Just Ask - Rethinking Development

As fundraisers, we like to ask questions like, “how are we going to raise the money?” Unfortunately, we too often don’t ask a related question: should we raise the money? Bryan and Greg discuss what you need to do in order to be sure you are raising money for the right project.

This may be the most important topic ever covered on Just Ask. Why is asking for money so hard? If you’re in the field of fundraising, you will have to ask others for money. So why is that so hard? In this episode, you'll discover: The number one reason we don't ask for money What weight you, as fundraiser, should carry when making an ask A mindset for how you should approach asking for mo...

What's the difference between a major gift and the one you give from your car window? Using a recent donor experience, Greg tackles the psychology behind why major donors make major gifts. How do you give a donor hope that their gift will make a difference?

What factors are out of your control as a fundraiser? As the fiscal year end approaches, Greg discusses why you may be laying too much of the burden on yourself. In this episode you'll learn: - The number one factor affecting major gifts - Two solid points of encouragement to take to heart

Does your organization have any "major" donors? Where should you begin when seeking to solicit "major" gifts. This is a massive topic, but there are key steps you can take to jump start your major gifts program. Listen in as Bryan and Greg demystify the process.

What do you do if your donor is a diva? In a perfect world, you live in a drama free fundraising world. But inevitably, you will encounter at one time or another, the diva donor. Bryan discusses with Greg what a diva donor is and how to best navigate this delicate relationship.

Getting ahold of someone remains one of the greatest hurdles in fundraising. Leaving a voicemail and expecting a call back is often just wishful thinking. But, there is an increasingly effective medium for reaching people: texting. Greg explores ways to use texting to improve your development efforts.

Greg channels his 30 years of fundraising for Catholic schools and charities to highlight a changing demographic: Catholic parents. Greg has noticed the emergence of a new mindset among parents, and it may have significant consequences for your fundraising approach. We would love to hear from you on this topic and whether you agree or disagree. Email us your thoughts at justaskdevelopment@gmail.co...

This marks our 75th episode! We are taking time again answer some listener questions. Here is what we cover today: 1. What are traits of an ideal development professional? 2. What makes for a great working relationship between the lead fundraiser and executive director of a non-profit?

More listener questions! Today, Bryan and Greg answer: How do you know if it's time to expand your development office? Is it time to hire an outside company or more personnel?  What should you look for in an organization before entering into development with them?

Today we answer a few listener questions! 1. What does it look like to start a development operation from scratch? 2. Why aren't there many people who want to do development? 3. How do I know if I'm a good fit for development?

What does every great NFL team spend time on after a game? They watch the game tape. Greg argues today that this may be the single most important key to his growth as a 30 year fundraiser. After a solicitation is made, there are questions that should be asked and recorded. Greg shares a particularly important question to include.

Greg walks you through what to do when you find yourself in the position of doing business over a meal.  A meal by its nature is social. This can present a challenge when determining what is the right time to bring up the work of your non-profit. Specifically, how do you effectively bring up a proposal and make an ask? Greg navigates the nuances of having "dinner and an ask." This episode cov...

What separates great development professionals from mediocre fundraisers?  Follow-up. Tenacity and consistency in following up an ask made to a donor by you and your non-profit. Simple enough to do, and yet this skill is often done poorly by many. Not a few gifts have fallen apart because of a lack of follow-up. In this episode Bryan and Greg cover:  - when and how often you should be fo...

What do you think of when you hear the term endowments? They can be a perpetual source of funding to your non-profit, but often, we see it as something to tackle in the future. Greg advocates today for a new approach to establishing named endowments. What is the price point you should set for a such an endowment? You might be surprised. Listen and find out.

A common lament of Catholic schools and other private education institutions goes something like this: people just don't give. The question is then posed: "how do we create a culture of giving?" Greg provides an answer to this question, and it's simpler than you may think. 

What do the Seven Deadly Sins have to do with fundraising? Bryan takes you through this self-reflection on whether the seven deadly sins are affecting your fundraising approach. Don’t let these sins limit the potential of you or your non-profit.

How do you cordially say no to a donor who has a good idea, but it’s currently not a top priority for the organization? This is a question posed to us by one of our listeners! Bryan and Greg provide an answer, and as a bonus tackle a related question: what do you do when a donor gives you a bad fundraising idea? Find out how to say no to bad ideas.

Does your organization have a unified message when raising funds? Specifically, we mean a message highlighting the need your non-profit seeks to meet and why you’re best equipped to address it. You should! This is called the ‘Case for Support’. Without a Case, you will be ill equipped as a fundraiser to go ask for support. Bryan and Greg discuss why your organization needs a Case for Support and h...

You only have so many hours in the day, days in a week, and weeks in a year as a fundraiser. If you are in a mid to large size non-profit, there's a good chance you have a database with more households than you could ever meet. Deciding who are the best prospects to go see can feel like finding a needle in a haystack. So how do you find the best prospects for greater involvement and giving? ...

How often to you take your daily truth serum? Greg highlights the need to reflect each day on whether you did or did not do the best development activities. If you’re willing to take your daily serum, you’ll find the needle moves on your fundraising goals. Listen as Greg gives specific examples of what you should be focused on as a fundraiser.

“What in the world does that mean?” How many times have you said this looking at a record someone else made in your non-profit’s database? Over time, there is a tendency for a database to acquire all kinds of words and symbols which means something to the recorder at the time. However, future database users are left puzzled. Is there a better way to decipher jargon? Greg highlights how you can cre...

Thank. Your. Donors. Almost any fundraiser will tell you it’s important to thank your donors, and yet, many nonprofits still fail to do this well. Bryan lays out why you should thank your donors, who is worth thanking, and some practical advice on how to implement better thank you protocols.

Over 30 years in consulting, Greg has noticed a common trait in all great Development Directors: they’re really good at getting stuff done. Unproductive or inefficient meetings can often be a roadblock to get things done. This week, Greg highlights how to get more stuff done in meetings.

Over 30 years in consulting, Greg has noticed a common trait in all great Development Directors: they’re really good at getting stuff done. So how do they execute their daily to-dos so well? Greg reveals how to get stuff done in development.