by Eddie Thompson | Oct 17, 2014 | Charitable Estate Planning, Development Management
There’s an irrefutable law of nonprofit leadership: Consistent growth and long-term sustainability are largely dependent on an organization’s ability to monitor and maintain a healthy balance between 1) solicitation of gifts from discretionary income and 2)...
by Eddie Thompson | Sep 21, 2014 | Charitable Estate Planning
Recently, the CEO of a hospital commented quite matter-of-factly, “At this point in my career, I’m not concerned about future gifts. I’ve got four more years before I retire, so I’m only worried about raising cash.” Raising cash is a good thing...
by Eddie Thompson | Jun 26, 2014 | Charitable Estate Planning
One of the best ways to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of a nonprofit is in terms of its net momentum. And, there’s no better way to illustrate that principle than with a drag racer — specifically the 1962 metallic blue Chevy Impala Super Sport that I...
by Eddie Thompson | May 26, 2014 | Charitable Estate Planning
When it comes to planned gifts and bequests to your organization, a standard consultant’s reply is that organizations “have not because they ask not.” However, it’s usually not quite that simple. If success were based simply on the number of asks, then success would...
by Eddie Thompson | Apr 22, 2014 | Charitable Estate Planning
Last year I wrote an article about a gathering of concerned university presidents in the early 1980s (See: “SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT”). I attended as a Vanderbilt University graduate assistant at working in the education department and trying to come up with an idea...
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...
