Michelle was an environmental attorney with the EPA – until she attended a Christmas party that redirected her into planned giving, and ultimately to her dream job fighting for civil rights.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “Big Gifts”
- Ask the Expert! (5 Simple Tips to Improve Your Writing Immediately)
- Have You Calculated Your COI?
- The Hybrid Office
- The Board’s Role in Planned Giving
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: April 2022
James Salley
President and CEO
Africa University
When James wanted to start a philanthropically-funded university on the other side of the world, everyone said it couldn’t be done. He did it anyway.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “On Stage”
- Ask the Expert! (DAF’s more types than before…)
- Low Newsletter Response Rate?
- A Marriage Between Major and Planned Gifts
- Women and Wealth
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: March 2022
John Lechman
Vice President, Philanthropy
Hospice of Northwest Ohio
The tragedies pf 9/11 caused John to seek a more meaningful career. He didn’t have to look far for inspiration.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “Philanthropic Culture”
- Ask the Expert! (Convert Commercial Anuity into a CGA)
- Giving vs. Investing
- A Covid Success Story And Its Six Key Takeaways
- The Answer to How is Yes
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: Feb 2022
Margi Kirst
Chief Revenue Officer
Operation Homefront
Margi left a demanding career in international finance marketing thinking she would find a better work-life balance woking for a charity. She soon discovered that nonprofit work was equally, if not more, demanding than her previous jobs – but exponentially rewarding.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “Where Did All the Donors Go?”
- Ask the Expert! (Gifts of Real Estate Worth it?)
- 5 Marketing Fundamentals
- Who’s Your Tom Bond?
- How to Get Donors to Ask You
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: Jan 2022
Ken Meifert
Vice President, Sponsorship and Development
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
How a nice midwestern kid working at a department store ended up sharing the stage with Jeff Foxworthy at a Baseball Hall of Fame reception.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “Ways to Say Thank You”
- Ask the Expert! (Merge with another Organization)
- Shred Immediately
- Do You Have a Social Media Disaster Plan for 2022?
- #1 Issue All My Coaching Clients Have
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: Dec 2021
Stephen Fry
Special Gifts Officer
Geneva College
For Stephen, the blending of planned and major giving has been a natural and exciting transition, creating opportunities for his own career development and for building the endowment for the places he works.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “Feel-Good Giving”
- Ask the Expert! (Change Your Life in Six Months)
- Steps to Creating a Better Culture for Your Nonprofit
- How to Talk to Wealthy People
- Redefining Planned Giving
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: Nov 2021
Elizabeth Thompson
Senior Development Specialist
World Relief Durham
When the Taliban seized back control of Afghanistan and thousands scrambled to flee the country, Elizabeth and her team at World Relief were inundated with hundreds of new donors and volunteers.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “Your Go-To Gifts”
- Ask the Expert! (The One Big Thing)
- Don’t Fear the Donor
- How to Supercharge Major Giving Using the Language of Love
- What it Takes to Be the CEO
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: Oct 2021
Cynthia Pritchard
President and CEO
The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Foundation
Cynthia spent her young life on the stage–dancing, singing with her school chorus, and acting in plays. She imagined herself someday having a musical theater career. But there were other driving forces in her young life that sent her in a very different direction.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “Workplace Stress”
- Ask the Expert! (Is it unethical to use philanthropy for personal networking?)
- What Your Donors Want
- What Your Boss Doesn’t Understand About Gift Planning
- The Asking Styles and Planned Giving: What are Your Strengths & Challenges?
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: Sept 2021
Steve Grourke
Senior Vice President
The American College of Financial Services
Steve was the one they called when other fundraisers ran into a hitch with a donor relationship. That’s how he learned that fundraisers aren’t necessarily supposed to be subject matter experts, but relationship experts.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “Effective Meetings”
- Ask the Expert! (DAF’s with passing on of the account advisor?)
- Starting the Planned Giving Conversation
- The Power of Donor-Centered Thank You Letters
- Planning to Develop Your Website In-House? 11 Considerations to Ponder Before You Start
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: Aug 2021
Anne McClintock
Executive Director of Planned Giving
Harvard University
Working at Harvard for more than 30 years, Anne is a trusted expert in every ascpect of planned giving. What keeps her there? Collaborating with donors and people who aspire to make a difference in the world.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “Navigating Change”
- Ask the Expert! (Can Charitable Giving Avoid Probate?)
