Ahhh, there's a nip in the air, leaves are starting to change color, candy corn is back on the shelves (#teamcandycorn, I will not be taking questions on this), which means its time for just one thing: Fat Bears. It's been time for Fat Bears, actually, and today is the final day of Fat Bear Week, the showdown between Bear 910 and Backpack, Bear #89. Bucky was robbed and that's all I'll say about that. If you aren't familiar with Fat Bear Week, I need you to stop whatever pr

As a rule, I’m not a fan of invite-only events. I wrestled with that when I was invited to the Greater Giving Summit in Atlanta because any gathering that is going to talk about generosity, philanthropy, giving and participation ought to be pretty careful about deciding whose voices get to be in the room in the first place. There is something inherently uncomfortable about saying, “We’re going to gather a group of people to talk about the future of generosity,” and then putti

I am trying very hard not to start this with “I told you so.” So I won’t. Mostly. I have, however, been ranting for years about data privacy, security, regulation and compliance in fundraising. We are entrusted with an extraordinary amount of information about the people who support our organizations, much of it deeply personal, and we still struggle with some of the basics. (For the love of all things Panas, STOP EMAILING YOUR DONOR DATA LISTS.) Now AI has arrived and the st

Image disclosure: This image was generated using artificial intelligence to illustrate a period in which telephone fundraising, the National Do Not Call Registry, flip phones and metaphorical Tyrannosaurus rex coexisted. It does not depict an actual fundraiser, telemarketer or prehistoric reptile engaged in charitable solicitation. Any resemblance to a Tyrannosaurus rex, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. No beneficiary likenesses or donor data were used in its creatio

Having just recently moved away from Las Vegas, I was, of course, paying attention to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. I am not a sports person at all, but like everyone in the Vegas valley at the time, the Golden Knights grabbed our hearts and our attention when they came to town. And then we had the Knicks and all that hullabaloo and FIFA fever started kicking up and I thought to myself "Now, how are they selling all of these tickets and merch and watch parties at bars and restau

I've been using the Three Words planning & focus approach for about 6 or 7 years and I still can't help but hear the My Three Sons theme song every time I say it out loud. That's probably a terrible hook for a blog post, but if you've been here a minute you know that free association, random digressions, and obscure reminiscences are to be expected. (My Three Sons was a TV sitcom that ran from 1960-1972, about a widower (Fred MacMurray) raising his three sons, in case you

Over the last twelve days, instead of forecasting what fundraising might look like next year, this series focused on something more durable: skills fundraisers can actively develop, regardless of what the economy, technology, or donor behavior does next. Predictions change. Skills compound. This series was about strengthening the internal capacities that allow fundraisers to remain effective, ethical, human, and resilient — no matter what comes. Here’s the full list, with bri

Before we get into this discussion in full, let's just re-cap quickly. Today is January 5, the 12th Day of Christmas in the Christian liturgical calendar. For the last twelve days, rather than looking at projections or predictions for the new year, we've been looking at the skills fundraisers will need and can develop in the new year. Everything can and will change - and don't get me wrong, predictions and projections are very helpful. But by focusing on skills developmen

"Blessed are the flexible for the won't get bent out of shape." r I had a colleague who used to say this to me with some level of frequency; I thought it was wonderful. Until I realized she usually said it when I handed more work her way . . . We do tend to talk about Adaptability as a character trait, though, don't we? You either have it or you don't, and if you don't it's a persona flaw. "You need to be more adaptable." "Be comfortable with change." "PIVOT! Adaptability i