A close second to receiving an enthusiastic Yes! to an ask for a gift is hearing a declarative No!

No’s can be a great relief to fundraisers.

The indefinite silence of not knowing if a donor is interested in supporting your organization can be much more anxiety producing. And silence can breed misunderstanding. No’s, while unfortunate, communicate definitive non-interest and allow both parties to move on with peace.

But is saying no difficult?

I think it can be.

Without knowing the why of giving, being asked to give can sometimes leave one feeling like a deer in the headlights, frozen and unsure how to respond. But yesses and no’s clarify purpose and direction. By learning how to say no, givers can better identify the things they truly care about and support them with charitable confidence.

With this in mind, below is a framework for how to say no when asked to give. This framework includes 1) reasons for saying no, 2) how to say no productively, and 3) when to say no.

Reasons For Saying No

A top reason for saying no is if you are not closely affiliated with the organization that is asking for support. Financial support should go first of all to those places around you that help you to grow in community. The further an organization is from your sphere of daily life, the less reason there is to lend support. A project to build a rural well might be thought provoking and admirable, but if it is more abstract than the immediate needs of your neighbor and your interests, it should probably not take a top spot in your charitable giving.

We are social creatures, and we grow as individuals, and even begin to fulfill our purpose, when we support the things around us whose missions we understand and whose fruits we can see. This participation in civil society creates a sense of belonging in an otherwise big wide world.

If it were not so, giving would only be superficial, and likely transient.

In fact, proximity is such an important reason for saying no to giving that all other reasons are really just subsets of this one. Which leads to a second point.

Even socialites may only have time available each week for involvement in three to five causes, in addition to the needs of their own family, of course. From church, to schools, alumni groups, food pantries, youth enrichment, community theater, and so on, if one is involved in each of these things on a regular basis it constitutes an extremely full week! (Though I suspect someone involved to such an extent would feel a high level of happiness and fulfillment.)

But there is a limit to what one can do. And boundaries help to prioritize demands. Saying no to additional commitments is absolutely reasonable. We should prioritize support for the things around us that help us to grow in community but that don’t stretch us beyond our physical limit.

If you are new to a community and still learning what it’s all about that’s reason enough to give something, a modest contribution is fine. But over time as you increase your involvement you should reassess both your commitment and your giving until you are making a meaningful contribution to a few thoughtfully selected places. This lets organizers, and yourself, know that you want to support that cause in a decided way.

Lack of involvement is a good reason for saying no.

How to say no productively

Because declarative no’s tend to be infrequent, fundraisers will continue to ask for gifts until something is said. There are many benign reasons for not speaking up sooner, such simple forgetfulness, but that will not stop the barrage of asks. Fundraisers will rarely drop you from a mailing list based on silence alone, there’s still a chance! And this is especially true if you continue to frequent the organization in some way. Silence may only foster misunderstanding.

A clear, direct, and polite sentence is all that’s needed:

“I am not interested in supporting X and would like to be removed from future asks. Thank you!”

This is always welcome by an organization, especially if you include a reason related to proximity; I moved, I’m already supporting as many places as I can, I no longer agree with the organization’s mission, and so on. But be quite sure you are no longer a part of that group. Otherwise, the assumption will be you are not interested in supporting now, but possibly down the road, in which case you will continue to be asked. Worse, by not giving to an organization you frequent you could be absorbing resources for yourself that are meant for those being served.

Another productive “no” is to say, I’m not interested in supporting X program but I am interested in supporting Y program. For example, you could say I am not interested in supporting the athletics program at such an organization but I am interested in supporting the fine arts program. This is a very useful “no” that can lead to better alignment of interests and give the fundraiser an opportunity to craft an ask more to your preference.

Alongside this you can also share how you like to be asked for money. This is one of my favorite bits of donor feedback. You can specify the time of year you like to be asked, perhaps based on the season or a holiday (fall, spring, Christmas, your mother’s birthday, etc.). You can also indicate your preferred mode of being asked (in person, via email, snail mail, or text). You can even say you will give without prompt, no need for a reminder…but you must stick to your word, since this requires a high level of trust.

Sharing how you like to be asked for money can lead to much more interesting conversations about your reasons for support. You like grabbing beers, great! Let’s meet and chat. A quick text, no problem! Fundraisers are more than happy to accommodate these preferences.

When to say no

Simply put, the sooner the better.

Organizations can spend a lot of time and money on mailings and fundraising campaigns (more than you might imagine). You are doing a grand service by saying no early.

Lastly…

A life focused on helping others is just more meaningful and happy! You should find places around you, though not too many, where your being there matters and brings you fulfillment. In the United States there is no shortage of places looking for someone just like you to be involved. And your financial support will make a meaningful difference in what that place is able to accomplish, if not for the programs your money supports than through your personal commitment expressed through giving. Giving is a personal need that also helps others.

While both under commitment and over commitment seem to be on the rise, the willingness to say no is fading. But it’s a skill we must practice. We all need to get used to saying no so as to prioritize those things that do bring meaning to our lives.

So, say “no” more!

In 2012 the hip-hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis released their debut album The Heist featuring the wildly successful song “Thrift Shop.” The lyrics tell of Macklemore’s esteem for going to thrift shops and saving money rather than flaunting expensive items. In the song, the rapper claims to enjoy donning “your granddad’s clothes” and describes impulsively buying a sharp-looking but strong-smelling fur stole just because “it was 99 cents.”

The song was a massive hit.

The song came directly in the wake of the Occupy Wall Street movement, which largely resulted from public distrust in the private sector during the aftermath of the Great Recession. The Occupy movement, as you might recall, featured large tent encampments in New York City, Washington, DC, and throughout the country in protest of wealth concentration and greed.

This political uprising also coincided with the global “hipster” phenomenon which showcased vintage sartorial irony as a critique of consumption.

Enter Macklemore and “Thrift Shop.”

However, this newfound appreciation for so-called thrift did not appear overnight. Some may also recall the band The Strokes, who in many ways launched and defined this indie-sleaze look with their disheveled, retro-cool, aesthetic. The Strokes, whose members met at posh Swiss and Manhattan boarding schools, became icons of the hipster scene (ironically, before it was even cool) and ignited debates about privilege and authenticity with the release of their 2001 EP Modern Age.

Every age has its challenges, and pride manifests itself differently at various times and places, but the top challenge of the present age, I would argue, can be found in wealth.

Globally, the period around the year 2000 saw peak global economic inequality, comparable to any age in world history, with extreme concentration in the richest 10% of the population. Nearly a quarter century removed from this point, and the gap still remains. The divide between haves and have nots has never been larger.

And yet, across the board, this entire generation also has more stuff than any other generation in history.

One often cited statistic claims the average US household contains around 300,000 individual items. I’m not sure who counted all those things, but we also know that one in three Americans currently use self-storage units, covering over 2.1 billion square feet as of 2026, and with a stronger orientation toward longer stays and larger units.

What is more, this increase in stuff also coincides with a strange and pervasive anxiety regarding all kinds of material insufficiencies.

Now it is not my purpose here to address income inequality or standards of living, but merely to propose a practical response to consumption, and particularly a response as it relates to the cultivation of beauty, or man’s declining ability to appreciate it.

