Podcasts

Development Principles

Release Date	Topic	Description
6/23/21	Celebrity Millionaires Won’t Build Your Project but we Know Who Will	Your best campaign support will come from people already in your database.
07/23/21	Involvement Precedes Investment	Major gifts nearly always go to charities where the donor has first been meaningfully involved.
08/11/21	Principle #1: People support what they help create.	People support charities where they are involved. This especially applies to capital campaigns. Involve major gift prospects in the conversation about how campaign proceeds will be spent.
08/18/21	Principal #2: First identify your best prospects.	Every successful funding initiative, whether a capital campaign or annual fund, begins by identifying your best donors and focusing your best efforts on them.
(09/08/21)	Principle #3: Create two sets of estimates.	You need two sets of estimates before launching any funding initiative: income and expense.We explain how these two estimates underpin every successful campaign.
09/15/21	Principle #4: Current Donors are your Best Future Donors	It is easier to upgrade a current donor rather than acquire a new one.
09/29/21	Principle #5: Invest time where ROI is best.	Invest limited resources with prospects who have the greatest potential for positive return.
10/14/21	Principle #6: Ask volunteers to help raise money.	Asking volunteers to help raise money takes time, especially at first, as they may be uncomfortable. But it eventually pays off.
10/20/21	Principle #7 Everybody has someone to whom they can’t say no.	If you need a ‘yes,’ send the right person to ask.
11/03/21	Principle #8 Human nature doesn’t change.	What do Benjamin Franklin and today’s donors have in common? Human nature doesn’t change. The more you understand basic human nature, the more you will understand what motivates donors.
11/24/21	Principle #9: The more personal the appeal, the more likely is the yes.	The More Personal the Appeal, the More Likely the Gift: What Little Jane Taught me on Her First Birthday.
12/01/21	Principle #10: Don’t Assume a No.	Don't say no for another person. Ask even if you think it might be a long shot.

Asking for Major Gifts

Release Date	Topic	Description
07/28/21	Three Reasons People Fail to Ask	What's behind call reluctance?
08/25/21	Hallmarks of a Good Ask: Part 1	Things you need to do before the visit.
09/02/21	Hallmarks of a Good Ask 2: Part 2	What to say. How to say it.
10/06/21	The Friend Zone	What to do when you are so friendly with donors it’s hard to ask.
01/20/22	How much should I ask for?	Tips on estimating how much to ask for. No, it’s not simply twice what you need.
01/26/22	Creating Urgency	Every great appeal, ask, invitation and opportunity has one thing in common: Urgency.
02/16/22	Time to Pony Up: The Honest Ask	When asking for gifts, there is something to be said for bare bones honesty. Learn why authenticity is critical when asking for major gifts
03/09/22	Three Tips on Closing Gifts	You’ve asked, and you’re waiting for an answer. Three tips to close more gifts.
05/18/22	Five Details Needed to Close the Gift	Five data points you need from the donor in order to consider a gift closed.
06/08/22	Master the Discovery Call. Get the Appointment.	Tips to take the ‘cold’ out of the cold call.
01/11/23	Dinner and an Ask	Asking for a major gift over dinner can be awkward. How to do business in a social setting.
01/18/23	The Solicitation Game Tape	Unlike the NFL, we don’t have game tape, but you can ask a peer to critique your solicitation visit.
03/31/23	The Diva Donor	The diva donor is the one who loves to make you uncomfortable. How to handle that situation.
04/13/23	Jump Start Major Gifts	How to start a major gifts program.
09/06/23	Troubleshooting Pending Pledges	You asked. You waited. Still no decision. How a ‘contingent pledge’ can help close more gifts—especially the big ones.
11/08/23	The First-Hand Experience	Give donors a first-hand experience of your organization from the inside. It’s the best way to help them understand their impact.
12/01/23	Listening: the Quintessential Development Skill	The best major gift officers master the art of listening.
07/09/24	The “Silent” Phase of a Campaign	Silent Phase? Advance Phase? What should one call the first solicitation phase of a campaign? It matters because it changes how you think about the task at hand.
07/25/24	After the Campaign: What’s Next?	Three things you need to do after the capital campaign wraps up.
09/24/24	Did I Ask for Too Much?	Advice on knowing if/when you may have asked for too much. What do you do now?
03/18/25	Donors Don’t Know What They Want	If you need dollars directed to a certain area, don’t be afraid to ask. Most donors trust the organizations will use donations wisely.