Tag: Philanthropy

VP for Institutional Advancement: Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary

Written by website@neigerdesign.com on August 25, 2023. Posted in Uncategorized.

Austin Seminary seeks a Vice President for Institutional Advancement to oversee its comprehensive and integrated alumni engagement program and provide strategic direction for cultivating philanthropic giving. Located in Austin, Texas, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary prepares pastors, educators, missionaries, and chaplains for the work of Christ’s church, offering graduate degrees and lifelong learning programs for those seeking leadership development and spiritual renewal.

The ideal candidate for this position is a seasoned leader with a demonstrated track record of advancing meaningful relationships to achieve fundraising goals. Knowledge of the Presbyterian Church tradition and its constituents or willingness to acquire such knowledge is considered extremely helpful.

Burning Man — Philanthropy in Action

Written by website@neigerdesign.com on September 27, 2022. Posted in Uncategorized.

This September, I hopped on a plane to Reno to embark on my first Burning Man event. While I expected to enjoy the weekend, I quickly discovered that it far surpassed anything I’d imagined. I also came to the surprising (to me, at least!) realization that Burning Man is essentially one big philanthropic adventure.

Two Fundraising Leadership Roles: Marklund

Written by website@neigerdesign.com on April 25, 2022. Posted in Uncategorized.

Marklund is a nonprofit organization that serves individuals of all ages with severe and profound developmental disabilities and special healthcare needs. Its three residential locations are home to 178 residents with the support of 500 staff members and hundreds of volunteers. Marklund Day School is a State Board of Education Licensed Therapeutic Day School partnering with 30+ districts.

Marklund is presently seeking to fill two key fundraising positions, that will further grow its robust portfolio and support the Marklund promise to make everyday living possible for individuals with profound disabilities. The ideal candidates will have demonstrated passion for Marklund’s mission and values: positive attitude, accountability, compassion, creativity, and teamwork.

Senate Votes to Extend Charitable IRA Rollover

Written by website@neigerdesign.com on November 5, 2019. Posted in Uncategorized.

IRA-rollover

In an effort to encourage older Americans to give charitably out of their Individual Retirement Accounts, the charitable IRA rollover was enacted in 2006. This means that IRA owners age 70-1/2 or older can donate up to $100,000 per year directly from their IRA without paying taxes as income. Other charitable provisions that will be extended include conservation donations of land, and incentives encouraging farmers to donate to food banks.

These provisions, which had expired on December 31, 2013, would be retroactively extended until December 31, 2014. The House had voted to extend them this summer, and the Senate has passed it December 16. President Obama is expected to sign it into law.

2012 Philanthropy Awards

Written by website@neigerdesign.com on November 5, 2019. Posted in Uncategorized.

I was very interested to receive information recently about this year’s recipients of the Chicago AFP’s Philanthropy Awards. Congratulations to all of those who are being recognized by our professional chapter. These are indeed singular honors.

The Power of the Fundraising Team

Written by website@neigerdesign.com on November 5, 2019. Posted in Uncategorized.

We don’t always agree! I’m not talking about my wife and I, or my 16 year old (we almost never agree!). I’m talking about my colleagues at Ter Molen Watkins & Brandt. I’m talking about when we consult together.

We usually work in teams during our consulting engagements. This enables the client to always have a “go-to” consultant at the ready, even if one of us is traveling or booked. Many times, however,we work together with our client, participating in client meetings together, helping develop strategies together. During these activities, we find that we sometimes agree, but sometimes not. I think the client really benefits when we don’t necessarily agree.

Soliciting Campaign Gifts: The Vanishing Volunteer

Written by website@neigerdesign.com on November 5, 2019. Posted in Uncategorized.

In the forty years I have been working in development, the past two decades as a consultant, I have witnessed a significant shift in the degree of reliance on – and even the use of – volunteers in fundraising.

It may be difficult to imagine this, but when I began my service in this profession, it was generally considered unbecomingly aggressive for a staff representative to make an independent solicitation of a prospect. At the very least you took a volunteer along with you.

No Laughing Matter

Written by website@neigerdesign.com on November 5, 2019. Posted in Uncategorized.

Our firm recently hosted a group of recently minted chief development officers for a one-day conference designed to assist them in their adjustment to the corner fundraising office. The day was spent hearing from experts in the field, individuals who ran non-profits, who had served in top fundraising positions, even a search professional who recruited chief development officers. Feedback on the session was extremely positive and we intend to offer this conference again in the near future.

Is this a Blog or a Rant?

Written by website@neigerdesign.com on November 5, 2019. Posted in Uncategorized.

I’ll admit it. I tend to be a difficult donor. It’s not that I am an unusually bad person. I don’t constantly ask for favors, request premiums, or bug development officers at institutions to which my wife and I contribute. I do, however, tend to be critical when I see fundraising operations fail miserably in their treatment of donors.

Yesterday, March 1, we received an acknowledgment for a $500 gift that my wife and I made to a Chicago-area animal-care organization. It was a nice note, although admittedly it was pre-printed, and I really doubt if the CEO signed it, since she knows us, but referred to us as Mr. Brandt and Dr. Holland. But hey—this was only a $500 gift—probably not worthy of much more personal attention, right?

Getting to Give

Written by website@neigerdesign.com on November 5, 2019. Posted in Uncategorized.

I am regularly reminded of a brief talk that our former pastor gave when someone new joined our church in Atlanta. This talk, directed ostensibly to the new member, was really a not-so-subtle reminder to the entire congregation about the importance of supporting the church–the importance of giving.

After he spoke of all of the activities that one could participate in, and all of the important missions that the church undertook, he would talk about the role of congregational giving in making all of these things possible. He would use this great phrase…”it’s not about having to give, it’s about getting to give.” In other words, giving was an opportunity, and members, new and old, were being afforded this opportunity on a regular basis.

Fiscal Cliff Deal Beneficial to Charitable Giving

Written by website@neigerdesign.com on November 5, 2019. Posted in Uncategorized.

Despite the last minute December scramble, the yearend squabbling in Congress brought good news to the philanthropic world. The American Taxpayer Relief Act (ATRA) went into effect at the beginning of the New Year. The bill positively affects the taxing of charitable giving. Congress and the Obama administration debated for months about changes to and/or the possible elimination of charitable deductions. It is now up to not-for-profits to reassure their donors that the new bill does not restrict, or place caps on charitable deductions. While lawmakers argued that the Bush-era tax cuts only benefited the extremely wealthy, nonprofits maintained it was these donors that often keep small charities afloat. Middle-income families make significant contributions, of course, but not enough to fuel capital campaigns. Not-for-profits will need to spend this year promoting incentives, and encouraging wealthy donors to stay engaged and active.

Alumni Relations in the Age of Online Education (Part Two)

Written by website@neigerdesign.com on November 5, 2019. Posted in Uncategorized.

Think about it. Pretend you are a college student, registered at any given institution, taking most of your courses online with the blessing of the school. Soon, you begin to hear that there are some really interesting classes offered by other institutions that will give credit toward your degree. Then you learn that there are a lot of these courses that you can take for much less money than the tuition your home campus is charging. Then you realize that you can take all of your courses online, from a variety of schools, for a lot less than signing up to attend a traditional campus based institution, even if it offers online courses and accepts others. Granted, the ultimate degree won’t be as recognizable, or as prestigious as the traditional system we have known in this country, but then again, perhaps that’s not what counts anymore.