In the middle of last century, Josef Pieper argued that our “ability to see is in decline” due to a bombardment of visual noise preventing man from beholding the deeper meaning of creation and human existence. While this challenge still remains, let’s add to it something we might call “the noise of superfluous possessions” or, perhaps, “the moral challenge of abundance.”

Thrift may not be a virtue commonly preached these days, and as with Macklemore it is often misunderstood, and often comically so, but it may be worth considering in this context.

Thrift, as we’ll see, is the moderate middle ground between too much and too little, and where with regard to wealth man is most at ease within himself. Neither proud of his material security, nor flaunting his sleaze.

Is it any wonder we can feel empty today before genuine works of art and even before our neighbor? In a period of abundant possessions, so many still struggle to negotiate the proper use of goods, and often wind up feeling envious and resentful. Lost in their ordinary lives. Perhaps even falling prey to a sort of financial nihilism.

Thrift addresses this, and is a practical response to one of the biggest challenges of our day and prepares one to see more clearly.

In the context of St. Thomas Aquinas, thrift is understood not as saving money, but as a component of temperance that involves the wise, moderate, and responsible management of material resources. It is temperance with regard to quantity of possessions.

Here I’ll make four points about thrift:

• Thrift aims at cultivating contentment with what one has, ensuring that material possessions are treated as temporary means rather than as ultimate ends.

• Thrift is distinct from poverty. Thrift entails living within one’s means, regardless of the amount at one’s disposal, whereas poverty is often a condition of lacking even essential and necessary items.

• Thrift is closely aligned with generosity. Far from being miserly, thrift is practiced in order to ensure one has the resources to be generous to others.

• Lastly, thrift is linked to prudence, requiring that one uses resources judiciously to avoid waste, lavishness, or unnecessary expenses. It is the opposite of impulsive.

Here, interestingly, Aquinas points out that thrift is especially relevant for judges, who by living thrift are predisposed to judge righteously.

A question worth considering, has anyone else noticed a general decline in good judgement in our society, even while access to abundant comforts, information, and ample free time should have provided the opposite?

Thrift is not about lowering one’s standard of living, or even about crafty attempts to raise it surreptitiously, but about properly ordering the goods under one’s dominion. In short, thrift is the meeting point of wealth’s divide, where moderation and taste are cultivated.

So, practically speaking, how should thrift be lived? To this we can look at two saints as examples.

In another age of stark economic inequality, 16th century Rome, St. Philip Neri provides a beautiful example of thrift properly lived.

Here I’ll quote at length from one biographer of Neri who says:

Practical commonplaceness was the special mark that distinguishes his form of ascetic piety from the types accredited before his day. He looked like other men...He was emphatically a modern gentleman, of scrupulous courtesy, and sportive gaiety, acquainted with what was going on in the world, taking a real interest in it, giving and getting information, very neatly dressed, with a shrewd common sense always alive about him, in a modern room with modern furniture, plain, it is true, but with no marks of poverty about it – in a word, with all the ease, the gracefulness, the polish of a modern gentleman of good birth, considerable accomplishments, and widespread knowledge.

In Neri one sees a thrift which is not dour or ironic, but modern, clean, and attractive. Humanly speaking, thrift is a very attractive quality even when one has very little. And St. Neri was known for his joy, he is the patron saint of comedians.

In this context it might be added that Neri was also a supporter of the composer Palestrina. And Neri arranged for popular concerts in churches around Rome to accompany his preached sermons. Thrift is perfectly comfortable and at home with great art, and often finds ways to make life just a bit more charming.

Neri, one might say, was a man adjusted to his complex world, and in many ways stood out most of all, simply by being rather ordinary.

To give a second and more contemporary example of this virtue being lived, at his canonization in 2002, Pope St. John Paul II referred to St. Josemaria Escrivá as the “saint of the ordinary.”

According to a recent study of Escrivá, thrift is an essential characteristic of his life, and to be sure, the saint writes extensively on this particular subject. As a young adult during the Spanish Civil War, Escrivá was accustomed to making due with little, or even without, his life depended on it.

In his most popular book The Way, for example, Escrivá writes, “Don’t forget it: he has most who needs least. Don’t create needs for yourself.”

And as with Neri, for Escrivá, going with less has nothing to do with miserliness. He writes:

The detachment that I preach, after looking at our Model, is lordliness; not clamorous and striking poverty, a mask of laziness and abandonment. You should dress according to the tone of your condition, your environment, your family, your work...like your companions, but for God’s sake, with the desire to give an authentic and attractive image of the true Christian life.

For Escrivá, holiness consists chiefly in shaping one’s use of goods with the will of God. This entails an artful and supple molding of the materials of daily life according to the different circumstances of each individual, regardless of the amount under their control.

In a word, Escrivá preaches elegance.

Again he writes (and with particular regard to families):

Let each one live fulfilling his vocation. For me, the best model of thrift has always been those fathers and mothers of large and poor families, who go out of their way for their children, and who with their effort and perseverance - often without the voice to tell anyone that they are in need - bring their children up, creating a joyful home in which everyone learns to love, to serve, to work.

For Neri and Escrivá, men both fully engaged in their world, thrift is an essential means by which they negotiate their divided and changing society, and actively and conscientiously participate in the cultivation of beauty, using the goods at their disposal to do what needs to be done.

To add another layer, and particularly one relating to families, economist Thomas Sowell describes with punch what can happen when this virtue is lacking. In his 2018 book, Discrimination and Disparities Sowell makes the case that lifestyle choices have major consequences.

Using the example of the American welfare state, Sowell writes:

However much the prevailing social vision may have aimed at creating a society that acts much as a family does in nurturing and protecting its members, what it has in fact done is replace the reciprocal obligations among members of a family with unilateral and unconditional subsidies…freeing the recipient from reciprocal duties, even the duty of common decency…The track record of what has happened to people stripped of personal responsibility and purpose in their lives is very sobering, at best. Many of the beneficiaries of the welfare state have sought to fill the void with drugs, sex, violence and other self-indulgences, or joining in mob rampages over the grievance du jour.

The outcome of abundance is less than beautiful.

While the American welfare state has sought to subsidize inequality, simply having more fails to address the character component of economic management, and can even compound inequality and misery.

Living on less so as to provide for others is key, and really does have repercussions. And as with the Occupy Movement it is increasingly clear that the political process has failed to sufficiently address the economic crises we see around us, and even within ourselves. This is an obligation we ourselves must champion.

To put it into stronger relief, this idea is perhaps most apparent in another of life’s great amusements, lottery winners. Nothing is more comic (or tragic) than when an ordinary person wins the lottery and splurges on a yacht and a hot tub, only to wind up broke and dejected a few years later. This is a farce of wealth, and a caricature of good taste.

To give another perspective on our topic from literature.

Given concerns about increasing wealth and technology in the 20th century, I think it’s not accidental that J.R.R. Tolkien began his epic literary work with a parable of a simple Hobbit’s confrontation with a gold hoarding dragon.

Yes, it’s a basic question, but we might ask ourselves…Why do dragons guard gold?

It’s not random — but, an ancient economic metaphor.

English linguist Dr. Colin Gorrie explains:

In warrior societies, wealth needed to flow freely — binding kings to warriors. Dragons are a symbol of the system breaking down.

