How was the end of 2024? Did you make it through OK? A lot of fundraisers we work with enter January exhausted from the busy year-end season, which is often filled with last-minute donor meetings, calls, and holiday events. It can be a stressful time. While we highly recommend taking time to rest and recover, there are also important strategies you…

With about a week remaining in the year, most fundraisers feel like they've exhausted their to-do list. They’ve worked their plan, made their last calls, and written their thank-you cards. What happens to their donors now is mostly out of their hands. While that may be true, there are still a few achievable strategies to adopt in your plan so that …

Relational fundraising isn’t just a buzzword, it’s part of the Veritus mission. Whether you’re in mid-level, major gifts, or planned giving, being relationship-focused means that you are prioritizing the long-term relationship with the donor over just getting the money. Ideally, everyone at your organization should see the donor as a vital partner …

At Veritus, we’re all about relational fundraising, but too often, we hear about non-profit leaders making random budget cuts that negatively impact this tried-and-true approach. We know that leaders are under a lot financial pressure at their organizations. Tough decisions have to be made when times and budgets are tight. But it’s important for de…

In the non-profit sector, if you aren’t willing to advance into management, there is very little opportunity to grow as a fundraiser, take on new responsibilities, and increase your salary. This is a frustrating reality, because not everyone is right for management. Leadership requires a different skillset and specific perspective, one that’s inter…

More and more, fundraisers are being overworked and underpaid. They’re frequently pulled in different directions and asked to accomplish tasks that don’t fall under their domain – all without a solid support structure. It’s caused many to leave the sector entirely. There is so much important work to do in our world and we need to take care of our p…

It’s not easy to let go of certain donors, but there comes a time in every fundraising cycle when you’ll need to transition a donor relationship to someone else. Whether the donor is moving from mid-level to a major gifts portfolio, or from a higher level of giving back into mid-level or direct response, transitioning them to another colleague is o…

How many times has your organization pulled you into something that doesn’t directly relate to your job? This kind of scenario is all too common in the non-profit sector, and the results of it are usually negative: fundraisers lose their focus, have less impact, and solicit less giving. What if fundraising leaders and management stopped distracting…

It's another Masterclass inspired episode. In this episode, Clark Vandeventer shares some of his notes from Levar Burton's MasterClass on Storytelling. You may know LeVar Burton from his years as host of Reading Rainbow. LeVar talks about how to tell a great story, but Clark emphasizes that great stories only resonnate when they are told be a trust…

With summer vacations wrapping up and back-to-school season in full swing, it’s time to start taking a close look at your fundraising plans for the fall and year-end. Are you feeling prepared for the busy months ahead? We know how valuable this time of year is in your fundraising cycle, which is why it’s so important to focus on creating a strong s…

Host Clark Vandeventer talks about figuring out the right amount to ask for. Fundraisers! Do you have a hard time knowing the right amount to ask for? Can you ask for too much? What if you "leave money on the table"? Clark gives some guidance on figuring out the right amount to ask for. Check out Clark's "other" podcast Around the World with Mr. Cl…

It’s the most intimidating part of fundraising: asking someone for a gift. But that’s not the only thing that fundraisers need to ask for. You’re also requesting meetings, inviting donors to attend events, and asking them to share the personal drivers behind their giving. So, whatever you’re asking for – how do you do it in a way that honors the do…

Did you know that Veritus Group is an international consulting agency, with offices in the UK & Europe (in addition to our US & Canada team)? We often get questions about how The Veritus Way works in different cultural settings, so we wanted to spend some time sharing about our work with international clients and highlighting what’s been working we…

Veritus Group was incredibly honored to be the Presenting Sponsor for the AADO Conference in 2024. AADO (African American Development Officers Network) is a network of more than 3,500 fundraising professionals of color. Their annual conference is the premier event for fundraising, development, and operations professionals of color, and their allies…

Host Clark Vandeventer talks about SMART Goals: SMART goals are a goal-setting technique that uses five benchmarks to help create concise goals and action steps: S is for Specific: Clearly define what you want to accomplish M is for Measurable: Quantify your goals and build in milestones to make them easier to track A is for Achievable: Consider if…

Over the past two decades, our team at Veritus has analyzed hundreds of different non-profits’ data files, and we see the same trends over and over again. While overall revenue may go up year-over-year, many donors give less over time (or go away altogether). But organizations are often unaware this is happening because the loss is covered up by gi…

In the past, you may have heard Clark Vandeventer talk about adding steps to the process. The more you elongate the major gift process and slowly bring your donors along, the safer you'll be. Clark recently heard Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos share the same idea with the phrase, "Slow is smooth and smooth is fast." The phrase "slow is smooth and smooth…

