Category Archives: Planned Giving

Support Center For Nonprofit Management: Thank You

Thanks to the Support Center for Nonprofit Management for hosting me today for Demystifying Planned Giving and thanks to the audience for coming out. You had so many good questions.

It’s a luxury to spend 3 hours on what I often have to compress into 1 hour. I’m grateful for your kind comments and I’m glad we met the objective: “You’ll be comfortable enough to open a Planned Giving conversation with one good prospect.”

Be sure to fill out your online surveys!

Here are my slides:

Nonprofit Radio for February 18, 2011: Finding Prospects & Finding A Job


Big Nonprofit Ideas for the Other 95%

Tony Martignetti Nonprofit Radio for February 18, 2011:

Maria Semple, The Prospect Finder.

Maria will discuss the second edition of her book, “Panning For Gold: Find High Net Worth Prospects Now“.  The book talks about the art and science of prospect research.

Paula Marks, President, Hire Resources; and Leonora Scala, nonprofit job-seeker.

I’m Looking: Savvy Strategies for Your Search: Leonora, our nonprofit job-seeker, gets continuing advice from recruiter Paula Marks. We last checked in with the pair last month

  • Leonora’s resume is now revised. (You can view the old version here.)

Top Trends.  Sound Advice.  Lively Conversation.

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If you have big dreams but an average budget, tune in to Tony Martignetti Nonprofit Radio.

I interview the best in the business on every topic from board relations, fundraising, social media and compliance, to technology, accounting, volunteer management, finance, marketing and beyond.  Always with you in mind.