The Norse story of Fáfnir captures this evolution: Once a man or dwarf, Fáfnir seizes a treasure hoard. When he refuses to share any of it, he physically transforms into a dragon. His body literally changes to match his hoarding behavior. The moral is clear: hoarding wealth doesn’t just make you LIKE a dragon — it turns you INTO one.

So dragons weren’t just scary monsters to fight — they could also represent the very human failing of greed. This explains why dragon-slaying became the ultimate heroic deed. Heroes who defeat dragons don’t just slay a monster — they restore economic order. They release hoarded wealth back into circulation, allowing society to function again.

Dragons are a 21st century problem too!

Wealth and possessions are a dragon. Perhaps we ourselves at times are even dragons unaware! Terrifying leviathans, doomscrolling in our caves, hoarding our goods, our time, our attention, turning ever inward on ourselves and on our own security.

A dragon’s den is no place for great art.

So, what can be done?

No, the answer isn’t to give it all up and turn monk.

We must think bigger. Great wealth is needed to do great things.

Let us turn our attention to perhaps the greatest work of art in history, and one which interestingly also takes place in a cave, the nativity.

What is the price of admission to see this masterpiece?

Nothing extra.

The poor shepherds are the first to see Him and are invited by all of the heavenly host. Later the Magi, elegant indeed, offer the precious gifts appropriate to their state in life. This cave is the meeting point of inequality, high and low. The moderate middle ground between too much and too little. And all is calm.

But we cannot see it ourselves unless we are detached from the superfluous.

The problem of wealth isn’t about having more, the majority have enough, it’s about making due with what is necessary and learning how to employ abundance. This noise of superfluous possessions limits the ability to see the essential.

This view may also be what led Antonio Gaudi to embrace a life of conspicuous austerity in the building of his so-called “cathedral of the poor,” La Sagrada Familia, or in English, The Holy Family. His detachment from goods more easily helped him, and his city, to focus on the essential.

It’s also no wonder why the “starving” artist is a common trope. Detachment is necessary. Though it’s a virtue that must be lived first of all on the interior.

This detachment I’ve described must be complete and heroic, as nothing less than the entire power of the modern world is working against it. But to be effective, both for us and for others, it must not be odd or showy. To draw those around us to appreciate the benefit of living with less, we must practice an attractive kind of thrift that aims at liberation rather than reduction. Cultivating taste over quantity.

For many this will be expressed wearing ordinary suits and ties, though perhaps only a few ties and a few well-fitting suits. Or perhaps eating out, if possible, but at thoughtfully selected restaurants. What’s needed is a moderation that is clean and attractive, not impulsive or flamboyant, to reshape our vision. Thrift is a simple, unassuming, elegant kind of love, lived according to each person’s unique circumstances, which when practiced, settles the mind from distraction, and the superfluous noises which bombard our existence, and focuses it on just the essential.

Of course, one must be adjusted to the world while not being consumed by it, true thrift remains a kind of contradiction, since as C.S. Lewis reminds us in his commentary on this kind of love, “You can’t really be very well “adjusted” to your world if it says you “have a devil” and ends by nailing you up naked to a stake of wood.”

To conclude, billionaire Elon Musk has been known for suggesting that the funniest or most ironic scenario is often the one that comes to pass. This axiom has popularly been named, “Musk’s Razor” and he has often referred to it as a personal guiding principle.

Therefore, in our attempt to reclaim our vision, wouldn’t the funniest thing ever be for people around the world to forget themselves and their extras, if only to some modest extent, and to put their excess into edifices, works, and even schools in order to showcase not their own glory and abundance, but the glory of God and his sovereignty over man?

It’s a simple question, but one that can be tough to answer. How much should I give?

First, a bit of tact is necessary. From the perspective of a fundraiser, stating a specific amount can make the question seem merely transactional. Worse yet, it might prevent the donor from making a larger gift than you had anticipated!

However, anyone who asks this question of a fundraiser is already well on their way to giving something. But you can serve your donors even better by helping them to make not just any gift, but a good gift.

As mentioned many times before, fundraising supports culture (that’s actually the name of this blog!). And organizations become better when their members invest more of themselves in it. A high degree of self-investment constitutes a good gift, and comprises all aspects of time, talent, and treasure.

While everyone will be asked for specific gift amounts at some point in their relationship with an organization, during campaigns for example, for all other times here are the two conditions I generally provide to help donors make a good gift:

Something

• Everyone should give something. In many ways, this is simply the price of admission to being a member of a community, and any gift is always better than no gift, even if it’s modest.

• A gift can’t be good if no gift is made. The only gift too small is no gift at all!

Just a little more than you want to give

• Secondly, a donor is served well when their giving involves a bit of a flinch.

• If a donor is able to consider giving just a little bit more than they originally wanted to give (the amount doesn’t particularly matter) they have made a firmer commitment to the organization’s mission.

In short: I might respond to a donor by saying, “everyone should give something, and preferably just a little bit more than they’d like.” And the conversation can grow from there. We should always ask people to give, and to give just a bit more than they might have considered.

From here a discussion might open with regard to stretching for specific purposes. But the intention will have already been set, to give and to give well, which is the best goal for all of our donors.

This is an essential part of building the generosity of a community.

Someone might choose to eat only between the hours of 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm, for example. They can eat anything they like, but only during that period. The idea is that by restricting meals to set windows the body can more easily adjust to a caloric deficit and thereby help a person to lose weight. There may be ancillary benefits as well.

The concept of fasting is not new but many have credited this particular approach with their weight loss breakthrough.

So what does this have to do with fundraising?

Losing weight requires some degree of discomfort. It’s unavoidable. Which is why most people instead settle for a comfortable middle ground. Never too hungry, but never a serious contender for Mr. Olympia either.

A similar situation appears in conversations about charitable giving. Shouldn’t giving feel good?

Well, does dieting always feel good?

There is generally no easy fix to feeling the “pinch” of charitable giving. But perhaps the highs and lows can be remedied to some degree while further contributing to healthier habits of generosity.

I call this Intermittent Almsgiving.

Could giving more frequently also make giving easier? How would this work?

Like “binge dieting,” “binge giving” is what typically motivates us to finally write the check or swipe the card, perhaps influenced by some emotional trigger like Giving Tuesday or, say, December 31 at 11:55 pm. Which isn’t to say these queues aren’t helpful but they do lack a certain precision of intent, let alone habit.

To do difficult things regularly we must habituate ourselves to doing them. In a Harvard Business Review article titled “How to Convince Yourself to Do Hard Things,” author David Rock cites a psychology principle called fluency which states that it is much easier to process existing ideas than new ones. Fluency in one language, for example, contributes to success in learning another. In the same way, by making uncomfortable things more common we can begin to overcome their associated challenges.

Let’s apply this to giving.

Instead of giving $100 a year to a favorite charity, perhaps one could give $8.50 each month to inculcate mindfulness for the organization they care about every time the deduction hits their account.

Or, instead of contributing $50 a month one might try giving $25 every two weeks. Each person can be as creative as they like in their approach.

This isn’t to suggest skipping Giving Tuesday or important organizational milestones, but perhaps a Giving Tuesday gift will be just one part of an overall giving strategy.

