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Every professional development officer has enjoyed varying degrees of success, such as closing his/her first $1 million gift, writing his/her first gift annuity, or securing a gala underwriting commitment, etc. Each of these successes should be celebrated as they validate the worthiness of the respective organizational missions in the minds of donors!

But what of those fundraising solicitations that do not go so well? Every professional development officer has his/her fair share of these as well - but they are frequently forgotten in the shadow of success. As John Kennedy said, "Success has a thousand fathers, failure is an orphan." Yet these failures represent the best opportunities to reevaluate processes, challenge one's thinking, and ultimately, learn to adapt to the changing dynamics of the donor relationship.

In this session, attendees will go behind the curtain and examine actual case studies (don't worry, names have been changed to protect both the innocent and not-so-innocent!) to learn what might have been done differently and more importantly, how you can take these lessons and refine your approach(es) in navigating donor psychology.