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Here is the link to the podcast: 029: Finding Prospects and Finding a Job
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Dahna hello and welcome to tony martignetti non-profit radio big non-profit ideas for the other ninety five percent of your aptly named host this is the february eighteenth, two thousand eleven show welcome you may recall that last week i had resplendent resource is for you, we had the founders of non-profit direct philanthropy alive and idealist, dot or ge, either on the phone, in the studio or pre recorded this week, we’re going to find prospects and find a job. My first guest will be maria simple she’s, the author of panning for gold find high net worth prospects now, and she will reveal the art and science of prospect research as she talks about the second edition of her book and i’m looking finding a job savvy strategies for your search. We’re checking in again with our non-profit job seeker leonora as she gets smart job seeking advice from recruiting consultant paula marks, the president of hyre resource is pull his advice will help your next search. How do you get out there in the right ways? Where should you go to get noticed? Those guests today on tony’s take two at thirty two minutes after the hour stop. Squawking my take on the obama proposal to reduce the charitable deduction for high income taxpayers. And also my itunes icons. Reminder. We’re icons on itunes, that’s. All this week. After this two minute break, i’ll be joined by maria simple, and we’re going to be talking about finding prospects and her book panning for gold. Stay with me. You’re listening to the talking alternative network, waiting to get in. E-giving cubine is your marriage in trouble? Are you considering divorce? Hello, i’m lawrence bloom, a family law attorney in new york and new jersey. No one is happier than the day their divorce is final. My firm can help you. We take the nasty out of the divorce process and make people happy. Police call us ed to one, two, nine, six four three five zero two for a free consultation. That’s lawrence h bloom at to one to nine six four three five zero two. We make people happy. Are you suffering from aches and pains? Has traditional medicine let you down? Are you tired of taking toxic medications, then come to the double diamond wellness center and learn how our natural methods can help you to hell? Call us now at to one to seven to one eight, one eight three that’s to one to seven to one eight one eight three or find us on the web at www dot double diamond wellness dot com way. Look forward to serving you. Hey, all you crazy listeners looking to boost your business? Why not advertise on talking alternative with very reasonable rates? Interested simply email at info at talking alternative dot com welcome back to tony martignetti non-profit radio where were always about big non-profit ideas for the other ninety five percent, i’m going to be joined now by maria simple. Maria is principal of the prospect finder, which you’ll find out the prospect finder dot com she’s an experienced prospect researcher, trainer and speaker, she worked with non-profits and financial services firms to research and find their best prospects for long term relationships. I’m very glad that the second edition of her book brings her back to the show. Hai maria, welcome! Hi, tony. Thanks for having me. When was the first edition of panning for gold? I first wrote it in two thousand seven. Updated it in two thousand nine and again now in twenty eleven. Okay, so just generally what’s new in this. This is the second edition though. Third edition okay, i had it is the second. I’m sorry. So what’s new now in the third edition generally. And they will go into some detail. Generally we’re finding that in the prospect research world the resource that’s been opened up to us is the social networking space, so we’re able to delve into things like length in for example and look at people’s public profiles bear and i think that that’s probably going to become a continually growing area for prospect researchers. Okay? And i know you have some examples of other lesser known social networking sites, and we’ll get into some of those shortly. How are free resource is faring from the second to third edition? Well, the free resource is many of them are still there, and actually some of them you can access right through your library card. So i’m a huge proponent of the public library system. I think we’ve talked about that before tony and it’s very important that people realise that there are a lot of databases that they can access right from their desktop by utilizing their library card, and we did talk about it before, but i think it bears repeating it’s, not necessarily only your library, your local library, right, right? You can sometimes kapin toe other libraries, but in terms of the database searches, you’ll need a bar code to get into those. And if you don’t find that your local library is going to provide you with adequate databases to tap into, you might take a look. At a county library level, state level, or even your alma mater, who might be able to provide you access to the library system where you graduated. And maria let’s, take us a step back what’s the importance of prospect research for a small and midsize non-profit that might not have a lot of time or money to spend on prospect research, right? So i think all non-profits have some sort of hidden gems in their database that i could be a donor who is already giving to them rather consistently, they may have a sense that that donor is capable of doing a bit more for their organization, and they really just don’t know exactly how much to ask that donor for so it could be something simple is that or they could be launching into a major capital campaign or endowment campaign, or even a plan getting effort, which you’re what very well aware of, and those those efforts require you to really a cz i like to say, have done your homework on a prospect prior to visiting with them, so you really have very comfortable appropriate ask amount for that prospect and again for the small. And midsize non-profits now we’re talked about one very good free resource with libraries, whether it’s, your own public library or another that you might get a membership to, and we’ll talk more about free and low cost sites that are that are really valuable for small and midsize non-profits but what about expertise? I mean, if you don’t have a prospect research expert because it’s maybe just not feasible, your development staff is just one or two people are there still things that people without expertise can can do? Successfully? Well, yes, i mean, you know, there are certain things that they can do. Ah, for example, at minimum, they could go to google dot com. Usually what i recommend is to use their advanced search page, actually, of google, because you can really narrow the search results quite a bit and really understanding how to see search effectively the use of quotation marks, for example, to signify a phrase so you might put somebody’s name in quotes on and you know, if the name is tony martignetti, you might want teo. First of all, you want to make sure you spell it correctly. That’s, right? You want to? Make sure you spell it correctly, absolutely, but you might want to search on both tony martignetti and anthony martignetti because somebody is using sort of that nickname that’s that familiar name, they might be making donations in a much more formal name, so you want to make sure you do both, plus, you get all the dirt on my my father by using anthony martignetti there you go, cnn, and that can actually present a problem for prospect researchers if they don’t know that there is a senior and a junior in the household, hopefully by the reputations that can tell the difference minus his mind is much cleaner, but you find much less on me than i thought he doesn’t listen to the show anyway, it doesn’t matter, okay, so but what about all right? So so somebody who doesn’t have experience in prospect research still can do valuable work that’s, right? They can, you know, tapping into google i have a number of resource is that i’ve pulled together that’s, a document that i’ve written a white paper, if you will called going beyond google to find and research donor-centric sources that could be useful for them. Okay, and i’ll remind you that maria also does prospect research consulting, so that if you’re in a smaller midsize shop and you