Fundraising Leadership ™

Executive Coaching, Leadership Training, and Personal Development

Leadership, Honor, and Integrity

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Sidney Mathias Baxter Coulling III, the retired S. Blount Mason Jr. Professor of English at Washington and Lee University died in February at the age of 92. I had the distinct privilege of being taught Old English Literature and Poetry by Professor Coulling in 1981 as a freshman at W&L. It was the toughest “C” I ever earned (one of only two as an undergraduate). How I made my way into a sophomore level course (also taken by many juniors) is a testament to my naiveté–an error that only a greenhorn freshman can make.
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Major Gifts Essentials–Dancing with Donors

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No–not dirty dancing. No–not flash dancing.

And, no–not “dancing with the devil in the pale moonlight” (Batman, 1989).

What I am referring to here is the dance between fundraising professional and donor. That’s right, the BIG DANCE. The one where you are present, open, and flexible. The one with JOY. The one with BEAUTY. The one where MAGIC happens.
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Fundraising Leadership–What Does it Take?

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I recently completed Ron Schiller’s excellent book, The Chief Development Officer: Beyond Fundraising. It’s well worth reading, and I can recommend Ron’s work to you without reservation, especially if you are considering the Chief Development Officer Role (CDO) now, or in the future.

While Ron focuses primarily on the CDO, my work as a leadership coach tends to focus on mid-career fundraising leaders at the various Director and AVP levels. You are our future CDOs!
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High Functioning Teams Mine for Conflict

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Over the past few weeks, I had a few conversations with leaders I know about dysfunction on teams. Sadly, this dysfunction is a common occurrence that, in my experience, often arises from a fundamental fear of conflict.

It’s a theme that frequently arises in my coaching work with leaders. Especially fundraising leaders. The fear of conflict is often initiated and promulgated by an insidious saboteur known as the “Pleaser.”
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Leaders Know How To Subtract

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I was exploring the topic of “subtraction” during a gathering of a special group of leaders over the past weekend. Part of our discussion addressed the question: “what do we want to strip off (or leave behind), and what to we want to step into” at the start of the new year. It was a heartfelt, vulnerable conversation that left us invigorated for the possibilities of 2016.
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