Gargoyles and Recognition Policy

February 18th, 2010

I was reminded of a recognition nightmare the other day and thought it a good time to revisit it, to examine again the lessons learned.  It’s a quick story, yet it is the kind of story that is so horrific that laughter, a really good belly laugh, is in order. And you’ve got to laugh to keep from crying for all the folks involved.

Does this picture remind you of the 2002 incident at Duke?

What Not to Do!

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Emerging Trends in Donor Relations

January 13th, 2010

This new decade heralds significant changes for Donor Relations and its influence on fundraising success.  We see that these emerging trends share a common theme:  to build better relationships with donors as a means of fostering greater giving.  As is the case with all relationships in our current crowded, information-saturated world, the emphasis will be on the quality, not the quantity, of donor interactions.
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Non-Traditional Donor Recognition Outlets

December 8th, 2009

Monday I had the good fortune to participate in a session at the Association of Donor Relations Professionals annual conference in Baltimore.  I sat on a panel discussing “tricks from the experts”.  My portion of the presentation focused on ways to recognize donors beyond traditional plaques and printed lists.  Specifically, we considered avenues available to those who either have no physical space for traditional donor recognition or are interested in exploring new methods for engaging donors and potential donors alike. Continue reading »

Chairs, Professorships and Scholarships are Underappreciated on Campus

November 19th, 2009

In our recent survey to Georgia Education Advancement Council members, who are responsible for fundraising and communication efforts at the state’s colleges and universities, we learned a lot about methods and attitudes related to non facility-based gift recognition. By that term I mean, gifts aimed at named chairs, professorships and scholarships as opposed to those that name a room or building.

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