Intermittent Almsgiving need not include heroic acts of generosity, like juice cleanses or multi hour sauna treatments that rarely get repeated, but rather small acts that serve to accustom oneself to the process of giving.

Like diet and exercise, the degree of effort required will be personal but everyone can incline their sensibilities to become more generous through repetition. Perhaps it is even possible to come to enjoy doing difficult things, like the gym rat who never misses a day, or the runner who is up before dawn. By developing the habit of generosity it can become less of a binge activity and more a part of who we really are.

This is particularly true in fundraising, where any conversation can give way to a deeper consideration of mission.

Of course, pre-planned meetings are the most common. These are the conversations that are arranged in advance, meeting for coffee to talk about a specific project, for example. We prepare for these ahead of time, thinking about the donor’s past contributions, their proximity to the organization, and their propensity to give. And these should be well-rehearsed.

But perhaps more frequently (and particularly at a school) we fundraisers run into members of the community who breezily ask, “How’s it going?” And, unfortunately, we are often unprepared with an adequate response and so fall flat footed. With a little preparation, however, these impromptu moments could very easily and naturally lead to more focused conversation, or even additional coffee meetings down the road. In other words, they are a missed opportunity.

And no, these excellent people are not necessarily asking how things are going with me and my interests! What they’re really asking is “how are things going at X organization?”

After years of failing to recognize this (and I’m still working at it by the way) I came up with a three point preparation scheme which I regularly reflect on for the purposes of making good conversation at unexpected moments. I even created an office game to involve others → keep reading.

This plan includes having at least one anecdote for each of the following topics:

• A recent student interaction.

• A recently completed project.

• Details on an upcoming project.

So when someone asks, “how’s it going?” I don’t have to search my mind for something the other person might find moderately interesting (football scores, the weather), instead I’m able to quickly share a timely insight into an important aspect of my school.

Each of these points gives something of value to the person that they can then pass on to others in subsequent conversations. You’re helping them to have better small-talk as well! (Side-note: one of the best pieces of advice I learned in graduate school about dealing with the media was to always speak to them assuming that whatever you mentioned would be published unedited on the front page.) If you give someone an interesting bit of info, odds are high that they will share it with others in short order.

To help crowdsource information, I even had a custom die made as part of a game for our fundraising team using these points, which we break out before social events, and even try to use weekly.

I call the game, “HOW’S IT GOING?”

Rules:

• Everyone stands in a circle.

• Someone volunteers to roll first, then must provide an answer to the topic that appears. After sharing, the next person rolls and the game continues.

• Everyone rolls twice.

Note:

• Don’t chat about individual topics too much! You’ll find it’s very easy to get distracted by conversation, and someone is sure to exclaim, “I didn’t know that!” Or, “Wow, that’s interesting!”

• The game should last no more than 10 minutes (again, avoid chit-chatting as much as possible!).

• Have someone email the group the top two responses for each category as a follow-up.

*Nb. This game works best when everyone prepares short responses to each of the three areas in advance of playing.

If four people play, that’s eight potential items for conversation, more than enough to share during three minutes in passing. And because of the collective “surface area” of the group, you’ll be amazed by what things are mentioned which you alone might have overlooked. Someone might also provide a particular angle to the topic which makes it much more interesting or important. And all of these items are highly connected to the recent life of the organization.

This is just one way I’ve approached preparing for the impromptu.

Small talk doesn’t have to be simply about passing time, it can also be an opportunity to deepen connection to mission. As screenwriter Robert McKee wrote in his fantastic book Story, “stories are the currency of human contact.” They are the means by which we enter into meaningful relationships with others and reveal a bit about who we are and what we care about.

As fundraisers, one of our best tools is sharing stories and updates about the place we love. And to use these stories to identify or to help others to dial in on what is most important to them.

“Oh, that sounds interesting, I’d love to hear more about that sometime, let’s grab coffee.”

Great!

There’s a theory in politics which says that the two furthest points on the political spectrum are closer to each other than they are to the center. The far-left and the far-right become nearly the same thing at the extremes.

I’ve noticed a similar phenomenon in fundraising with regard to the use of gimmicks, with folksy things like raffles and giveaways on the one side and glamorous things like giving societies and galas on the other. At the extremes both can become palliatives, providing something in return to ease the pinch of giving.

I call this the Gimmick Horseshoe of fundraising.

If the center of our line is generosity, the two opposite vices are stinginess and prodigality. Generosity is the virtuous middle ground between these two extremes regarding the use of wealth.

Stinginess in fundraising might ask, what’s the least I can do to get a good return on my efforts. Likewise, prodigality might overlook cost with regard to feting donors who nonetheless have little real interest in supporting the work you do.

As in most things, moderation is the key.

We should always seek both to thank and steward donors in a way that expresses gratitude while not losing sight of the fact that generosity requires an element of sacrifice, and that a gift given in response to mission, and not to gimmicks, is the best gift possible.

Fundraising is a gracious art.

Article Outline

• The Purpose of an Annual Report

• Report Essentials

• Length

• Preparation

• Don’t be Boring!

The Purpose of an Annual Report

One of the primary functions of an annual report, as the name suggests, is to report on the revenue and expenses of the past year. While not a legal requirement, publishing a comprehensive annual report is highly recommended for demonstrating mission advancement, fostering donor relationships, and showcasing institutional transparency and strength. These reports go beyond the Form 990 (which is a legal requirement) by providing a more engaging overview of the organization's achievements and financial health for supporters, potential donors, and volunteers.

Which is to say, half of the report’s purpose is to report, and the other half is to promote. The report should both relay important information while also providing enthusiasm for the year ahead.

As a brief aside, my school launched its annual report many years ago during a period of transition between school heads. In this case the report was used to bolster institutional stability at a time of uncertainty. The report included notes from the Board Chairman and the Head of School updating the community on recent and future projects and used clear numbers and long lists of names to highlight community support. Even if the overall tallies were not particularly high at the time, the novelty and quality of the document itself communicated strength and helped to ease concerned parents and alumni about the future of the school. Simply put, an annual report can do so much more than simply state facts.

For most schools, the annual report is a yearly fixture and serves to showcase the past year’s results while also soft launching the new year’s campaigns (The Elements of an Annual Fund).

Report Essentials

The contents you choose to highlight will reinforce what you hope to communicate in your report. However, I’ve found a few elements to be rather standard.

Board of Directors

• Board members are often unknown and perceived as mysterious to the community. Listing them in a prominent place can help to make them more recognized and the school’s governance structure more apparent. Further, since they are uncompensated for their work this can make a nice touch of stewardship.

Mission Statement

• Highlighting the school’s mission statement is a succinct way of reminding the community why they support your organization.

Note from the Head of School and/or Board Chair

• A note from the school head serves as a nice introduction to the report and can be used to call attention to any noteworthy items in the report. This is also one of the best places to express gratitude on behalf of the school.

Yearly Revenue & Expenses

• For most readers this is the real meat and potatoes of the report, even if expressed in just two simple pie charts. Work with your business manager to find the most representative ways of showing how money was spent. These numbers can be expressed as either percentages or dollar amounts. Here are some categories to consider:

  • Revenue

    • Tuition

    • Student Services & Programs

    • Fundraising & Events

    • Endowment Income

    • Other

  • Expenses

    • Student Programming

    • Building and Grounds

    • Administration

    • Debt Service

The Annual Fund

• Since the annual fund is the primary means of fundraising for most schools, it will be your biggest item to highlight. Group donors by giving tiers (which can be fun to name!) in one of the most prominent locations in the report.

