Southeast Donor Relations Conference Was Excellent, Yet Again!
Last week Robin and I had to divide and conquer. I went to the Southeast Donor Relations Conference in Charlotte sponsored by the Association of Donor Relations Professionals while she attended the Georgia Association of Development Professionals annual meeting in St. Simons. She got the beach . . . but I got the brains (which is all right by me)! This group is smart and fun-loving. As is the case every year, they are raising the bar for what donor relations means as a distinct and necessary part of their organizations. Continue reading »
Filed under Anne Manner-McLarty, Donor Communications, Social Media, Stewardship, Think Before You Thank | Tags: Best Practices for Donor Recognition, Capital Campaign, Communications, Development, Fundraising, Naming Opportunities, Social Media, Stewardship, Think Before You Thank | Comment (0)Recognition: Every Viewer is Your Prospect
Every viewer of donor recognition is a prospective donor. It is the single, most powerful marketing tool at a fundraiser’s disposal.
Filed under Donor Communications, Recognition Environments, Robin E. Williams, Stewardship | Tags: area naming, Best Practices for Donor Recognition, Donor Recognition, Naming Opportunities, Philanthropy, Stewardship, Think Before You Thank, Trends in Fundraising | Comment (0)
Chairs, Professorships and Scholarships are Underappreciated on Campus
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.
Filed under Best Practices in Donor Recognition, Donor Recognition Programs, Recognition Environments, Stewardship, Think Before You Thank | Tags: area naming, Best Practices for Donor Recognition, Communications, Fundraising, Naming Opportunities, Philanthropy, Stewardship, Think Before You Thank, Trends in Fundraising | Comments Off“Buying Legacy”: Donors RARELY give for self-serving reasons!
A recent Bloomberg article blew my mind! It’s titled, Getting Your Name on a Building Gets Cheaper as Non-Profits Compete. The article considers the possibility that donors may be able to negotiate gift amounts for naming opportunities during this economic crisis. True enough. Yet it also calls the act of giving “the price for immortality,” claiming that donors “buy” recognition. Nowhere in the article is there any mention of the basic tenet that donors give out of passion for a cause and that they do so to advance the mission of the organization. I’m offended on behalf of all philanthropists and fundraisers. I can only hope that the fundraising consultants mentioned in the article were misquoted to serve the author’s sarcastic premise. Continue reading »
Filed under Anne Manner-McLarty, Donor Communications, Donor Recognition Programs, Philanthropy | Tags: Capital Campaign, Donor Recognition, Fundraising, giving, Naming Opportunities, Philanthropy, Think Before You Thank, Trends in Fundraising | Comments Off