Real Talk for Real Fundraisers

Your donors are busy. There's a lot of noise in their lives. The front-line fundraisers who can cut through that noise and get noticed by their donors will have the ability to win their hearts and minds. In today's episode, Richard and Jeff give you seven ways to stand out with your donor, so they'll engage with you AND allow you to build an authentic relationship with them.

You know that donor that gives every year in November a check for $1,000… and they’ve been doing it for a thousand years? Yeah, you know, that one. You’re most likely thinking, “Every November I can always expect that check to come in, but it's not really worth it to me to reach out and find out who they are. They’re not going to give more.” In this episode, Richard and Jeff tell you a story of how an MGO decided NOT to listen to that story in their head, and instead they reached out to that $1,000 donor – and the donor became a $95,000 donor! While this is just one story, Richard and Jeff have heard hundreds just like this from MGOs who are following The Veritus Way of major gift fundraising. Get inspired to rethink about how you view some of you donors and start talking to them. You’ll find out information that will enable you to ignite your donor’s desire to make the world a better place!

There are so many myths in major gift fundraising that Richard and Jeff devote a whole chapter to it in their latest book, “It’s Not JUST About  the Money.” These myths hurt not only the success of a major gift program, but the development of front-line fundraisers.  Today’s episode debunks several myths and gets to the truth of what major gifts is really about. It continues on the theme of a previous episode in November 2020.

Professional fundraisers have lots of questions about how you can do your work better. Each week, Richard and Jeff hear from your colleagues all over the world on how they can be better fundraisers. Today’s podcast answers some of the most burning questions they get.  They hope that their answers will help you think differently and inspire you in the work you do every day to help change the world.

Join Richard and Jeff for Part 2 of their discussion of six New Year’s Resolutions. In this podcast they outline the second 3 resolutions that you may have never heard of before… however, they’re resolutions that are embodied in every successful Major Gift Officer they’ve met.  Start your year off right and find out what all successful Major Gift Officers have in common.

Goodbye 2020! In today’s podcast Richard and Jeff highlight 3 resolutions to start your new year. They’ll not only inspire you, but they’ll help you become a better front-line fundraiser in 2021. We can’t think of a better way to start the new year than to have some concrete ideas on how to help you develop stronger relationships with your donors and to help you find more joy in your work.

You aren’t alone if you don’t fully understand the economics of major gifts and how it should work. Over the years, the Veritus team has run into CEOs and managers of major non-profits who didn’t get it either. In our opinion, this is just one of the reasons major gifts continues to elude non-profits… you just don’t understand the economics of it and how to be successful. That’s okay. Because in today’s podcast, Richard and Jeff talk about the Six Economic Realities of Major Gifts, which they write about in their new book, It’s Not JUST About the Donor. This lively discussion will give you the context for where major gifts should focus (donors), why you need to be patient (it takes time to build relationships) and much more.

We often talk to leaders and managers of non-profits who tell us they’re leading a donor-centered non-profit. That’s great! But then we start asking questions: 1. Do you have a system set up to thank donors properly? 2. Do you have an infrastructure that allows you to get information on donor impact from the program side? 3. Does finance and program sit at the table with major gift officers to discuss donor offers? 4. Do you provide administrative support for your major gift team? Most often, the answer is no. In this episode, Richard and Jeff discuss why the “back office” of a major gift program is so crucial for success, and why a major gift program can’t succeed just on the backs of your front-line fundraisers.

What is the biggest barrier to major gift success? It’s a lack of leadership. It was this lack of leadership that inspired Richard and Jeff to write their latest book, “It’s Not JUST About the Donor.” And it’s the focus of today's episode. In this episode Richard and Jeff address this lack of leadership by outlining all the great leadership qualities they’ve seen where major gift programs are flourishing. Hopefully, you too will be inspired to take on these qualities that are absolutely necessary for success.

There are many myths about major gifts out there that impede the growth of major gift programs.  In fact, in Richard and Jeff's new book, It’s Not JUST About the Donor, they start out one by one dispelling the myths that they’ve heard from non-profit leaders over the years. In today's episode, Richard and Jeff talk about a few of these myths that, unless we bring them to light,  either they have hurt or will certainly hurt your major gift program. Join them for a lively discussion and an opportunity to get this new book!