by Ernie Vargo

It is getting to that time of the year when we are all a bit overwhelmed with the Holiday Season. The commercials have started. Have you done your shopping? What about the parties you need to attend? How about signing all of those cards? This is common in my house and I would guess most others.

During the Holiday Season, it is easy to forgot about why celebrate. We all have the best intentions, but it is all encompassing in our lives.

The best present I ever had was helping a less fortunate family for an evening. It wasn’t much and I was supposedly helping a mom and her children have a normal life for the evening at our church. However, it was me who received so much joy from this family. They taught me that not all homeless people are the folks we see on street corners. The mom was smart, articulate with great kids. She had a run of bad luck and all of a sudden she was homeless. This provided me and my family all whole new perspective.

This season take a breath. Consider doing something to help someone else. Who knows? This may be your best Holiday ever.

Happy Holidays!

by Angela White

Giving back. It should be on our mind all of the time, but the holiday season seems to heighten the awareness of giving back.

Take yesterday, for example. When leaving our local Kroger store, my five year old son, Patrick, saw the nice gentleman ringing the bell for the Salvation Army. Patrick asked me about the gentleman and his purpose. After thinking about it for a minute, he said, “Mom, I have $1.00 in my backpack in the car. Can we get it so that I can give it to the man?” Well, of course, I was touched by the generosity of a five year old giving away a precious $1.00 that was to be used to buy candy at the 8^th grade candy store at his school (which is also a charitable act – to raise money for the 8^th grade trip – but certainly the ROI on that donation would be greater to a five year old than simply the good feeling that comes with putting the $1.00 in the Salvation Army bucket). 

On the way home from Kroger, I was challenging myself to think about how I talk about my work with  my two boys – do I talk about meetings, deadlines, emails to answer, etc. OR do I talk about the privilege that I have to help people give back?

To this end, I would recommend a great book to you called Three Cups written by Mark St. Germain and available at  www.3cupsbooks.com. It is a great tool to help children understand the joy of giving back – even when their mom forgets to bring home that aspect of her work!

by Ted Grossnickle

In our “hometown” city of Indianapolis, JGA recently witnessed a wonderful example of the power of personal philanthropy and public education and support. The Wishard Hospital referendum on the November 3rd election ballot in this city received overwhelming support after a very thorough campaign of education and exchange of views. It makes possible the construction of a much needed new facility and carries a total price tag estimated at approximately $754,000,000.

During the past few months leading up to the referendum, the hospital received the largest private gifts in its history and reminded us of the wonderful ability this City has demonstrated over the years to combine private and public support to accomplish big goals.

Some big questions were implicitly posed by this referendum. Would citizens and taxpayers see this as a necessary investment during what everyone knows (and is feeling) as a very tough economy? Would it be perceived as something important to do “but not right now?” Would the leadership team associated with it generate trust and respect? In short, would people be willing to look beyond the immediate tough times and decide to move forward on a very big project?

To be clear, the initiative on the ballot was clearly articulated and well supported by many leaders and citizens. It also did not require any sort of tax increase or additional funds out of a taxpayer’s pocket… but it certainly did require a voter to assess whether or not this warranted a “yes” or a “no” and was, from my perspective, an important test in the region’s capacity for thinking positively about the future.

When events of this magnitude happen, it reminds me of two of the most important assets any community must have – hope for the future and a sense that we can be better.

Indianapolis answered the questions on November 3rd – with hope and a desire to be better.

by Meg Gammage-Tucker

SWOT analysis is the methodology by which individuals working on behalf of an organization evaluate the environmental activities and situations that are and can be affecting an organization’s programs and priorities. The acronym SWOT stands for “strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats”.

Strengths and weaknesses are internal questions for the organization.
1. Strengths: “what do we do well and what can we build upon?”
2. Weaknesses: “what do we need to do better and how and what do we need to improve?”

Opportunities and threats are external questions for the organization.
1. Opportunities: “what changes are taking place in our environment that could help us achieve our mission and/or improve our programs/services?”
2. Threats: “what changes are taking place in our environment that we need to guard against and/or that could reduce or negatively impact our effectiveness?”