feel you need some help, maria does that. You can always reach her through the prospect finder. Dot com. We are going to take a break now when i return, maria simple will still be with me, and we’ll talk more about the free and low cost resources that are part of her third edition of the book, panning for gold. So stay with us. Talking alternative radio, twenty four hours a day. Are you feeling overwhelmed in the current chaos of our changing times? A deeper understanding of authentic astrology can uncover solutions in every area of life. After all, metaphysics is just quantum physics, politically expressed hi and montgomery taylor and i offer lectures, seminars and private consultations. For more information, contact me at monte m o nt y at r l j media. Dot com are you stuck in your business or career trying to take your business to the next level, and it keeps hitting a wall? This is sam liebowitz, the conscious consultant. I will help you get to the root cause of your abundance issues and help move you forward in your life. Call me now and let’s. Create the future you dream of. Two, one, two, seven, two, one, eight, one, eight, three, that’s to one to seven to one, eight one eight three. The conscious consultant helping conscious people. Be better business people. I really need to take better care of myself. If only i had someone to help me with my lifestyle. I feel like giving up. Is this you mind over matter, health and fitness can help. If you’re expecting an epiphany, chances are it’s not happening. Mind over matter, health and fitness could help you get back on track or start a new life and fitness. Join Joshua margolis, fitness expert at 2 one two eight six five nine to nine xero. Or visit w w w died. Mind over matter. Y si dot com. Falik yeah, you’re listening to the talking alternative network. Cubine durney welcome back. I’m with maria simple, the author of panning for gold. Find high net worth prospects. Now we’re talking about the third edition of her book, maria let’s. Talk a little about the social networking. Some of the unusual or lesser known. Put it that way. Sites that you profile in your book. Well, you know, one of them is called big saw. And you can find that at big sod dot com and something that’s interesting about that particular. I’m sorry. Coming across a little like jigsaw jigsaw puzzle, right? Yes. Okay, right. Okay. Just make sure you knot digs up. Jig jig saw okay. And what you can do with that particular site, it is a it’s, actually a stale sports dot com companies that some people may be familiar with that and it’s, a business card information for business business professionals. So they have about twenty four million people in the database. You can research people and companies that you’re interested in doing business with and it’s what they call a wikipedia style crowd sourcing model. So what that means is the jigsaw community users access the database and they can accumulate points through helping maintain the dad equality. So if you come across a business card, for example, that you find is incorrect and you help jigsaw by correcting at you, accumulate points in those points are used towards them buying additional contacts, if you will. And so all you’re going to find out about someone on jigsaw, though, is what would be on their business card. I think that type of information right there business contact information. Wait, i’m sorry. Before you, before you go, another one is jigsaw free site. They have both of free and fee based. So the free portion of it is if you kind of helped to maintain the data integrity that’s where you were able to accumulate the point. But if you don’t have time, tio, help maintain that data integrity, if you will, you can actually sign up. They have various levels of subscription. Tio. Okay, so be free if you’re willing to put a little time in or you can have a paid subscription. Okay, right, right. Another one in the business community is called spoke. Okay. Dot com. And that is they consider that an open network where people business people discover business, people and they they claim on their website that as of january of this year they had a forty million people listed at over two point three million companies. So if you know people in companies, especially people who are business owners themselves, if that is the target area for you, you may want to consider either jigsaw or spoke. And what kind of information can you find from? Spoke again? There you’re you’re looking at to be to be type of information, business to business and it’s an opportunity for you, teo, discover and stay connected to people in the business community, right? But i’m just trying to get it like, are there written profiles? I realize it’s not as robust a site is linked in, but would you find a profile? Or is it really just data points about the person and their company? It may be more in terms of the data point. Okay, and spoke. Is there a fee for that? Or is that a free one? Or that one again has certain portions of it that are free. And you you can upgrade to various levels of per month. Okay, so it sounds like you know some of the last these two that we’re talking about, there are things you can do for for no cost and then i don’t know are the costs expensive if you’re if you’re if you’re not part of the free, the free network on them is a very high uh, well, i looked at jigsaws and spokes website this week, and it would appear that the minimum you khun do for jigsaw, for example, is paid two hundred fifty dollars per year on spoke they seem to have a monthly subscription and theirs is at the lowest level at twenty for ninety five a month and, you know, both of them have stepped up commitment levels as well. Okay, okay. Are there others you want to share with us? What? Yeah. You know, one of them that that might be interesting for non-profits to know about is called nosa search knows a and o z a right zoho z a search dot com and there again, you khun do free or subscription basis and you are able to then tap into ah, database. There they build themselves as the world’s largest database of charitable donations on dh they have over fifty. Million donations actually listed on their sites would be donations from individuals from foundations, and you can actually put in a person’s name and see if they have appeared on public record in terms of annual reports of other nonprofit organizations for people who don’t have experience in prospect research, what’s the value of knowing what other charity’s someone has given to well, here it is very valuable because what you’re able to do then is really developing appropriate ask amount for that individual. So if you were thinking of approaching a major gift prospect and you had an amount in your head of asking them safe for a thousand dollar gift, however, your research on something like nosa turns up that they have been contributing at twenty five to fifty thousand dollar gift levels to other similar organizations, you’ll know that you should be stepping up your ass. Come out. Yeah. Then you’re gonna be sorry. You’re going to turn up your nose at the at the thousand dollar gift and go for the something much larger? Well, yeah, you know, you don’t want to leave money on the table, okay? My guest is maria sample and we’re talking. About the third edition of her book, panning for gold find high net worth prospects now, which you’ll find out. The prospect finder dot com so at knows a search dot com you’ll find not only where people have given, but at what level as well. That’s correct. Okay. And ah, free or is there a membership alternative? How does that one work knows? Oh, yes. They have free accounts where you could do with a certain amount of information as searching. But then they also have subscriptions, uh, for us based and canadian based. So, you know, you’d have to check out their website and just kind of take a look at whether or not the affordability is there. Um, whether it’s a social networking or otherwise, are there other hyre changes from your second to third edition that you that you want to share with us? Well, you know, there are so many interesting sights that pop up all the time. Which is exactly why i wanted to make this into a format that was interactive. And i could change it easily from time to time, which is whites and e book formats. So something that you know was free. Do we want to make sure it’s still free that type of thing? So other sites that one might consider that would be free or low cost would be if you are