The Paradox of Travel
I ran across some vintage photographs of my family, circa 1940. Every summer, my grandfather would haul my dad, my aunt, and my grandmother onRead More
The Pathology of People-Pleasers
Before the Tokyo Olympics, I watched an interview with Simone Biles. Biles, as you may know, is the most decorated gymnast in world history. WhileRead More
Escaping the Big Chill
Try as we might, we probably won’t win over everyone we meet. At times, we may be greeted with indifference, a lack of enthusiasm, perhapsRead More
When Donors Don’t Like You
For some, this is our worst nightmare. We fundraisers are generally people-pleasers. We often enter this business because it affords us a high degree ofRead More
The Summer of Reset
As is my habit, I was flipping through the Sunday morning news shows and came across an excellent panel discussion on how the pandemic hasRead More
Mastering Cocktail Conversation
It’s inevitable. Sooner or later, we will be fully back to business. And that means, for those of us in the fundraising field, that cocktailRead More
Stem the Tide of Turnover
Nick Moroutsos epitomizes success. At 44, he has it all – a nice family, an amazing job, and the respect of his peers. Yet, thisRead More
What is Causing Fundraiser Flight
Our profession has a problem – a big one. And, for once, we shouldn’t blame the pandemic, although it certainly hasn’t helped. We, in theRead More
My Mother, My Mentor
My father liked to say “it’s a man’s world.” Always the instigator, he loved getting a rise out of me. And I usually took theRead More
The Donor/Friend Dilemma
Over the years, I’ve had many friendly relationships with donors. I’ve shared great experiences with them, been moved by their personal struggles, inspired by theirRead More