The daffodils are fading and the weather warming. I planted a few tomato plants and moved several potted plants to the back porch, and then the temperature dropped. Once again, I was misled by the inexact science of weather predictions. So, I check the “Old Farmer’s Almanac” and learn April and May will be cooler than usual. Maybe I will have more tomatoes, but when do the potted plant ...[Read More]
Donor Diligence and New Nonprofits
Write Your Story and Leave a Legacy
Tiny stacks of 35-millimeter slides covered the dining room table. One by one I passed them through the slide viewer. The story of my parents’ earliest years together unfolded from Okinawa to North Carolina to Colorado and Texas. Pictures are only part of the story. Several years ago, dad sent me a handwritten letter, more like a long list of notes that wind through place and time. That’s another ...[Read More]
How Your Best Donor Day Becomes Your Best Donor Year
Did you miss National Do a Grouch a Favor Day? Me too, Feb. 16. I did catch Ground Hog Day when Punxsutawney Phil predicted more winter weather when he saw his shadow. Then there was National Bubblegum Day, National Freedom Day and several presidential birthdays – each considered a unique day on the February calendar. February is also the month of love, ashes, the Super Bowl and Winter Olympics. A ...[Read More]
Learning to Ask Essential Life Questions that Make You a Better Donor
“Wait, what?” How many times have you been sitting at a stop light, checking your phone and suddenly you hear the radio announcer say something that causes you to go “wait, what?” I need an easy backup button for my radio — just 30 seconds would do the trick. Or, you’re in a meeting, taking a few notes, thinking about the assignment on your desk you need to finish and you hear something about a ch ...[Read More]