As a fundraiser, you play two roles in any donor meeting. First, you’re there to be a partner to your donor, which means you’re seeking to learn more about their passions so you can help to match those with your organization’s programs. And your second role is to act as a facilitator so that everyone is on the same page about the purpose of the mee…

It's another Masterclass inspired episode. In this episode, Clark Vandeventer shares some of his notes from Robin Arzón's MasterClass on Mental Strength. Robin Arzón is an exercise instructor and author, best known as an instructor at Peloton, for which she is also the Vice President of Fitness Programming. Clark shares an incredible mental test he…

Building a partnership between mid-level and direct response is crucial to your organization’s success. Yet many organizations are missing out on opportunities to align these groups in a way that will strengthen the donor pipeline. For this episode, we invited special guests Becca Burgess, VP of Client Services at Moore, and Kara Ansotegui, Senior …

In this episode, Chief Fundraising Coach Clark Vandeventer goes through the basic script for the four types of donor meetings Discovery Cultivation Solicitation Stewardship What are the go-to questions for each of these different type of meetings? How are the goals for each type of meeting different? email Clark at clark@majorgiftsfundraiser.com Ma…

Many non-profit leaders rely on metrics because it’s easier than sitting down with their frontline fundraisers each week and helping them stay focused and accountable to their strategic plan. But when your fundraising performance metrics are not aligned with building meaningful relationships with your donors, it can cause a whole host of problems. …

Michael Lewis is the author of more than 20 books, including 3 that have become major motion pictures (Moneyball, The Blind Side, The Big Short). Host Clark Vandeventer shares highlights for fundraisers from his Masterclass on How to Tell a Great Story. Link: https://www.masterclass.com/series/tell-a-great-story From of this podcast: You're probabl…

Host Clark Vandeventer answers a listener email and addresses the question, "What's the right amount to ask for?" email Clark at clark@majorgiftsfundraiser.com Major Gifts Fundraiser on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/majorgiftsfundraiser/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Major Gifts Fundraiser on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/majorgiftsfund…

Many fundraisers aren’t starting their caseloads from scratch – they’re inheriting a donor caseload that was previously managed by someone else. Whether you’re a new hire, or you’re moving into a new role within the same organization and taking on a new caseload, this transition can be complicated. How do you introduce yourself to these donors who …

Host Clark Vandeventer shares highlights for fundraisers from the MasterClass on Purposeful Communication with George Stephanopoulos. Focus of this podcast episode: Doing your preparation Time Management Using body language in donor meetings Utilizing silence (not just the silence after you asked for a gift) email Clark at clark@majorgiftsfundraise…

Is your organization set up to support the donor journey? What structures do you have in place to develop your donor relationships from initial acquisition to cultivation, mid-level, major gifts, and planned giving? These are some of the questions you need to consider as you work to build a healthy donor pipeline. In this episode, Richard and Jeff …

What is your next right thing with your donor? Getting a visit? Making an ask? Closing a gift? Whatever the next thing is that you need to do, BEFORE you do that, think about 2-3 steps you can add to the process. email Clark at clark@majorgiftsfundraiser.com Major Gifts Fundraiser on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/majorgiftsfundraiser…

Do you know who your top people are? Your Top 2-3 prospects? Your Top 5? Your Top 10? This may be the masterskill of success in fundraising. And, you could get the names wrong and still be right! Email Clark at clark@majorgiftsfundraiser.com Major Gifts Fundraiser on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/majorgiftsfundraiser/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Major Gif…

We’ve all been in meetings where the conversation getssidetracked. Maybe someone present is very chatty and wants to spend the first half hour catching up. Maybe one individual has another topic they want to discuss, outside of what was outlined in the agenda. Or maybe no one is clear on why they’re there at all, so the conversation wanders until t…

In celebration of Women’s History Month, today’s episode isall about how women are shaping and changing the field of fundraising. Our special guest joining us for this conversation is Yolanda F. Johnson, President and Founder of YFJ Consulting and Women of Color in Fundraising and Leadership (WOC)™, which specializes in fundraising, philanthropy, a…

Asking your donors for gifts isn’t something you should save for the year-end giving season. When you’re tuned in to your donor’s giving preferences and interests, you can bring them additional giving opportunities even outside their regular giving season. For this episode, we invited two guest fundraisers and clients of ours to share their experti…

When you work at a non-profit organization, just as in any job, there will be times that you feel stuck, discouraged, or uninspired. This work is hard, and it’s not uncommon to experience feelings of burnout or frustration. If you’re in a space like that, how do you shift your energy so you can bring your best self to your work with donors? For thi…

