Marketing Your Gift Annuity Program

Without a doubt, one of the questions our consulting clients have asked us most often the past couple of years has been, “How can I improve the results of my gift annuity program?” There has been much discussion in the planned giving community on this topic. Professor Russell James’s recent research has added greatly to the discourse by highlighting the importance of word choice and phrasing in planned giving marketing messages. It’s exciting to have his academic research available to help us shape how we spread the word about planned giving.

Improve Your Fundraising Results with One Word, "REFRAME"

There is one little word that can have a profound impact on your fundraising and it might not be the word you had in mind. "Reframe." The formal definition is, “a way of viewing and experiencing events, ideas, concepts and emotions to find more positive alternatives.”

The Importance of Your Brand

Joshua Bell released a new Bach recording recently, which had me a bit perplexed. There is nothing new about Bach. Why would anyone want to buy this CD, since there are so many Bach recordings already in existence? But Bell has his own “brand,” and people will buy this recording just because he has a following and his interpretation of Bach’s music is sure to be different from his peers.