Tag Archives: prospect

Nonprofit Radio for June 21, 2013: Get Out and Positively Communicate & SECrets

Big Nonprofit Ideas for the Other 95%

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Tony’s Guests:

Interviewing Sharyn Abbott at NextGen:Charity 2011
Sharyn Abbott: Get Out and Positively Communicate

Sharyn Abbott is the author of Mixing It Up! The Entrepreneur’s New Testament and her strategies apply to small- and mid-size nonprofits, too. At the NextGen:Charity conference in 2011 we talked about networking your nonprofit; recruiting and hiring motivated people; and positive communications. Sharyn reads my face to tell me what kind of communicator I am.

 

 

Maria Semple
Maria Semple: SECrets

Maria Semple is the author of Panning for Gold: Find Your Best Donor Prospects Now! and our prospect research contributor. This month she pans for research gold in SEC corporate filings.

 

 


Top Trends. Sound Advice. Lively Conversation.

You’re on the air and on target as I delve into the big issues facing your nonprofit—and your career.

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.

When and where: Talking Alternative Radio, Fridays, 1-2PM Eastern

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Here is the link to the audio: 147: Get Out And Communicate Positively & SECrets. You can also subscribe on iTunes to get the podcast automatically.
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Maria Semple

Nonprofit Radio for June 7, 2013: Maria’s FAQs

Big Nonprofit Ideas for the Other 95%

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Tony’s Guest:

Maria Semple
Maria Semple: Maria’s FAQs

Maria Semple is The Prospect Finder and our monthly prospect research contributor. She does a lot of speaking and training and gets asked a lot of questions She’ll answer the most frequent, about researching individuals and foundations.

 

 
On Tony’s Take Two, guests from Australia! Sally West and Keith Wright share the Love Is campaign.


Top Trends. Sound Advice. Lively Conversation.

You’re on the air and on target as I delve into the big issues facing your nonprofit—and your career.

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.

When and where: Talking Alternative Radio, Fridays, 1-2PM Eastern

Sign-up for show alerts!

Here is the link to the audio: 145: Maria’s FAQs. You can also subscribe on iTunes to get the podcast automatically.
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A Charity Did What Charities Do

No Smoking Guns courtesy of David King on Flickr
No Smoking Guns courtesy of David King on Flickr
Last week The New York Times exposed Beth Israel Medical Center’s fundraising operation as it became public through documents related to a will challenge by distant relatives of Huguette Clark, a wealthy woman who lived her last 20 years in the New York City nonprofit hospital. She died in 2011.

From the Times’ account, I see very little wrong and nothing egregious. New details may emerge and I’m analyzing what’s known today based on the linked article. (I’m much more interested in where the story ends.)

Ms. Clark was a major gift prospect, as she should be. She lived in the hospital for a long time and had her faculties.

Fundraising staff researched their prospect and the CEO was actively involved. All CEOs should be engaged in major gift fundraising. They wrote memos to each other and to the file.

It’s true: people inside charities routinely talk to each other about fundraising prospects and donors. They keep records in databases and paper files. They hold strategy meetings to manage relationships.

That’s what charities do.

It’s what they have to do to get gifts so their doors stay open. It is the way fundraising gets done in the charity business.

Surprisingly, the Times article lacks this context. There’s no commentary from a person with knowledge of fundraising practices to say, presumably, that there’s not much in this story that’s out of the ordinary.

What I didn’t like is the unprofessionalism of some notes and the unbridled exuberance that led a staffer to use seven exclamation marks to announce a gift of a painting. And there are snarky comments, too.

Those instances were poorly judged and thoughtless. Not illegal. Not unethical. Just thoughtless.

Never put in writing something you wouldn’t want the person you’re writing about to read. Keep your notes factual.

My greatest interest is the last paragraph of the Times’ article. Within 20 days of signing her first will, which did not include Beth Israel, the CEO met with Ms. Clark three times. Three weeks after the last of those visits she executed a new will with a $1 million bequest for the hospital. That’s the will under dispute.

Now we’re squarely in my territory, Planned Giving.

  • Did an attorney prepare the wills?
  • Did the same attorney prepare both?
  • Were they executed in compliance with New York law? (The first will is dubbed “sparse.”)
  • Were the attorneys recommended by the hospital?
  • Did hospital staff have meetings with the attorneys?
  • Who paid the attorneys?
  • How many people were in the three meetings with Ms. Clark?
  • What was said?
  • How did she react?
  • Did other staff meet her between the two wills?
  • What did they say and how many people were in those meetings?

Nearly everything leading up to the first will is business as usual, as far as we know.

For me, the end of the story begins the most interesting inquiry.

Photo of Gary Vaynerchuk

Nonprofit Radio, May 17, 2013: A Conversation With Gary Vaynerchuk & Maria’s Mixed Bag

Big Nonprofit Ideas for the Other 95%

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Tony’s Guests:

Photo of Gary Vaynerchuk
Gary Vaynerchuk
Gary Vaynerchuk: A Conversation With Gary Vaynerchuk

We’ll find out from this New York Times best-selling author, sought after speaker, social media consultant and wine expert what insights his book “The Thank You Economy” holds for small- and mid-size nonprofits.

 

 

Maria Semple
Maria Semple: Maria’s Mixed Bag

Maria Semple, The Prospect Finder and our prospect research contributor, has a few things for you this month: a conference reminder; a tweak to Google Alerts; and a report, “”Millenials and Money”” from Merrill Lynch.”

 
 

 


Top Trends. Sound Advice. Lively Conversation.

You’re on the air and on target as I delve into the big issues facing your nonprofit—and your career.

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.

When and where: Talking Alternative Radio, Fridays, 1-2PM Eastern

Sign-up for show alerts!

Listen to the audio here: 142: A Conversation With Gary Vaynerchuk & Maria’s Mixed Bag. You can also subscribe on iTunes to get the podcast automatically.

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