by Eddie Thompson | Aug 31, 2011 | Donor Communications
No one works in a non-profit development office very long before being confronted with the pyramid. First-time or occasional gifts at the bottom, regular gifts to the annual fund up a little higher, then major gifts, and finally estate gifts on top. The labels vary...
by Eddie Thompson | Aug 2, 2011 | Development Management, Donor Communications
I started my career in non-profit development at the bottom, determined to do whatever it took to work my way up. The organization gracious enough to give me a shot located their development office in a large old house. And since I was the new guy, my workspace was in...
by Eddie Thompson | Jul 14, 2011 | Donor Communications
It has been many years since my first tenure as the Director of Planned Giving. The goal then (as it generally is today) was to go out, promote the organization, present planned gifting possibilities, and secure the gift. Since we assumed that long-time donors already...
by Eddie Thompson | May 16, 2011 | Donor Communications
Anyone who has ever toyed with the idea of making a planned or testamentary gift to charity knows that before any significant giving decision could be made, he/she had answer two very important questions: 1) How much will my spouse and I need to live on for the rest...
by Eddie Thompson | May 13, 2011 | Donor Communications
One of my greatest honors as a charitable estate planning representative has been the occasional invitation to be a part of a donor’s estate planning team. Awards and plaques are nice, but that invitation signifies an unprecedented level of trust in your professional...
