A phrase I hear often? “We finished our Strategic Plan, but now we need the money to actually do what’s in the plan.”  

Read: We need gen-ops dollars for stronger infrastructure. 

[Insert] That iceberg visual where there are only certain things you can see with a host of underlying issues . . .

Q: One problem I see often? 

A: Assuming great Major Gift Officers should be able to slide right into Development Director Roles.

Leaders: Just because you have a great relationship-building fundraiser on staff doesn’t mean they should be leading the entire department . . .

Nonprofit CEOs: Too often revenue isn’t growing or diversifying because you haven’t integrated a development lens throughout your organization.

Here’s what I mean . . .

Want to know one extreme thing I’m seeing in fundraising right now?

Well, I supposed I’ve seen this for decades but it seems to be elevated at this moment . . .

One entrepreneur I love to follow is Sara Blakely, Founder and CEO of Spanx. She's both fun and smart. Obviously, super successful. She posted something the other day that resonated with me:

Clarity doesn’t come BEFORE action. It comes FROM action.

One of my clients is hiring a new Development Director. A common occurrence as the average development professional only stays in their role 19 months.

You don’t become a revenue-sustainable org by your fundraising team doing more.

This happens when you eliminate nonessential fundraising activities and focus on core, relational revenue  priorities.

Agree or disagree? Finding and securing donors for organizations where the mission is personal and “all heart”, like homelessness, orphan care, or animals is so much easier!

Agree or disagree? Answered Yes? This all comes down to an important question . . .

Does your development team know how to lead donors through investment-level conversations?

I saw a post on LinkedIn the other day adamantly declaring nonprofit fundraising is not about education. 

Yeah, I know….heart, story, mission, all the feelings. But, I disagree.

You know why? 

Have you been following along for a while wondering if your organization is ready to implement this High-ROI methodology I teach? 

Well, let me describe a few of my clients right now—maybe one of these organizations sounds familiar . . .

Connecting with DAF Donors! Upcoming Webinar with Rudy Flesher

A generational transfer in underway in the U.S. that is both shifting wealth and reshaping family philanthropy. More and more, families are using donor-advised funds (DAF) to manage their charitable giving. In 2022 alone, more than $85 billion was contributed to DAFs by individuals and families with charitable intent. DAFs are changing the game for advisors and nonprofit gift planners when it comes to strategic and impactful conversations about generational giving and family legacy.