The Jay Love Blog : Giving Institute

Giving Institute Puerto Rico Style

Jay Love — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:17:00 GMT

It is early Saturday evening and I am typing this in the San Juan International Airport after spending two and a half days in what was to have become our 51st state at one time. This is my second time to visit San Juan. I had the splendid opportunity to speak to the local fundraising group about computerization back in 1987. Needless to say, but much has changed in nonprofit computer usage and in San Juan over the last 22 years!

First of all, let me mention how neat this part of the world is to visit. The people in Puerto Rico are genuine, and at least the ones I met, caring. Plus, if you want a part of the world to visit where they speak English/Spanish, use the same currency and no passport is required this is your vacation spot. Believe me they have plenty of history, natural outdoor beauty, sun and beaches for those looking for such a place to relax. Here are a couple of previews.

The planners of this summer symposium did a superb job of integrating various individuals from the local fundraising and foundation community. It was fascinating to hear their perspectives on what is proper and effective in the way of techniques for raising funds in this culture. One key insight is that the wealthy will usually take care of their entire extended family at a very high level before donating large amounts to charity.

The symposium had quite a line-up of top notch education sessions. Among the many, were my favorites on women in philanthropy, Hispanic philanthropy trends, next generation philanthropy, the use of technology in fundraising (where I presented...) and a detailed explanation of what is happening with our economy. The latter session on the economy, led by a Doctor of Economics from LSU, certainly had most of us smiling. His numerous charts spelled out a bottoming of our recession in the 3rd quarter of 2009 followed by economic advances in the 4th quarter and all of 2010! His insights into the various causes of this recession were quite revealing. He stated that the chief cause was the highly leveraged credit which was so plentiful. Such quick and easy credit was like gas for a fire causing the quick rise and the hard and somewhat sudden fall. Let's hope his insights are spot on.

Just like most gatherings and conferences, the real key aspect is the immense amount of personal networking that takes place. When you are surrounded by some of the most experienced and talented fundraising consultants in America you are a bit crazy if you do not soak in some of the expertise. Each year I try not to waste a minute in garnering that knowledge and forging relationships. Besides being rewarding, it is also downright fun to make so many new friends!

Hopefully, some of my future speeches, blog posts, tweets and emails will provide a glimpse of the knowledge I attempted to soak in. If nothing else I certainly picked up a couple of decent jokes from the LSU economist. He was darn near ready for Comedy Central with his delivery.

I will certainly be looking forward to next year's event in Utah. Hopefully, our economy and philanthropy will be back to normal well before next July!

The Annual Event Called AFP International

Jay Love — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 17:35:00 GMT

Virtually every industry, market, owners association and any other group of people chasing a passion together have some sort of annual gathering. Perhaps I should use another basketball analogy and refer to the "Final Four" which is going on as I type this, but I will refrain.

Within the nonprofit world the annual event for many of us has been the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) International Conference. This year the event returned to New Orleans. Even though the economy is struggling, the overall event was still not one to be missed. I am very proud to say that this was my 25th AFP International to attend! I honestly could write several blog entries just on the remarkable changes I have seen over the years. I have watched the organization stage its event in locales ranging from large hotels to small convention centers to some of the largest convention centers in North America. It has been a wonderful and exhilarating ride. Hopefully, I will be able to enjoy many more, since I do not plan on missing any of them.

You see, just like any other large convention, our time in New Orleans for the nonprofit sector is when major announcements are made, like BlackbaudNow, and where you can meet virtually all of the key players. It is also where various affiliated groups meet either before, during or after.

One of the "before" gatherings that I attend is the joint Giving USA and Giving Institute board meeting. During the first evening meal of this gathering, we listened to some of the most heartwarming and dynamic stories, presented by a group of Katrina surviving charities. One of my friends within the sector is the current CEO of Ketchum, which is one of the oldest fundraising firms serving NPO's. In her blog, Kristina Carlson provides a splendid recap of those stories. They are well worth a few minutes of your time to peruse. Each story spoke of bravery and perseverance in the face of a situation that most of us could never imagine.

So many of the friends I have in this sector come back every year for the convention. The long hours in the exhibit hall always seem to speed by as the time is often spent catching up with so many of those friends. It is also such great fun to banter with the other vendors, especially those against whom we compete throughout the year.

You can always tell how well our products are serving the needs of the customers, as well as the strength of our customer support, by the open and honest comments made by everyone. Fortunately, for nearly every year of the 25 years, I have encountered virtually nothing but kind comments and smiles from our customer base. This fact alone makes me so proud of our team who sells, delivers and supports our products.

So until next spring in Baltimore where the old gang will come together again, I will offer my heartfelt praise for all of the fundraising professionals who make this annual event so special. Each of you bring so much to the forefront as you make most of North America's NPO missions come to life. Thanks for allowing me to be a part for so many years!

Random Acts of Kindness

The hero of this little segment is none other than one of the TSA staff at our local Indianapolis International Airport. A young mother with a cute little daughter was struggling with her bags, a car seat and the usual baby items. This particular TSA person went way out of his way to help. He offered to hold the baby or to just let her walk while the mother pulled everything back together. His kindness and extra effort made a wonderful difference in the evening travel of that mother and daughter. As they strive to protect us, the TSA staff so often catch the brunt of travelers' frustrations. Perhaps we should all smile and say thanks like that young mother did...

