Real Deal Fundraising
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Subscribe
  • About
    • Connect
    • Testimonials
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Thoughts for Thursday: What's really on your mind?

9/22/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
I've named this column "Thoughts for Thursday" and mostly it gives me a weekly space to bring up whatever topics I want to discuss. But, this week, I asked myself, "What's really on my mind?" I have a few things that have been buzzing around my brain lately. 

But, I'd also like to hear from you.

What are you struggling with? What solutions are you lacking right now? What trends are you baffled by? What ideas are you really digging right now? Please comment and let me know. 

Here are some of the bees in my bonnet: 
​
  • Phonathons are a recruitment ground for fundraising professionals
Assuming the push to dismantle college phonathons continues and gain traction, where will young people get introduced to the profession of fundraising? Where will the new fundraising professionals learn to ask? Formal programs to study fundraising as an academic discipline are still nascent. Are we willing to drop telefunds and lose this important space of introduction and early training into our industry?

  • Communications, too much or too little
I've always been a fundraiser. I've picked up some public relations experience along the way but it has never been my area of focus. I'm struggling with what to do when donors tells you that your institution should improve communicate, when I truly feel like your organization is communicating well, with a solid plan of regular and meaningful stories and data. Other donors might say the communication is too much. And the organization has limitations in terms of staff and capacity. It's a puzzling place to be. All I can conclude is that we must keep doing what we are doing and continue to innovate and experiment too.

  • The Importance of Strong Alumni Relations
Also, I've been thinking A LOT about alumni relations. I've been lucky to have worked for most of my career in "big shops" in higher education where there was always a dedicated alumni relations staff. I have never until now fully appreciated the work they did and how much their work helped me do my job. I just wrote a strategic plan for the Graduate Association for the seminary I work for and my hope is that we will be able to repair broken relationships, reignite passionate supporters in service to the school and re-engage those that have grown distant. I'm excited that our volunteer leadership is committed to re-building this organization which will mobilize graduates  to help the school recruit students and raise much-needed funds.

Again, what's really on your mind? Watched any good TED Talks about philanthropy and fundraising lately? Read any inspirational articles? What's the question you wish you had an answer to right now?
Subscribe
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Jessica Cloud, CFRE

    I've been called the Tasmanian Devil of fundraising and I'm here to talk shop with you. 

    Subscribe

    Archives

    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    September 2017
    August 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016

    Categories

    All
    Advancement Services
    Alumni Relations
    Annual Giving
    Apps
    Asking
    Board Relations
    Books
    Budget
    Caller Training
    Career
    Case Building
    CFRE
    Communications
    Contact Rates Series
    Covid19
    Crisis Response
    Dance
    Data Integrity
    Data Research
    Development
    Direct Mail
    Donor Events
    Donor Relations
    E Books
    E-books
    Fiscal Year End
    Flash Mob
    Free Resources
    Fundraising
    FUNdraising Friday
    Geekery
    Giving Days
    Giving Societies
    Giving Tuesday
    Graphic Design
    Impact
    In Depth
    In-depth
    Interview
    Lobby
    Love Your Career
    Major Gifts
    Management
    Motivation Mondays
    Online
    Phonathon
    Productivity
    Public Speaking
    Quizzes
    Self Care
    Social Media
    Strategic Planning
    Student Debt
    Team Building
    TED Talks
    Telefund
    Thoughts For Thursday
    Thoughts-for-thursday
    Travel Hacks
    Travel-hacks
    Trip Planning
    Tuesdays Tip
    Tuesdays-tip
    Video
    Work From Home
    Young Alumni

    RSS Feed

What Folks Are Saying

 Jessica has been a wonderful colleague and mentor over the years.  In the beginning of my annual giving career, I found her expertise, experience and willingness to help, invaluable.  Her advice and custom phonathon spreadsheets had a direct impact on our phonathon’s success and my ultimate promotion.  As I progress in my career, I continue to value her insight and professionalism." 

​- Ross Imbler, Director of Annual Giving, Lewis and Clark Law School
 Ross Imbler

Contact Us

Photos used under Creative Commons from ZERGE_VIOLATOR, FindYourSearch, Teddy Mafia, slightly everything, COD Newsroom, Howdy, I'm H. Michael Karshis, smoorenburg, derrickbrutel, Matthew Paul Argall, TP studio, craiglea123, wuestenigel, davidmulder61, baranco1, Editor B
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Subscribe
  • About
    • Connect
    • Testimonials