Alumni Donors

• As alumni play an important role in institutional stability, it can be good to segment alumni into their own section in the report. Yes, this is redundant, but it helps to emphasize their support. List alumni alphabetically, by class, by giving amount, or by percentage of support to show their impact. This is also a good place to include a note from the alumni director about the year. The alumni director might also share a few giving statistics or noteworthy updates.

Parents of Alumni

• Like alumni, the parents of alumni play an important role in mature organizations. If you’re so blessed, consider a PAL’s only section similar to the section for alumni.

Major Gifts

• Much more can be said about major or endowment gifts, but here it is sufficient to note that they should be included in the report with care. Sharing these gifts is encouraging to the community and serves as a point of stewardship for these munificent donors.

Events

• Since events play such an important role in most schools (and may reluctantly serve as the primary means of fundraising) a separate section for events is a good idea. This section can remind readers of the event (date, location, theme, chairperson, etc.) along with a list of sponsors and volunteers. This section can also go a long way toward increasing interest in next year's event.

List of Volunteers

• In addition to event volunteers, naming volunteers to other initiatives, such as the Mother’s Club or the Father’s Club, can provide due recognition for their help in contributing to the school’s culture outside of monetary donations. Much would be missing from our schools without enthusiastic volunteers!

Memorial and Honorary Gifts

• Lastly, acknowledging gifts made in memory of deceased members of the community or in honor of those who have made a significant impact is a great way to keep institutional memory front of mind. Larger schools might also use this section in tandem with a planned giving section.

Length

Report length will perhaps most influence what data you include and how you share it. I’ve seen one or two page digital reports as well as thick hard copy magazines resembling coffee table books. Either can be fine, depending on needs and budget.

But as a rule of thumb, the more names the better!

People like to see a community driven initiative. For this reason, donor names may be repeated: alumni names appearing in the alumni section may also be included in the general annual fund list, and perhaps in the parents of alumni section as well if applicable. This redundancy helps to show lots of donors, while also highlighting particular constituencies. The result is a very full report with lots and lots of names for people to enjoy browsing.

Length will also influence the amount of text and photos that are used.

Nota bene: Long paragraphs of text are rarely read. Photo captions are a stellar way of condensing a message that your reader, if nothing else, will read!

Try to avoid anything superfluous, such as simply filling one or two “leftover” pages with a collage of photos. Trim content to increase the importance of what is included, rather than simply filling space. Compact and good reports are much preferred over tedious affairs.

Preparation

How long does it take to produce an annual report?

It can take quite a while to cobble one together but how long exactly will depend on your individual goals and budget. I often begin thinking of report themes around mid April, taking into consideration the most important elements of the current year and what priorities are on the horizon for the year ahead. Once the year ends and final budgetary numbers are ready, it’s off to the races. Here is a rough breakdown of a typical preparation schedule:

• April/May: Begin considering report themes or critical elements.

• Early July: Once accounts are settled for the previous year, gather lists of donors,

  photos, and report copy.

• July/August: Begin report layout.

• August: Edit report.

• August/September: Compile report mailing list.

• September: Finalize report and send to the printer.

• October 1: Report hits mailboxes.

Perhaps the most lengthy part of creating an annual report is the editing process. Like measuring a coast line, the closer you focus on the details the more edits arise. It is not uncommon to go through fifteen or more rounds of edits before a final draft is ready. Why? No one wants to see their name misspelled, listed incorrectly, or even worse, forgotten from the report altogether!

Because the annual report communicates institutional stability, it is important that there be as few errors as possible. Double inspect pictures for resolution and content (any funny business going on in the background?), check for backward apostrophes on alumni years, is there a consistent use of school colors, crests, insignia?

What is more, report preparation might also require having strategic conversations with the development team about what, why, and how certain elements are included or excluded (such as major gifts), which can take additional time to sort through.

Don’t be Boring!

Regardless of length or medium you choose, your report should be high in substance, enjoyable to read, or at the very least, beautiful to look at.

Since your report will likely come out in the fall, it is the first talking point for the new campaign year. Last year’s campaign is over and people are now ready to hear about the next great thing. Here’s your chance to grab their attention.

Try to hone in on one topic throughout the report, such as a new brick and mortar project, the alumni community, the annual fund, major gifts, etc. Draw this topic out in as many ways as possible within the pages. Use pictures that complement your topic and put your school in the best light possible (pro tip: pictures should generally show people, not things!). Adjust the layout every few years, try experimenting with paper textures, booklet size, photo proportions, content organization. Small changes like this can be a great way of keeping your community engaged in supporting your mission, even if the content itself remains relatively static.

Here are a few examples of different report styles:

Rough Texture

Before bright glossy brochures were in vogue, heavy, textured, paper was considered the most polished and professional. As trends tend to ebb and flow, it seems that this style is coming back into fashion.

No Photos

Due to a lack of photos (or photos without facemasks!) during our Covid year, I created an annual report using only artwork composed by faculty and students.

Unusual Dimensions

A predecessor of mine drew attention to the annual fund by producing two reports in unusual dimensions (6.5 x 9). We had fewer donors to list, but this report was catchy and readable.

Tabs, tabs, tabs

Hoping to organize our report a bit better, I drove our designer crazy by creating a report using three layers of tabs to separate each section. We did not repeat this design again.

“Plain”

Of course, there is nothing wrong with a “plain” report that simply conveys your gratitude and mission.

Your report doesn’t have to be the same, or different, every year. What’s important is that you thank your donors for their generosity and help them to see all the great ways your school helps their children.

Of course, much more can be said about annual reports. Please let me know if you would like to talk more or have any questions. Connect with me on LinkedIn to continue the conversation.

Below are six commonly prohibited practices in nonprofit fundraising.

I’ve limited the list to six for the sake of brevity and this should not be mistaken for a complete litany of standards. Still, while most fundraisers do operate ethically most do not review prohibited practices which is why this list can be useful.

In a few instances I have linked a prohibition to one or more industry sources, such as The Association of Fundraising Professionals, The National Council of Nonprofits, or The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

1. Misrepresentation, Misuse, or Fraud

• Using Restricted Donations for Other Purposes: If a donor restricts a gift for a specific purpose, diverting it to another use without donor consent is illegal and unethical.

  • Example: Saying donations fund a specific building project or scholarship fund when the money is actually used for general operations.

2. Improper Fundraising Compensation

• Paying Fundraisers Based on Commission: The Association of Fundraising Professionals, the National Council of Nonprofit, the IRS, and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops all strongly discourage or prohibit paying fundraisers a percentage of the funds they raise, as it can incentivize aggressive or unethical solicitation.

  • Ethical Standard: The AFP and USCCB promote flat fees or salaries instead.

3. Conflicts of Interest

• Self-Dealing in Fundraising Events: Nonprofits cannot allow board members, staff, or their families to profit improperly from fundraising events (e.g., a board member’s company overcharging for catering).

  • Legal Consequence: Violates IRS rules on excess benefit transactions, potentially leading to excise taxes or loss of tax-exempt status.