in a purely prospecting mode, for example, and let’s say you are a non-profit that has something related to the maritime or perhaps even marine ecology. Environmental. You might want to take a look at a database like boat info world b o a t i n f world dot com and there you can actually tap into databases of coast guard documented vessels. So people who own boats, aunt, have them registered with the coast guard. You can ascertaining information and pull it from that database and it’s very low cost so i could look to see, for instance, can i get the value like, could i find out how much let’s say, al pacino’s yacht is worth? Well, what you would want to do is this that this particular database give you enough information in terms of the size of the boat, the maker of the boat, etcetera. And you can then cross check that against something like yacht world dot com to see. What other similar boats of that size and manufacturer are for sale on the market? So give you an approximate value. All right, s oh, i can’t. I can lookinto al pacino’s yet? I think i would. I drove by. I voted by once when i was in florida. Of course, i was on a like a water taxi. So, you know, i wasn’t in my own yacht, but went by gene hackman’s yacht. That was pretty impressive. So you can. It was the length of a couple houses, i think. Eyes. Ah, so so you, khun, gain some insight into people’s wealth. But and then you’re point also is, if you happen to be related, if your charities related to maritime, it all is well, yeah, it might be interesting to build a list of people who you may want to invite to some sort of an event that you put together. And you might know that this is this grouping of people would have a natural affinity and be attracted to attending an event because, you know, really made it around the nature of voting or maritime. Maria what about for the again? The smaller midsize non-profit thatjust has maybe a few hundred dollars a year to spend on a prospect research, they see the value, but they just can’t devote more money than that to it, way we can identify in our remaining several minutes strategy that that would be right for that kind of organization. Well, i think the best thing that they can do actually is teo first and foremost, look at what’s available in their library and then if they are a non-profit that is really focused on doing more of the grant research type of certain research, they would want to tap into databases like guidestar, the foundation center. I know the foundation center, for example, has a month to month contract, so they can perhaps then do all of their foundation grant related research in a very short period of time, maybe take the subscription for couple of months. Yeah, and i think that just just pause you there, that’s something that i don’t think too many people know. I think everybody looks at the price tag of using the fc search, which is a couple of thousand dollars, i think buying the database of the disks or buying, i guess now. It’s ah, my saying buying access to their their web resource, but it’s important to know that they do have the month to month. So you could, like you said, just do it for a couple months and maybe let many many months go and then pick it up for another month when you needed it may be in anticipation of an event or something, right? And they say, and they actually had a cooperating collection of the foundation center somewhere nearby them they have them across the country. They could actually use that database for free. Yes, with any foundation center, cooperating collection, right? And use the whole f c search and use it for free. So that would be, you know, one sort of free, slash, low cost alternative that they could contain you’re using you mentioned you mentioned guide star yeah guide star is another database that one could tap into, especially if they’re looking to expand their foundation arena family foundation’s, especially if a non profit organisation themselves helps to maintain their own profile on guide star they will have access to this particular database for free. They can tap into their premium level service for free. So you may want to take a look at the guide star website and look into that options so that tze not a thousand dollar level of service that you get for free just for keeping up your own your own organizations. Information, right? Yes. That’s correct. So so guide stars offering that as an incentive toe have more accurate information. And if you keep your information accurate, you get premium service for free, right? And it benefits non-profit to do that because they want to make sure that they’re projecting their correct profile of their own organization to the world, to donors, to volunteers. So it’s, you know, making sure that their own boards, they’re listed correctly, their financials are correct, that sort of thing and the narrative, they give you an opportunity to provide a nice narrative spot as well. Excellent advice. And how do guide star in the foundation center compare what’s different information you’re going to find on one versus the other? Well, both of them can lead you eventually to a profile on thie irs nine. Ninety. So both both those databases can lead you out to that eventually, which is really, you know. The source of information for all foundation research. Anyway, i think they’re just different. I think you know what? Non-profit should really take a look at the usability, how they’re they’re planning to use it and how often they do foundation research to find out. You know which one of those two databases might feel like it’s, the right fit there’s. Another alternative out there called foundations search dot com, which is a fee based resource. But they they do require minimum of one year annual commitment. Okay, now. And foundation search dot com is not related to the foundation center. That’s. Correct. Okay, something separate. And so we were talking about what strategies you recommend for non-profits that just have a few hundred dollars to devote. So we have the foundation center and guide star the public libraries, of course. Is there another chambers? Maybe chambers of commerce. Yes. Chambers of commerce would be excellent as well. Find most of the people listed in the chamber of commerce, of course, want to be found. And so chambers know this, and they have membership directories even available online. So this is a great way for you to tap into particular. Databases of local business owners who are, in most cases, probably also very civic and community minded people. And do you know many non-profits that actually joined chambers? Is that very common? Yes. Well, locally, where i am here in somerset county, there are yesterday. As a matter of fact, i visited with a morris county chamber, and this is in new jersey, right? Yeah, newjersey. And so they have a whole number, you know, non-profit separate little committee, if you will. That means i think, on a monthly basis. So i think that non-profit organizations, if they have not already, they should begin to realize the importance of making those community connections. Okay. And i think that’s good advice for the small midsize non-profit that just has a few hundred dollars. Maybe to allocate teo prospect research. Maria, just in the a minute or so we have left is prospect research spying on people? No. You know, what we do is the access only public records on individuals. So everything that we access is in the public domain. We just know how to pull together the information. And we know where to look. Fine information. That’s going to be useful and valuable to either cultivating or soliciting a prospect, maria, we have to leave it there. I want to thank you very much for joining me again on the show. Thank you, thank you very much. That was maria simple, the author of panning for gold. Find high net worth prospects now, which you’ll find out the prospect finder dot com. Stay with me after this break, it’ll be tony’s. Take two. You’re listening to the talking alternative network. This is tony martignetti aptly named host of tony martignetti non-profit radio big non-profit ideas for the other ninety five percent technology fund-raising compliance social media, small and medium non-profits have needs in all these areas. My guests are expert in all these areas and mohr tony martignetti non-profit radio fridays one to two eastern on talking alternative broadcasting do you want to enhance your company’s web presence with an eye catching and unique website design? Would you