JGA Blog

We hope above all that you and yours are safe and healthy.

With the escalation of COVID-19, we know that you are facing many complex decisions and processing information at a fast pace. We want to assure you that JGA is here to help you think through the complex donor situations and the potential impact of COVID-19 on philanthropy. As always, our JGA team is accessible; whether we are working with you in your setting or remotely, we will stay in close touch to assist with this fluid situation. We have considerable expertise in remote work and anticipate there will be no disruptions to our service.  

While it is too early to predict the full impact COVID-19 will have on giving and volunteering by your friends and supporters, we recommend that you and your colleagues focus on the following key areas in these days:

Would you be surprised to learn that most nonprofits are failing to make use of one of their most valuable resources? What if I told you that that resource is 100% free?

We’ve been asked many times by our client organizations what factors are most important to look for in candidates for Vice President for Advancement positions. Here are  a few key questions that you can ask when hiring development staff that will help you understand their ability to be successful.

A recent Boston Globe article has once again drawn attention to an issue we have been warned about for several years – a predicted mass leadership transition among nonprofits.

Though we have long been warned about the anticipated change as boomers retire from leadership roles at the nonprofits many of them started, it seems few nonprofit boards have taken the necessary steps to prepare.

Presidential involvement is a crucial component of campaign success | A campaign will likely be one of the most important undertakings of a presidency and can transform an institution. The following list outlines the president’s top responsibilities in ensuring campaign success.

JGA recently sponsored the AFP Indiana Chapter Spring Conference. Dr. Adrian Sargeant, Director of the Centre for Sustainable Philanthropy, was the keynote speaker and spoke on the topic of Great Fundraising. He asked leading fundraisers and fundraising consultants how they define greatness in fundraising.

Are all “gifts” created equal? We generally say that it takes all types of gifts to move an organization forward and we want to make our donors feel as good as we can about their intent to make a gift in support of the organization.

Today’s organizations recognize the importance of good external and internal communications and how these efforts benefit fundraising efforts. Though organizational communications may seem intuitive, it is helpful to review distinct elements of successful communications to ensure your organization is maximizing its good work.

While at a client’s office several months ago, I was introduced to one of their new Advancement staff members. This person was both experienced and eager to get underway in their new work. The Vice President who had searched for and found this person is savvy, strategic, hard-working and good at setting and hitting goals.