One of my favorite parts of the longest job I ever held was that my boss welcomed innovation. If I attended a conference or read an article, and learned about something new I thought we should be doing, she was all ears. We talked out the pros and cons, together. Usually we made a plan…
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Invest more.
That’s it.
It’s simple. And it works.
You see, penny-wise fundraising may seem smart. You may pat yourself on the back for working “lean and mean.” But, in actuality, lean and mean is the antithesis of how a nonprofit becomes successful.
Penny-wise fundraising ends up being nothing more than mean.
Penny-wise fundraising takes you down exactly the wrong pathway.
Penny-wise fundraising reveals an underlying attitude fundraising is a “necessary evil.’ So… why not invest as little as possible in it?
Sadly, this approach to fundraising is doomed to failure.
DetailsToo often, fundraising is relegated to an administrative function rather than a mission-central function. It’s viewed as a ‘necessary evil.’ As a result, either no one embraces it as central to their job description, or someone is hired and shunted off to a corner to do the ‘dirty work.’
Others don’t necessarily feel a need to cooperate or support the fundraising effort. It’s ancillary, not primary.
In fact, I’ll often hear executive directors or board members tell me, with some pride and a soupçon of defensiveness: “We can’t spend money on development staff right now; anything extra we have must go into the mission!”
As if fundraising doesn’t support the mission? Seriously, that’s the entire purpose of what nonprofits call ‘development’ (aka fundraising and marketing). It derives its purpose from ends served. It’s never an end in itself.
What this so-called ‘mission first’ logic fails to acknowledge is that everyone associated with your nonprofit is guided by a ‘mission first’ philosophy and has a collective stake in your nonprofit’s survival.
And for most nonprofits, survival – or at least some level of mutually desired success – depends on philanthropy.
When fundraising is treated as an afterthought, relegated to the development committee, or delegated to the development director, it disenfranchises a huge segment of folks who care about sustaining the cause. This means you’ll leave money on the table and fail to realize your mission potential.
It takes a dedicated village to generate sustainable, meaningful philanthropy.
I’ve found four ways nonprofits don’t wholeheartedly commit to fundraising. They all have to do with typical priorities that aren’t standing them in good stead.
DetailsAre you caught in the trap of transactional fundraising?
Donors come in. Donors go out.
One-time gifts are here today, gone tomorrow.
It’s like being on a non-stop treadmill. Just exhausting!
There’s a way to catch your breath, and even begin to enjoy breathing again.
Instead of continuing on as a transactional fundraiser, become a donor experience transformist!
Before you can create a transformative donor experience, you must undergo a transformation of how you think about donor acquisition and retention. If your holy grail is simply getting the gift, you’re missing the point.
DetailsIn my last article I offered 7 out of 9 interview secrets to prepare for your next fundraising job. Today I’ve got 2 more biggies!
Together, these 9 secrets are all you need to ace your next interview and land the job of your dreams.
Let’s begin!
DetailsThink of a job interview as finding what you like doing best and getting someone to pay you for it!
Sounds pretty cool, no?
Here are some secrets to help you nab the job of your dreams.
Let’s review these one at a time…
DetailsOr else.
Reframing how you’ve done fundraising in the past is not optional.
It’s time for a change.
You must do it, because fundraising and nonprofit marketing have changed a LOT over the past ten years. There is absolutely no denying this at this point. You need to adapt. Or suffer the consequences.
If you’re still doing the same exact things you did ten years ago, or even five years ago, it’s time to rethink. If you have leaders who doubt there’s a need for change, simply explain the reasons as I’ve outlined below:
DetailsThe use of Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) as a means for individuals to make philanthropic gifts continues to rise. So much so, in fact, I felt it imperative to help you understand how they work and how they may be of benefit to your charity.
Why?
Today we’re going to take a look at:
Let’s begin at the beginning.
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The inimitable Seth Godin recently posted some wisdom I want to share, because it applies directly to how you must ‘sell’ your nonprofit if you hope to inspire folks to join with you to solve the problems you address.
As is always the case with Godin, it is succinct. It’s also both common-sense and deeply insightful — critically so — when you take a moment to dig in a little. It relates to one of the most critical elements of any fundraising appeal:
The problem.
You see, folks won’t give to you simply because you exist. Or because you’re nonprofit. Or because you’re ‘do-gooders.’
They won’t even give to you because you claim you’re addressing important issues or resolving a significant problem.
It takes more than that to capture people’s imaginations and inspire philanthropy.
The problem has to be vital, and the solving of it relevant, to them.
There are at least nine different ways in which a problem will capture a donor’s attention.
DetailsIn How to Use LinkedIn to Give Donors a Reason to Connect with You we looked at ways to make folks want to learn more about you. Today we’re going to look at how you can bond with folks and make them receptive to becoming more involved and invested with your cause.
What I like about these strategies is they’re relatively easy and won’t consume a lot of your time. And the payoff should be big.
LinkedIn is a veritable treasure trove of opportunity that goes largely overlooked by most nonprofits. And that’s a shame! In addition to being super useful for finding new prospects, researching existing donors and building your brand identity, thought leadership and credibility, it’s a virtual way to build relationships with folks when you can’t get up close and personal.
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