How Do I Get My Board to Do What They’re Supposed to Do For Our Event?

By Natalie Lewis on July 16, 2010

To be sure that all board members will do all that’s required of them, the Planning Committee meets with them to outline the board’s role and emphasize that a visible demonstration of the board’s support is essential to “set the example” for potential leaders and donors. And, as the planning process proceeds, it’s part of […]

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We’re Not In Oz, Dorothy: Why Your Donors Give

By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on July 13, 2010

This piece was motivated by Renata Rafferty’s Posting of June 8: see “The-Politically-Incorrect-Guide-To-Donors” Renata’s method of “classifying” donors by motivation, which revisits a subject that doesn’t get enough attention, reminded me of a series of articles I read, many years ago, in The Chronicle of Philanthropy. Those articles, based on the book, “The Seven Faces […]

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How Do I Put Together an Effective Event Committee?

By Natalie Lewis on July 9, 2010

A couple of questions appeared in my email recently … from an organization getting ready (!!??) to plan an event, ”How do we put together and structure our event committee?” Should our board be the committee? The answer to the latter question is an emphatic “No!!” The board should not be the committee. Some key […]

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Another Reason Why I Object To Feasibility Studies (Part #2 of 2)

By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on July 6, 2010

For decades, the old style capital campaign firms have insisted that all feasibility study interviews must be confidential. The usual explanation for the need for “confidentiality” of the interview process was the assumption that interviewees would be more comfortable, more likely to express themselves fully and honestly if they knew that their comments (especially negative […]

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GRANT SEEKING BY THE BOOK (PART 2 OF 2)

By Andrew Grant on June 29, 2010

The grant making process is highly subjective. The vast majority of private foundations are family foundations that show up in the research resources, but that select their grantees on the basis of personal preferences. Most do not even accept proposals. Their grants are akin to individual donations, and the fact that they are grants at […]

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Another Reason Why I Object To Feasibility Studies (Part #1 of 2)

By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on June 25, 2010

When I started my career in fundraising, in the late ‘70s, my first employer was one of the traditional capital campaign-consulting firms — one of those firms that, for the most part, only engaged in feasibility studies and capital campaigns. Like many like similar firms, there was little attention paid to the broad concepts of […]

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GRANT SEEKING BY THE BOOK (PART 1 OF 2)

By Andrew Grant on June 22, 2010

I have been a grants professional since 1974 — that’s a long time. I have worked in agencies that range from the largest single local public agency in the country to a tiny seminary … and everything in between. During that time I’ve taught countless grant seekers in graduate and continuing education courses, and in […]

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The Feasibility Study is Obsolete

By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on June 18, 2010

For the last 50-60 years, a Feasibility Study has been “required” before planning and/or implementing a Capital Campaign, and its basic concept and structure hasn’t changed in all that time. I contend that it’s more than obsolete, it’s counter-productive. Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t first determine the feasibility of […]

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Who Is A Major Gift Prospect ??

By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on June 15, 2010

When the question of major gift fundraising first arises, many unsophisticated board members, volunteers and staff immediately begin talking about the “rich and famous” — with Bill Gates being the name at the top of almost everyone’s list. The wrong assumption that many people make — and one that can become a major time waster […]

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What is a Major Gift ??

By Hank Lewis, MA, CFRM on June 11, 2010

Many Non-Profit Organizations (NPOs) use the term “Major Gifts” to refer to those that are larger than the usual range of gifts that arrive in the mail. Typically, $1,000 is the magic number. But, unless an organization’s budget and/or the amount to be raised via the fundraising process is unusually small, gifts of $1,000 won’t […]

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