Geoffrey MacDougall

[AI-assisted for speed.] People new to fundraising think they have a discovery problem. Not enough names, not enough leads. Find the right people and the money will follow. So that’s what the industry sells them. Wealth screening. Prospect databases. Lists of people you don’t know. And now AI tools that promise ten thousand more names,… Continue reading Stop Buying Lists of People You Don’t Know

Over the course of my career, I’ve become increasingly comfortable with—and, in fact, proud of—being in sales. (I would go so far as to say salespeople actually run the world. Happy to argue that with you over coffee.) Sales is the act of turning a zero into a one (I’m reclaiming that from Peter Thiel).… Continue reading Sell Me This Pen

This moment requires a lot from all of us. Leadership. Courage. Time. Connection. Shared risk. It also requires money — directed to the people and work that need it most. One of the things I think about a lot, as a professional fundraiser, is how to get more of what fundraisers actually know into the… Continue reading hostadinner.org: Simple guide to intentional dinners