This was my first post. It remains one of my favorite messages to share. At his TED talk this year, David Brooks said over 90% of what we hear doesn’t come through words. Yet another reason why that whole ‘behind a desk’ just doesn’t work. My first job out of college, 23 years ago, was [...]

I’m off to the TED conference this morning. In addition to meeting lots of old friends and snacking on the chocolate that Google seems to place everywhere, I’m attending a small Jeffersonian-style dinner organized by IDEO – the renowned design firm that works with organizations to help them innovate, develop capabilities and grow. The question that’s been [...]

Spread the word about Sasha Dichter’s great idea. He’s rebranding Valentine’s Day “Generosity Day.”  As he writes in his blog:  ”The goal is to spend Valentine’s Day being more generous, giving more money, sharing of yourself, being of service.  All acts of generosity, small and big alike, count. But you have to say YES to [...]

I’m thrilled to announce that registration is now formally open for my new program at Harvard:  A Course in Exponential Fundraising.  For more information on the program, go here. It’s a year-long engagement where I will be personally working with 20 visionary leaders from the nonprofit sector who want to both dramatically improve their organization’s [...]

No doubt Jeffersonian dinners are a powerful vehicle for connection and action.  Kudos to my good friend Jeff Walker for eloquently pointing this out in his inspiring blog on Jeffersonian Dinners. I was curious, though, why this format, credited to the renaissance man from Virginia, is so much more effective than dinners or events which [...]

Ever wonder if you should recruit – and how best to use – celebrities for your organization’s campaigns?  Should you host a gala or not?  How should you use gaming and technology to maximize your results? Check out the new Exponential Fundraising video series and watch as some of the world’s most insightful nonprofit and [...]

Guest blog by Jeff Walker, bio below. Jeffersonian Dinners Create Transformative Connections Imagine being invited to a dinner in 1819 with Thomas Jefferson, President, scientist and writer of the Declaration of Independence.  Participating in a stimulating conversation with guests that he invited because he found them intriguing and interested in similar things as others at [...]

You can’t build a relationship with someone unless there is a commitment.  Relationship is different than an encounter. We have all had both.  We have had wonderful encounters with people, over lunch or a cup of coffee, where we exchange our stories and even share some moments of pure connection. But unless we agree to [...]

“When I heard the learned astronomer; When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me; When I was shown the charts and the diagrams, to add, divide, and measure them; When I, sitting, heard the astronomer, where he lectured with much applause in the lecture-room, How soon, unaccountable, I became tired and sick; [...]