Active Listening Humor
Listening is an Art. The practice of active listening can help us communicate better--both with our donors and our friends and families.
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Cultivation
Key Ingredients of a Successful Visit
Don’t be late! Turn off your phone! Let's take a quick look at four habits of successful gift officers when meeting with donors and prospects.
Respect Your Work
Remember, especially when it feels hard, that you are doing inspired and important work.
The Importance of Being Donor-Centric
One of our primary missions must be to show our donors that we join with them as a defender. The only way to accomplish that is to prove you are genuinely interested in a) them as individuals, and b) the way they go about their philanthropy. To form and sustain the most effective partnership between donor and institution, you must be donor-centric even as you satisfy the needs and goals of your organization.
The Approach Less Taken
If you’re engaging a donor for a single purpose, such as a gift to a campaign, you'll find that traditional fact-finding discussions are generally successful. However, rarely if ever will you find traditional fact-finding interactions leading to commitments from donors that will truly make a difference long-term for your organization.
Building Trust
The Oxford English Dictionary defines trust as "firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of character." Other dictionaries give a host of synonyms: Reliable, good, honest, effective, fair; confidence, integrity, strength, ability, surety.
The Perfect Question
A few days after a staff training session focused on gifts of real estate, a relatively new gift officer named Russell left his office in the Midwest for a week of donor visits.
Formalizing the Visit
Everyone's time is precious. Make sure you are getting the most out of your donor visits by clearly articulating the purpose of the meeting ahead of time.
It's All on You
To be a great major gift officer you have to be really good at listening to your donors. Listen for clues to help them make a better gift, and practice your response to these common concerns.
Jim and Mimi, Part One: You Should Have Been There
Explore why it's important to have the development officer present at the solicitation. Part 1 of 3.