Financing & Loans

There is an old saying in the development field, that a person soliciting a major gift can only ask for a gift equal to or less than the gift he/she has made … with three exceptions: a person of the clergy, a prominent community figure/politician and a nonprofit Executive Director (or whatever the title held …

First, going back to the definition of “development,” it is the creation, nurturing, and maintaining relationships that (ideally) engender charitable contributions. If that is a Development Officer’s basic role, how does that apply to the various roles that they play ?? So, let’s start with the Development Officers who function in a limited arena – …

Note, I used the term “fundraisers” in the title, not Development Officers. It is an important distinction. Maybe, also, the title should be “Why Fundraisers Shouldn’t Be Staff Members.” Development officers plan/design and evaluate development programs. They work with board members and volunteers to identify potential donors. They work to develop plans for the cultivation …

(This is a follow-up piece to the posting What Do You Call The Staff Person In Charge of Raising Charitable Contributions?) The title question is often asked by new and fairly young nonprofit organizations; and, depending on the age, size, mission, location, etc. of the organization, there can be many different answers. As noted previously, …

I got a note, recently, from a retired friend/colleague, as follows: Our Retirement Community’s leadership has put out several RFPs to local consultants for a planned Capital Campaign Feasibility Study. The “cattle call” will be one day in March when the consultants will make pitches to several Community officials, none having much knowledge of capital …

The five basic elements in Major Gift Fundraising are Leadership, a Prospect Base, Involvement by Prospective Donors in various aspects of organizational life, a Donor Recognition Program, and someone to Guide the process. 1. Leadership includes the organization’s CEO, Trustees and (often) key volunteers. It’s their role to define the funding need, take their case …

By definition, a Capital Campaigns is an intense effort to acquire sufficient commitments to add up to a specific large sum, for a specific valid/urgent purpose. The word “Capital” refers to the money needed to erect/expand/renovate a building, the funding needed for the purchase/installation/overhaul of (major) equipment and the funding to create/expand an endowment. The …