A Remarkable Donor Turnaround

02/21/22 • 33 min

An unfortunate change during Ed Berman's time as an undergrad at Drexel University “just left a bad taste in my mouth."

What do you do when an alumnus—or a potential donor for any organization—has had a bad experience?

Berman shares what happened and how the university's fundraising team was able to turn four decades of dissatisfaction into a six-figure bequest—that in the end Berman was glad to make. It's a remarkable turnaround!

Development Director Tom Zulewski joins the conversation to detail his process. It’s a model other fundraisers can use, too.

Know More. Raise More. is presented by Insightful. The team at Insightful knows connecting with donors is hard. That’s why Insightful helps fundraisers like you better know your donors (and the people you would like to be donors) so you can:

Raise more money
Advance your mission
Do more good in the world

There’s a big change happening right now affecting fundraisers. Over the next decade, up to $70 trillion dollars will shift from aging baby boomers to millennials. This wealth transfer is already underway.
Are you prepared to work with millennials?
Start by downloading Insightful’s free ebook:
9 Insights Fundraisers Need to Know to Prepare for Millennial Major Donors. Just head to insightfulphilanthropy.com/ebook

An unfortunate change during Ed Berman's time as an undergrad at Drexel University “just left a bad taste in my mouth."

What do you do when an alumnus—or a potential donor for any organization—has had a bad experience?

Development Director Tom Zulewski joins the conversation to detail his process. It’s a model other fundraisers can use, too.

Raise more money
Advance your mission
Do more good in the world

Previous Episode

How a 900-year-old organization sets the standard for donor engagement today

Centuries of experience have helped the Order of Malta create the key to fundraising success with amazing results, including million dollar gifts and 100% donor retention.
Lisa Simpson, CEO of the Order’s worldwide fundraising effort known as The Global Fund for Forgotten People, shares how they have developed a worldwide network of "envoys." Find the factors of this model that can be implemented within your organization.
Know More. Raise More. is presented by Insightful. The team at Insightful knows connecting with donors is hard. That’s why Insightful helps fundraisers like you better know your donors (and the people you would like to be donors) so you can:

Raise more money
Advance your mission
Do more good in the world

Next Episode

Corporate Giving from a Millennial Major Donor

We're lifting the curtain on corporate giving with a millennial leader who is growing a successful company and giving back millions.
Andrew Koenig is the CEO of City Furniture in Florida. Through his own volunteering Andrew built a strong relationship with a fundraiser at American Heart Association, Lindsay Leblang. He was so impressed by the work they did together, Andrew invited Lindsay to join his team to bring strategy to City’s corporate philanthropy. As a fundraiser herself, Lindsay shares the secret to a successful pitch and what it really takes to get corporate contributions for your organization.
Know More. Raise More. is presented by Insightful. The team at Insightful knows connecting with donors is hard. That’s why Insightful helps fundraisers like you better know your donors (and the people you would like to be donors) so you can:

Raise more money
Advance your mission
Do more good in the world

Know More. Raise More. - A Remarkable Donor Turnaround

Transcript

Jennifer Trammell00:00:05.820

Welcome to "Know More. Raise More." the podcast for fundraising professionals, where we share firsthand stories from donors and gift officers who have real relationships working together to change the world for good.

Jennifer Trammell00:00:23.399

I'm your host Jennifer Trammell. On the podcast today, we know so many of our listeners are fundraising in higher ed and working with alumni. So we're headed back