Focus on relationships and investment when fundraising, not manipulative sales tactics: Opinion

In a recent article for Inside Higher Ed, Kathy Johnson Bowles shares tips for those who are tasked with fundraising for their institution. Johnson Bowles writes that conventional approaches such as manipulative sales tactics and emphasizing the institution’s need rarely work, and typically end up alienating and offending potential donors. Instead, focusing on the institution’s relationships with donors by involving them in a project’s visioning process and ensuring they know their gift will be used effectively to support success tends to be a more successful approach. The author also warns readers about common mistakes, such as assuming that visible wealth will correlate with generosity or implying that potential donors owe the institution. Inside Higher Ed (Acct. Req.) Note: Archived stories may contain dead links or be missing source links.