SWOT analyses can be done in a short format (i.e., by means of a one-time discussion or “retreat”) or as part of a larger process of in-depth program evaluation. And SWOT’s can include all members of an organization or be limited to specific sub-groups—depending on the extensiveness of the process desired. (My general recommendation is the more participation you have, the better the buy-in and use of the plan will be.)

The most important thing to know about SWOT is, however, is that you if you are going to do strategic planning, you must do a SWOT analysis. A strategic plan without a good assessment of your strengths, weaknesses, challenges, abilities, and opportunities cannot, for all intents and purposes, be a good strategic plan. How can you improve if you do not know what to improve upon? How can you grow if you do not understand what options are available to you? And, most importantly, how can you authentically assure your clients and supporters that you are doing your best to meet the needs of your community and fulfill your mission, if you don’t know what the current issues and needs are?

So if you are planning on strategic planning, do take the time undertake a SWOT. It is worth the time and effort.

by Dan Schipp

Recently I joined several of my JGA colleagues in attending the Indiana AFP fall conference.  Penelope Burk, author of Donor Centered Fund-Raising and President of Cygnus Applied Research, was the featured speaker.  Her appearance was sponsored by JGA.

In one of the conference sessions Penelope spoke about the great, but largely unrealized, opportunity awaiting not-for-profit organizations in planned giving.  She particularly focused on the most simple of planned gifts - a bequest.  She cited research that shows 43% of Americans say they are interested in making a bequest to a charitable organization.  Only 8% of wills, however, do include a charitable bequest.  So there is potential to increase by almost five-fold the number of estate plans that include charitable bequests.  And when you consider, as Penelope pointed out, that a bequest, on average, is four times a person’s major gift to the not-for-profit organization, the potential is enormous.

So why aren’t organizations promoting and pursuing bequests more actively?  I suspect some feel that they do not have the expertise to support a planned giving program.  But encouraging donors to consider charitable bequests does not require a lot of technical knowledge.  Another reason may be - and most likely it’s the main reason - is that the organizations are focused on generating current operating dollars and do not want to fracture that focus.

Great things can happen when you make a commitment to pursuing planned gifts, especially bequests.  Let me offer one example.  I know of an organization that launched a planned giving program in the late 1960’s a few years after it started a development program.  Ever since that organization has had one staff member who has concentrated on planned giving.  In the first three years of that organization’s planned giving program, realized bequests amounted to less than 5% of total gift income.  In the next decade that percentage increased to 12%.  In the second decade it rose to 26%.  In the third and fourth decades after the planned giving program started, bequests totaled more than 40% of that organization’s total gift income!

I am not suggesting that any organization abandon its annual giving program to pursue planned gifts.  Every organization can be doing something, however, to promote bequests, even if it is just reminding benefactors in appeal mailings or newsletters to “Remember XYZ Organization in Your Will.”  Other simple steps are featuring stories of charitable bequests in your publications and on your website and, most importantly, having conversations about bequests with donors, especially those who have a long record of giving and/or a high frequency of responding to appeals.

The potential in planned giving is great.  Patience, persistence, and simply getting started, are essential in realizing that potential.

As always, the JGA consultants are keeping busy in the non-profit community.  In September, Meg Gammage-Tucker, Senior JGA Consultant, taught two days of “Developing Annual Sustainability” for The Fundraising School in Indianapolis, and October 15th – 17th she will be presenting two sessions on Establishing an Annual Fund and Taking the Fear out of Asking for Gifts at the Zoological Association of America conference in Wichita, Kansas.

Ted Grossnickle, Chairman and CEO of JGA, has also been on the move.  Ted recently spent three days in New York City conducting client interviews (and rubbing elbows with world leaders who were attending the UN General Assembly).  Fresh off the plane, Ted headed back to his alma mater, Wabash College, to give the Chapel speech to students, faculty, and staff on October 8th.  Early next month, Ted will be presenting the keynote address to the Lambda Chi Regional meeting at Wabash, and he is also authoring a chapter for an upcoming book which will address the trustee’s role in fundraising. 

Senior Consultant Angela White is also keeping busy with her work on behalf of the Women’s Philanthropy Institute.  On November 6th, Angela will speak on why gender matters in philanthropy at the University of Kentucky’s “Power of the Purse” presentation.  Angela will also speak at the inaugural fall symposium for the University of Oklahoma Women’s Philanthropy Network on November 19th.  The symposium will highlight the ways in which gifts “have enriched the academic life of the University” while also educating attendees on how they can make a difference.  

