Real Talk for Real Fundraisers

Do you want to be a great Major Gift Fundraiser? One trait of all great MGOs is that they are curious people. That curiosity leads to developing authentic relationships. How often do you go to a dinner party or gathering, and you come back and realize no one has asked anything about you? This happens to us all the time. It doesn’t feel good. If you think about it, what a missed opportunity we all...

Do you want to get rid of the donors in your portfolio? We would hope not. Yet by the way many major gift officers are cultivating and stewarding donors, you would think they are. In this episode, Richard and Jeff outline ten different ways that MGOs are actively trying to get rid of their donors without even knowing it. Hopefully, you aren’t practicing any of these ten. In fact, if you’re doing t...

Over the years, MGOs and managers have asked Richard and Jeff if they think MGOs should get bonuses if they meet or exceed their revenue goals. In today’s episode, they answer that question, and you might be surprised by what they say. They also discuss how non-profit leaders and managers should treat MGOs so that they’ll want to stay much longer than the average 1.8 years! Not only will MGOs stay...

As a major gift fundraiser, do you feel you’re being supported enough so you can be successful? Unfortunately, we run into many MGOs who are basically left on their own, without the support they need to build authentic relationships with donors. In today’s podcast episode, Richard and Jeff discuss the five reasons MGOs fail – and you’ll be surprised that most of the reasons have nothing at all to...

In most of the higher education institutions where Veritus Group has conducted data assessments, they’re performing terribly. What’s wrong here? Universities have resources. They have dozens (if not hundreds) of major gift officers, researchers, and stewardship officers. And yet what we find is that they don’t have real relationships with donors and alumni. Some of them are still raising millions...

“You can’t be serious!” This is the reaction Richard and Jeff get from many non-profit leaders when we tell them NOW is the time to start a major gift program. Yes, even in the midst of uncertainty, your organization should either be starting or heavily investing in your current major gift program. Why? Because this is where you’ll eventually see most of your NET revenue come from. Need inspiratio...

If you just read the headlines from fundraising news publications, you’d think the sky is falling and revenue from non-profits is tanking. But is it? If you actually get past the “doom and gloom” headlines, you’ll read that giving is actually up in 2020 vs. 2019! What? Yep, giving is up. In this episode, Richard goes on a rant about the effects of these negative headlines, and he urges non-profit...

This pandemic has been a stress test for many non-profits. The biggest threat to the future of a non-profit in times like this is the lack of multiple funding streams for a non-profit. Today, those organizations that rely heavily on events, or corporate and government funding, are struggling. And non-profits that only rely on direct-response to bring in the majority of their revenue are reeling. W...

Pivoting is good, but it implies that once we get back to normal, we just go back to what we used to do. Well, this pandemic is giving us the opportunity to not only pivot, but to permanently change. Change what? Change the way we evaluate MGOs and major gift programs.  Richard and Jeff believe that the old metrics that most non-profits use to measure major gift officers perpetuates transacti...

In this episode, Richard and Jeff are joined by Veritus Group's Director of Planned Giving Services, Bob Shafis. Bob will discuss with them why you should be considering several planned giving strategies now, and how to do it.  They’ll also talk about the $2.2 Trillion Care Act that was recently enacted and how it will affect your non-profit. Join Richard, Jeff and Bob for an informative disc...

Do you know your organization’s coronavirus story? In other words, if a donor asked you how the virus is affecting your organizations mission would you know what to say? Our team at Veritus is worried that many non-profit leaders and managers haven’t figure out how the virus has really affected your mission. What potential shortfall are you looking at? What added services are you now providing tha...

In today’s episode Richard and Jeff give you an update on stories they're hearing from other major gift officers and start answering a number of questions from your colleagues about how you should fundraise, given this crisis we're all in. At the end of the episode we also direct you to our COVID-19 Resource Page and tell you about two new courses we've designed just to help you through this crisi...