An Intellectual Experience in New York

Jay Love — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 20:24:00 GMT

Last Thursday and Friday brought together several educational and networking opportunities for many of us involved with the Giving USA Foundation and the Giving Institute. Early December is always the time for winter board meetings for these two pillar organizations of the nonprofit world as well as the scheduled date for the Gurin Forum.

This year’s event was held in Manhattan at the Yale Club. I arrived early on Thursday morning, and after the typical crazy cab ride from LaGuardia Airport, found myself in the wonderfully historic lobby of the club. I quickly noticed numerous folks using cell phones, which was a departure from the rules prohibiting cell phones a few years back at the Harvard Club... Could it be the Yale grads communicate more?

Based upon seeing the phones in use, I decided to use my Blackberry to catch up on the never ending email stream. One of the emails had a larger attachment I wanted to see so it was time to find a huge comfy chair and fire up my trusty Dell laptop. I was enjoying the early morning email when a tap on my shoulder from a large man dressed in black informed me there were to be no computers in use in the lobby. Of course I asked why when folks were doing the same thing on Treos, iPhones and Blackberries. He assured me I was still in the wrong and asked me to close up the laptop. Being ever so inquisitive since I was about 2 years old, I asked if electronic books such as the new Amazon Kindle were acceptable. This caused him to ask if I was a member and it was my cue to head up to the 18th floor for the meetings. Yes, it was time for one of my favorite pastimes, "networking".

Any Giving Institute event is a superb chance to catch up with virtually all of the leading nonprofit consulting firms in one place. It was great to hear that even in a tough economy most fundraising campaigns were going well and many were raising the campaign goals to higher levels. I am always gratified to see how resilient our beloved sector is.

The first education session revolved around a Thought Leadership panel discussing “Youth in Philanthropy”. It was moderated well by Jeffrey Byrne and featured Laura Spitzer, ED of the New York Jewish Leadership Forum, Tara Ruotolo, DD for the Buckley School and Patrick Rooney, ED of the IU Center on Philanthropy. They covered the subject nicely with so many uplifting stories of how the youth of our country is truly engaged in philanthropy. The subject was then debated with the entire audience on how even more could be done. Finally, Dr. Rooney shared current statistics on the subject. With his permission, I have linked to the slide deck. I think you will enjoy the data points.

The big event of the day was The Gurin Forum in the afternoon. This is an annual event in honor of one of the early pillars of the nonprofit sector, Maurice Gilbert Gurin. The subject this year was a topic sure to bring about some healthy debate from the prominent panelists on "Are Charitable Dollars Really Getting Where They’re Needed Most?" The panelists included:

Melissa A. Berman, CEO Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Inc.
Pablo Eisenberg, Senior Fellow Georgetown Public Policy Institute
Peter Goldberg, CEO Alliance for Children and Families
Dr. Susan Raymond, EVP Research at Changing Our World
William A. Schambra, Director Bradley Center for Philanthropy and Senior Fellow Hudson Institute

They did not let down the large audience packed into the room. Viewpoints and justifications were from all sides of the issue. Needless to say, the thought processes of many on this subject were stimulated.

I personally applaud the Giving USA Foundation/Institute for bringing such high quality events together. I am proud to be a part of the group and to have taken part in the many follow-up discussions. Perhaps the technology that Blackbaud/eTapestry provides to so many groups in this sector will play an even bigger part in seeing that charitable dollars do go where they are needed most in the future.

The Inside View of Giving USA/Giving Institute

Jay Love — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:25:00 GMT

I am typing this as I fly back from the Giving Institute’s Summer Symposium and board meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah. I believe this was the 6th Summer Symposium I have been able to attend. Hands down it was the best with regards to content and sharing of ideas.

The Symposium created and conducted by the Giving Institute is where the latest results of the Giving USA data are unveiled, explained and discussed in detail by many of the top fundraising consulting firms in the world. You see, the Giving Institute is the former AAFRC, Association of Fundraising Counsel, who commissions all of the research for the Giving USA report. If you are employed in or connected to the non-profit sector and have not read this dynamic report, I encourage you to do so. The research data is comprehensive and can offer many insights which can aid in formulating any charity’s future strategy.

In addition to the Giving USA results, this summer gathering brought together so many of the sector’s thought leaders to present and discuss on various topics that truly affect day to day fundraising as well as major fundraising campaigns. Seeing and being part of such discussions, and in many cases debates, allows everyone involved to grow and be better prepared to serve the sector.

I was delighted this year’s agenda included several topics related to the Internet and its huge effect on communications and giving. Being a presenter myself (maybe that is why I thought this year’s edition of sessions was the best...), I was not sure how far-reaching the questions and ensuing discussions might be. Rest assured, I was not disappointed by the scope and depth of those questions and discussions. This group truly “gets it” in knowing the impact such fast-paced changes in mass communications can bring to the relationship building and fundraising processes.

If you are working with or considering a working relationship with any of the members of the Giving Institute, I encourage you to explore the items I mention above in greater depth. The members are a pleasure to be associated with and have become some of my best friends and trusted advisors in this wonderful sector. I am already looking forward to next year’s gathering and the further insights and opinions to be gained...