Comments for Generous Matters

Comment on Driving the luddites out of the temple by traceysolomon

traceysolomon — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:26:43 +0000

I’ll just say: amen.

Comment on Symbiotic mutualism and growing givers’ hearts by Geoff Isley

Geoff Isley — Wed, 01 May 2013 02:37:13 +0000

All our communities would be better off if we had more BHAs. Bravo!

Comment on Symbiotic mutualism and growing givers’ hearts by Generous Matters

Generous Matters — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:13:34 +0000

I was particularly taken by Pastor Reist’s comments because she is a pastor — a class of individuals who are more often gatekeepers than door openers when it comes to parachurch causes. There wasn’t a hint of worry that her church is worse off because of the dollars or volunteer time that members have directed to Brethren Housing Association. In fact, the opposite. She sees the church as richer.

Comment on Symbiotic mutualism and growing givers’ hearts by harrietbicksler

harrietbicksler — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:51:45 +0000

I like this concept, and it does help me think better about the variety of requests for giving that come my way — and the church’s way!

Comment on 4 tips for minimizing risk when selecting a donor management system by Richard Dent

Richard Dent — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 12:53:35 +0000

Rebekah, this is a great job of summarizing some of the important considerations in choosing software. For organizations who must raise funds, specialized software is becoming an imperative. Part of the challenge is that, for many organizations, managing technology is difficult. Knowing what to look for in order to identify good software is not obvious, and many organizations lack expertise in this area. The marketing strategies of software companies understandably emphasize what’s good about their products, and sales persons and company web sites know how to promote the positive and avoid the negative. You can find out a lot about the “real story” by doing web searches, but to tell the truth, there is so much vested interest in web search engines, and so much bias in the content you find, it is difficult to get a good picture of a particular software solution that may interest you.

These kinds of decisions are important. They are often costly, and the functionality they represent can often spell the difference between paying for themselves or not — and sometimes spell the difference between the success and failure of an enterprise.

If you can afford it, and you don’t have the in-house expertise, your organization should consider finding an independent party with experience in selecting software. Specific experience with donor management software is a plus. The main goal is to augment your in-house strengths with external, unbiased advice using someone who is strong technologically, who can help you sort out the issues that may not be obvious.

Comment on An unexpected sermon on Service Sunday by Generous Matters

Generous Matters — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 16:27:56 +0000

You’re right, Harriet. Hard things are easier to handle when everyone pitches in. The joy reflected on people’s faces was a blessing.

Comment on An unexpected sermon on Service Sunday by harrietbicksler

harrietbicksler — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:04:50 +0000

Thanks, Rebekah, for this reflection on a great day! I remember that you weren’t wild about the idea in the beginning. It’s amazing, isn’t it, how ideas that seem unworkable at first can turn out really well when committed people put their minds to something?

Comment on Tips for perfecting your thank you by Generous Matters

Generous Matters — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 12:26:48 +0000

Thank you, Kevin, for sharing this lovely illustration of how important and precious a “thank you” can be. I hope your good words will encourage others to pick up the phone today and call a donor or two.

Comment on Tips for perfecting your thank you by Kevin King

Kevin King — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 11:30:38 +0000

After receiving many small gifts from a donor I picked up the phone and wanted to personally thank her. No answer. After several attemps I finally left a voice mail message saying thank-you ( I never mention the amount on the messages). Weeks later the donor called back and said she saved that message on her answering machine and plays it back often. In all her years of donating to many agencies – I was the first to call.
_Kevin

Comment on Generosity in quotes: Adam Grant by Generous Matters

Generous Matters — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 13:08:01 +0000

I saw the NYT article as well, MIssy. Adam Grant has been popping up all over the place. I heard him on the Diane Rehm show earlier this week, in addition to the articles and blog posts where he’s been cited. I find his comments about “takers,” “matchers,” and “givers” particularly intriguing, especially when applied to fundraising.