like to incorporate professional video marketing mobile marketing into your organization’s marketing campaign? Mission one on one media offers a unique marketing experience that will set you apart from your competitors, magnify your brand exposure and enhance your current marketing efforts. Their services include video production and editing, web design, graphic design photography, social media management and now introducing mobile marketing. Their motto is we do whatever it takes to make our clients happy contact them today. Admission one one media dot com hey, all you crazy listeners looking to boost your business, why not advertise on talking alternative with very reasonable rates? Interested simply email at info at talking alternative dot com yeah. Metoo welcome back to tony martignetti non-profit radio it’s time at thirty two minutes after the hour, roughly four tonys take do i posted something on my block this week at m p, g a d v dot com and it’s my reaction to the obama administration? Well to the backlash from to the obama administration’s proposal in their two thousand twelve budget to reduce the charitable income tax deduction for high income taxpayers who would be donors to non-profits it’s again, it’s my reaction to what i think is going to become a backlash among the non-profit community and the name of the post is stop squawking about the charitable deduction reduction. My concern is that non-profits ah, a few things. First, they scored some pretty big gains in the tax relief act that the president signed just two months ago. That was just last december, and there were some very good things in there, including an extension of unemployment benefits, which is good for people who, which is good for charities because it makes it easier for people to give to charities. Even when they’re unemployed, they may find something to give to charity, albeit smaller, but they find something so the unemployment extension ah, benefits extension there’s the ira charitable rollover was revived for this whole year that’s, where people over seventy and a half can make gifts directly from their ira to charities. The estate tax raised this year to five million dollars per person, ten million dollars for a couple. So there were some very good things just in that tax relief act a couple of months ago for charities and now charities want something more. They want this charitable deduction reduction proposal stripped away, and they don’t want that tampered with. And, you know, i just fear, ah, backlash against non-profits i mean, they’re always ah, a lot of the vocal, um, advocates around non-profits are just always claiming doomsday scenarios and how is goingto whatever it is, that’s on the table is going to be the death of non-profits in the us and history has just born out that that’s not true after the great depression after every recession that we’ve had since then on day after major tax changes that that did affect non-profit giving it always bounces back, so history just doesn’t bear out that this will be the death of non-profits. We take a lot to kill non-profits in the us and again that’s it, my blogging mpg devi dot com also want to remind you that we are well, maybe we’re not itunes icons yet, but we are on itunes. You can download this show or any show you subscribe and get automatic instant downloads. As soon as the show is uploaded by us. You listen anytime, anyplace on any device, and the way to do that is to goto non-profit radio dot net, and that will take you to our itunes page, where you subscribe. I’m happy now to bring back our recurring feature. I’m looking hyre the leader of our recurring feature is paula marks and she’s, the president of hyre resource is her philosophy is that the search process is like a spider spinning its web it’s important to think vertically and horizontally at the the same time, and to make all the unlikely connections her career and executive search spans almost three decades. She’s, our experts, search consultant for the i’m looking segments, and i’m very glad to welcome her back. Welcome paula hi, tony. You’re from sonny, downtown dallas, downtown dallas, texas, wonderful and r r non-profit job seeker very kindly sharing the ups and downs of her search. Is leonora scala joining us from staten island, new york? Leonora, how are you doing with everyone over there? Were okay in new york. And paul is reporting in from dallas. Um, leonora, why don’t you? Why don’t you start off on dh? Tell us, what’s been going on with your search in the past four or five weeks since we talked to you last class? Actually, the economy and the market has opened up. People have been searching me out, but i would say that most most of the people who was searching me out or started, say, it’s coming from the corporation’s profits out of the organization because they see that, you know, obviously my background translates better however, i think differently. Okay, let me let me stop before we get into the details of it. You say they’re searching you out. So what? Where they searching you? Actually a believe last last time we spoke, i was telling you i was getting more involved on linkedin and dabble in a little bit on facebook. But more of it they’re seeking me out. I don’t know how they’re doing their searches, but i’m getting phone calls from people, okay? And paula, this is consistent with your a regular on dh valuable advice, which is be out in a lot of different places because you just never know absolutely and add tolia, north point. I see a tremendous amount of activity in the market like i haven’t seen in probably three to five years, and what i am hearing from the marketplace is the big board. They’re not the place to get a job. We lose the human touch. We want to know the nuances. Is that a person and it’s? Not just the black and white. I went to college, i worked for the abc company. I had sixteen job there and they fired me the big board’s meaning, like monster. And what what are other ones? When you say the big board’s, remember, we have drug in jail here. I even think that large corporations that post jobs i’m working with a young woman now that keeps hitting a road block in retail and because one hand doesn’t know what the other is unnecessarily doing, she gets interviewed by two people in the same corporation in the same department really spend an hour of their time. She still doesn’t have a job. They rejected her. They haven’t met her. They haven’t seen her. They don’t see the cheese pois they don’t see that she speaks better than average and she’s nowhere. So what i did because of my reaches, i picked up the phone and i called the ceo and the president. And i said, you know, if you don’t meet this woman missing the boat, she does not fall into my usual level of placement because in the retain side i have a minimum fee. But she is a private career client of mine. And so as part of my commitment to humanity, i pick up the phone and i call people. I know because it takes all of five minutes and it helped somebody. And i know in a year or five or ten that she will come back to me and that’s, how i derive my business. And leonora, you are about to share with us what your take is on what you’re seeing just in the past six weeks or so, right? What i was saying is in the six weeks, i would say people been as searching me out, and as i said, i’m sorry to say it on the profit side of the business, but what i’m trying to do is really trying to work with that non-profit based on my experience and trying teo get people to see the fact that i have transferable skills, you know, like the financed part of it, i mean, what organization in the novel profit organization wouldn’t want me to help him find money so they could spend it where they need to spend it? You know, it’s it’s more of me trying to seek them out and trying to do that? I’m tired, we were on that end, so i imagine someone who has a background, obviously in the for-profit in the corporate finance world, they talked to you and they grasp instantly what your background means to them, right? Correct and it’s a little hotter in the non-profit but i’ve been trying to really work at it, like, you know, i’m not getting the response is like, i thought i would be getting, but i understand it in this economy because if you don’t have all ten of their qualifications, you know, they don’t want to look at you, so i have to make sure that with my eleven or twelve that i have that i am very much bonem translating that into non-profit organization that’s interesting