You are now fundraising in an unprecedented time in our history. You may be worried, anxious or concerned personally and professionally. All those feelings are normal. Richard and Jeff have recorded a special podcast to help you think about major gift fundraising in a crisis like the one we face today. Both of them have been through multiple national and international crises and tragedy, and they...

As you know, the most important job for an MGO is to build relationships with their donors. How are you going to do that without administrative support? You can’t. We hear from so many MGOs who say they’re bogged down doing expense reports, handling travel details and entering information into the database. They’re doing so much admin work they end up having very little time to talk to donors! In...

You’ll often hear that fundraising professionals are “jumping ship” every 1.8 to 2.3 years in search of something better. Quite frankly, the number one reason people quit their job is because they have a bad manager or leader as a boss. Today Richard and Jeff are joined by fundraising expert, author and writer of the popular blog, “Future Fundraising Now,” Jeff Brooks. Jeff has worked with hundred...

Today’s podcast episode is a little different. We’re talking about the spirituality of major gift fundraising. No, we’re not talking about religion, but we ARE talking about how fundraising has a spiritual nature to it – not with a capital “S,” but with a small “s.” Richard and Jeff explore the mystical act that happens at the moment a donor gives, and the organization receives that gift. Find out...

In today’s episode, Richard and Jeff talk with Veritus Group's new Director of Planned Giving Services, Robert Shafis. Robert is one of the most knowledgeable, sought-out experts on planned giving in the country. And now he’s working with Veritus to help non-profits everywhere do planned giving right! Specifically, Robert highlights some of the main problems and misconceptions about planned giving...

If you think universities have it all figured out with major gift  fundraising, you’d be very wrong. In fact, at most of the higher education institutions where Veritus has conducted data assessments, they’re performing terribly. Universities have resources. They have dozens (if not hundreds) of major gift officers, researchers, and stewardship officers. And yet what we find is that they don’...

Are you concerned that the donors on your file are too old? Are you scrambling to get younger donors? Don’t be. In major gifts and planned giving, the vast majority of your revenue will come from donors who are 55 and older. So why is everyone  so enamored with younger donors? This episode teaches you why older donors should be the bread and butter of your major gift program – and why you sho...

This episode sheds light on some of the craziest misconceptions we’ve heard from leaders and managers about major gifts, and what you can do as a major gift officer to help educate them and set them straight. Major gift fundraising is too important to be left to folks who don’t know what they’re doing. There’s too much riding on your organization’s future not to know how a major gift program shoul...

Most of the time, when we ask a major gift fundraiser what the Return on Investment (ROI) of their portfolio is, we get nothing but a blank stare – and then a look of panic. Well, you don’t have to panic. In this episode, Richard and Jeff talk about how to calculate your ROI. They tell you what’s acceptable for a new portfolio vs. a mature one. They discuss how it should grow over time, and they l...

To serve your major donors outrageously, you have to know your programs and projects so well that you’re able to inspire those donors to make a significant gift to your organization. The most effective and best way to do that is to get to know the people behind those programs. These are the program, finance, HR, and executive team that are passionate about your organization’s mission. In this epis...

Major gift fundraising has a problem: MGOs are leaving their non-profits after only 1.8 years on the job! How can they build lasting relationships with donors that way? In this episode, Richard and Jeff discuss why people are leaving, and how managers can work with MGOs to keep successful, experienced staff intact.

In the last decade there's been a lot of talk about building a culture of philanthropy. But who's actually doing it? And what does it actually take to do it? In this episode, Richard and Jeff interview Mark Rovner, the founding principal of SeaChange and a much sought-after keynote speaker. Mark will give you some great ideas on how YOU can help change your non-profit’s culture, how to be effectiv...

Is your organization considering creating a capital campaign in the near future? Before you spend a bunch of time, energy and money on it, you have to listen to Richard and Jeff talk with Amy Eisenstein, the CEO and Co-Founder of Capital Campaign Toolkit . Amy has a unique approach to capital campaigns, one that could save you thousands of dollars if you heed her advice. She has some really good q...