I have the pleasure have helping board members, staff leaders, and campaign volunteers hone their fundraising skills on a regular basis.

A solid resource development program has many components, including a development plan that outlines goals, strategies to achieve them, and tactics, methods, metrics, and accountabilities to operationalize the strategies.

Creating a strategic plan, if done right, involves stakeholders and requires time and thoughtful work. It builds consensus around shared goals, provides direction, and hopefully creates excitement.

Engaging prospective and current donors consistently throughout the year should be part of your annual development planning. There are so many ways that a nonprofit or institution of higher education can engage donors.

Confidence is a critical element to success in almost any endeavor. In fundraising, it is a gamechanger.

“No one can whistle a symphony. It takes an orchestra to play it.” H.E. Luccock I make no claims to being a classical music connoisseur.

Do you ever think about your personal mission statement? As members of the philanthropic and business communities, our organizations’ mission statements are important, encouraged, and expected.

Remember the movie Field of Dreams and the famous line “If you build it, they will come”?

Our oldest son started his summer internship a couple of weeks ago. My husband reminded him that you must prove that you are responsible in the little things before you are given additional responsibilities.