tell them that’s all that you don’t like polar anymore advice you could help. Yeah, paula so leonora is saying, if you’re not perfectly qualified meeting every ten of their ten requirements, they’re not really even going to be talking to you, are you? Are you seeing that? I have seen that historically, however, like everything else, if you find the right person in the organization who is broad gauge and has lived outside of the silent ties society that we create started to create about forty years ago, they hook into the human being in the human qualities and the nuances because, quite frankly, short of being a brain surgeon or a rocket scientist, most college degree people today can do almost any job if they’re bright enough to grasp it and they ask the right questions and they can bond with people and one of the things leonora does exceptionally well, and i kind of had to help her. See that about herself is that she makes people so comfortable, they want to share their problems, and they want to say, i got a problem here we’re going to do for me. So how does leonora find that right person in the organization that that is willing to look at her? Where your view, if you’re relegated to hr, what do you do? What is lawyer nor do beyond that? To get to that to get to that right person? You you do a couple of things to do things by the book, you go to the hr person, which is the right thing to do and not getting what you need. You write a letter to your counterpart and you say, dear john the same, the finance guy, i’ve had the opportunity to speak with suzie and hr. We’ve got a couple of meetings going. I wanted to let you know that when i was at avon, i did thus and such, and i hope i get the opportunity to meet you in person and share that with you. And if that doesn’t work, you go to the ceo and you say to your bob or dear mr so and so i see that on lengthen you and i are connected with tony martignetti and, um, i understand that such and such is going on in the company, i’ve been having great conversations with your hr people, and i think that if you and i had an opportunity, i could tell you where i could find you one hundred thousand dollars a company and no ceo in his right mind wouldn’t want to meet you have a lot of them and not in their right mind, right? Okay, leonora let’s, turn let’s, turn back to you and have you have you employed these strategies to try to get around? What? What? What’s the traditional path? Yes, i’ve just started doing that, but i need a couple more weeks, ok? Because usually i do. After a week of sending things out, i usually do my follow-up phone calls make sure that i got my information, you know, maybe they haven’t had a chance to look at it, and the sort of brings my name upto light and, you know, it would be try to get a brief conversation, but i think i’ve probably seen more of that coming forward. In the next few weeks, okay? And are you using linked in for that purpose of finding my person or as laura as paula mentioned? But just as an example are using linkedin or some other ways actually using any which way i can’t okay? If i can’t find the information on link in charge of connect with other people that know people that are there that i could talk to thiss different databases, andan, outplacement program, they haven’t, you know, a database that you could probably research some people, although i’m trying to use that as well. So trying to use old my avenues and all my networking opportunities because as pull it keeps on reminding me that networking it’s, that branching it’s, that intermingling and we’ll be able to find that well and that’s part of paula’s philosophy. Well, i’m going to speak for you, paula. The search process is a spider spinning its web, and we have to think vertically and horizontally make all the unlikely connections wei have just about thirty seconds before i break anything you want to add to what leonora just said and then we’ll come back after the break. Yes, connections are more meaningful than networking. It’s. Connecting networking is showing up at a cocktail party with a hundred other people who, in needing connecting, is breaking down the communication to get people to hear you and want to meet you. Excellent, excellent lead into a brake, connecting more important than networking. This’s tony martignetti non-profit radio. When we return from the break, we’ll still be with paula marks and leonora scala. Talking alternative radio twenty four hours a day. Are you stuck in your business or career trying to take your business to the next level, and it keeps hitting a wall? This is sam liebowitz, the conscious consultant. I will help you get to the root cause of your abundance issues and help move you forward in your life. Call me now and let’s. Create the future you dream of. Two, one, two, seven, two, one, eight, one, eight, three, that’s to one to seven to one, eight one eight three. The conscious consultant helping conscious people. Be better business people. Dahna i really need to take better care of myself. If only i had someone to help me with my lifestyle. I feel like giving up. Is this you mind over matter, health and fitness can help. If you’re expecting an epiphany, chances are it’s not happening. Mind over matter, health and fitness could help you get back on track or start a new life and fitness. Join Joshua margolis, fitness expert at 2 one two eight six five nine to nine xero. Or visit w w w died. Mind over matter. Y si dot com. Durney do you want to enhance your company’s web presence with an eye catching and unique website design? Would you like to incorporate professional video marketing mobile marketing into your organization’s marketing campaign? Mission one on one media offers a unique marketing experience that will set you apart from your competitors, magnify your brand exposure and enhance your current marketing efforts. Their services include video production and editing, web design, graphic design photography, social media management and now introducing mobile marketing. Their motto is. We do whatever it takes to make our clients happy. Contact them today at mission one one media dot com. Talking. Welcome back to the show and our recurring feature. I’m looking savvy strategies for your search. Before the break, paul left us with excellent colonel of wisdom it’s connecting more important than networking on dh leonora. I’m concerned that your connections in the past five, four, five weeks have been, mohr for-profit than non-profit way its going, but i’m still not giving up because i feel like, hey have major contribution non-profit organization, why don’t you remind listeners? Because it was been since the first show that you and i talked why you’re so committed, what what was it in your background that makes you so committed to working for a non-profit want to remind people it was recently that my mother had back surgery and we were looking for a rehab program for her, and i was going out there and i was looking at the different organizations, and i found that the one that could offer my mother the most would be the non-profit and maybe see that i’m like, you know what? I could have a major contribution help these people, i believe in other people, but the organization and being able to make money for the corporation, because i know i’m very good at doing that finding money, finding ways to make money for corporation in the profit side, but let me do that in the non-profit so that i could expand out into other areas, that sounds like an excellent way to describe what you can do. I mean, if you get in front of a non-profit i can help you make money, find ways to make you money and and that’s really what i that’s really what i’m like, i’m very good at that, so i want to be able to do that for that. Non-profit because the more that they non-profit could utilize that extra cash will call it that that’s their you know what other people benefit and about. And you said earlier that it’s for profits that air seeking you out. So what are you doing to take paula’s advice? Teo, connect, make connections in non-profits i’m actually doing like more my networking, when i meet people, i will then try to have a one on one with them and trying to make that next-gen because what i have notices you need to break and those silos and also i’m very good about breaking down silos, but i need teo focus more on the people that i am meeting and trying to make that connection. Um, so i’m trying to do my follow-up in having one on one with them, can i