Here comes my occasional “Do’s vs. Don’ts” feature, where I with you something arriving in my box that seems a good ‘teaching opportunity.’ Today we’re going to review an on renewal appeal strategy. It arrived as an e. There’s (1) a subject , (2) a preview pane, (3) the e itself, and (4) what…
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BOO!
Halloween is creeping up on us, so I’ve got some really scary stuff for you!
Don’t get too spooked. There are also a few treats.
In fact, you’ll get eight delicious goodies — in the form of “to-do’s.”
But first… the bad news.
No bones about it, you’re frightening folks away if you’re committing any of these 8 boo-boo’s!
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All you’ve got to do is ask!
Seriously. The number one reason people don’t make a major gift – or any gift for that matter – is no one asks them.
But I’m getting a bit ahead of myself.
Before you can ask, you have to know a few basics:
Let’s take these fundamentals one at a time.
Not everyone in your donor base is a major gift prospect.
Even if they were, you probably don’t have the bandwidth to cultivate and solicit all of them right now. It’s just common sense to prioritize those donors with whom you’re most likely to succeed. There’s no hard and fast rule as to how to pick this priority group.
I generally advise starting with
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If you want gifts, you must give them Giving is not always its own reward. Sometimes you have to help it along if you want to truly show donors they matter. Some years ago I happened upon an article by Scott Monty, offering some Father’s Day advice. It included a brilliant idea for a gift…
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Remember, behind all your work there are people. It’s your job to learn about them. One of your best tools is curiosity. One study published in Harvard Business Review, found curiosity builds trust and improves relationships in the workplace. It also builds trust between you and donors. Jon Simons, Executive V.P. of DBD Group, suggests curiosity is…
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When the world feels wildly out of whack, it’s time to figure out how to bring things back into some semblance of balance.
Today I share a proven 1-2-3 formula for nonprofit fundraising success — even when the ground underneath feels shaky.
This is a time when keeping one’s balance is quite a challenge. But, if you use this formula, you can steady yourself, right your organizational ship, and bring meaning, purpose and joy to others in your community who share your values.
What I’m about to share is obvious. I know you know it. But… do you do it?
Just in case you need a little reminder.
I’m talking about balancing self-love with donor-love with mission-love.
You’re no doubt familiar with the adage “You can’t help others unless you first take care of yourself.”
This is a truism you should carry with you throughout your life, and not just when the oxygen masks come down on an airplane. It’s never been truer than in the times in which we’re currently living, when there are new things about which to worry seemingly daily.
How do you lead the way forward, helping yourself and others navigate through the tough times?
I’d like to suggest you heed this 3-Step Formula to nonprofit fundraising success.
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Shifting politics are creating economic uncertainty for all, and it’s especially scary for U.S. nonprofits who, on average, receive about a third of their total funding from Federal grants. This means nonprofits today need to shift emphasis (and budget) toward individual donor engagement strategies. Giving USA reports 75% of all giving (lifetime + bequests) came from individuals last year.
Major individual donors are, by far, the largest slice of today’s philanthropy pie.
If I had to tell you what you need to do to succeed with major gift fundraising in one sentence it would be this:
Identify major donor prospects… qualify them so you know they want to build a deeper relationship with you… cultivate them… visit with them… listen to them… reflect back to them what you heard… ask them for something specific that resonates with their passions… steward their gift and communicate in an ongoing way to make them feel like the hero they are!
Whew – that was a mouthful!
But don’t worry. It’s definitely not rocket science. A shorter way to say this is:
Meet with donors. Listen to donors. Ask donors. Thank donors.
See — it’s simple!
It’s just good old hard work. Satisfying and rewarding work. And it’s a type of work anyone can learn to do.
If you want to learn, please sign up for an upcoming cohort of the Certification Course for Major Gift Fundraisers. [NOTE: If you sign up within one month before it begins, you’ll get a nice discount.] It may be the most important investment you make all year. Just one major gift will more than cover the cost].
Over my 40 years in fundraising, 30 of them working in the trenches as a director of development for organizations with budgets ranging from $1 – $40 million, I have asked for a lot of major gifts. I know what works, and what doesn’t work. Today I want to give you:
(1) some of my best words of wisdom, and also
(2) answers to some of the questions folks frequently ask me .
I hope these tips will help you tweak your mindset and invigorate your systems so you can be more successful fundraising in the coming year!
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Can the act of philanthropy make people feel better?
I say “Yes. Absolutely.” Much has been written about the warm glow that comes from giving.
So why not think about fundraising as a caring act, and fundraisers (aka ‘philanthropy facilitators’) as trusted helpers and healers?
Reframing fundraising in this way can be your key to:
(1) committing to major individual donor fundraising (helping people to be the people they’d like to see in the mirror), and
(2) engaging more staff, volunteers and board members in this noble endeavor (so they experience not just the joy of giving, but the joy of helping others give).
It helps to understand the similarities in findings from functional MRI research on both the placebo and philanthropy effects.
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What’s in a name?
“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” said Shakespeare.
But, would it?
Seth Godin thinks words matter. As do I.
Just?
The meaning of the word is the reason we used the word.
If we don’t agree about the meaning of the word, we haven’t communicated.
Instead of, “that’s just semantics,” it seems more productive to say, “I’m confident we have a semantics problem.”
Because that’s all of it.
The way we process words changes the way we act. The story we tell ourselves has an emotional foundation, but those emotions are triggered by the words we use.
Not just.
Especially.
— Seth Godin
“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion it has taken place.” So says Hugh MacLeod of Gaping Void Culture Design Group, noting your words may or may not incorporate ‘signifiers’ that open the listener/reader to the possibilities they might encourage.
Opening people up to new possibilities is, after all, at the heart of what organizations seeking to enact change do.
The meaning of words changes over time. Your task is to assure the ones you use will be understood as you intended.
For example, when someone considers contributing to your organization, what does your appeal actually communicate to them? Does asking for a ‘donation’ make them feel uplifted by the possibility they can create a positive outcome. Or does it convey all you care about is their money? Does saying “any little bit helps” make them feel important and empowered? Or does it convey their gift is but a drop in the bucket?
Choose words appropriate to what you want your audience to feel.
You have the power to give would-be supporters the meaning they seek.
Let’s look at how some of the words nonprofits commonly use get their meaning, how this meaning may be interpreted by your constituents, and how you may wish to express yourself differently in order to choose the words most appropriate for your group and for the purpose of your communication.
Maybe that’s okay. Or perhaps
DetailsI’m making this the year of helping people reframe their approach to things, both personally and professionally. We can’t always change the external, but we can change the internal. And that can be than enough. It’s a LOT. Shall we talk first about callings, or breathing? How about breathing? Among the definitions of the…
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