I’m thrilled to announce that registration is formally open for the 2013 Course in Exponential Fundraising at Harvard. Please go to http://www.hks.harvard.edu/hauser/cef/  for a more detailed description of the program. The Course in Exponential Fundraising is a year-long engagement during where we work with 20 visionary leaders from the nonprofit sector who want to both dramatically improve [...]

My dear friend Gunther Weil, whom I have quoted in this blog before, is one of my greatest teachers and mentors.  His clear insights into people, values and the true meaning of life have deeply influenced me and many people I know. Recently, Gunther and I had a conversation about money and its role in [...]

Let’s say you’re a Pittsburgh Steelers fan all wrapped in black and gold at Heinz Field playing the loathed Patriots  (confession: I’ll spend the Fall with a Terrible Towel in my kitchen). Wait, better yet, let’s say you have money on the Steelers. As you sit watching your wager waver, you’d want your QB, Big [...]

Jack and I watched the original “Matrix” movie over the weekend. At least 10 years have passed since I saw it last. Boy, there’s a lot to like about that movie, an updated, action-packed Plato’s Cave, allegorically lucid and fun at the same time. One early scene that especially resonates is when the agile Morpheus [...]

Exponential Fundraising founder and 25-year fundraising veteran Jennifer McCrea has worked with CEOs, fundraisers and board members from a wide variety of organizations, including Millennium Promise, Acumen Fund, Donorschoose.org, Grameen America, Teach for America, Witness, Comic Relief, X Prize Foundation, VH1 Save the Music Foundation, Rhode Island School of Design, Robin Hood Foundation, Council on Foreign Relations, [...]

Meet lonely George. George is a seasoned philanthropist.  Someone I’ve known for years. George leads a full, meaningful life that includes giving to a number of global organizations. But he revealed something to me recently that caught me by surprise: that his experience of giving is often profoundly isolating. Wait a minute. Isn’t giving a [...]

In a recent blog post Sasha Dichter quotes my friend Katya Andresen with something that really resonated:  “It’s impossible to talk about generosity without being vulnerable, impossible to be truly generous without opening yourself up.” So what does “opening yourself up” really mean and how does this add to the generosity equation? What does “being [...]

“Extremely difficult and demanding.” That’s how a friend describes her relationship with one of her top donors. She says she’s in a “can’t-live-with-him, can’t-live-without-him” bind. She worries that if she tells him what’s really on her mind, he’ll get angry and possibly withdraw his critical support (and very visible name in the community) from her organization. [...]

I carry this on a piece of paper in my wallet: “More than anything, the art of living is about recognizing our power to make a difference in someone else’s life.”  This insight has been a beacon. This fundamental truth is a refreshing reminder when I feel burned out or cynical. What I have only [...]