61: James Langley, Langley Innovations

<p>On this episode of the RAISE podcast, Brent sits down with an Advancement Great. Jim Langley is the President of Langley Innovations, a title he earned after 30 years in the higher ed advancement space. Jim has so much to share with our podcast listeners, including the difference between a crying need and offering help, schmoozing prospects versus developing partnerships, and soliciting round numbers versus providing carefully-crafted budgets. Jim reminds us that thanking is not the same as stewarding, and that we should never “put the ego cart before the content horse” and cast a prospect as ego-driven when they may be (and likely are) purpose-driven. He reflects on regional differences in giving behaviors, and on the importance of posture when asking for a gift. And, in true Jim fashion, he shares a genuine story of his most embarrassing solicitation (followed by his most rewarding one). Jim is one of the most helpful and authentic thought leaders in this space, and we are so excited that he joined us as a guest on the podcast.</p><p><strong>About James</strong></p><p>James M. Langley, President of Langley Innovations, has pioneered a number of practices that have been emulated by hundreds of institutions of higher learning. The knowledge he acquired from conceiving and conducting three path-breaking campaigns at three major institutions and the insight he gleaned from decades of research on donor behavior has been shared in five books, dozens of articles, hundreds of blog posts and scores of seminars, workshops and speeches. As a result, his expertise and insight, particularly on how institutions can adapt best to changing and unchanging philanthropic realities, is highly sought after by Canadian and U.S. institutions and professional advancement organizations. </p><p>His most recent book, The Future of Fundraising: Adapting to New Philanthropic Realities, was published by Academic Impressions in 2020. It builds on the vast experience and extensive research imparted in his four previous books, Comprehensi