Major Gifts: How To Get More Of Them For Your Nonprofit

Written by Berwyn J. Kemp


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4. Make sure that your major gift committee knowsrepparttar basics of major gift solicitation techniques. If not, you'll need to conduct a training program of some kind for them. This could be a short four hour seminar or workshop that's held on a weekday evening or weekend afternoon, and it should coverrepparttar 148129 three main areas of gifts solicitation which isrepparttar 148130 approach,repparttar 148131 presentations, andrepparttar 148132 ask (close).

5. Draft as many ofrepparttar 148133 documents you'll need for your major gift program as possible before you need them inrepparttar 148134 form of templates. Which will include such items as development proposals, case statements, network solicitation letters where you have a network connection torepparttar 148135 prospective donor, cold solicitation letters when you have no network contact, follow up letters for both those who made gifts and who declined at this time, and etc.

7. Develop a major gift solicitation funding plan which will include a timeline, and how many gifts will be solicited each week, month, quarter, and forrepparttar 148136 year, as well as who will make what solicitations to whom. And be sure that each member of your major gift committee has already been solicited for their gifts before they attempt to solicit others.

8. Implement your funding plan and keep your plan on track by holding regular major gift solicitation committee meetings with task action minutes as to who is supposed to do what and by when. And be sure to keep good prospect solicitation records on each contact made, includingrepparttar 148137 results, and any needed follow up and when.

A well planned and well ran major gift solicitation can produce an extremely large amount of funding for your nonprofit organization year after year. Andrepparttar 148138 results you can obtain with such a program can be astronomical when you comparerepparttar 148139 small amount of time and funds you must invest to get these results. That makes setting up a major gift program, or more effectively implementing your current program a very wise investment for your nonprofit organization.

Berwyn J. Kemp is a development consultant who helps nonprofit organizations obtain funding. For free subscription to his newsletter Nonprofit Funding Solutions, or full details on his funding products and services, or to read more of his re-printable articles you can visit: "http://www.berwynkempassoc.citymax.com/"




The Four Lessons Venus Williams Teaches Us About Business

Written by Michelle Goodwine


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Lesson #3: Expect Good Things

Venus's victory also teaches usrepparttar importance of a positive outlook. Afterrepparttar 148128 win, when asked about her mind sight, she replied, "I'm alive. So that means I can do anything." What that means to me isrepparttar 148129 understanding that as long as you have breathe in your body, you haverepparttar 148130 chance to turn things around. And as long as you expect good things to happen, ,and you believe that God will help you make them happen, you will eventually succeed.

Joel Osteen, Senior Pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas,repparttar 148131 largest congregation inrepparttar 148132 country, and author ofrepparttar 148133 best- seller "How to Live Your Best Life Now" says that "you will get what you expect." Expectations determine what happens to you, notrepparttar 148134 other way around. If you expect a successful business, that is what you will get. Don't misunderstand me, there will be times when things do not go our way, and maybe to outsiders it will look like we are failing. But if we keep focused and have faith in God, eventually things will turn around. Osteen refers to this as expecting God's favor. Osteen says that as children of God we should expect good things to happen – God wants us to achieve greatness. The reason why many of us haven't reached our full potential is because of our negative thinking and lack of faith. Or it could just be that God is molding us through our trials and tribulations intorepparttar 148135 great person He intended us to become.

Lesson #4: Prepare for Victory

It has been said that years of preparation is what it takes to become an overnight success. Venus would not have won, if she had not prepared to win. She knew it would take more than a positive outlook to be victorious. Who knows how many thousands of hours she practiced, or how many miles she ran, or how many weights she lifted overrepparttar 148136 course of her career?

And as business owners we must also prepare for success. We must keep informed of new developments in our field, read business publications and network with other professionals. We must improve our business operations on a daily basis. We must always be willing to revise our business model, consider new markets, products, and services. Even if you are very successful, you cannot rest on your laurels.

Most start-up businesses fail, but most serial entrepreneurs become successful. Why is that? Because with each failure, they learn a little more. Andrepparttar 148137 same can be said for sports. I am sure that Venus has learned from each lost match something that has helped her win today.

Michelle Goodwine is President and Founder of Integrated HR Strategies, a strategic human resources consulting firm. Feel free to contact Michelle at (518) 456-6580 or goodwine@integratedhrstrategies. Check out Michelle's website at www.michellegoodwine.net.. As an entrepreneur, Michelle has learned a lot about winning and losing.


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