Upcoming Major Gift Officer Training

Upcoming Major Gift Officer Training

By Tom Wilson, Major Gifts Guru

How can you improve your major gift fundraising skills?

How do I transition from annual giving to major giving?

Am I missing any tricks in raising money?

I get many questions like these with requests for information on where to go for major gift officer training.

There are only limited options here are a couple of ideas:

1) Attend one of the upcoming sessions of PLAN MGO on either May 21^st in Boston or June 25^th in Chicago. This intensive, 4-day training session for major gift officers is interactive, fast moving, and full of great information.

• Disclosure – I’m am one of the faculty members, one of 3 authors who are helping to present sessions along with PLAN MGO staff and guest speakers. Last fall our session included some great community volunteers who shared their expectations of fundraisers from the perspective of donors and as fundraising volunteers.

) Hire a major gifts officer coach (somebody like me of course although geographically that may be a challenge). Ongoing training, even if it’s only 2 or 4 hours a month can provide training to fit your specific situation. Find a local consultant that you have a good relationship or send me an email and we can talk.

Ideally, do both types of training – intensive and ongoing.

Permanent Link: Upcoming Major Gift Officer Training

http://majorgiftsguru.com/2010/04/upcoming-major-gift-officer-training.html

Should Nonprofits Keep Doing Capital Campaigns? (Part 1 of a series)

Should Nonprofits Keep Doing Capital Campaigns? (Part 1 of a series)

by Tom Wilson Major Gifts Guru

The Great Recession is causing chaos throughout America and the world. Nonprofit organizations aren't immune. In fact, they are the most vulnerable and the most sought after in tough times.

As a major gifts specialist and a capital campaign consultant, I get asked regularly about the future of capital campaigns.

• Are they dead?
• A thing of the past?
• Who would think of doing one is the wild economy?
• As a campaign consultant you must be in real trouble?>/li>

This new series of posts will explore the pros and cons of nonprofit capital campaigns in tough times. We'll cover three major issues:

1) Understanding capital campaigns

2) Positives on why you should campaign

3) Challenges to campaigning in tough times

more to come

Permanent Link: Should Nonprofits Keep Doing Capital Campaigns? (Part 1 of a series)

http://majorgiftsguru.com/2010/03/should-nonprofits-keep-doing-capital.html

Major Gifts Guru's Most Popular Posts

Below are the top 20 most popular posts to date (based on web traffic) on Major Gifts Guru. To read these posts, simply click on the post title.

1. Capital Campaign Resources | 1 Page Guide
2. Fundraising News Trends
   
3. Best Practices in Grateful Patient Fundraising
   
4. Listening Tips & Tools | A 1 Page Guide
   
5. Major Donor Interview
   
6. Church Capital Campaign
   
7. Higher Education Fundraising in Tough Times
   
8. Museum Capital Campaigns
   
9. Major Gift Proposals to Donors
   
10. Major Gifts Training | 2008 Fundraising Coaching
    
11. Grateful Patient Hospital Fundraising Idea
    
12. Successful Capital Campaigns
13. The Economy & Fundraising
    
14. Be a Philanthropic Fundraiser
    
15. How Will The Economy Impact Corporate Giving to Nonprofit Organizations?
    
16. Corporate Fundraising | Corporate Giving is Enlightened Self Interest
    
17. Public Radio Capital Campaign Success
    
18. Community College Capital Campaigns
    
19. University Capital Campaigns
    
20. Japanese Philanthropy
    

Permanent Link: Major Gifts Guru's Most Popular Posts

http://majorgiftsguru.com/2010/03/major-gifts-gurus-most-popular-posts.html

Major Gift Officer Job Opening in Portland, Oregon

Major Gift Officer Job Opening in Portland, Oregon

by Tom Wilson Major Gifts Guru

Here is an opening at one of my clients. Let me know of your interest.

Adventist Medical Center Foundation (Portland, Oregon) is seeking to hire a highly-experienced, major gifts officer to serve as Director of Annual Giving. The successful candidate will establish a $1,000 annual giving society with the objective of securing 100 members in its first year; obtain golf tournament sponsors for a $185,000 event; continue employee giving of $140,000 a year; and work on special fundraising projects. Five to eight years of results oriented fundraising experience required; CFRE preferred. Send impact resume to Tom.Wilson@campbellcompany.com. Excellent benefits and an experienced Foundation team welcome your expertise. You can find out more information at their website by clicking here.

Permanent Link: Major Gift Officer Job Opening in Portland, Oregon

http://majorgiftsguru.com/2009/12/major-gift-officer-job-opening-in.html

Healthcare Prospecting for Major Gift Officers (part 3 of a series)

Healthcare Prospecting for Major Gift Officers (part 3 of a series)

by Tom Wilson Major Gifts Guru

I captured this information from a session at AHP International (San Francisco, September 2009) – “Prospecting for Success: Creating a data-driven program that yields results” by Sally Boucher, WealthEngine & Nancy Lee, Director of Research, Jefferson Foundation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Other advice

In a 2008 test, 80,000 mailed, half segmented, half not, those segmented increased average gift size from $82 to $120.

Upgrade ask amounts and frequency for those with higher capability ratings, and more recent giving.

What do you do with low capacity ratings? Drop those who do not respond to appeals or live in nonproductive gift codes.

For planned giving look at:

Birthday (60 and older)

Loyal donor (10 year giving or longer)

Multiple property owners

While I only know enough about prospect research, databases, and direct mail to be dangerous, it’s always fascinating to listen to the experts in these areas. As major gift officers, we need to keep our personal relationship skills high as we continue to work smarter through good prospect research.

This article is part of a series. To read the rest of the series, please click the links below:

• Healthcare Prospecting for Major Gift Officers (part 2 of a series)
• Healthcare Prospecting for Major Gift Officers (part 1 of a series)

Permanent Link: Healthcare Prospecting for Major Gift Officers (part 3 of a series)

http://majorgiftsguru.com/2009/11/healthcare-prospecting-for-major-gift_18.html