Busy week, but.....

Productive!  I had some interesting visits with a large direct marketing agency and was fortunate enough to get to participate as an observer in a Target Analytics Benchmarking group.  Not surprisingly both groups talked about the economy and had some interesting observations - common sense - but good reminders to get back to the basics of fundraising. Similar advice that can be applied to all.

• Don't not make the ask in these tough economic times - instead make an ask that is appropriate. 

Best example I heard on this was that major gift officers are holding back on making asks, but are not replacing them with an annual fund type of contribution or reconfiguring the ask to reflect what an endowment would have paid out, etc. Seems easy, but really challenges orgs to continue to look at their constituents in a more holistic way and to leverage everything they have got to create the ask (at whatever level) that makes sense with the right kind of fulfillment strategy (monthly giving, pledge, etc.).

 That's it for a Friday afternoon towards the end of the year!