We are barreling toward Black Friday and the heralding of all things Christmas and Holidays, which means one thing: we have expectation management problems. Now, this article isn’t about keeping up with the Jones’ and parents buying their kiddos an iPhone...
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Nonprofit Forecast: Advancement Services in 2019
Where We Are 2018 is a weird and wonderful time for advancement services. On the wonderful side, the industry’s focus on new trends in data science, interoperability, social data management, and marketing automation have pushed advancement services into an...
Read moreUser Acceptance Testing: Purpose & Impact
If you’ve ever implemented a new software application or a new customized feature in your current applications, you’ve most likely heard of User Acceptance Testing or UAT. In this first installment of our series on User Acceptance Testing, we’ll define it, explain its...
Read moreEndowment: The Legacy of a ‘Legacy System’
Your endowment system contains the most critical information about your most extraordinary donors– yet spreadsheets, homegrown databases, and paper files are often the only way to maintain records of the most influential [or most heavily restricted] gifts. So...
Read moreObjectivity: Consulting’s Core Value Proposition
One of the more common, humorous digs at consulting is that consultants ask you for your watch, and then tell you what time it is. Admittedly, this sort of thing happens too often. As a lifelong consultant and advocate for advancement services, I work hard to overcome...
Read moreGo-Live is the Middle of the Race
I’ve always been a fan of the explanatory power of metaphors and similes, especially sports metaphors. “Crossing the finish line,” “Being a good team member,” “Handing off the ball” all make complicated things clearer (for me...
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