“This is a book every fundraiser and future fundraiser should read. David Lively’s experience and intellect provide a tremendously practical set of elements for managing and stimulating high major gift performance.”
-Jerry May
Vice President for Development
University of Michigan

In an era where 95 percent of the money comes from just five percent of the donors, securing major gifts is paramount for educational institutions. And yet, major gift fundraising programs are often managed using practices and rules of thumb that have not changed much since the 1980s. Moreover, the typical metrics used to gauge fundraiser performance are more indicative of raw activity than actual gift outcomes (that is, the number and size of major gifts).

David Lively wants to “tip sacred cows” and open a new conversation about how to best to incentivize fundraisers in this new title from CASE. Lively asks probing questions about how best to measure outcomes instead of activities, and how to end counterproductive prospect management practices that actually keep some of the best prospects from getting touches or moving toward a proposal.

In twelve concise chapters Lively offers insights on:

With engaging story-telling and illustrative case studies, Lively shows how new ways of managing the major gift enterprise can lift fundraising practices and yield greater results for your institution.

CASE Item 29621