4. Violating Donor Privacy and Rights

• Selling or Sharing Donor Information Without Consent: Nonprofits cannot sell, trade, or share donor lists or personal information without explicit permission, as this violates privacy laws and donor trust.

  • Legal Consequence: Violates state privacy laws (e.g., California Consumer Privacy Act) and the Donor Bill of Rights.

5. Targeting Vulnerable Populations

• Exploiting Vulnerable Donors: Targeting elderly, disabled, or otherwise vulnerable individuals with coercive or deceptive tactics (e.g., convincing an elderly donor to give beyond their means) is prohibited.

  • Legal Consequence: Violates state elder abuse laws and consumer protection statutes, potentially leading to lawsuits or criminal charges.

6. Non-Compliance with Tax Laws

• Not Providing Donation Receipts: Failing to provide proper receipts for donations over $250 (as required by the IRS) or misrepresenting the tax-deductible portion of a gift (e.g., not disclosing the value of goods/services received, like gala tickets) is prohibited.

  • Legal Consequence: IRS can impose penalties on the nonprofit, and donors may lose deductions if audited.

Best Practices to Avoid Prohibited Practices

• Transparency: Clearly state how funds are used on donation pages, in emails, and at events.

• Donor Consent: Always obtain permission before sharing donor information or repurposing restricted gifts.

• Ethical Compensation: Pay fundraisers salaries or flat fees, not commissions, and disclose fundraising costs.

• Donor Respect: Honor donor preferences (e.g., anonymity, opt-outs) and avoid coercive tactics.

To prevent misuse, and moreover to be a more connected part of the community, I would add that it is a good practice for fundraisers to do more than simply solicit funds for their organization. In school fundraising, for example, fundraisers should also be encouraged to teach, go on school trips, coach a sport, and to be involved in as many ways as possible that link them to the mission of the school. By adhering to these guidelines fundraisers can work to maintain trust, comply with laws, and foster a culture of generosity.

Connect with me on LinkedIn to continue the conversation.

The Pitfalls of Fear-Based Appeals

Whether intentional or not, at some point most fundraisers adopt this same approach to soliciting gifts, though usually couched in more sanguine language such as “Keep the lights on!,” “Cover the gap!,” or “Save on taxes!” At the heart of campaign copy there is an implied negative consequence for not giving. While this can be effective for a time, in the long run it is not a truly compelling reason for why someone should support your charity.

In this article, I’d like to point out what causes fundraisers to adopt fear based appeals and to highlight the value of building a culture of generosity using positive campaign messaging.

Building from the Ground Up

When a school begins, it often does so with a giving program focused on big ticket items such as land purchases, buildings, books, and equipment, conspicuous goods that allow the school to open its doors and leap into its work. Giving at this stage is public, flush, and exciting. Donors are proud to support the undertaking in order to see the vision for the school become a reality.

Over time, however, the need for large physical items diminishes. There are only so many buildings the land can support or books the bookshelves can hold. And yet, the need for funding continues apace.

Enter the annual fund

As all seasoned school fundraisers are aware, most private schools supplement tuition revenue with voluntary annual giving.

The purpose of this model is to enrich school offerings as much as possible while raising the price of tuition as little as possible from year to year, relying on voluntary community support to equitably bridge the gap between the price of tuition and the full cost of educating each student.

This is important funding. But annual giving can also lose its luster in the eyes of the community because it is asked for every year while appearing like there is little to show for it. Without an appeal to mission, the reason for the school’s existence, gift officers can be tempted to deploy gimmicky or bombastic messaging to rouse support. Of course these threats are rarely real, and proven so by their yearly repetition, but they are far from cultivating the same enthusiasm for giving that families felt when the school began.

The Shift Toward a Culture of Generosity

Ideally, gifts to the annual fund should be enthusiastic affirmations of why parents chose your school for their child and the impact of the school in the life of its alumni. Donors should be excited to continue their support and to participate in growing an already excellent community.

Here are a few annual fund appeal lines that positively emphasize community support:

• “With your support, we will define [school] as we head into the next century and beyond.”

• “When you support [school], you transform lives and strengthen the power of a girls’ school education.”

• “While tuition covers the foundational cost of educating our students, the annual fund provides the resources that make the [school] experience truly exceptional.”

Crafting a compelling annual fund statement is tough work. But taking the time to stress the opportunity available in supporting your work is worth the effort, and of far greater value than time sensitive supplications.

Building a Sustainable Fundraising Model

When community members are engaged and grateful it is natural for them to ask, what can I do to help? Providing them with an attractive opportunity each year to support the school they care about, even in a way that doesn’t always result in a new building, is an investment in growing a generous and thankful community. And this is a model that will necessarily grow in the long run along with an increasing number of donors.

New books will be needed eventually, and perhaps new classrooms as well to hold all your growing numbers of happy students. But these gifts will come most readily from a fundraising program filled with people who are excited and proud to give every year. And then the enthusiasm that started the school is rekindled again.

So, please, don’t threaten violence if you can help it.

Connect with me on LinkedIn to continue the conversation.

This article outlines the elements of an annual fund and suggests some very practical things you can do to ensure a successful campaign. Feel welcome to read the article in its entirety, or to use the list below as a table of contents to skip ahead to a particular section.

1. What is an Annual Fund?

2. Setting Goals

3. Giving Tiers

4. Mailing Schedule

5. Donor Meetings

6. Thank Yous

7. Planning Ahead

What is an Annual Fund?

An annual fund, as the name suggests, is an annual appeal for gifts to support the ongoing needs of an organization, in this example a school. An annual fund is not an “above and beyond” campaign for big ticket items, such as buildings and equipment, but a fund to satisfy already budgeted needs of the current fiscal year. In other words, without an annual fund there would exist a budget shortfall.

The purpose of this model is to enrich school offerings as much as possible while raising the price of tuition as little as possible from year to year, relying on voluntary community support to equitably bridge the gap between the price of tuition and the full cost of educating each student.

Setting Goals

The gap covered by an annual fund varies, but $1,000 to $3,000 per student is not uncommon. For the sake of example, let’s say the funding gap at our K-8 parochial school is $1,000 per student and we have 200 students enrolled. In this case, our ideal annual fundraising goal is $200,000/year.

Now, depending on whether your annual fund is new or established this goal may or may not be realistic and you might still rely on other means of funding to close the gap. This is fine. Over time, however, it is of greater benefit to direct the bulk of fundraising efforts to the annual fund. Soliciting money via events not only requires more effort and stress, but it also diminishes to some degree the individual donor’s sense of obligation to the organization. Donors would be better served supporting your school because they love its mission than because they receive a ski vacation or a necklace thrown in as a bonus at a fundraising auction.

Of course, you can’t expect to bridge this gap overnight. The aim should be to identify a sustainable level of giving from your community and to increase the goal over time as graduating students, parents, grandparents, businesses, and foundations see the result of your work and happily continue their support. (A growth rate of 5-10% is excellent.) A strong annual fund will eventually outperform fundraising events, pave the way for capital campaigns, and promote a healthy culture of giving.

So let’s set an annual fund goal of $100,000.

With a campaign goal of $100,000, we can reasonably expect that 80% of this amount will come from just 20% of families. This is the 80/20 rule.

