Meg had a great time with host, Ed Gillentine, talking about her new children’s book!

Consider the facts of what you can’t control, develop a solicitation strategy around what you can, and ask!

How board members can really help your organization when it comes to major gift fundraising and campaigns.

How to choose your best perspective donors: a process of starting with “who” instead of “what.”

Most of the money will come from the top of the pyramid in any initiative -- but there are so few people up there. We know that's true, and the pyramid at least spells that out visually, hence my support for the eye-opener. 

If you’re like me, you might be tired of discussions around our need to adapt to a “new normal” in our professional environment. Yes, our work changed dramatically when we suddenly shifted to a virtual environment, and yes, it is changing again as we shift back to more in-person and hybrid experiences. Though most have been impacted in one way or another, those of us who work in the philanthropy space have really had our resilience and creativity put to task. When relationship-building is at the center of everything we do, how do we maintain a high level of personalization and engagement in a virtual world that seems here to stay?

I'm more conscious than ever of how deeply entrenched I am in the philanthropy field, and never want to lose sight of how important people are at the center of what we do. The giving stats, annual fund goals, and campaign trends don't matter as much as how those who support our organizations feel. Do they see the impact they're having? Do they feel fulfilled by how their money is spent and motivated to support us again? 

Meg had a blast with co-hosts, Jon and Becky, talking about qualifying major gifts on the We are for Good podcast.

Successful leaders are visionaries, shepherding organizations along a path to future growth, sustainability, and maximum impact for those we serve. And because philanthropic support is needed to turn strategic visions into reality, good leaders know to invest the time needed to cultivate meaningful relationships that will lead to increased visibility for the organization, community partnerships, and (hopefully!) significant financial support. This work feels inspiring and motivating, so you’re eager to get started, right? 

Listen to this recent episode of the Asking for Good podcast episode where Meg speaks on philanthropy trends!

Meg shares information and details on capital campaign feasibility as a guest on the Nonprofit Jenni Show podcast.

The comedy series 'Loot' features Maya Rudolph as a newly divorced billionaire reorienting herself with "regular society" (ahem, the rest of us) and as a result, her family's established foundation, which brings important foundation work to light as a form of entertainment; it's something for those who don't regularly work around nonprofits to be enlightened by, and of course, enjoy.

Maybe you saw my first post offering advice to those saying 'see you later' to their region's donors, and if it didn't resonate, you might find yourself in an area saying 'welcome back' to donors (I see you, Newport, RI, Finger Lakes region / other sandy northeastern towns, and Denver, CO!).

If you live in a seasonal place, you either feel like it's your chance to play catch-up on work that can't get done during busy season, or your opportunity has finally arrived to see supporters in person. We're breaking down priorities in each of those regions for philanthropy professionals in a two-part series!

As I write this blog, I reflect on our firm's clients that are in the midst of the largest-ever campaign initiatives in their histories. They spent considerable time dreaming, and planning, and finally executing. Their current asks of supporters, as a result, are obvious: how can I align this donor either generally or specifically with my ongoing campaign initiative, pledged over a period of time and through vehicles that make the most sense for the most significant commitment?

In all stages of a campaign, an organizational system is essential for tracking prospects, and donor proposals and commitments. We propose tracking prospect and donor activity in five distinct categories to keep you organized as you strive to reach that campaign goal. These stages are: potential, pending, confirmed, completed, and denied; here’s why each is uniquely important.

Advancement leaders may wonder or face this question often during preliminary discussions around a campaign initiative: do you really need to hire campaign consultants to successfully carry out the project? Let’s break down why.

Prospect Strategy Sessions are the guiding star to your month's work. Without them, we lose the chance to deliberate and process out loud, and with them, we gain all the perspectives and ideas that make our work fun and intentionally driven.

Our Co-founder, Meg, went live on Instagram a few weeks ago to answer top-of-mind questions sent to us on philanthropic trends & major gifts. Keep reading for some snippets of Meg’s answers to those questions. To hear the full answers to all of the questions, as well as a bonus question, check out the video on Instagram. You can find us @GeorgePhilanthropy!

Have you read the Major Gift Checklist? If not, give it a read! It outlines, for lack of better works, Meg & Phil’s secret sauce. As a refresher, the checklist walks you through a step-by-step process of securing major gifts for your nonprofit. For this blog, I’ll be focusing on step five: