Coming Soon - the matrix crashing near you.

Posted on January 18th, 2015

I don’t usually talk about this, but I didn’t want you hearing about it from someone else, and you are certainly entitled to know.

This book is actually happening soon. I don’t know when precisely, but it’s very soon. I saw the press it will be printed on. It exists; it’s almost ready, except for the Index.

Friends, colleagues, and donors seeing my crazy ideas and presentations evolve had been telling me to write the book on blended giving, or if it’s more than that, whatever it is I’m calling it. It was, like, put up or shut up. Ship or go home.

Look. We've done a lot of proof of concept and reality-testing over years and years. We’ve built a lot of gifts together that would not have happened otherwise. With impact and recognition beginning right away. Telling your story is only a beginning on thanking you.

Isn’t all philanthropy already personalized? No! I laughed you off, but in the back of my mind, I thought: mmm. Should I write it? Could I? Would it matter? Then, Stephen Nill of Charity Channel Press, asked me to. I just couldn’t say no. Two years have passed since I began; it’s only just one year since I even told you, or anyone else, about it.

And so, Personalized Philanthropy will begin crashing a matrix soon, hopefully near you. Ultimately, if you don’t ship your work, you didn’t do it. right?

If you want to hear more about the book on personalized philanthropy, let me know. I’ll keep you posted as it’s happening. Let’s just see where this goes.

Warmest regards,

Steve

Personalized Philanthropy: Crash the Fundraising Matrix
Engaging donors for impact and recognition now.
We can show you how.

Charity Channel http://bit.ly/personalized-philanthropy
Use Order code personalized-philanthropy for a 25% discount and free shipping

Att: Nashville Cats! Major and planned gift officers. No one can tell you what the Matrix is. But you can find out for yourself. In Nashville. January 14, 2015.

Posted on December 23rd, 2014

Great line-up of authors and presenters and the blended audience of grant writers, major and planned gift officers is amazing. If you are in the Nashville area, let’s meet up.

See the pdf flyer for details.

Download PDF

Here’s a Chance to Crash Your Matrix on the Philantrepreneur Radio Show

Posted on December 15th, 2014

Here’s a link to the show on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 11 AM Eastern Time/8AM Pacific:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/philantrepreneur/2014/12/17/dr-steven-meyers-personal-philanthropy-landscape

Download PDF

How Personalized Philanthropy Can Benefit You and Your Clients

Posted on November 18th, 2014

On November 4, 2014, I was so privileged to be interviewed about personalized philanthropy by Tim Belber for the Purposeful Planning Institute. Have a listen (mp3 file) and read their summary. Steve Meyers

----------------------------------

How Personalized Philanthropy Can Benefit You and Your Clients

Audio File: Download/Play Recording (MP3)

Date: November 4, 2014

Guest Speaker: Steven Meyers, Center for Personalized Philanthropy at American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science

Downloads:

Summary: In this session Tim Belber, PPI Dean of Arts and Practice, leads an interactive conversation on personalized philanthropy with Steven L. Meyers, Vice President, Center for Personalized Philanthropy at The American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science.

Steve is a primary developer of personalized philanthropy, based on his mantra of "the right gift, for the right purpose, for the right donor." Steve’s innovative donor-focused gift designs, especially a series of arrangements he calls "killer apps," combine the full spectrum of current and future gifts so that donors can create a lasting legacy where impact and recognition are able to start up right away. By using Steve’s concepts in conversations with client families, advisors of all types will be able to enhance and expand how families view and act around philanthropy.

Important Points:

Personalized philanthropy is a donor focused approach to philanthropic planning, versus a planning process that is driven by organizational needs and pre-determined giving styles and tools.
Steven promotes a "radical rethinking" of the relationships between annual, major gifts and planned giving campaign managers and the donors that fall into those categories to move towards a giving that transcends these silos to serve the real interests of the donors.
Three new tools that Steve has developed ("killer apps") are individually tailored virtual endowments, equity-building philanthropic mortgages and gifts that step-up their scale of impact over time. Together, they form the basis of a new discipline – a holistic practice that spans the traditional boundaries of financial and philanthropic planning.
Steven has developed a series of 6 articles (Personalized Philanthropy and the Four Donors) that advisors can use to begin conversations about personalized philanthropy with their clients.

Reading Recommendation: Personalized Philanthropy: Crash the Fundraising Matrix and Make the Real Shift to Donor-Focused Giving by Steven L. Meyers

Purposeful Quote: Now is the time for you and your clients to think about exactly how are you going to connect that social capital you’ve created to real societal change.

Introduction to Our Guest Speaker

Steven L. Meyers, Ph.D., is Vice President of the Center for Personalized Philanthropy at the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science. Steve is a primary developer of personalized philanthropy, based on the mantra of "the right gift, for the right purpose, for the right donor." Steve’s innovative donor-focused gift designs, especially a series of arrangements he calls "killer apps," combine the full spectrum of current and future gifts so that donors can create a lasting legacy where impact and recognition are able to start up right away.

Steve joined the American Committee of the Weizmann Institute of Science in 1995 and now serves as Vice President of its Center of Personalized Philanthropy, as well as a member of its management team and total financial resource development strategy group. He holds a Masters Degree in Organization and Management from Antioch University and a Ph.D. from the University of Buffalo.

Steve has published in The Journal of Gift Planning and speaks frequently at national and regional gift and financial planning events on donor-centered giving and "Planned Giving in the Big Picture." He is a contributing author for the Planned Giving Design Center, as well as for the Elite Advisor Forum of CEG International.

Steve strongly believes in building a pioneering culture of teamwork and collaboration and most enjoys helping donors realize ways they can help make miracles happen at the Weizmann Institute and other organizations close to their hearts. He is the author of the book, Personalized Philanthropy Crash the Fundraising Matrix and Make the Real Shift to Donor-Focused Giving, and Personalized Philanthropy, and its companion monograph for donors, Personalized Philanthropy and the Four Donors: Parables for Radically Rethinking Your Philanthropy: A New Conversation for donors, gift officers, and advisors.

Your Partner In Success,

Julie Dorosz

Purposeful Planning Institute

(303) 256-6300 office; (866) 509-0498 fax

julie@purposefulplanninginstitute.com

www.purposefulplanninginstitute.com

In the end, what can just 4 donors teach us about philanthropy?

Posted on September 23rd, 2014

Ultimately, the Four Children/donors is an all-inclusive trope: I’m in; I’m out; I haven’t thought about that question. In fact, I didn’t even know one could ask questions.

- Steven Steinberg, in Personalized Philanthropy and the 4 Donors (part 6)

http://www.pgdc.com/pgdc/personalized-philanthropy-and-four-donors-part-6-6

Dear Reader,

If you enjoy(ed) the series on the 4 donors, or even if you haven't, please let me know your thoughts about it at Smeyers863@gmail.com. The opening note points out that at first blush the 4 donors might be confusing, because it attempts to solve a problem that many people (donors, gift officers, advisors) don't know they have. How (donors) can we arrange our gifts in such a way that our recognition and impact can begin now? Does it really have to be deferred or denied during our lifetime? Is it wrong or even wicked of us to seek this gratification in our lifetime. Basically, are you "in" or "out"? In fact, we didn't even know we could ask that question or even any questions at all. It seems to me in an important sense we are, each one of us, a donor "who does not know who to ask." How can philanthropy help lead us beyond the hierarchy of just ourselves, however enlightened, to thinking and consideration of the wider community beyond ourselves. Please share your thoughts on the series and on the dilemma it attempts to confront.

With greatest appreciation,

Steven L Meyers, Ph.D.

http://www.pgdc.com/g/steven-l-meyers-phd/page/personalized-philanthropy-and-four-donors

How can an umbrella advance philanthropy-your-way?

Posted on September 9th, 2014

See part 4 of the 4 donors series at http://www.pgdc.com/pgdc/personalized-philanthropy-and-four-donors-part-4-6

Each of the three "killer apps" of personalized philanthropy is an "umbrella" gift agreement - comprised of separate gift commitments, where the elements have a separate function, but all serve a common purpose.

Is there a Grail of Fundraising?

Posted on September 4th, 2014

See part 3 of the 4 Donors series at http://www.pgdc.com/pgdc/personalized-philanthropy-and-four-donors-part-3-6

New from planned giving design center

Posted on August 29th, 2014

Bringing Change to the World Through Personalized Philanthropy

Connecting your values to action

http://www.pgdc.com/pgdc/personalized-philanthropy-and-four-donors-part-2-6

Summary

Now that Steven has introduced us to the Four Donors, he takes us further down the path of realizing our vision and merging it with that of the institution. Then he introduces his 'Killer Apps' to show us how to pull it all together.

Free Gift

Posted on January 17th, 2014

Free Gift

On US Air next to elegant older couple. I was assigned the window seat but did t make him move. So I am in the aisle. Food cart comes by. I get a cheese plate. Pay with my credit card. The gentleman and lady want the same thing. Credit cards only accepted. They want to give me money and for me to use my credit card. I say ok. The flight attendant pulls their cheese tray and I give her the card. She checks and I nod I am paying for them and say yes. But I refuse their money. I wave them away when they push me ten dollars. We all smile. The flight attendant says: that was very nice of you; would you like a drink? It will be on me. She tells the flight attendant pushing the other end of the cart down the narrow to bring me a glass of wine gratis..... Next, my friends next to me say they want two beers. The flight attendant, now the second one, reminds them no cash, only cards. I say, in for a dime, in for a dollar, and ok to charge these beers on my card. She brings the beers and says they are on her. This might be what you call a free gift. Cheers!