To paraphrase a posting from a listserve: “If you are going to get someone to want to become a (major) donor to your organization, you have to start with ‘where they’re at,’ and ‘where you’re at.‘ [I put “major” in parentheses because I want to be sure that it is understood that the concept applies …

Will beneficial ownership registers spread around the World? Governments have become more and more focused on the risks posed by opaque and confidential corporate structures. In particular the ability of a certain type of person to use such structures to hide the true ownership and origin of funds, thereby facilitating tax evasion and money laundering. …

Last week’s posting noted that (except for the donor acquisition process) you should not be in the business of cold-solicitation, and that your organization should have done some research on your prospective donors. And, btw, even if someone has given previously, s/he is still, for the purposes of this discussion, a prospective donor. That posting …

For this discussion, I refer you to one of my earliest postings, What Is A Major Gift? for a definition of that term, and I add one additional criterion … that it is not a one-time gift “Stewardship,” in the context of development/fundraising, is doing what needs to be done to keep donors feeling good …

I’ve collaborated with Dr. Crystal Davis for the past two years. It’s been a nice creative process. I first met Crystal while she was working on her Ph.D. She had read my book “Path for Greatness: Work as Spiritual Service” and wanted to include it as a piece of her dissertation work. Here’s a post …

Showing you care is critical to crisis communication success Our “Three C’s of Credibility,” the characteristics you must display if you wish to be heard by your target audience, are confidence, competence and compassion. Executives and CEOs we work with typically understand the first two, but many run into a roadblock when it comes to …

As people around the world honor the life of Nelson Mandela, his legacy of leadership for peace and justice offers much for the corporate world. Mandela reminds us all of our True work- to preserve and uphold human dignity. For if we cannot preserve human dignity through our businesses, our commerce and economic system, then …

As a leader in your organization, part of your role during strategic planning is to help establish goals that provide a foundation for the rest of the plan. It is important that you ensure the foundation is solid. Here are 4 responsibilities your role requires in ensuring the goals established are strategically developed and aligned with the plan.

Last month I went deep into Bequest Promotion Channels. This month, Stewardship. The donor who has included your charity in their will can change their mind and undo their gift at any time. Why does that matter? It matters because you need to steward your bequest donors well, so they don’t change their minds. You …

My career started a long time ago. A combination of luck, timing, and a few connections helped me get started in a career I didn’t even know I would like at the time. It turned out to be a career that I loved and stayed with for over a decade. Along the way, I had …