Nothing But Major Gifts

Join Richard and Jeff for Part 2 of their discussion of six New Year’s Resolutions. In this podcast they outline the second 3 resolutions that you may have never heard of before... however, they’re resolutions that are embodied in every successful Major Gift Officer they’ve met.

Start your year off right and find out what all successful Major Gift Officers have in common.

Goodbye 2020! In today’s podcast Richard and Jeff highlight 3 resolutions to start your new year. They’ll not only inspire you, but they’ll help you become a better front-line fundraiser in 2021. We can’t think of a better way to start the new year than to have some concrete ideas on how to help you develop stronger relationships with your donors and to help you find more joy in your work.

We often talk to leaders and managers of non-profits who tell us they’re leading a donor-centered non-profit. That’s great! But then we start asking questions:

1. Do you have a system set up to thank donors properly?

2. Do you have an infrastructure that allows you to get information on donor impact from the program side?

3. Does finance and program sit at the table with major gift officers to discuss donor offers?

4. Do you provide administrative support for your major gift team?

Most often, the answer is no.

In this episode, Richard and Jeff discuss why the “back office” of a major gift program is so crucial for success, and why a major gift program can’t succeed just on the backs of your front-line fundraisers.

What is the biggest barrier to major gift success? It’s a lack of leadership.

It was this lack of leadership that inspired Richard and Jeff to write their latest book, “It’s Not JUST About the Donor.” And it’s the focus of today's episode.

In this episode Richard and Jeff address this lack of leadership by outlining all the great leadership qualities they’ve seen where major gift programs are flourishing. Hopefully, you too will be inspired to take on these qualities that are absolutely necessary for success.

As non-profit fundraisers, we’ve all been through some kind of organizational change. Some are small changes, like a new protocol for thanking donors, and some are large, like a change in CEO or Executive Director. But change is inevitable. The question is, how do you lead through change, so you get buy-in from staff and they see the vision that the change is going to create?

In today’s podcast, Richard and Jeff talk with Greg Gibbs, Executive Director of Development for the University of California, Agriculture & Natural Resources, or UCANR. Greg shares his insights on how he has led his team during times of change and gives you great tips on how you can be an effective fundraising leader at your organization.