For a donor, the decision to give their largest gift is not one taken lightly. Just like there is a natural progression within a relationship that leads to engagement, there are specific phases to making important decisions around giving.

Oh, the infamous “other duties as assigned.” That little phase at the end of your job description that seems so innocent and benign in your interview that you barely notice it. It’s just the bullet point that they “have” to include - it’s no big deal, you tell yourself. 

Are you struggling to find and keep a Development Officer? Check out the video below and read our Blog Post: Finding and Keeping a Development Rockstar to learn more.

In theory, if we are successful in the nonprofit world, we should eventually work ourselves out of a job. Vision statements - like M.D. Anderson’s “Making Cancer History” tag line - imply that we are all working toward a goal of eliminating the problem or challenge our nonprofits are tackling. If we are ultimately successful as a society, one day there will no longer be hungry mouths to feed, diseases to cure, abused children to care for, and schools to improve.

A charity golf tournament is always great fun – especially when the weather is fine. Personally, I love playing in golf tournaments! It's a day away from the routine, an opportunity to be out in fresh air and spend time with fun people while supporting a good cause. Here is to playing in golf tournaments!

This is a question that all nonprofit organizations ask as they prepare for a capital campaign. And many nonprofits choose the wrong answer for reasons that seem responsible and sound in that moment. The correct – and short – answer is this: a nonprofit organization should engage professional counsel as soon as the need for capital is determined – long before the campaign begins.

There comes a time in a nonprofit’s lifecycle when it is faced with an extraordinary opportunity – a vision of how to expand and further its mission.

Losing a development officer can have serious implications on a nonprofit's mission. And finding the right replacement is a process that is rarely done well. There are many opinions on what the ideal characteristics are for a good development officer. Unfortunately, most of them miss the mark and bring little value to the search and hiring process. Here is another take on how to find and keep a Development Rockstar and help bring an end to the revolving door of the development office.

It's a busy time of year for us at MAP. I know it's a busy time for you, as well.It's always right around this time of year when I fail to remember to do some really important things. Perhaps, most importantly, setting aside time in the coming months to do some serious strategic planning for the year ahead.

This is a seemingly innocent question that elicits responses all over the charts. Nearly every nonprofit uses the term ‘major gift’ and has a quick definition of its meaning, but no two definitions are the same.