interject? Sure got ebola? Leonora, forgive me, but why? Because i am so connected and because my printer glenn god bless him, i hope he’s listening to me this week pull, you’re not a networker. You should be the queen of connection you just network to make things happen. I said, glenn, how much i owe you for that. The point is that this week i was invited to a not for profit organization fund raiser held in george jensen at the ceo of fact attendant, and i was invited by a woman that i buy fine jewelry from its back. So i’ve had a relationship with for ten years, and she said, paula, you’ll be here six i said, i’ll be there and i met a hundred new people five or six of home will be real connections to business, one of whom was the ceo of georgians and the other of whom was the ceo at origin. And the ceo, in fact, all three of them handed me the card and said, call me i’d love to carve out some time to see you. And then i met the board of wind, which is women in need, which is a marvellous organisation for another conversation, tony, but i will call those people and in the conversation, i will say, you know, there’s a woman who was a client of mine, and this is what we’re doing and i’d love you to meet her. I thinkyou could be mutually beneficial, and they could buy him who i am because i have on ly in ninety eight percent approval rating, believe it or not, there are two percent the population that really can’t stand thing, and i have to live with that, and i have to work on improving it. But because of my credibility, these people will reluctantly were not say, ok, have her call. May i’ll meet her for for coffee for fifteen minutes because they’re smart enough to know they’d have to constantly be moving the sand to till the soil to find jim. There you go, leonora. So you’re going to hold paul his feet. To the fire on that, right. Okay, and so will we. In a couple weeks. Let’s see, so leonora, you’ve not given up on non-profits certainly. Honestly, i’m never going to give up. I feel that i could have a major contribution there. Let’s jump back to the for-profit side. Do you feel like you’re close to getting an offer? Is it? Is it that far along? In any case, i would i would say it’s not that where there’s an offer coming down the pike, but it’s for finding the right neck, but i feel like you need to find where you fit in on both ends from a corporation side and also from my side. I don’t want to be in a spot where i’m not fitting in where i don’t feel like i’m going to have a major contribution. Um, so i’m finding more of those that i’m like, you know what? This could be a right fit. Yeah, this could be right, you know, i’m going down that’s what? I’m finding more. Okay, so you’re using your connections to get more connections to try to find what feels right for you, right? And people get to know me more they’re like, you know what? Yeah, you should be at that organization. Or yeah, you could really do well over here, so i’m using that and i’m trying to branch out and trying to keep on as you told me, you know, make that little spider web keep on talking to different people and finding my way, okay? And just in the two minutes or so we have left. Ladies, leonora, how are you doing with the back on the i’m jumping around a little bit, but back on the non-profit side are you are you getting receptivity? I’m getting some responses, but it’s more, they still need toe work it and i’ll work with polar on this part is had a breakdown, that silo, they still see a one dimensional thing. They only see me as being a prophet, and i’m trying it and some people will get it and then they’ll say, well, you have something right now, which is fine because then i’ll follow-up for them, but i need so be ableto find tune how i’m being perceived, i feel that they still see it as one dimensional, that, you know, even with the financing and the background that i have, they’re saying, well, you came from profit, i’m like but if i could do it here, why can’t i do it? You know, free for you guys, and i’m still getting a little bit of a push back, okay? So so it sounds like, well, you know, just in just a minute, paula, i just wanted to say it sounds like you and leonora have some things to talk about, and leonore is going to hold your feet to the fire for those for those phone calls that you’re going to be making, and we have just about a minute left. So why don’t you take us out, paula? Okay, i think we need to look in the areas that we want to say. No, they won’t they can’t, they shouldn’t. And it did nothing else what you learn in profit. Leonora is to teach the not-for-profits where to find money in their bone organizations that they are overlooking. And even if in three to five years ago that she was a little profit woman, but look, she found us a million bucks. You will have been successful. Okay, so it’s essentially we’re coming back to your ability, leonora to find money for non-profits we can find your money from external sources. I confined your money from right here in the office. Okay, we’re going. We’re going to check in again in several weeks. This is ah, the recurring feature our regular feature. I’m looking savvy strategies for your search with our recruiting consultant, paula marks, and are generously sharing non-profit job seeker leonora scala ladies, thank you very much. Nice to talk to you. Thank you very much. And of course i want to thank maria simple, the prospect finder for sharing insights about her third edition of her book, panning for gold as well. Next week we are bringing on a colleague to i’m looking and that is we’re looking a new feature to accompany i’m looking r hr consultant karen bradunas well, who’s been on the show before is going to help the museum of chinese in america, a midsize non-profit with a job opening, it happens to be a curatorial job but doesn’t really matter improve recruiting by punching up the job description strategically targeting the search and doing smart candidates screening that’s im that’s. We’re looking next week and also scott koegler our regular tech contributor next week, i hope you’ll be with me keep up with what’s coming up. Sign up for insider alights on the facebook page and goto non-profit radio dot net to join us on itunes. The creative producer of tony martignetti non-profit radio is claire meyerhoff, line producer and owner of talking. Alternative is sam liebowitz, and our social media is done expertly by regina walton of organic social media. Help you be with me next week. Friday, one p, m eastern. Bonem you’re listening to the talking alternative network, waiting to get you thinking. Dahna cubine are you suffering from aches and pains? Has traditional medicine let you down? Are you tired of taking toxic medications, then come to the double diamond wellness center and learn how our natural methods can help you to hell? Call us now at to one to seven to one eight, one eight three that’s to one to seven to one eight one eight three or find us on the web at www dot double diamond wellness dot com way. Look forward to serving you. Are you feeling overwhelmed in the current chaos of our changing times? A deeper understanding of authentic astrology can uncover solutions in every area of life. After all, metaphysics is just quantum physics, politically expressed, i and montgomery taylor and i offer lectures, seminars and private consultations. For more information, contact me at monte m o nt y at r l j media. Dot com you’re listening to talking alternative network at www dot talking alt-right dot com now broadcasting twenty four hours a day. Is your marriage in trouble? Are you considering divorce? Hello, i’m lawrence bloom, a family law attorney in new york and new jersey. No one is happier than the day their divorce is final. My firm can help you. We take the nasty out of the divorce process and make people happy. Police call a set to one, two, nine six four three five zero two for a free consultation. That’s lawrence h bloom two, one two, nine, six, four, three five zero two. We make people happy. I really need to take better care of myself. If only i had someone to help me with my lifestyle. I feel like giving up. Is this you mind over matter, health and fitness can help. If you’re expecting an epiphany, chances are it’s not happening. Mind over matter, health and fitness could help you get back on track or start a new life and fitness. Join joshua margolis, fitness expert, two one two eight six five nine, two, nine, zero or visit w w w died. Mind over matter. Y si dot com. Dahna

