Last week I was working with a board on their 2014 plan. One of their primary goals is to increase their fundraising capacity.
There were multiple opportunities for this organization to raise more money including developing a scholarship program for participants, connecting with potential corporate sponsors, grant writing and expanding special events.
What, I asked, was their goal for board giving?
They looked at me. Board giving?
Fundraisers are familiar with this scenario: A volunteer is set to make a well thought out call on a potential donor: armed with knowledge about the prospect, a great case, illustrations, and budget figures. Then he hesitates. Is this the right person to ask? The right amount? The right time?
The volunteer suggests going back to square one, tweaking the proposal, pulling together more numbers, more details, more stories. Reluctant volunteers sometimes reveal their anxiety by over-planning and never getting to the call. Read More
Resolutions for the Development ProfessionalTis the season for resolutions, and one benefit of work-related goals is that they seldom have to do with making it to a crowded gym or avoiding what’s left of the holiday fudge.
I’m not a big one for making goals in connection with the holiday. I agree it’s good to set goals, but traditionally, New Year’s resolutions are doomed by Valentine’s Day. I’d rather not jinx an important goal by pegging it with such an auspicious start.
But, it’s good to have a goal or two, so I’ll commemorate the start of 2014 by throwing in on the whole resolution thing.
My goals for this year as a development professional include:
Dedicating Time to Creative Work – In my line of work, as is probably true of most professionals, there are always multiple urgent items competing for my attention. In 2014 I resolve to include an activity or task each day that is important, but isn’t deadline driven. It’s not that I’m against deadlines, but when I focus every day only on what’s immediately coming due, I miss opportunities for creative, strategic thought that happens when I’m not under pressure.
This year, I’m going to give myself permission to work for at least an hour a day on something that is important but not urgent. Maybe that way when the task is actually scheduled for completion, it will have had the benefit of some productive forethought and need not be rushed to completion by virtue of its backing up to a deadline.
Developing as a Professional – There are always opportunities to learn new things in philanthropy and development, even as old as the profession is. This year I’m going to dedicate two hours or more every week to developing my skills as a professional: taking a class or training or simply spending time catching up on periodicals and blogs. I’d like to become a better meeting facilitator, for example, and become better versed on planned giving. and trends in technology are always developing and expanding. Learning new things doesn’t happen for me unless I deliberately set aside time for it.
Spending more time Networking – The opportunity to interact with other professionals is one of the joys of working in this field, and is also extremely helpful in keeping abreast of current trends in philanthropy, the local giving climate, and upcoming campaigns. I’ve learned so much from my colleagues and love the opportunity to share what I’ve learned with them. In 2014 I’m going to dedicate time each week to attending a networking event, mentoring a new professional, or kvetching with a colleague.
In the Treasure Valley area these opportunities have been expanding in recent years. Organizations like the Association of Fundraising Professionals have implemented quarterly workshops with networking events. Idaho Nonprofit Center is continuing its Resource Thursdays offerings at the Boise Public Library and have announced new webinar sessions. The Boise Metro Chamber Nonprofit Council meets regularly to talk about development issues, and share resources and events.
As with anything I hope to accomplish, I’m much more likely to meet my goals if I give them specific parameters. I also encourage my clients to set SMART goals: making each one Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely wherever possible. Parameters help me track my progress and stay motivated even if that progress is incremental, so with each goal I’m going to spend time developing a schedule and specific objectives.
Are you spending any time mulling over your 2014 to dos? Do any have anything to do with your professional life? I’d love to know.
Last week I had to be a wet blanket.
I had written some copy for an organization’s year-end appeal letter and asked for feedback.
I wasn’t excited about the response: “I sent it over to our new marketing guy to see what he could do with it, and I’m impressed! Now people might read it!”
I didn’t even have to open the document to know I’d probably disagree, but then I thought maybe I was being thin-skinned because I wrote the letter in the first place. So I opened it.
It was beautiful, with action photos, color blocked text and all the right words and statistics highlighted. And, yes, I read the whole thing. It wasn’t hard – lots of easy words, bullet points, bolded text.
The flyer outlined three programs that had served impressive numbers of children throughout the course of the year. It called out the recognition I would receive in response to my contribution. It highlighted the goals of the organization…. And all in a pleasing layout.
It made me think, what is the difference between marketing and development?
Marketing can generate brand recognition and excitement, and can be part of the development process. Development goes a step further to build a relationship that provides the incentive for people to take initiative even though they may never benefit personally.
Marketing is a precursor to a process wherein a transaction takes place to benefit the customer and the seller. Effective marketing can aid in making your fundraising effort visible, but ultimately, development is about a relationship that is not based upon a transaction, but on a common purpose.
This common purpose is about taking a stand and affecting change. It’s about ‘raging against the dying of the light,’ in other words. About not accepting things as they are but doing something about it. As a potential donor I need to know I can affect change through your organization. And because I know I can’t be a big enough donor to do this by myself, I need to know I’m being invited to be a part of a group with a common focus. Tell me a heart-warming story about the change I’m helping to affect and I will take it to heart and share it with others.
This rework of the annual giving letter outlined the product of the organization, but gave me no context. Who were these kids? Privileged children of community leaders or disadvantaged youth? Starving waifs or juvenile delinquents? Where had they come from and what were we celebrating in these pictures? What had their journey been?
It lacked the gravity a first hand account would have given. A story about a person, not a number, someone with whom I could identify whose life was changed because people like me gave last year.
It included no personal invitation. Was this flyer directed at me? From whom? It could well have been posted on a telephone pole for all the personalization it contained. As an established donor, I had to wonder: were the results outlined on the piece ones that I helped accomplish?
Where was the passion in this letter? The call to make a stand? To do something good, with no thought about our own benefit?
Would I give money in response to this? Would I be motivated enough to write a check? Click a button? Be moved to any action at all?
When it comes to inciting people to give, it’s not about how pretty the package is, but about how the message is delivered. Don’t be afraid to be the wet blanket when it comes to development. Make sure your donor is included in the discussion.
Ever hear about the pastor who wanted to move a piano from one side of the sanctuary to another? His proposal was met with indignation and near fury from a congregation that hated change. During the whole piano kerfuffle, a congregant happened to move away. When she returned for a visit years later, she was astonished to find the piano against the opposite wall. How had the pastor convinced his flock? No convincing was necessary, the pastor explained. Rather than arguing, he had solved the problem by moving the piano one inch every week until it was in its new position.
It might be good to follow my last post with one on the value of consistency and focus in fundraising. It’s not lost on me that based on the relative infrequency of my posts, I might not be the best candidate to be lecturing on either subject, but maintaining consistency and focus in your fundraising and communication efforts will endear your supporters to you, build name recognition and a broader constituency over time, reduce staff turnover and help you quantify the relative success of your efforts and help you measure the impact when you change up your routine in small increments.
Unfortunately, maintaining consistency and focus is where many nonprofits fail. Read More
