I don’t usually do this, but today I’m incorporating the full text of a recent blog by Seth Godin. It’s not about philanthropy or fundraising. Or, is it? He says it’s about ‘goodwill,’ or the lack thereof. What it costs you to lose it. I say – you really should read what he says and…
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This is not the first time I’ve channeled Bob Dylan, calling for a change in the way fundraising and marketing is practiced in the social benefit sector. Because the times truly are a changin’…
Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command, your old road is rapidly agin’…
THEN: When I grew up in fundraising I had a shoe box as my database. I wrote grant proposals on yellow legal pads. When we got our first FAX machine I complained that now folks expected us to mail and FAX them (so double the work). When email came on the scene I complained that now folks wanted us to mail and FAX and email (so triple the work). But it was still the same old road of outbound marketing. At least I understood what it was all about.
NOW: We’re on a new road entirely. Because folks are coming to us. They’re telling us what they want. They’re defining our nonprofit brand. And they’re doing so in real time via a multitude of online channels and using a multitude of Web-connected devices.
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A good fundraising strategic plan, like a menu, should be broken into component parts so it’s easy to wrap your brain around.
With a menu, it might be appetizers, meat entrees, seafood entrees, vegetarian entrees, sides and desserts.
With a fundraising plan, it tends to break down into strategies. It might be annual giving, major gifts, legacy gifts, grants, events and so forth.
Before you can get to determining your priority strategies, however, you need to do a mini fundraising audit.
When I begin working with a new nonprofit client, I always ask the same three questions.
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A sailboat without a sail might float.
For a long time, in fact.
But without a sail, it can’t go anywhere, can’t fulfill its function.
Floating is insufficient.
– Seth Godin
These are serious questions that deserve your serious consideration.
So… take a moment right now to answer these three questions for yourself.
Go ahead.
Put an “F” or an “S” next to each one of these.
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I cannot tell you how many times I begin a consultation with a small nonprofit, only to discover they have no real donor database.
They’re still using Excel or Filemaker or something that was developed for the program or finance department many moons ago.
I also find many nonprofits that do have a decent fundraising database, but they aren’t really using it to their advantage.
It’s the equivalent of having a 747; then using it to drive down the block to the corner store.
If you’re not exactly maximizing the resources you have, or if you simply don’t have the resources you need, it’s going to adversely affect your fundraising results.
We live in an era of ‘Big Data.’ Which means that understanding why data is important, what data is most meaningful to you, and how to prioritize data collection and evaluation strategies to help you reach your goals has never been more important.
If your fundraising and marketing strategy is not currently undergirded by data, I guarantee you’re missing opportunities, working inefficiently and leaving money on the table.
Could you use a bit of guidance?
Read on…
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We live in an age of information overload.
As a result, many of us (me included) have gotten into some really bad habits in an effort just to “keep up.”
These habits are not only killing your productivity, they’re killing you!
So today I thought I’d take a step back from offering fundraising tips and tools, and offer up some brass tacks advice to lighten your load.
And I want to take on the killer of all time sucks.
Email.
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When I started out, I was a terrible interview. My first boss told me she hired me despite the interview!
What I learned over the years was that to interview strong you need to know – going in – what points you want to make.
Then you make them! No matter what questions are asked of you.
This takes preparation and practice. But it’s easy to do once you get the knack of it.
You simply need a game plan.
And this plan begins with crafting your own passionate “Case for Support!”
When interviewing for a job, the essential elements you must include in this “case” are:
The secret to getting the job offer is to craft an offer that someone just can’t refuse.
Sound familiar? It’s just like…
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Could you stand to improve the way your nonprofit staff work together as a team? In How to Collaborate with and Influence People Using the SCARF Mo, Martin Luenendonk, CEO of Cleverism, offers an in-depth explanation of how to better manage groups and improve co-operation by understanding what drives social behavior. You can apply the…
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Nonprofit marketing and fundraising have undergone a larger change in the past eight years than the previous 50. It began around the time of the Great Recession of 2008. This caused retrenching and a bit of dislocation, causing many businesses – nonprofit and otherwise – to get a bit stuck (See Warning: Have You Caught…
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Last week I gave you my top priorities for nonprofit success in 2017: “Seven is Heaven.” I suggested you focus on each of these with written plans in the year ahead, and that you persist in improving your mastery in each area.
If you embrace these priorities, I’ve little doubt you’ll see greater success in generating the contributions your nonprofit needs to fulfill your mission this year — and in the years to come.
Last week, in Part 1, we covered the first four priority areas. Today we focus on the final three areas.
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