Philanthropy Hour

Dr. Russell James is the Director of Graduate studies in Charitable Financial Planning at Texas Tech University.  He was trained as a lawyer, having graduated cum laude from University of Missouri.  He worked as a Planned Giving Director for Central Christian College, while also building a successful law practice around estate and gift planning.  He later served as President of the same college, with direct supervision over all fundraising activities. In this fascinating interview, we cover the research that he has conducted at Texas Tech University, and apply it to real world applications of approaching donors and asking for money, specifically charitable bequest gifts. This research also provides an insight into the thought process of donors, and how to manipulate that thought process to get the best responses.