When fundraising is treated as ministry, organizational leaders don’t worry about the proliferation of good causes to which people can give their time, talent, and treasure. In Kingdom company, there’s no hint of a competitive spirit. In fact, the fast growing community of organizations operating under the banner of Christ is heralded as a benefit. [...]
Generosity in quotes: Brennan Manning
April 26, 2013 By Leave a Comment
“We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God . . . It is a strange fact that Christians and even ministers frequently consider their work so important and urgent that they will allow nothing to disturb them. They think they are doing God a service in this but actually they are [...]
4 tips for minimizing risk when selecting a donor management system
April 24, 2013 By 1 Comment
Infrastructure. For most folks, the topic is about as exciting as underwear. No one wants to talk about infrastructure, let alone pay for it. But ignore infrastructure, and you doom your best laid plans for fundraising success to failure. Topping the list of infrastructure essentials – just after budget and staff – is your donor [...]
An unexpected sermon on Service Sunday
April 22, 2013 By 2 Comments
Yesterday (Sunday, April 21), the congregation of which I am part stepped out of the sanctuary and into worship via acts of service. I’ll admit, I wasn’t wild about the idea, but as a member of the church board I went along to get along. God had more in mind for me, as God usually [...]
Generosity in quotes: Neely Stansell-Simpson
April 19, 2013 By Leave a Comment
“Destruction is easy and immediate. It’s the work of a moment — the pulling of a trigger, the detonating of a bomb, the striking of a match . . . It’s loud. It’s flashy. It’s sexy. It’s larger than life. It feels like power. But the work of Grace is much harder. It’s not immediate, [...]
When building a board, look for the helpers
April 17, 2013 By Leave a Comment
“Look for the helpers. You’ll always find people who are helping.” Following the bomb explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday (April 15), this comforting word from Fred Rogers has popped up again on social media sites. Our favorite neighbor was referring, of course, to advice from his mother about dealing [...]
When building a board, look for the helpers
April 17, 2013 By Leave a Comment
“Look for the helpers. You’ll always find people who are helping.” Following the bomb explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday (April 15), this comforting word from Fred Rogers has popped up again on social media sites. Our favorite neighbor was referring, of course, to advice from his mother about dealing [...]
Tips for perfecting your thank you
April 15, 2013 By 2 Comments
Recent days have brought a flurry of articles through my in-box that praise the power of a simple thank you. An appreciative word is good for business, we’re told. “Thank you” leads to reciprocal generosity. It’s a tough cookie who’s immune to the motivating effects of acknowledgement and thanks, researchers report. The take-away for fundraisers? [...]
Generosity in quotes: Adam Grant
April 12, 2013 By 2 Comments
“Givers excel at understanding other people’s thoughts as well as their feelings, because concern for others involves getting to know their backgrounds and values. Givers allow themselves to become pushovers when they fail to gather and use knowledge about others’ interests. By putting this skill into action, it’s possible to transform win/lose scenarios into win/win [...]
Avoid the trap of “maybe gifts” and mission drift
April 10, 2013 By Leave a Comment
I heard it again on my last trip out — a proposal to expand an organization’s mission packaged as a development strategy. “By launching X, we’ll open the organization to a whole new group of donors,” the executive director said with more conviction than evidence. Never mind that the organization’s strategic plan included nary a [...]
