J.PaulStradamus

SPECIAL THANKS to my good friend Mike Best for his stellar background vocals and music on this week's audio version of The Breakthru Guide! If you don't typically listen, this would be the week to start🕺🏻❤️😊

Several weeks ago I conducted a highly scientific LinkedIn poll asking which bizarre technology major gift officers might have access to in the next ten years. 

Three people responded (and I’m pretty sure one was me 😅).

I have chosen to interpret this as a mandate.

The choices were hologram giver meetings, greed vaccines, instant learning implants, and LiFi. 

LiFi won. It also lost. That may or may not have been my vote… But this little thought experiment got me wondering. 

Technology is moving so quickly that the distance between “That’s completely ludicrous” and “When can we get one?” is getting remarkably short. 

So, with apologies to Nostradamus - and an even deeper bow to Conan O’Brien’s “In the Year 2000” bit - I offer these completely unsubstantiated predictions.

In the year 2030…

Major gift officers will travel with portable immersive environments capable of transporting a giver instantly to a refugee settlement in Jordan, a school in Addis Ababa, or the surface of Mars, depending on the organization. 

The experience will include temperature, wind, smells and carefully calibrated humidity.

For an additional subscription fee, the giver’s favorite coffee beverage will materialize midway through the experience. 

Development officers will complain that the cappuccino arrived during the most emotionally compelling part of the presentation.

They will be correct.

In the year 2030…

Holographic communication will become commonplace. At first, givers will simply project themselves into meetings they cannot physically attend. Eventually, holographic avatars will become customizable.

Some people will appear 20 years younger. Others will attend as historical figures, woodland creatures, or golden retrievers. 

One foundation president will conduct all meetings as a 14-foot translucent Abraham Lincoln.

No one will ask why.

In the year 2030…

Scientists will announce a breakthrough vaccine that reduces human greed by 37%. 

Fundraisers will initially celebrate. Then someone will ask whether it also reduces net worth.

The rollout will be paused pending further study.

In the year 2030…

The first fully synthetic major gift officer will close a $25 million gift. No compensation requirements. No annual performance review. It will have no insecurities.

It will listen without interrupting, remember everything it has been told, never become defensive, and possess no discernible anxiety about whether the donor says yes.

Staff morale will reach an all-time high.

In the year 2030…

A controversial new fundraising technique called “waiting” will begin spreading through the industry. Its origins will be disputed. 

Practitioners will receive extensive training in not sending another email, not manufacturing urgency and not attempting to “move the donor along.”

The advanced certification will require participants to sit in a room for 45 minutes while nothing happens.

Consultants will immediately ruin it by developing a seven-step Strategic Waiting Framework™.

In the year 2030…

Teleportation will finally become commercially viable. Major gift officers will rejoice.

No more airports. No rental cars. No missed connections. A fundraiser in Seattle will finish breakfast, teleport to a donor meeting in Atlanta, have lunch in London and be home by 4:00. 

Within three months, leadership will double everyone's portfolio.

Fundraisers will begin asking for the airports back.

In the year 2030...

The highest-performing major gift officer in your organization will surprise everyone by abandoning virtually every technological advancement of the previous decade. 

They will carry no headset. No holographic projector. No neural implant. No portable weather system.

They will arrive at meetings carrying one notebook, one pen and a set of state-of-the-art listening devices commonly referred to as “ears.” 

They will ask good questions and express genuine curiosity. They will remember names. They will notice when something changes in someone's face. They will occasionally decide not to ask for a gift.

Their colleagues will affectionately call them The Dumb MGO. 

Everyone will want to know their secret.

I don't think our response to emerging technology should be fear.

And I don't think it should be blind adoption either. 

Respect it. Test it. Play with it. Pay attention to what it does to the relationship.

A technology that helps me understand a person better, experience something alongside them, or remove administrative friction deserves my attention. A technology that makes me faster while making the relationship thinner probably deserves a different kind of attention.

The next several years could give fundraisers capabilities that seem preposterous to us today. 

Some will be gimmicks. Some will be genuinely transformative. And some will create possibilities we cannot see precisely because we are still imagining tomorrow through the limitations of today's tools.

That's why I think there's value in imagining ludicrous things. Sometimes absurdity loosens our grip on what we assume is possible. And sometimes it helps us see more clearly what we don't want to lose.

The question I’m more interested in is this: What are you doing today to develop the judgment you'll need when tomorrow's tools arrive?

* * * * * * * * * *

If you haven’t explored the free resources I’ve created for major gift fundraisers, this is a great place to start:

• Follow me on LinkedIn for daily pro tips and reflections.
• Major Gift Fundraising MRI Scan - a short, story-based assessment to help you name your instincts and clarify your posture.
• JappaFry Writer - an AI tool shaped by 30+ years of real-world experience, teaching, and strategy.
• Breakthru Newsletter, Blog, and Podcast - ongoing reflections, conversations, and practical guidance for the work you care about most.

These resources are designed to meet you where you are - and help you move forward with clarity and confidence.

If you’d ever like to talk, you can always schedule a free introductory call. I'd love to get acquainted and hear what you’re navigating right now.

‍For organizations ready for more structured support:

‍You may not need a full-time development leader - at least not yet. Sometimes what’s needed is clearer thinking. Sometimes more consistent action. And sometimes, for a season, real leadership.Here are a few ways we can start building momentum together:

* Online Catalyst Course ($199) - A complete brain dump of 30+ years in major gift fundraising - the good, the hard, and the surprisingly joyful. Built around strong fundamentals, the sacredness, and yes, even the fun. Infused with insights from Henri Nouwen. Many who take this course find it gives them everything they need to build healthy, sustainable systems.

* Live coaching ($300-400 / 90 minutes) - Think of this as "brain rental". Focused, strategic, and highly practical. The kind of time that brings clarity quickly and creates real momentum.

* Laser-focused session ($99 / 45 minutes) - For one specific moment that matters - preparing for a high-stakes conversation, navigating an invitation, or working through a decision that needs clarity.

* Fractional Director of Development - For a small number of organizations, I step in more deeply - bringing clarity to your message, movement to key relationships, and structures your team can sustain long after I’m gone.
In the first 90 days, you can expect:

• clearer, more confident communication of your vision
• more meaningful engagement with top givers and prospects
• renewed movement in relationships that may have stalled
• simple, actionable next steps after each interaction
• a sharper sense of who is ready to be invited - and who is not

Most fractional engagements range from $2,500 - $7,500+ per month depending on the level of involvement.Not sure what kinds of support you need? I can point you to a simple Development Readiness Assessment -  just reply and let me know.

And don’t miss connecting with my colleague Ivana Salloum - she's wonderful and can help with scheduling, resources, and getting you where you need to go.

Thank you for the work you do. Truly.I’d love to hear what’s unfolding in your world - and how I can come alongside you.

‍