Give and Take

The Gift of Attention
Uncategorized
Viken Mikaelian

The Gift of Attention

I called a longtime friend of mine and asked him out for coffee, and he said, in a very somber tone, “I’m so busy. I am so busy, I have so much going on.” This “busyness” is turning into an epidemic. Even children are now contracting this illness and developing anxiety in school. If you want to love your donors, give them the gift of attention.

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Donor-Centric Planned Giving Marketing
Direct Mail and Planned Giving
Viken Mikaelian

Perfect English vs Marketing

If you want people to pay attention to your direct mail intended to raise money, let those who are “smart” in marketing have the final say, not attorneys or tenured professors. Invest in donor-centric planned giving marketing!

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My 404 Page
Uncategorized
Viken Mikaelian

I Just Found My 404 Page!

Have you stumbled upon my 404 page? How does it look? Is it funny? Is it serious? Is it blank? Learn more about my – and YOUR – 404 page in this article!

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Rate Tables and Hard Numbers in CGA Ads
Charitable Gift Annuity
Viken Mikaelian

Rate Tables and Hard Numbers in CGA Ads

Fact: Charitable Gift Annuity (CGA) rate tables or gift illustrations/examples really don’t work well. Non-profits want them in their CGA marketing pieces because they see them in everyone else’s stuff, but the reality is that they rarely bring in a gift.  Or bring in the wrong type of gift. Instead, focus on donor stories in your CGA ads and other marketing!

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Deferring the Deferred
Planned Giving Marketing
Viken Mikaelian

Don’t Defer Planned Giving!

“But we want the cash, now,” we often hear. Well, we would have had the cash now if we had not deferred it in the first place. Get started now! Don’t defer planned giving.

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Fundraising vs. Friendraising
Uncategorized
Viken Mikaelian

Fundraising vs. Friendraising

In philanthropy, rather than getting donors to raise cash, it is smarter to raise cash to get long-term donors. Sounds like a tongue-twister, but it’s not.

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Planned Giving and the Church
Bequests
Viken Mikaelian

Planned Giving and the Church

The congregation sighs and settles in for what the pastor knows is actually their least favorite Sunday. “Please take a look at the insert in your bulletin,” he continues. “You’ll see that we didn’t meet our budget again this year.” His audience knows where this is going: The church is struggling to accomplish its mission, but the congregation is not pulling its weight in terms of monetary contributions.

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Given Lemonade? Just Add Sugar.
Uncategorized
Viken Mikaelian

Given Lemonade? Just Add Sugar.

I recall one afternoon when the entire staff from the development office was running around like chickens with their heads cut off, screaming at everyone because a donor’s name was misspelled on the roster. Did the donor care?

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