Where are you essential as a fundraiser? As a human being? In this episode Clark talks about focusing on the most important things. Don't foget -- email Clark to reserve your spot in a group coaching cohort. Deadline is January 31. Email Clark at clark@majorgiftsfundraiser.com Major Gifts Fundraiser on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/maj…

When you’re looking for your next fundraising position, how do you evaluate which opportunities are most aligned with your professional goals? What questions should you ask in your conversations with hiring managers to learn more about their culture and evaluate whether the role is a good fit? In this podcast episode, Karen and Matt are joined by s…

Welcome to January! In these first weeks of the year, you’re likely still finishing out the year-end season, thanking donors for gifts received, and assessing your performance compared to your goals. At the same time, you’re working on communication plans and strategies for the year ahead. In this episode, Jeff is joined by Theresa Tapocsi and Edie…

When we talk to passionate fundraisers who are deeply committed to their donors, their most common complaint about their work is that they don’t feel supported by their managers. People leave organizations because of it, yet management skills are often undervalued in the non-profit space. In today’s episode, Karen and Jeff talk through some of the …

When an anonymous check for $100,000 arrived at the American Brain Foundation, their fundraising team was blown away. The organization certainly wasn’t so large that this level of giving was typical. Who was this anonymous person, and what made them decide to give so generously? In this episode, Jeff and Diana interview two members of the team at t…

Have you heard the legendary story of the guy who returned tires to Nordstrom? In this episode, Clark Vandeventer recounts the story of a recent experience he had with a local business, and how these employees were clearly not trained by Nordstroms. Examples of how you can set yourself apart as a fundraiser by BEING KNOWLEDGABLE. Email Clark at cla…

When you have a healthy donor pipeline, there will come a time when you need to transition a donor relationship to someone else. Whether the donor is moving from mid-level to a major gifts portfolio or from a higher level of giving back into mid-level or direct response, you need to have protocols in place so that the transition feels seamless to t…

When moves management was first introduced as a strategy to help fundraisers manage their caseloads, it was a step forward in putting some much-needed structure around the donor pipeline. But now, some non-profits have taken the idea too far. A lot of organizations have gotten stuck on rigid definitions of what “stage” a donor is at. Moves manageme…

Clark Vandeventer opens this episode by talking about a favorite mantra: things you measure get better, things you don't won't. Also, when we expect and require excellence of ourselves in one area, that bleeds over to other areas of our life. Then, Clark gives some tips on how you can use the month of November to report on your good work while expr…

In this epsidode host Clark Vandeventer shares and expands on 3 ideas from Brian Tracy's book "Be a Sales Superstar." This is Part 2. Building Long-Term Relationships Using Educational Selling Building Mega-credibility Email Clark at clark@majorgiftsfundraiser.com Major Gifts Fundraiser on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/majorgiftsfundraise…

At the AFP Conference last summer, two fundraisers from the East Texas Food Bank reached out to Jeff. They wanted to share with him how taking our Certification Course two years ago has made a huge difference for them in building deeper donor relationships and bringing in more revenue for their mission. We felt so inspired by the conversation and t…

In this epsidode host Clark Vandeventer shares and expands on 3 ideas from Brian Tracy's book "Be a Sales Superstar." The Winning Edge Principle Being Brilliant at the Basics And the classic sales formula AIDA Email Clark at clark@majorgiftsfundraiser.com Major Gifts Fundraiser on Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/majorgiftsfundraiser/⁠⁠ Major…

In this episode, Clark Vandeventer talks about the three big pieces to your year-end, and that starts with spending the month of November exuding gratitude. Email Clark at clark@majorgiftsfundraiser.com Major Gifts Fundraiser on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/majorgiftsfundraiser/⁠ Major Gifts Fundraiser on Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.co…

One of the greatest barriers to your success in relational fundraising is whether or not the rest of your organization understands and supports this work. We hear stories all the time from frustrated fundraisers who aren’t able to get important program information, can’t easily share the impact, and don’t have donor offers to present. So for this e…

Can you text your donors? Is that appropriate? If you're asking that question, it may be an indication we have another issue to deal with. Host Clark Vandeventer talks about whether it's appropriate to text your donors. Email Clark at clark@majorgiftsfundraiser.com Major Gifts Fundraiser on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/majorgiftsfundraiser…

We get a lot of questions from our community about basic best practices in fundraising. And we get it! It’s one thing to understand these ideas in theory, but even the most experienced fundraisers run into questions when it comes to implementation. So, for this podcast episode, we’ve compiled some of the most common questions we receive about the b…

Clark shares a list of 30 tips for connecting with others. This is great life advice for caring for others and creating a high touch environment. Email Clark at clark@majorgiftsfundraiser.com Major Gifts Fundraiser on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/majorgiftsfundraiser/⁠ Major Gifts Fundraiser on Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/majorgift…