Eleven characteristics of successful fundraisers revealed at IoF National Convention

Eleven characteristics of successful fundraisers revealed at IoF National Convention: Emotional intelligence and being able to read people and situations are among the top characteristics that make successful fundraisers, according to academic research revealed yesterday.

Beth Breeze, director of the Centre for Philanthropy at the University of Kent, presented early findings from her three-year project, The Formation of Fundraisers: the Role of Personal Skills in Asking for Money, at the Institute of Fundraising’s National Convention.

They included a list of 11 personal characteristics and traits that she has discovered so far in the kind of people who make a career out of asking for money.

Direct debit cancellation rates fell sharply in 2013

Direct debit cancellation rates fell sharply in 2013: Donors are starting to feel more optimistic and are less likely to cancel their charitable contributions, with new figures showing direct debit cancellations in 2013 fell to the lowest annual average rate since before the recession.

The figures, released today by Rapidata, show direct debit cancellations fell from 4.05 per cent in January last year to 2.4 per cent in December. The average cancellation rate for the year, 3.1 per cent, was the lowest seen since 2006. Average annual rates of cancellations peaked at 4.33 per cent in 2008, falling to 3.32 per cent in 2010, before rising to 3.79 per cent in 2011.

7520 Rate for July Stable at 2.2% | Planned Giving Design Center

7520 Rate for July Stable at 2.2% | Planned Giving Design Center: For purposes of determining the present value of an annuity, an interest for life or a term of years, or a remainder or a reversionary interest, the applicable federal rate under section 7520 for July 2014 is 2.2%; Stable with last month's rate.

Opinion: Specific Sense of Connection Motivates Bigger Giving – Philanthropy Today - Blogs - The Chronicle of Philanthropy

Opinion: Specific Sense of Connection Motivates Bigger Giving – Philanthropy Today - Blogs - The Chronicle of Philanthropy: Research on behavioral economics indicates that people who feel a sense of agency and belonging when approached about giving donate in greater amounts, suggesting new ways for cause-driven groups to marshal support, a Yale