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Insights

Foundations Are People, Too

If you only get one thing from this article, let it be this: Follow the instructions. Yep, that’s it. Follow the instructions. Give the grant maker what they ask for. Don’t say too much or too little. If they want to know the color of the walls in your office,…
vicky
November 10, 2019
Insights

400,000,000 and Counting

There is so much information at our fingertips. Our mobile devices are handheld computers that allow us to look up anything at any time. There are blogs, websites and videos on any subject you can imagine. Type “fundraising” into your favorite search engine and you will get more than 400,000,000…
vicky
October 15, 2019
Insights

Keep Your Resume Fresh

Your resume is the first impression you make with a prospective employer. Just like you would wear your most professional outfit to an interview, your resume needs to reflect the best you. Resume styles change over time. You might not be aware of that if you’ve been out of the…
vicky
October 2, 2019
Insights

Know When to Leave and Leave with Dignity and Grace

I’ve been let go and laid off. I’ve had my position eliminated. I’ve been the last hired, first fired. I’ve quit. I’ve resigned. I’ve given notice and been asked to leave, right now. I’ve been falsely accused and I’ve been lied to. I’ve had a board member call me years…
vicky
September 21, 2019
Insights

Manage Up

This is a hard one. You know the boss, the supervisor, the “leader” who doesn’t know what they don’t know.  Who thinks they have all the answers. You don’t want to be a smart-ass.  You want to be helpful. But how? Having been on both sides of this equation, I…
vicky
September 12, 2019
Insights

To CFRE Or Not To CFRE

I’m proud to have earned my CFRE. What is a CFRE? It stands for Certified Fund Raising Executive, and is the professional standard for fundraisers in the nonprofit sector.  Like other accreditations, the CFRE means the fundraiser has gained a certain level of expertise. It also means that we aspire…
vicky
August 7, 2019
Insights

Support Your Team and Their Dreams

Recently, I led a team of young women who were at the beginning of their careers. When I told them part of my job as their supervisor was to help them prepare for their next job, it surprised them. But I have been in the fundraising business for decades, and…
vicky
July 30, 2019
Insights

Show Up and Be Present

“Showing up is 80 percent of life.” This saying is often misquoted and most often attributed to Woody Allen. Honestly, it doesn’t matter who said it first. What matters is doing it. Show up. Show up ready to do your work, whatever that work may be. Show up appropriately dressed.…
vicky
July 16, 2019
Insights

Professional Development and You

As a manager, I always made sure my team knew I supported their professional development and my own. For most of my years as a professional fundraiser, I have paid for my own membership in the Association of Fundraising Professionals, as well as for conferences and other professional fees. I…
vicky
June 5, 2019
Insights

Make The Phone Calls. Leave Nice Voicemails

A conversation with a donor is one of the most basic tools in your fundraising toolkit. Yet it’s the one we are least likely to use. We create all kinds of excuses. “I don’t have time.” “I don’t have enough information.” “Maybe they’re out of town?” “Who would want to…
vicky
May 10, 2019