by Eddie Thompson | Mar 17, 2014 | Development Management
The 1972 crash of Eastern Airlines Flight 401 is the classic example of Controlled Flight into Terrain (CFIT), an aviation term used to describe a perfectly air-worthy aircraft under complete pilot control being inadvertently flown into the ground or an obstacle. When...
by Eddie Thompson | Feb 18, 2014 | Charitable Estate Planning
I wrote a paper in graduate school on the Harvard legacy and have been intrigued with the idea of it ever since. It’s a great example of several key elements of strategic giving—leverage, timing, and momentum. In other words, the greatest philanthropic impact is the...
by Eddie Thompson | Jan 16, 2014 | Donor Communications
What you as a nonprofit executive do in December and January each year is a “tell”—that is, it reveals a lot about your (or your institution’s) fund-development mentality. Are you a year-end closer or a springtime cultivator? Most nonprofits spend enormous an amount...
by Eddie Thompson | Dec 10, 2013 | Donor Communications
The story of the elephant and the six blind men has been told in one form or another since the early fifth century B.C. and has been used to illustrate everything from religious toleration to team synergy. Here’s my application to donor relations and organizational...
by Eddie Thompson | Nov 25, 2013 | Charitable Estate Planning, Donor Communications
Charles Schultz and I go back a long way. I remember my first training event with Charles, Artie, and Carol in a very small room in Camarillo, CA. Many years have passed, but I remember being impressed with Charles and his vision for planned giving software. He had...
