2. Questions to Get Gift Officers Thinking About Their Impact

    BY PENNY COWDEN, MPA, CFRE, FAHP and President of Philanthropy212 One of the jewels in Jerry Panas’ Fundraiser’s Creed is: “I spend my life lighting fires.” As I’ve progressed through my career as a development professional, that deeply meaningful phrase has stayed with me. I’ve spent a …Read More

  4. What inspires me just might inspire you.

    I’ve been inspired by a lot of people. When I transitioned from corporate business development and marketing to not-for-profit development, I was clueless. I was so clueless, I didn’t even know I was clueless—that took about three months. That’s when I really figured out that business develo…Read More

  5. Fundraisers Creed

    I was talking with a client about legacy giving and it led me to contemplating what we, as fundraisers, leave as our own legacy. Many moons ago, Jerry Panas gave me a copy of his Fundraiser's Creed. It spoke to me then and it speaks to me now. I wanted to share it--especially for those of us who hel…Read More

  6. Where’s The Mission

    I’m hearing a lot of talk lately about being donor centric. I have to say, I’m shocked! Why do we have to talk about being donor centric? Why is this even a question? Of course, we should have the donor at the center of all we do. It’s crazy to imagine everybody doesn’t have the donor at the…Read More

  7. Martin Luther King Didn’t Yell “I Have A Strategic Plan”

    Strategies are Useless; Dreams are Priceless Really, strategy without dreams is useless. They have to start with dreams. I know metrics are important but unless you base your plans on big ideas that inspire they are useless. You know why? Because there are hundreds of pages long, they’re in really…Read More

  8. Speaking of Physician Giving

    I was recently working with a board of directors and the topic of physician giving came up…as it usually does! The comments were along the lines of: "Physicians Should Give!" and "Why Don’t Physicians Give?" After 25 years working in healthcare philanthropy, I've heard the above, in one form or …Read More

  9. Happy New Year From Philanthropy212!

    I’d like to think of 2019 as the year of the donor! The year where it truly is revealed that donors make gifts to organizations they care about without relying on tax benefits as the prime motivation. Fundraisers know this. We all know that donors give from the heart and because of the heart. But …Read More