Donor-Centered Planned Gift Marketing – Breathing New Life into Planned Giving [Book Review]
Aug 1, 2011 Weblog
If you’re like me, the term “planned gift” immediately conjures up visions of accountants, lawyers, and financial planners gathered around a large table stacked to the ceiling with superfluous paperwork situated in a musty building not far from a nursing home.
Morbid? Yes. Accurate? No.
Enter Michael Rosen’s book… a resource I wish existed several years ago when I was studying for the Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) exam. At the time, Planned Giving Simplified: The Gift, The Giver, and the Gift Planner (AFP/Wiley Fund Development Series) was among the best book on the market (it’s still a great survey on the topic). Donor-Centered Planned Gift Marketing: (AFP Fund Development Series) picks up where Robert Sharpe’s book leaves off, but brushes off the perceived complexity of planned giving and challenged my stereotype of the topic. I’ve found it to be a welcomed resource on my bookshelf and I’m sure you will as well.
If you’re a donor considering Rosen’s book to help inform your own philanthropy I would also like to recommend an essay on endowments located in volume five of ESSAYS ON ECONOMICS AND SOCIETY 2 VOL SET (4 & 5) (Collected Works of John Stuart Mill). I believe you’ll find this will challenge your perspective on perpetual gifts. Conversely, I would also like to recommend the chapter titled “The Best Fields for Philanthropy” found in Andrew Carnegie’s The Gospel of Wealth Essays and Other Writings (Penguin Classics).
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Tags: book review, cultivation, donor-centered, fundraising, philanthropy, planned giving, relationship-based fundraising, transformational
Reconsidering the Titles We Give Professional Fundraisers
Jul 6, 2011 Weblog
Yet another member of the front-line fundraising team at my organization is departing for a position at another institution. So, as we’ve done in the past, the team gathered last night to bid farewell to Sharon — a valued colleague, trusted confidant, loyal friend, and in my case… my fundraiser?
About two years ago I decided that if I was going to be supporting my institution with philanthropic support, I should have a contact that could help set up my gift and would steward my support. Even though the research I wanted to support was literally thirty feet from my office door, I felt I should still have a chance to have a full donor experience and get to work with a fundraiser in that journey. I asked Sharon if she would be that person.
In Sharon’s departure I’ve had to consider who I’d want to represent my philanthropic interests with the organization. I believe I know who I’ll ask, but the hard part is figuring out the right way to pose the question.
Within the profession we use awkward terminology to refer to the relationship donors share with the person that represents their connection with the organization (e.g. development director and major gifts officer). Neither of these titles reflect the balance professional fundraisers negotiate between donor intent and organizational need… a highly difficult task in light of donor advised funds, restricted gifts, and performance-driven grant making. These titles also fail to address the other aspects of the fundraising profession, the trust relationship.
Look at any other professional field. Let’s say you were talking with a close friend and wanted to make reference to your doctor or accountant. You would be inclined to use a possessive pronoun. “I have to schedule an appointment to see MY doctor.”
Professional titles (doctor, accountant, lawyer) brings with it connotations of trust, confidentiality, expertise, and ethics. I proudly wear the banner of “fundraiser,” but know that this title is not fully descriptive of my profession and of my responsibilities. This became clearer last night as I considered who among my colleagues I would want to represent my interests as I continue giving to my institution.
Those that know me also know how I’ve described my job when asked by those that don’t understand the concept of a major gift officer (no, I don’t have a badge to prove it). I have settled on using the term “philanthropic adviser.” This is in large part why my current working title is now “director of philanthropy and development” not just “director of development.” I’m quite pleased with the prospect of referring to Sharon in the past tense as my philanthropic adviser. I am also confident that when I ask one of my colleagues to represent my support to the institution as my philanthropic adviser, they will be quite clear with what I am asking of them. However, I still wonder if a better term exists for professional fundraisers.
Tags: career, cultivation, donor advised fund, ethics, fundraising, misconceptions, philanthropy, relationship-based fundraising
Importance of Getting the Basics Right
Jun 19, 2009 Weblog
Just finished listening to the latest podcast from Fundraising is Beautiful entitled Back from the brink: How a sick organization got better. It is over twenty-six minutes, but the first ten is worth it.
In discussing how he addressed the dreaded death spiral of an ineffective fundraising strategy, Chris Doyle, President and CEO of American Leprosy Missions revealed that the problem was their disregard for the fundraising basics.
By “fundraising basics” of of course am referring to the donor cycle. In the interview Doyle states that, for his organization,”the donor cycle was neglected. [...] It was money and people passing through rather than a comprehensive donor plan which included the cultivation of these donor and retention of these donors.”
Don’t marginalize the importance of stewardship and cultivation.
In my experience Doyle is right on target about how organizations behave as they realize they are in a death spiral. “When organizations get into crisis… they run around looking for the silver bullet that’s going to solve all the problems rather than just stopping, stepping back and assessing ‘what are we doing wrong here and how do we fix that?’ rather than looking for some new idea or something that is going to fix things.” I have seen this trend more times than I care as organizations respond to decreased donor interest and support.
It’s not the economy, it’s how you treat donors that invest their philanthropy in your organization. If things are looking bad, focus on the mission. If your fund raising efforts don’t connect directly to the mission, they aren’t sustainable.
Tags: best practice, cultivation, donor cycle, mission, podcast, stewardship
People Don’t Give to People, They Give to Mission
Mar 2, 2009 Weblog
The Agitator cites two research studies regarding consumer brand loyalty and positive experience. The studies emphasize the need for an opportunity to directly interact with products.
Tom Belford asks the question “How can you provide a some kind of “touching” and “experiencing” of your organization?”
This goes back to my mantra “people give to the mission.” All elements of your integrated philanthropic plan (e.g. identification to stewardship) should link the donor back to the mission in a personally meaningful way. Are you sending thank you notes? Why not print note cards (blank on the inside) that proudly display the artwork of a staff member/program beneficiary/donor on the front and tell their story on the back?
Nonprofits should always be looking for a way to reengage constituents with the mission.
Tags: cultivation, mission, stewardship, sustainable
How to Position Yourself As Human
May 14, 2007 Weblog
Jeff Brooks at the Donor Power Blog discusses how to think less in terms of getting “millions of contacts” and more about knowing individuals and discovering their passions.
Credit to Dave Ormsbee for the term “millions of contacts.” For he is the master of this approach to fundraising.