The phrase “it takes a village” couldn’t be more applicable to fundraising, especially to completing gifts and advisors. How many times have you worked diligently to get to the point where your donor says, “I want to make this gift,” and you’re thinking, “Where—and with whom—do I begin?” In addition to family members, one or …Read More
At Sharpe Group, we have found there are many tools and methods used in the for-profit world that can be applied successfully to nonprofit organizations. One of these is SWOT analysis, whose creation is generally attributed to Albert Humphrey in the 1960s at the Stanford Research Institute. to identify why corporate planning consistently failed. SWOT …Read More
The window of my home office overlooks a beautiful natural pond filled with ducks and turtles. While the water appears calm and lovely most days, and the ducks are gently swimming back and forth, I cannot help but think about the chaos of their flippers underneath, propelling them from one side of the pond to …Read More
When I have a project on my to-do list, I like to prepare far in advance. For me, it feels good to have a looming assignment taken care of. This is why I began working on my presentations for the recent Sharpe Charitable Giving SUMMIT in September of last year. I did my research, designed …Read More
Growing up, I watched my father (who just celebrated his 93rd birthday) give blood to the Red Cross, deliver food to the local food bank and take leadership roles in our church. Through his actions, I learned the importance of philanthropy, which led me to my career in fundraising. Another important lesson I learned from …Read More