Just Ask - Rethinking Development

Just Ask - Rethinking Development

By Just Ask DevelopmentBusinessNon-Profit
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Just Ask - Rethinking Development episodes

  • Watch the Solicitation Game Tape
    What does every great NFL team spend time on after a game? They watch the game tape. Greg argues today that this may be the single most important key to his growth as a 30 year fundraiser. After a solicitation is made, there are questions that should be asked and recorded. Greg shares a particularly important question to include.
    9 min
  • Dinner and an Ask

    Greg walks you through what to do when you find yourself in the position of doing business over a meal. 

    A meal by its nature is social. This can present a challenge when determining what is the right time to bring up the work of your non-profit.

    Specifically, how do you effectively bring up a proposal and make an ask? Greg navigates the nuances of having "dinner and an ask." This episode covers:

    - what is the best meal setting for an ask?

    - when should you bring out your proposal?

    - how do you minimize interruptions?

    - how to eliminate the elephant in the room?

    - what is "recovery time" and why is it important in a meeting?


    18 min
  • It's All About the Follow-Up

    What separates great development professionals from mediocre fundraisers? 

    Follow-up. Tenacity and consistency in following up an ask made to a donor by you and your non-profit.

    Simple enough to do, and yet this skill is often done poorly by many. Not a few gifts have fallen apart because of a lack of follow-up.

    In this episode Bryan and Greg cover: 

    - when and how often you should be following up after an ask

    - who should be making the follow-up

    - the best method of follow-up 

    Want to take your fundraising to the next level? It's all about the follow-up.

    14 min
  • Establishing Family Endowments
    What do you think of when you hear the term endowments? They can be a perpetual source of funding to your non-profit, but often, we see it as something to tackle in the future. Greg advocates today for a new approach to establishing named endowments. What is the price point you should set for a such an endowment? You might be surprised. Listen and find out.
    13 min
  • Creating a Culture of Giving

    A common lament of Catholic schools and other private education institutions goes something like this: people just don't give.


    The question is then posed: "how do we create a culture of giving?" Greg provides an answer to this question, and it's simpler than you may think. 


    12 min
  • The Seven Deadly Sins and Fundraising
    What do the Seven Deadly Sins have to do with fundraising? Bryan takes you through this self-reflection on whether the seven deadly sins are affecting your fundraising approach. Don’t let these sins limit the potential of you or your non-profit.
    9 min
  • Say No to Bad Ideas
    How do you cordially say no to a donor who has a good idea, but it’s currently not a top priority for the organization? This is a question posed to us by one of our listeners! Bryan and Greg provide an answer, and as a bonus tackle a related question: what do you do when a donor gives you a bad fundraising idea? Find out how to say no to bad ideas.
    12 min
  • The Case of the Missing Case for Support
    Does your organization have a unified message when raising funds? Specifically, we mean a message highlighting the need your non-profit seeks to meet and why you’re best equipped to address it. You should! This is called the ‘Case for Support’. Without a Case, you will be ill equipped as a fundraiser to go ask for support. Bryan and Greg discuss why your organization needs a Case for Support and how to get started.
    13 min
  • How to Identify Your Best Prospects

    You only have so many hours in the day, days in a week, and weeks in a year as a fundraiser. If you are in a mid to large size non-profit, there's a good chance you have a database with more households than you could ever meet. Deciding who are the best prospects to go see can feel like finding a needle in a haystack. So how do you find the best prospects for greater involvement and giving? 

    Today, Bryan discusses how to reduce your massive "haystack" by focusing on three key areas: passion, involvement, and capacity. 

    Using these areas as a guide, you can channel your fundraising efforts to get in front of the best potential partners for your non-profit.

    13 min
  • Take Your Daily Truth Serum
    How often to you take your daily truth serum? Greg highlights the need to reflect each day on whether you did or did not do the best development activities. If you’re willing to take your daily serum, you’ll find the needle moves on your fundraising goals. Listen as Greg gives specific examples of what you should be focused on as a fundraiser.
    7 min

About Just Ask - Rethinking Development

From the publisher's feed

How do you fundraise? Why do some strategies work while others don't? Raise more money than you ever thought possible as you journey with Greg and Bryan through the professional world of development. They share their insights and best practices gleaned through years of experience fundraising for Catholic non-profits.