- The Name Game
- Turning Your Nonprofit Leaders Into Gift Planning Champions
- Launching a Planned Giving Program: Where to Start?
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: July 2021
Sandra Pollack
Director of Development
Daughters of the American Revolution
Sandra is buliding on a rich 131-year tradition of philanthropy with Daughters of the American Revolution.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “Joining Forces”
- Ask the Expert! (When a donor disregards a will)
- Get Paid What You’re Worth
- Tips to Improve Your Online Presence
- Negotiating Techniques for Better Fundraising
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: June 2021
Ben Madonia
Director of Gift Planning
Hamilton College
In a sector with a reputation for high turnover, Ben Madonia breaks the mold. Ben was happily engaged at Hamilton College in central New York for more than four decades until his retirement this month.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “Listen Up”
- Ask the Expert! (Real Estate to Fund a CGA?)
- But My Prospect are Smart!
- Misconceptions About Gift Planning
- Nostalgia Marketing
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: May 2021
Jennifer Green
Founder & Director of Training Alpha Bravo Canine
Through her experience as a military wife and mother, Jennifer Green discovered that for some vets, even after they’re safe at home, a new battle is just beginning.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “Turnover”
- Ask the Expert! (A Workplace Ethical Dilemma)
- Survival of the Safest?
- Is Your Fundraising Like Ford in 1965?
- Cryptocurrency: The Next Gifting Frontier?
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: April 2021
Scott Janney
Director of Gift Planning of The Salvation Army’s Eastern Territory
A tragedy early in life taught Scott that life is short and time is precious. He’s spent the rest of his life helping people find meaning and purpose – and even immortality.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “Legacy Conversation Questions”
- Ask the Expert! (New Laws Encouraging Retirement Plans)
- Buy Yourself More Time
- Why Gift Planners Feel Isolated
- Mobile Apps for Nonprofits
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: March 2021
Cam Kelly
Associate Vice President for Principal Gifts, Duke University
In three decades of working in development, Cam Kelly has cultivated her skills in diplomacy and collaboration. Today, she needs all those skills in her position at Duke, which she calls “The Switzerland Role.”
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “Calling It Quits”
- Ask the Expert! (Dear President Biden)
- What We Can Learn from Yelp
- 6 Ways Technology Can Add Hours Back Into Your Week
- Wabi-Sabi Fundraising: Embracing Imperfection for Success
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: Feb 2021
Dwayne Walton
Executive Director of The Parkesburg Point
Dwayne’s childhood years in Brooklyn forecast nothing but trouble. But mentors and coaches helped guide his path to success – and now he does the same for hundreds of at-risk youth in Chester County, Pennsylvania.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “Saying Thank You”
- Ask the Expert! (It’s Hard Talking about Death and Taxes)
- The Client Does Not Come First. The Employees Do.
- What Your Boss Really Needs to Know about Gift Planning
- Your Fundraising Should Be More Vulnerable
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: Jan 2021
Rhett Wilson
Vice President and Chief Development Officer of The White House Historical Association
Like most professional fundraisers, Rhett prefers not to discuss politics with his donors-a challenge since he represents a place synonymous with politics: The White House.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “Social Media and Planned Giving”
- Ask the Expert! (Best Practices for Virtual Fundraising)
- What’s Hot – What’s Not
- The Why is More Important Than the How
- How We Went Virtual and Doubled Our Attendance
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: Dec/Nov 2020
Sam Samuels
Director of Gift Planning of Smith College
After a short career in acting, he got another bug – the planned giving bug. Today, nearly two decades later, he’s still as hooked as he was on day one.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “Volunteers: Backbone of Nonprofits”
- Ask the Expert! (The Future of Planned Giving)
- Seven Marketing Trends to Move Beyond
- Covid and Planned Giving: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
- No Boundaries
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: Oct 2020
Marlo Schalesky
Founder and Executive Director of Wonder Wood Ranch
This Stanford-trained chemist, award-winning author, wife, and mother of six entertains gang members at her home.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “Advice for Newbies”
- Ask the Expert! (Funding a Gift Annuity)
- Edgy Marketing
- Going On Vacation? Put Your Email to Work
- 5 Reasons the Myth of Donor Fatigue Persists
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: Sept 2020
Gary Bukowski
Associate Vice President of Development for Sarah A. Reed Children’s Center
Gary Bukowski studied history, was drawn into politics, and eventually landed in fundraising — all driven by the same passion for improving the lives of others.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “What a Year!”
