Fundraising communications strategies and information.
Chicago Sun-Times journalist Sydney J. Harris keenly observed that “the two words ‘information’ and ‘communication’ are often used interchangeably, but they signify quite different things. Information is giving out; communication is getting through.” Doing just that is harder than ever, given that it’s no longer about pushing out information to people who once gave you […]
For anyone who stays current with industry news, the principle of transparency has received a lot of attention lately. From Ray Dalio’s philosophy of “radical transparency”, which he discusses in his book, Principles, to Stanford University’s recent research into “Fairness, Accountability, and the Transparency of Algorithms”, industry leaders are taking notice and challenging proprietary black […]
For immediate publication MINNEAPOLIS, July 19, 2019—Josh Birkholz, President and CEO of the global fundraising consultancy Bentz Whaley Flessner (BWF), and Mark Marshall, President of the Philanthropic Counsel division, are excited to announce the addition of Carole Arwidson as Director of Strategic Communications. Prior to joining BWF, Arwidson served as a member of the account […]
Recently I came across two quotes online that caught my attention: “The goal is to provide inspiring information that moves people to action.” –Guy Kawasaki, Chief Evangelist at Canva “Without strategy, content is just stuff, and the world has enough stuff.” –Arjun Basu, SVP of Content Strategy at Bookmark Content In my new […]
Campaign kickoff events are as wide ranging as the organizations that they represent.
Healthcare organizations are recognizing concierge services as an essential component of grateful patient fundraising.
Behavioral economics provides a framework to understanding philanthropic behavior. March’s BWF Live Fundraising show, hosted by Alex Oftelie, provided a summary of how to more accurately understand your constituents motivation, and how it becomes expressed through behaviors such as giving, volunteering, event involvement, etc. In case you missed the show, click here to view. As […]
For a growing number of hospitals, particularly nonprofit community hospitals, philanthropy is considered a necessity. Philanthropy is no longer seen as only supporting added extras—it’s now a source of revenue that supports the overall care of patients. In many community hospitals across the country, philanthropy is part of the revenue mix and is part of […]
As the holiday memories fade and we start the new year, now is the perfect time to reflect on the past year and develop an action plan. It is time to go beyond just thanking donors and start engaging donors. There are many ways you can go beyond the standard acknowledgment letter to get personal […]
With a storied history including a top-20 national ranking in all-time victories, a top-10 national ranking in both all-time winning percentage and 20-win seasons, and ranking third in regular season conference titles behind perennial NCAA men’s basketball powers Kansas and Kentucky, Western Kentucky University is no stranger to post-season play. So perhaps it is expected […]
Stefanie is one of the best salespeople I’ve ever met. She earns bonuses for her productivity and is often asked by the company she serves to lead trainings of new salespeople. She is persistent, provides great customer service, and believes in the company and the products they sell. But what makes her a superstar sales […]
When planning a campaign, there are many questions institutions must ask of themselves. How much money should we realistically be trying to raise, and over what period of time? Do we have a strong enough case for support? Do we have enough prospects at each level on the gift pyramid? Do we have strong enough internal and external leadership? Do […]
Growing Relationship Management: Checks and Balances to Ensure Success In a recent blog post, BWF Managing Associate, Bond Lammey, wrote about the value of establishing a relationship management policy. The relationship between a robust major gift program and an effective relationship management system has long been viewed as closely correlated. The challenge often isn’t establishing a […]
Major Findings from the 2016 Study of High Net Worth Philanthropy In October, US Trust in partnership with the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy released the 2016 Study of High Net Worth Philanthropy. This report gives us insights into high net worth (HNW) donors’ giving and volunteering activities, motivators, behaviors, and priorities. The survey results […]
Strategic and well-planned faculty/staff campaign launch events can be an incredible way to engage your campus community and spread campaign core messages.
