Glimmers of Hope Blog - Page 4 of 8 - Let's Build Hope, LLC

New (Fiscal) Year. New You.

June 29, 2022April 2, 2023 Annual Planning & Strategies

July 1 marks the new fiscal year for many of us. A former colleague would remind me, “You start back at zero and get to do it all over again!” He said it light heartedly, but he was right.

The new year (calendar or fiscal) brings on anticipation of what could be, plans that you get to implement (like a great vacation or how you are going to reach your goals), and…the clock resets and you get to dream and do something new and different in the new year. This is true for our personal selves and for our professional selves. We are development officers. We get the thrill of connecting the passions and interests of our donors with the incredible work we do to change our cities and world. It’s a new year. A new beginning. A new You.

Let’s Make It Official – Board Engagement that Works!

June 10, 2022April 2, 2023 Board and Leadership

It’s that time of year! Spring has sprung and the summer months are here – and folks are waving their sparkly new engagement rings all over social media. In the spirit of engagement, can we talk about BOARD engagement?

The Elegant No

April 6, 2022April 2, 2023 Board and Leadership

Ever heard a less than fabulous fundraising idea from a board member? Or your Boss? We all have. I’ve spent years of my fundraising life gently batting down bad fundraising ideas from extremely well-intentioned volunteers and staff.

I’ve also worked with scores of inexperienced fundraisers, who, not understanding the need to say “no” to poorly conceived fundraising suggestions, politely said, “Yes! I’m happy to execute a (fill in the blank here with BAD fundraising event concept)!” Then our dear baby fundraisers experience the agony of development defeat…and that failure falls squarely at their feet. Ugh!

Reading the Room…Is It Time to Ask for the Gift?

February 16, 2022April 2, 2023 Donor Relationships

Ah…the first pages of a new book…so much anticipation…what might happen? What might I learn? All these feelings and more are what makes a reader want to dive in and find out how it all plays out in the end. If we jump to the last page without reading the entire book, what might we miss? We lose a lot of the context, and most importantly, we lose the small moments in between the beginning and the outcome that make it so special. Sure, you get to know what happened, but did you feel connected to the characters?

Intentional Fundraising and Goals that Stick

January 22, 2022April 2, 2023 Annual Planning & Strategies

The start of the new year brings a chance to refresh our habits, set or reset goals, and start with a clean slate as we enter 2022. I don’t know about you, but I’ve had more years than I can count that I’ve set big audacious personal goals and proclaimed them proudly out loud on December 31, only to have them be forgotten about 12 months later or only accomplished for the first part of the year.

Stewardship: One Size Does NOT Fit All (Consider the Love Languages)

November 29, 2021April 2, 2023 Donor Relationships

In this season of gratitude, it’s good to remember that one size does not fit all when it comes to stewardship. Gary Chapman wrote, “The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts,” which describes how each of us have a preferred way that we give and receive love. When your partner or friend speaks your love language you automatically deepen the connection to that person. You pay attention more. You engage more. You give more of yourself. So much of this is also true for our relationship with our donors.