- Ask the Expert! (On Blended Gifts)
- Naming Your Legacy Society
- No More Crappy Thank You Letters
- 5 Mini Plans You Need to Thrive
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: Aug 2020
Michelle Gollapalli
Vice President of Development for ECRI
As a young girl in India in the 1970s, Michelle faced limited options for her future. But she listened to her grandfather, who told her, “Get an education and you can conquer the world.”
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “Unusual Gifts”
- Ask the Expert! (On Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act)
- Fluctuating Annuity Rates
- Legacy Conversations During COVID-19
- Patience in Fundraising Always Wins
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: July 2020
Lynn Malzone Ierardi
Director of Gift Planning for University of Pennsylvania
Lynn’s recent book on storytelling was named one of BookAuthority’s best 100 Fundraising Books of All Time. Here’s how she came to view storytelling as the most effective way to communicate, the most powerful way to teach and learn, and the best way to change behavior.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “Bonuses for Fundraisers?”
- Ask the Expert! (Who owns the relationship with the donor?)
- What’s in a Logo?
- What Makes a Good Donor Story?
- Most Important Things in Fundraising
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: June 2020
Jory Barrad
Director of Development for The Pathway School in Greater Philadelphia
Typically an economic downturn implies negative consequences. But for those with the courage and foresight to act despite uncertainty, it can create incredible opportunities. For Jory Barrad, Director of Development at The Pathway School in Greater Philadelphia, when the 2008 recession derailed his 30-year career, he embraced the opportunity to pursue a more meaningful journey.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “Maximum Productivity”
- Ask the Expert! (What will planned giving look like after social distancing?)
- Optimizing Prospect Engagements
- Q&A With Leadership Coach Marc A. Pitman
- 21 Irritating Jargon Phrases
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: May 2020
Meg DeBrito
Executive Director of Greensgrow
As the executive director of Greensgrow, an urban farm in Philadelphia, Meg DeBrito finds herself leading both a nonprofit and a business, facing the challenges common to each type of leader, as well as challenges unique to their hybrid model.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “Next Level Giving”
- Ask the Expert! (CARES Act)
- Pick Up the Phone and Get to Work
- How to Run a Remote Team
- Philanthropy’s Landscape Is Changing. Donors’ Hearts Aren’t.
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: April 2020
Sue Harpole
Deputy Chief Development Officer for ALSAC
Sue Harpole is Deputy Chief Development Officer for ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Looking back, she can see how fundraising was part of her life–even from childhood.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “Donor Fatigue”
- Ask the Expert! (Are Your Money Beliefs Sabotaging Your Fundraising Success?)
- Donor-centric or Egocentric? It’s Not Just About You.
- Q&A with “Realtor of the Year” Kellie Jo Maher
- Mr Rogers and The Power of Deep Listening
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: March 2020
Mark Seeley
Senior Director of Gift Planning for University of South Carolina
Mark Seeley had been in the nonprofit sector for decades, but always from the side of an organization doing some type of good work. But when a crisis struck his family and threatened the life of his two-year-old grandson Jennings, Mark suddenly found himself in a very different seat–this time as a recipient of the good work.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “In what ways is planned giving both a solo and a team effort?”
- Ask the Expert! (Donor Story Privacy)
- Training Board Members to Be Your Best Sales People
- Turning Mistakes into Marketing Opportunities
- Q&A with Graham-Pelton CEO Elizabeth Zeigler (Part II)
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: Feb 2020
Arlene D. Schiff
National Director of Harold Grinspoon Foundation
Arlene D. Schiff has a varied professional career. But whether she was working in urban planning, running her father-in-law’s clothing store, or working in development, the common thread is her one true passion: building community.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “We talk to donors about leaving a legacy. But how do you want to be remembered?”