Rabbinical Assembly, Part Deux: Your Slides Are Here

Thank you for hosting me for part two of Demystifying Planned Giving. You’ve been a lot of fun to be with and you asked really good questions. I hope you’re invigorated–not intimidated–by Planned Giving and its possibilities for your shuls.

We can connect on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

Your slides are here or you can view them below on Slideshare.

Beware The Self-Serving “Objective” Report

Photo Courtesy of freeaussiestock.com
These things are in every profession, not at all unique to nonprofit fundraising. The seemingly objective research or report or white paper that advocates a course of action. You’ve got to ask who wrote it and what they have to gain if you adopt their suggestions.

The most recent that I’ve seen is from WealthEngine, which makes money when nonprofits (and companies) hire them to do prospect screenings. In simple terms, that’s a comparison of your constituents with a company’s proprietary database that measures wealth and income. You use the result to determine who your best fundraising prospects are for different types and amounts of gifts.

Prospect screening is part of prospect research, work that I very much respect and have written about.

WealthEngine emailed me a press release announcing their report on best practices in arts and culture fundraising. It suggests those institutions should devote at least 25% of staff time to prospect research. Here’s a quote from the press release:

Unlike hospitals’ grateful patient programs and universities’ alumni and parent screening processes, many arts organizations seem to overlook the value of systematic prospect research, relying instead upon less consistent means to fundraising like tapping board members or others closely associated with their mission. In fact, two-thirds of the survey respondents indicated that less than 25% of staff time is spent on prospect research.

That 25% figure really bothers me. These are the hardest hit nonprofits in the recession, and the most struggling even in good times. To suggest they should be spending 25% of their staff time on prospect research is to dangle a carrot they cannot reach. The biggest institutions like major dance and opera companies and world-class museums? Frankly, it’s a stretch for them, too. But they’re outliers in the arts and culture space. In the arts, the vast majority are small companies struggling to keep the lights on, get the next show up, meet salary and keep the theater rent paid.

It’s cruel to prompt a resource allocation that’s grossly unattainable to most of the sector.

I see its purpose as selling their wealth screening service. The more time a charity devotes to prospect research, the more likely it is to buy a wealth screening. Both are valuable enterprises. And there are precious few nonprofits of any size that can devote “25% of staff time” to these activities. There’s a good reason that two-thirds of the survey respondents spend less than that on prospect research. That’s all they can afford and that’s all these worthwhile allocations deserve.

I have not read the report. The press release was sufficiently annoying. I tried to get a copy, but I object to the demand for far too much information. To download a report like this, I think the publisher is entitled to name and email. WealthEngine wants address, phone number and annual contribution level. All are required fields on a non-secure site. But that’s an aside.

Know who writes these advocacy research reports and think about why.

Rabbinical Assembly I: Your Slides Are Here

Thanks a lot for joining me for the Demystifying Planned Giving webinar! I hope you’ll be on Part II on February 3rd.

We can connect on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

Your slides are here or you can access them below on Slideshare.