If our school has 200 students, it likely has somewhere north of 100 families, given siblings. For our purposes, let’s pencil in 140 families. So we might expect roughly $80,000 from 30 families, with the remaining $20,000 coming from the remaining 110 families.

This should help to focus efforts.

Giving Tiers

Giving tiers establish visible campaign goals. This is helpful both for use in fundraising communications and in the fundraiser’s work of categorizing donors. From the donor’s perspective, tiers allow them to see where need exists and the level at which they can see themselves giving. Fundraisers can use them to identify the kinds of gifts that are needed to ensure a successful campaign.

Below is an outline of possible giving tiers for a $100,000 campaign. Be sure to include a “Leadership” giving level that will capture at least 80% of total need. In our example, the annual funding gap is $1,000 per student, so the Leadership giving tier could mean any gift +$1,000, assuming that 80% of the goal will come from gifts above this point.

There should be enough giving tiers so that everyone in the community is able to participate in a meaningful way while reserving special recognition for those who display an exceptional capacity for support. Of course, the more names the better! Everyone is excited when long lists of names fill the acknowledgement pages.

Participation from current parents should always aim at 100%, of course, but anything between 75% to 85% is not an immediate cause for concern. Though the trend should be up. The community should understand that everyone’s help is required to meet the need. The only gift too small is no gift at all!

Mailing Schedule

More than anything else, consistency in asking for money is the most important part of a fundraising program. And the adage “the more you send, the more you get” is one to live by. In as much as your aim is to cultivate a culture of generosity, this will require constant refrain and appeal. Be relentless, but tasteful.

The school’s fiscal year may not align with the calendar year, but most donors will make their gift on one of two dates: December 31 (for tax reasons) or the final day of the fiscal year (because life is hectic). In any case, most schools set their fiscal year in line with the school year, or July 1 to June 30, meaning December 31 and June 30 are the two best dates for receiving gifts.

With this in mind, plan to send at least six fundraising focused mailings per year.

In the first half of the year, this includes a campaign launch letter, a first solicitation letter, and a solicitation reminder. After the new year begins, plan to send a midyear campaign update, a second solicitation letter to those who have not yet given, and a second solicitation reminder, or “last call,” to those still holding out.

Here is a sample mailing schedule:

Keep in mind, organizing the fundraising mailing schedule in a school is a delicate balance, since it must align with myriad school communications, such as letters from the head of school, school supplies lists, field trip announcements, tuition payment reminders, and many, many, more! There never seems to be a shortage of vital school communications.

However, fundraising does not exist in a vacuum but inline with all other school activities. Try to align development mailings in a way that complements other school communications while still highlighting their special importance. For example, waiting to launch the campaign until October provides a brief warm-up period for parents to adjust to the start of the new year.

Of course, all school communications are essentially development communications since they each in some way convey mission by reflecting the tone and spirit of the school.

For fundraising, paper communications are best. Digital communications have their place, but they are not as effective at emphasizing stability and tone like a hard piece of mail sent at just the right time. Reserve the email blasts for December and June. Experiment with various types of mail, letters in envelopes vs postcards, for example. And don’t forget to fill your pieces with high quality photos teeming with lots of happy, attractive, people. People, not things! Pictures of people keep the community top of mind.

Pro tip: take the extra time to hand place stamps on your bulk mailings. This touch will signal your attention to detail.

Donor Meetings

It is not lost on this writer that you likely wear multiple hats, as a teacher, a coach, a bus driver, AND a fundraiser. If so, you’re not alone! And this can be a great advantage.

While the head of school will normally be the best spokesman for institutional need, you are the one tasked with running the campaign. For this it’s essential to be known in the community for what you do. You = fundraising guy.

Go to school events, walk the hallways, check out a baseball game, hang out with the faculty. Though you should do these things anyway because they’re fun, they’re also the easiest way to experience the life of school and to strike up a conversation with a member of the community. (BTW, if your events are not fun, you can change this!) Your knowledge of daily events will lend itself well to sharing the school’s mission and asking for support.

Within the mailing calendar try to meet with 40 people, formally or informally, to share the work of the annual fund and/or to ask for their support. Recall the 80/20 rule?

While these 40 conversations should reflect the needs of the school, not all need to include an ask for money. In fact, they shouldn’t! Asking open questions such as, why did you choose this school and not that other school for your child can provide a wealth of information about a person’s inclination for support and why that choice was important for them. Establishing common ground such as this is the basis of relationship building.

For those who have a greater capacity for support you should consider a predetermined ask amount in your conversation, and top donors should be given a personal ask. Originating these asks from a casual first meeting at Back to School night is a natural and easy way to do this. The rule of thumb is that it requires around six touches with a donor before they give.

A fundraiser is a special kind of friend. You are not a donor’s best friend, or the person they necessarily call when they want to see a movie, but the person they can trust to link their charitable giving with the organization they care about. This is a very special role and one which can truly shape a donor’s life story.

On this point, fundraising legend Jerry Panas offers one of my favorite fundraising jokes.

Q. What does it take to be a great fundraiser?

A. Honesty and integrity. So if you can fake these two things, you’ve got it made!

Thank Yous

Acknowledging a gift is the first step in soliciting a new gift.

Gift stewardship is perhaps the process that varies most based on the size and sophistication of a fundraising shop. It is also the easiest component to improve and the most tragic to overlook.

Gifts arrive in different ways and in different forms; online via credit card, in the mail, via stock transfer, in a wadded ball of cash. Toss in crypto, real estate, precious heirlooms and this can get quite complicated. But don’t overthink gratitude. While it’s up to you to set guidelines about what you can and cannot accept as a gift, at a minimum, every gift should be acknowledged in some way by the organization.

One acknowledgement process might include:

1. Instant gift receipt for all gifts made online.

2. Formal gift receipt printed on school letterhead and snail mailed to the donor (including the gift amount, the date the gift was made, the purpose of the gift, and any necessary IRS gift language). Having the head of school include a personalized “thank you” in his own hand at the bottom is a rock star improvement to this otherwise transactional receipt.

3. A handwritten note from yourself saying, “Thank you for your support!”

The order of the above is not vital, but don’t neglect to send something. A text or a phone call could also do the trick. The sooner the better, but try not to let this extend beyond a month from the date of the gift. Although you will likely never hear this from them directly, over time donors will look forward to the personal contact they receive as a consequence of giving. This is good stewardship.

Of course, the last person to thank should be yourself and you can do this by making sure these gifts are well recorded in a good database. This will allow you to track your progress, record information for the sake of posterity, and be ready to prepare an annual report as a launch to the next year’s campaign.

Planning Ahead

The average tenure for a gift officer is less than 18 months. This is interesting, given the role of a fundraiser is to help create institutional stability.

If approached from a posture of “sales-lite,” fundraising can become a grind and lead to burnout. Plan to be in your role for a while. Plan to be a part of the community. Plan to become real friends with your colleagues. This will make what you do much more than work, but a joyful and mission aligned service.

Of course, another reason to stick around is that the work you do only gets more efficient every year. At some point you will no longer find yourself drinking from a fire hose of schemata, but able to concentrate on growing relationships. A seasoned fundraiser is worth his weight in gold for the institutional knowledge he possesses and the stability he can bring.