- Ask the Expert! (We Are Not Beggars)
- 6 Ways to Use Stories in Your Planned Giving Marketing
- All You Need is Love (And an Estate Plan)
- Q&A with Graham-Pelton CEO Elizabeth Zeigler (Part I)
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: Jan 2020
Nancy Gianni
Founder and Chief Belief Officer for GiGi’s Playhouse Down Syndrome Achievement Centers
It all started when her third child was born with Down syndrome, and Nancy set out to create a community for families like hers. Today GiGi’s Playhouse is a $14MM nonprofit with 44 locations in the U.S. and Mexico. And Nancy is just getting warmed up!
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “How do you guide donors about parting with their money?”
- Ask the Expert! (Ways to improve collaboration within your organization)
- Stop Trying to Wow Donors Into Philanthropic Submission
- Confessions of a Former Development Director
- The Spousal Defensive Initiative: When One Says Yes and One Says No
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: Dec 2019
Justin DeMoss
Chief Philanthropy Officer for Hough Ear Institute
Justin Demoss took a long and bumpy road to end up where he is today: a successful fundraiser, loving husband and father, and committed member of his church. The painful mistakes along the way gave him his recipe for a successful and meaning life: Be honest. Be curious. Be humble.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “What are the most important questions you ask when you first meet a donor?”
- Ask the Expert! (Recent changes to tax laws and how they affect donors)
- Setting Goals Saves Time
- Encouraging Donors to Give from Retirement Funds
- Stewarding Donors Through Crisis
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: Nov 2019
Thad Austin
Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives and Congregational Engagement for Duke University
Thad Austin, PhD, believes that understanding religion and religious motivations for giving is critical for understanding the nonprofit sector itself.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “What positive change have you seen take place in fundraising?”
- Ask the Expert! (Donor advised funds are more popular, what it means for the development team)
- Stewardship Done Right: My Donor Journey
- Formalizing a Letter of Intent
- Reflections on Giving in 2018
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: Oct 2019
Lauren Winkelman-Smith
Vice President of Advancement for United Way of Greenville County
When you ask kids the classic question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” they usually say something like teacher or doctor or astronaut. But Lauren actually dreamed of a career in fundraising. And she made it happen.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “Let’s hear about a time when you were proud to be working for a nonprofit.?”
- Ask the Expert! (Is it worth my time to do fundraising on social media?)
- The End of an Error: How to Write an Email That Gets Read
- I’m an Introvert – and a Great Fundraiser
- A Nonprofit-Themed Haunted House
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: Sept 2019
Eileen Heisman
President and CEO for National Philanthropic Trust
Eileen doesn’t subscribe to today’s trendy aspiration of excessive leisure time, early retirement, or even the “work-life balance” we hear so much about. Eileen does not consider herself a workaholic, nor does she resent taking work calls on a Sunday afternoon. She just really, really, really loves her job. And she loves her life. For Eileen, it’s more of a work-life blend.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “Besides age, what hints do you look for to indicate a person is a good planned giving prospect?”
- Ask the Expert! (How the new tax laws affect you and your donors)
- “Ditch the Pitch”
- 7 Numbers Every Nonprofit Marketer Should Know
- Positive Outcomes Through Productive Communication
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: Aug 2019
Nigel Allen
President and Chief Advancement for Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare
Nigel Allen learned sales and people skills while working at a job that would terrify most of us – selling expensive advertising for big-name magazines. Now, after 15 years in nonprofit development, Nigel finds himself tapping into those skills every single day.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “Are events still an effective fundraising method or are they a thing of the past?”
- Ask the Expert! (What does it mean to “follow best practices” in nonprofit?)
- The Donor Decision Journey
- What I Learned from Rose in the School of Life
- Combining Two Split Interest Gifts
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: May 2019
Jessica Chapman
Director of Planned Giving for The ALS Association
Jessica landed at The ALS Association a few years after the ice bucket challenge educated the world about this nervous system disease – and drenched the organization with new money to manage.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “What is the most surprising reaction you ever got from a donor when you made an ask?”
- Ask the Expert! (How do we find donors who might be interested in a Charitable Gift Annuity?)
- My First Authentic Ask
- The Closer: How to Ace the Deal
- What Are Your Board Members Going Through?
