An article in The Chronicle of Philanthropy caught my eye this past week.

I secured my first annual fund challenge gift in 1994. The very generous donor and his wife, agreed to match every new and increased gift to our campaign up to $25,000. It worked brilliantly, and we far exceeded the challenge.

When I first started my fundraising career, I was given a laminated card the size of a business card and on it was listed all of the questions a prospective donor should be asked in a cultivation meeting.

I love everything about it. The changing leaves, cooler temperatures, hay rides. I love hot apple cider, harvest displays and pumpkin EVERYTHING! And then, of course, I love the holy grail of Fall: Halloween!

We are in the self-proclaimed information age. At almost any given moment, we have a world of knowledge available at our finger-tips. Some might call it information overload.

A few weeks ago, my colleague Shannon Williams wrote an interesting blog post called “The Rise and Fall of the Desk.’ In it, she observed that today’s workplace is different from that of even ten years ago.

When the calendar signals the beginning of autumn and the weather starts to get a little cooler I start to think about changing out my closets. Time to put away the summer skirts and strappy sandals and bring out the sweaters and pants.

In the last 45 days, I have seen both the rise and fall of the desk at my house. Let’s start with the fall.

A comprehensive fundraising campaign is not a new idea and coordinates multiple campaigns into one. This type of campaign is more strategic than a typical capital campaign.