Viken Mikaelian

If You Wait for Perfect You'll Never Get Anything Done
Self Improvement & Career
Viken Mikaelian

Done Beats Perfect

As a young ambitious person I remember boasting, “I’m a perfectionist.” And I was! I believed there was a right way to do everything. And I was downright obnoxious about it to the point that I would teach an employee how to hold a pencil. But now I know better.

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Image depicting dementia
Stewardship and Relationships
Viken Mikaelian

Dementia in Family and Friends

It’s been two years since my mom died. But in my mind, she had already passed away seven years ago, with the onset of dementia.

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Mentor with new board member
Planned Giving Marketing
Viken Mikaelian

Energize Your Board with a Board Mentorship Program

Sometimes it seems like every nonprofit is currently searching for engaged, committed board members. You may live in a place where the usual CEOs, entrepreneurs, and political figures’ list of board assignments is already too lengthy to ask them to add your nonprofit too.

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Minimum
Planned Giving Marketing
Viken Mikaelian

Should My Nonprofit’s Board Set a Minimum Gift?

Many nonprofits choose to set a clear fundraising expectation from each member of their nonprofit board. However some nonprofits choose to let their board members decide the amount of their gift to the organization each year. Others permit board volunteers to give in ways that aren’t financial. But what are the risks and rewards of setting a minimum board giving level?

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Artificial Intelligence Human and AI hands
Major Gifts
Viken Mikaelian

One Place to Never Use AI in Major Gifts Fundraising

Artificial intelligence is today’s most relentless buzzword, as teachers, bosses, online daters, and everyone else learns the advantages and disadvantages of allgorithm-predicted answers in our daily lives. But there is one place in your development department where AI does not belong.

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Online Will Planning
Planned Giving Marketing
Viken Mikaelian

Web-Based Will-Making Software

One of the cleverest recent developments in planned giving are online solutions allowing donors to create their own will, at little cost and with no legal intervention. Is this a good idea? What are the advantages (or disadvantages) for nonprofits and development pros?

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An image showing a woman's hands stretching a tape measure across the bottom of the word "success," to illustrate a PlannedGiving.Com blog post called "How do you measure fundraising success?"
Planned Giving Marketing
Viken Mikaelian

How Do You Measure Fundraising Success?

We’re asked this question often. And since marketing is such a complex field, the answer can certainly be complex. In fact, the definition of success is subjective – and sometimes it is all over the place. But as you know, I believe in not just simplifying, but oversimplifying. So I’m going to answer in trademark PlannedGiving.Com fashion and break it down into basics.

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Happy Couple Making A Will Together
Bequests
Viken Mikaelian

Getting It All Together: Making Your Will

Making a will is a lot easier than you probably think. But like anything, you have to start with the basics. These are the documents you need to get started creating your will; the things you absolutely must account for; and a few things you’ll want to consider.

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