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: April 2019
André Gorgenyi
Donor Relations for The Salvation Army Massachusetts Division
In André Gorgenyi’s first career, he built relationships with the purpose of putting people in jail. Today he builds relationships to help people stay out of jail.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “When have you used a volunteer or board member to close a significant gift?”
- Ask the Expert! (How do we navigate and advise giving with DAFs in mind?)
- Engaging Younger Donors
- Leave Your Assumptions at the Door
- Risks of CGAs
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: March 2019
Father David Convertino
Executive Director for Franciscan Missionary Union
For Father David Convertino, “nonprofit development” is not just a job title, nor is it a separate category of his life. It’s part of who he is. This is his story, including his path to the priesthood, what it’s like to be a friar, and the most shocking donor phone call he ever received.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “Do you “sell” your mission to donors using statistics to appeal to their reason, or with stories to appeal to emotions?”
- Ask the Expert! (I have been promoted to management how can I stay successful in fundraising?)
- Do You Sound Like Someone They Want to Say Yes To?
- The Planned Giving Conspiracy
- Should I Stay or Should I Go?
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: Jan 2019
Jeff Comfort
Vice President of Principal Gifts and Planned Giving for Oregon State University
Jeff Comfort’s journey from not even knowing what “development” meant to being recruited by planned giving departments at the nation’s top universities.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “What’s your elevator speech when meet someone for the first time and they ask what you do?”
- Ask the Expert! (With an IRA is it possible to for the donor to make a tax deduction off the top of their income?)
- The Horrid Ten
- Four Conversations to Launch a Planned Giving Program
- Know the Gift Influencers in Your Donor’s Life
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: Nov 2018
Tricia Bruning
Chief Development Officer for Abramson Cancer Center
Tricia Bruning landed her first-ever development job at Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center. When she started, she was the sole gift officer on staff, and giving was at around $2MM a year. Today, 17 years later, the Abramson Cancer Center routinely raises between $30-50MM a year under Tricia’s leadership.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “Agree or disagree: Every board member should also make a significant donation to the nonprofit they represent.?”
- Ask the Expert! (How can I do data mining for planned giving prospects without paying thousands of dollars?)
- After a Donor Passes
- 5 Tips for Naming Your Legacy Society
- Talking to Donors About Lead Trusts
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: Oct 2018
Rachel Loeper
Founder of Mighty Writers
Rachel wanted to help kids learn to love reading and writing. Eight years later her Philadelphia-based nonprofit has seven sites – and they’re not stopping anytime soon.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “Monthly Giving vs. Major Giving”
- Ask the Expert! (Using a CRUT or a CFRAT to leave my house to my college)
- Why Your Nonprofit Needs Social Media
- Five Reasons You Need a Planned Giving Marketing Plan
- Which Gift Plan?
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: Sep 2018
Bob Madonna
President and CEO for Surrey Services for Seniors
Businessman Bob Madonna was itching for a chance to take what he had learned about sales and marketing and try it in the nonprofit sector.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “Are Fundraisers Salespeople?”
- Ask the Expert! (Estate attorneys suggesting a CRUT or a CRAT so I receive the interest.)
- Yes Virginia, There is a National Estate Planning Awareness Week.
- The Planned Giving Newsletter: Can You Make It Work?
- The Goldilocks Rule
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: Aug 2018
Jeff and Susan McSwain
Founders of Reality Ministries
They had a staff, a building, volunteers, and even board members. They just needed to figure out what they were supposed to be doing.
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “A Thankless Job – Have you ever had to fire a donor?”
- Ask the Expert! (How does using the IRA rollover help my donor with their taxes?)
- Guidelines to Engage Your Board
- Sticky Donor Situations
- The True Measure of Wealth
- Call to Action
- And more…
Featured Cover: July 2018
Sharon Kelly Hake
President and CEO of Great Dames
Sharon left a 30-year career as a leader in a Fortune 500 company to start a nonprofit with her daughters. Why?
Other Articles In This Issue
- Your Voice: “Tell us about the failures that have contributed to your professional success.”
- Ask the Expert! (Do you know if the 529 College Fund has been affected by the new tax laws?)
- The Double Ask: A Blended Gift Solution
- The Gala Gambit: How Much Did Your Donor Event Really Cost?
- Are You Asking Your Donors About IRD?
- Call to Action
- And more…
