Hot Gift for Fall: Appreciated Securities (Stocks and Mutual Funds)
A piece in the Chronicle of Philanthropy serves as a useful reminder of the need to mention appreciated securities (both stocks and mutual funds) to our donors.
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Major Gifts
Summer is for Planning
As we all know, summer isn’t the most productive time to make donor visits. But, it's a great time to be creative and get organized.
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.
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.
Confirming and Planning the Appointment
We always prefer to get all relevant parties to the table at the same time, and to do this as early in the relationship as possible. Why?
Because if you don’t have the right people involved, you may end up spending your time with the person who can say no, but not with the person who can say yes. This of course is a crucial difference.
Respect Your Work
Remember, especially when it feels hard, that you are doing inspired and important work.
Making a Contract
The Benefits of Mapping Donor Meetings
Before you meet with a prospect, one of the best things you can do is to create a map of the meeting. It's a key ingredient in making your interaction mutually beneficial and productive.
Drinking on a Donor Visit
Drinking on a social donor visit can certainly be appropriate if done well. Drinking to excess is never a good idea, obviously. In any case, here are some Miss Manners-style tips to keep you straight.
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.