The following articles, forms, and short webinars are provided on a complementary basis. They are organized primarily within the framework of The Four Decisions. As you explore and find items useful to you please feel free to reprint and share for Internal use at your organization. If you would like to distribute copies of these materials outside of your organization-for example, at conferences, seminars, or similar presentations-please contact us for permission to do so.
Professional organizations you can join to take full advantage of the various benefits offered
GOOGLE (and other web search engines) are valuable to find details on specific issues. Test with a search on“charitable remainder trusts”and discover what you can learn on your own initiative. LinkedIn: Join, then subscribe to pertinent discussion groups: AFP (several sub-groups available), CASE, CGP, AHP, etc. Cultivate your network of professional friends and learn from one another. I encourage you to pursue credentials as a Certified Fund Raising Professional, the CFRE designation. Visit their website to learn more: www.cfre.org/
Mini-Webinars
This lesson details how you can set yourself up for success from the very beginning of a new donor relationship. Once you identify a possible major donor you want to do your best to make a strong first impression, to set the tone for everything you hope will follow as you build the relationship This means how you go about asking for that first face to face meeting is more important than many fundraising professionals think it is. This lesson is about getting that initial appointment with a purpose.
In this lesson, I make the case for why effective charitable gift planners, regardless of job title, should become bilingual. Most fundraising professionals who work in either major gifts or planned gifts are familiar with the structure of the development cycle, the language of moves management. This is a familiar shorthand we use in-house to talk about our constituents and donors. What happens outside the office, across the coffee table, requires a very different language – one you can share with your future donors.
This is one of three lessons that introduce tools to keep your organization out of trouble, to keep your donors out of trouble, and to keep you out of trouble. It introduces you to one of the three potential sources of ethical problems – your colleagues.
This is one of three lessons that introduce tools to keep your organization out of trouble, to keep your donors out of trouble, and to keep you out of trouble. It introduces you to one of the three potential sources of ethical problems – your donors.
This is one of three lessons that introduce tools to keep your organization out of trouble, to keep your donors out of trouble, and to keep you out of trouble. It introduces you to one of the three potential sources of ethical problems – yourself.
This lesson introduces a proven technique to intentionally start a conversation about how your donor might best make a gift – when, with what assets, and in conjunction with what personal concerns you should discuss. It identifies the four basic topics the fundraiser hopes to discuss with a possible donor. It introduces a three-step conversational process of inviting a very personal conversation on those topics.
On the face of it, this lesson addresses a negative concept – perspectives and definitions that limit a fundraiser’s potential. It’s necessary to take a look at your options, to compare what I believe you shouldn’t do as a fundraising professional with what you might choose to do instead. I challenge you to examine how you do the things you do in building donor relationships, hoping you can better appreciate the choices available to you. I invite you to turn any limitations you identify into new opportunities for growth and success.