If you’ve been a fundraiser for long — whether in higher education, healthcare systems or large nonprofits — you’ve probably heard these phrases: The fundraising team loves that program. That program gets all the funding. That faculty member is advancement’s favorite. And the reality is, it’s likely true! We know that not all initiatives are ..read more

This past weekend was full of emotions as our youngest son graduated from the University of Arizona. One of my favorite things about higher education is the tradition and pageantry of commencement, and the weekend was even more special as our family came together to celebrate and connect. The all-university ceremony featured Wildcat alum Michael ..read more

San Diego State University’s incredible run in the NCAA tournament this year had many people cheering on the Aztecs. However, “Aztec for life” has resonated for me since I began my time at SDSU as a student. From my early days as an undergraduate and student leader, to my times teaching and volunteering, to my […] The post Making Magic Happen appeared first on KDD Philanthropy ..read more

At the recent CASE Strategic Talent Management Conference I attended, a fascinating report* was presented that outlined factors that make major gift officers successful, and surveyed fundraisers on how confident they felt in their ability to display those factors. At the very top of the list — tied with using the phone to secure donor […] The post Tackling Your Top Fear: Conflict appeared first on KDD Philanthropy ..read more

How many blogs have you read, or conversations have you had, about engaging executive leaders in your work? Deans, star physicians, executives, program leaders … these are the first roles we think of when it comes to collaborating with partners in advancement. But there’s another group of natural partners about whom we should be thinking. […] The post How to Engage Your Front Door Partners appeared first on KDD Philanthropy ..read more

Work events: Whether it’s a gala, a homecoming event for university parents, a campaign launch or any other community-facing event, there’s a belief among folks who aren’t frontline fundraisers that we just love to attend these. That we’re naturals at introducing ourselves, making conversation, working the room, and using it to move strategies forward. What […] The post Creating Your “Unhooking” Strategy appeared first on KDD Philanthropy ..read more

I was recently conducting an assessment that will lead to a strategic plan outline for a client. As a part of the process, I had the honor of speaking with a handful of passionate stakeholders: alumni, parents, trustees and donors. Each showed up with incredible passion for their institution, and a deep-rooted desire to support the […] The post Keeping it Simple appeared first on KDD Philanthropy ..read more

The topic of metrics comes across my desk regularly. It may also be one of the more challenging topics in fundraising, as metrics is both an essential tool and one that is often misused, thus causing damage to morale. In a conversation I had last week, we discussed my approach to metrics: Advancement leaders should […] The post Measuring what Matters appeared first on KDD Philanthropy ..read more

“I’m too busy.” “I’m just trying to keep up.” “My to do list is overwhelming.” We rarely do our best work under these circumstances, moving reactively from task to task, and yet these are such common statements from those of us who work in advancement. It’s easy to see how we can get stuck in […] The post How to Build Proactive Time into Your Daily Work appeared first on KDD Philanthropy ..read more

Happy new year! Yes, it’s July, but for many of us, July 1 marked a new fiscal year. And a new fiscal year usually brings with it two things: An opportunity to reflect on what went well in our last year — and I hope you truly took time to celebrate what you learned, what you […] The post Happy New (Fiscal) Year! appeared first on KDD Philanthropy ..read more