by dlund@jamescompany.com | Oct 6, 2026 | News
We’re back in full swing! And that means meetings will resume. To be sure, churches and nonprofits are dealing with many complex challenges. The work it takes to address those challenges will involve teams of people working together. And if a team of people is working...
by dlund@jamescompany.com | Sep 22, 2026 | News
Drawing on Giving USA and other leading sources, the following data provides a clear view of the current charitable giving environment in the United States. Key takeaways from the 2026 Philanthropic Landscape Study include: Charitable giving to faith-based...
by dlund@jamescompany.com | Sep 8, 2026 | News
1) Should you let a prospective donor know that you want to visit them to talk about making a major gift to the campaign? Short answer: Yes! A major gift visit should never feel like a surprise sales call. Donors deserve the courtesy of knowing the purpose of the...
by dlund@jamescompany.com | Aug 25, 2026 | News
A major gift visit reaches its defining moment when the conversation turns from vision to invitation. Everything leading up to this point – relationship building, listening, storytelling, and sharing the mission – has prepared the way for presenting the “case” and...
by dlund@jamescompany.com | Aug 11, 2026 | News
The most important skill in a major gift conversation is: seek first to understand, then to be understood. This takes practice. We oftentimes half listen while formulating our reply. I sometimes catch myself saying “uh-huh” and realize that I’m distracted or filtering...
by dlund@jamescompany.com | Jul 29, 2026 | News
If you read the first four parts to this series (LINK HERE), you know that a major gift visit is the meeting point between a donor’s values and your mission’s future. And now you have arrived at the moment that connection begins to take shape: the visit itself. Every...
by dlund@jamescompany.com | Jul 15, 2026 | News
In the last post, we talked about opening the conversation with the major gift prospect sitting in front of you – setting the tone, building rapport, and helping the donor feel comfortable and engaged. The next step is to keep that attention and deepen their...
by dlund@jamescompany.com | Jun 17, 2026 | News
By the time you sit down for a major gift visit, something important has already happened. A relationship has begun to deepen. Thoughtful communication, meaningful updates, handwritten notes, and genuine conversations have quietly built trust over time. These moments...
by dlund@jamescompany.com | May 21, 2026 | News
Major gifts grow out of relationships. That’s why personal, one-on-one conversations remain one of the most important parts of fundraising. Generosity rarely happens because someone receives the “perfect” letter or email. It grows when people feel connected to a...
by dlund@jamescompany.com | May 5, 2026 | News
Major gifts start with someone’s hopes, experiences, values, and a deep desire to make a meaningful difference. A major gift is never just a financial transaction. It is a personal expression of belief—an investment in what could be. Yet in the midst of a capital...
by dlund@jamescompany.com | Apr 22, 2026 | News
Storytelling isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. Good storytelling is when a story is tailored to the message, the moment, and the medium being used to tell the story. Here are ways to elevate your storytelling across the most effective channels of communication: 2 –...
by dlund@jamescompany.com | Mar 24, 2026 | News
The 2026 tax year brings meaningful changes for charitable donors as a result of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), reshaping how charitable contributions are treated on federal tax returns. Whether you regularly support your church or give to a nonprofit close...
by dlund@jamescompany.com | Mar 10, 2026 | News
Serving on a church + nonprofit board is both a privilege and a responsibility. It’s easy for meetings, agendas, and urgent issues to fill the calendar, but every so often the most important action a board member can take is to pause and reflect: How am I contributing...
by dlund@jamescompany.com | Feb 24, 2026 | News
“Risk” can almost seem like an idea doomed to fail…yet there is never a perfect time! Consider what Solomon says: “The one who watches the wind will not sow and the one who looks at the clouds will not reap. Ecclesiastes 11:4 There is a time for every season and as...
by dlund@jamescompany.com | Feb 11, 2026 | News
Launching a capital campaign in 2026 requires careful discernment about your readiness, both practical and emotional. Begin with a clear and compelling case for support: Why this campaign, and why now? Stakeholders must understand how the proposed projects advance...
by dlund@jamescompany.com | Jan 29, 2026 | News
While standing at the meat counter at our local grocery store, I overheard a woman asking the butcher if there will be enough salmon in the amount she’s ordered to feed eight people for her holiday gathering. “It depends on how much you want to serve them,” he said....
by dlund@jamescompany.com | Jan 13, 2026 | News
There’s something energizing about the beginning of a new year. Boards and staff leadership re-enter their work hopeful, motivated, and ready to make meaningful progress. But hope without intention rarely leads to alignment, and it rarely leads to meaningful results....
by dlund@jamescompany.com | Dec 19, 2025 | News
As we celebrate the holiday season, we are especially grateful to mark a meaningful milestone – 2026 is our 40th year of partnering with congregations and nonprofits like yours. Through every season and every year, one thing has remained constant: our deep...
by dlund@jamescompany.com | Nov 25, 2025 | News
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings...
by dlund@jamescompany.com | Nov 11, 2025 | News
The Commitment Phase is the vital period between Commitment Sunday (commitments are received in worship) and Celebration Sunday (commitment totals are announced), when the congregation continues to respond to God’s call to invest in the mission and ministry for the...
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