So, don’t be surprised if you happen to run into a JGA consultant…it seems they can turn up just about anywhere.

by Dan Schipp

Early in my development career, someone asked my daughter, Mary Ellen, in my presence, “So . . . what do you want to be when you grow up?” She answered without hesitation, “A development director!” With that response, the buttons came popping off my shirt as my chest swelled with pride. But then Mary Ellen added, “Because you get to eat out a lot and stay at motels with swimming pools.” And with that clarification, my pride deflated.

Mary Ellen is the first and last young person that I have heard respond “development director” to that often-asked question about career aspirations. Yes, Mary Ellen’s interest in the field of development was naively based on what she perceived to be the perks of travel; she really did not understand what development entailed. But what if her six-year old mind could have comprehended what it meant to work in development? What if she could have understood how fulfilling, challenging, and rewarding a career in development can be? Might she have responded even more enthusiastically, “A development director!”?

It is privileged work we undertake in development. We are enablers of works that save lives, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, educate minds, shelter the homeless, heal the sick, create beauty, offer hope, and inspire souls. We are builders of organizations and institutions. We are facilitators of dreams. We are providers of opportunities to experience the joy of giving! Not bad work for a 26-year-old or a 66-year-old!

Perhaps, if we made more of a concerted effort to encourage young people to consider a career in development, spoke more openly with them about the challenges and opportunities in fundraising, offered them more internships in our advancement offices, and participated more frequently in career days, we might have more young people aspiring to be development directors . . . and not just because they want to eat out a lot and go swimming in motel pools!

by Kris Kindelsperger

In the midst of “National Strategic Thinking Month” (yes there is such a month), it is interesting to note that one of the most significant challenges facing nonprofit organizations, their leaders, and their boards of directors is differentiating between what is truly strategic and what is merely tactical.

In our work with nonprofits all over the country we encounter organizational leaders that can execute mass quantities of work, but when faced with strategic issues, often find themselves overwhelmed and unable to meaningfully move forward. In fairness, many nonprofit leaders are so overburdened with their responsibilities that they rarely have a moment to pause and think strategically (but strategically managing workload is a matter for another blog). Is strategic thinking inherently more difficult than tactical? Is strategic thinking a luxury that can only be attended to when all tactical responsibilities have been executed? Can strategic planning become “pie in the sky” work that drains valuable time and resources from necessary tactical work?

The answer to all of these questions can be yes, but it is also true that few nonprofits reach a high level of excellence, relevance, or impact without strong strategic thinking and the ability to codify that thinking in a strategic plan. Conversely we can all think of organizations that tackle their tactic missions on a day to day basis but never seem to be able to move to the next level of quality or to position themselves for future success.

So hats off to National Strategic Thinking Month for causing us to consider the importance of strategic thinking, and to those nonprofit leaders who find the time to do it and make their organizations better for it. Where does strategic thinking fit into your priorities?

by Ernie Vargo

It is my favorite time of the year! Fall is approaching. The air is turning crisp, and before long the leaves will be changing colors. This is a real time of transition from the heat of summer to the cool air of fall. The change is inevitable. But do you grasp it and take control or let it control you?

This is what we deal with on a daily basis. Do we take advantage of opportunities presented to us? Those who are successful not only take advantage of the opportunities, but they are an impetus for transformation.

I saw an interesting quote from a very successful person today:

To be successful you have to have a chance, take advantage of the chance and be articulate…

That seems pretty simple. Then why are so many leaders afraid to make tough decisions to better an organization? Many times they don’t realize the opportunities in front of them. Instead they dwell on the past.

Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself. Take risks. Seek opportunities with zest. Is there a chance of failure? Of course. Will the reward be worth it? Without a doubt.

It is a time of change. Organizations that are thriving are seizing opportunities in a difficult environment. A college I work with has not retreated during the downturn in the economy. They kept their advancement staff, kept their travel budget and today are negotiating two high seven-figure gifts.

Their president saw the chance and grasped it. The college will benefit from his ability to see an opportunity in an economic downturn and use it to benefit the college for years to come.

Look forward to fall and the change it brings.