If you’re new to the work of fundraising, enjoy the chaotic early days! They will not last forever, but will become proof of progress. Fundraising is joyful work.

Connect with me on LinkedIn to continue the conversation.

Designs for Fundraising, Harold J. Seymour

This is considered one of the seminal works on fundraising. Fresh out of the Navy, Seymour began his career in 1919 when he joined the staff of the Harvard Endowment Fund Campaign, which was the first large-scale attempt to raise money for higher education. This book is the “elder statesman” of fundraising praxis, full of good sense, high ideals, and witty observations. I particularly enjoyed his insight into how a fundraiser should present himself. If you choose to read one book on fundraising, this is a great choice.

The Philanthropic Revolution, Jeremy Beer

Beer makes a compelling argument against philanthropy in this must read (and short) history of giving. If you’ve already read Designs for Fundraising, or want a higher level understanding of fundraising, I suggest this title. It’s significantly more philosophical than practical, but I would consider it essential reading for those who want to understand why fundraisers do what they do.

The Quest for Belonging, Jeremy Beer

I’ve read this book twice, and would add it to the must read list. What I particularly appreciate is Beer’s placement of fundraising within the context of American politics and culture, vis-a-vis Alexis de Tocqueville and the founders.

Beer is a unique and interesting voice in (American) fundraising. HeightsCast episode here.

Leaving a Legacy, Johann Kurtz

Should you leave your wealth to your children or to charity?

With an estimated $100 trillion (or more) expected to pass from older to younger generations over the next few decades, this is a civilizational level question. Kurtz makes a compelling case for why families are the rightful heirs of family money and why family heads should focus of building +1,000 year family legacies.

Born to Raise, Jerold Panas

I’d call this a fundraiser’s “pump-up” book. It can be a bit aggressive at times, but it’s a fairly enjoyable overview of the common personality traits of highly successful fundraisers. Jerry Panas is among the top names in the literature and several of his books are worth reading, if not this one. Breezy and enjoyable.

Philanthropy at Independent Schools (CASE), Helen A. Colson

Written in 1996 this work is a bit dated, and sometimes humorously so, but the essentials remain. This book clearly, and accurately, describes the work of independent school fundraising. One takeaway from this book is that little of what we do as fundraisers is ever groundbreaking or unique. And that in itself can be of great comfort!

The Forgotten Foundations of Fundraising, Jeremy Beer and Jeffrey Cain

Beer and Cain give practical tips for managing a fundraising operation. Many ideas introduced in The Philanthropic Revolution are continued here, along with specific metrics and takeaways. One point that stood out to me; the mean number of donor meetings that contain an ask is 39.5%. That is, less than 40% of meetings among top organizations include an ask for funds. Getting to know your donors is what’s most important.

What books are you reading? Connect with me on LinkedIn to continue the conversation.

After more than a decade in fundraising at The Heights School I’ve put together a list of ten personal and organizational ideas which I believe have most contributed to my professional development and which I would now share with any newcomer to the field.

Many of these items may be common sense, but they are among the most useful lessons I’ve learned. While gimmicks and quick wins often take the spotlight, the essential aim of educational fundraising is to help build a culture and a community, and this takes time. The more we can take the long view in this work, the better.

Of course, I’m still working on all of these points and there are many more tips and practices still to learn. Feedback is welcome.

Subscribe now

Snail Mail Is Not Dead

A consistent mailing calendar of around four to six direct mail pieces per year coupled with handwritten thank you notes for gifts received can do wonders for a giving program. Mark the dates for solicitations at the start of the year and stick to them. When the name of the game is building a culture of generosity, regular paper mailings aligned with the school calendar help to keep institutional needs top of mind. Digital communications have their place, but they are not as effective at communicating stability and tone like a hard piece of mail sent at just the right time.

You Don’t Represent the Organization, You Are the Organization

Particularly at a time when turnover in our industry is frequent, when it comes to professional growth it can be tempting to hide behind metrics as a means of gauging achievement, but donors are not interested in the success of your portfolio. They are most energized when they see you as an active member of the community who enjoys doing what you do. Make an effort to get out of the office and walk the hallways. Check out a sports game or a band concert. Spend time getting to know the faculty and students. Think less of your day as going to work than of building a culture. This frame of mind says to donors (and yourself) that what you do matters.

Always Have an Answer to “How are Things Going?”

In Born to Raise, fundraising guru Jerry Panas notes, “the secret to a good impromptu speech is preparation!” Perhaps what most keeps us from starting a new conversation is simply not knowing what to say. For this reason I find it useful to always have three stories in mind: one about a current development project, one about a student interaction, and one about an upcoming school event. This way you can always draw out a substantive conversation while also directing it back to the school.

Master Scheduling

In many ways, the work of fundraising IS scheduling. Do this well and you’ll always have a job in development. If you’re able to maintain a steady flow of donor meetings you will grow relationships, get better at asking for gifts, develop a more natural cadence, and get better at your job regardless of outcome. In many ways it’s as simple as that. Forty to fifty meetings per year (with just fifteen to twenty of them being to ask for a gift) is a great pace.

Don’t Just Love Your Donors, Like Them

It’s easy to love your donors, they make your work possible! But do you like them? Could they be included in your friend group? While we’re not necessarily going to develop deep friendships with everyone we meet, cultivating the perspective of liking your donors, not just loving them, can provide the best means to dive deeper into what they find interesting and to listen with greater attention. As in friendship it’s good to be interesting, but it’s better to be interested.

Don’t be Afraid of “Offending” Anyone

It can be daunting to ask someone for a significant amount of money, but most donors understand that this is your role and the organization they care about is much better off as a result. It is always better to schedule more meetings and to make more and better asks than to shy away from doing so for fear of causing offense. Over time you will become more attune to reading the conversation and to making more sensitive requests. Clearly and politely share what you need, and stop talking.

Practice Discretion

In as much as fundraising is the “gracious art” of helping people realize their noblest aspirations, we are stewards of their ideals. Speaking about your donors flippantly, even internally around the office, is the easiest way to destroy the relationship. Practice sharing only as much about your donors or the organization as is necessary. Fundraisers are rarely benefitted by talking more.

Schedule Meetings With Development Colleagues

I stepped into my role just as two seasoned fundraisers departed. While there was a period of transition, much of my daily activity had to be learned on my own. A few years into the job, still bewildered, I decided to reach out to a colleague and in just a few brief conversations I made years of progress. I felt joy and relief! Little of what we do as fundraisers is new or unique, but a vast amount of practical knowledge is lost due to turnover. Seek out opportunities to “talk shop” with others in your role. You can make remarkable strides in a short period of time.

Write Things Down

The best fundraisers have a knack for remembering details, but you will forget things over time. Perhaps not month to month, but year to year. Get in the habit of writing things down in a formal way: conversation topics, reminders to follow-up, job changes, funding interests, etc.. Work with your database manager or seek out a reliable means of recording important information. If nothing else, this will be a valuable service to the person who comes after you.

Process Over Outcome

The health of your organization should always take priority over big wins. A development culture takes time to grow. Don’t rush a gift or a relationship at the expense of the calendar year. While you should always be bold, the right moment will present itself and the gift will be that much more meaningful as a result.

Connect with me on LinkedIn to continue the conversation.