Harness the Power of 'P'

Step 5: Prospects
The next "P" is for prospects — individuals, corporations, foundations, organizations and associations. Look to your current donors first in order of their cumulative gifts and by the number of years they have given. Make sure you personally get to know your major donors. Analyze the individual base by market segments such as parents, friends, patients, volunteers, alumni, physicians and staff, and by association — for example, hospital volunteers, board of trustees, women's auxiliaries, etc. Look to local corporations first, regional companies second and national companies third. Follow this pattern for foundations, associations and organizations. Align prospects based on restricted or unrestricted priorities. Look to internal "family" linkages first, before you look to less-engaged prospects. Charity begins with your internal family. Never forget to solicit your volunteers.

Step 6: Passion
You must determine whether you want to be captain of the Love Boat or the Titanic. You must be brave, honest, ethical and motivated, and show trust and passion like never before. When prospects see your eyes filled with excitement and possibility, they will invest and follow you. Show passion consistently, and be true to yourself. Have passion for what you are promoting.

Step 7: Patience
The development officer of today must be willing to take a current fundraising program, shape it like a piece of clay and create a new model. You must educate, communicate, facilitate and teach others about philanthropy. They need to be engaged, and leadership must give you time to achieve success. You will be frustrated a great deal of the time, but you must learn patience. The trick is to balance short- and long-term success. You need to consistently lobby for program credibility.

Step 8: Peers
Whether you are new to the fundraising profession or a 30-year-plus veteran, you always need information. The best way to obtain information on new trends and best practices is to develop a peer network. Many fundraising organizations have mentor programs. You need to determine what is right and comfortable for you. Constantly seek advice, counsel and guidance. Always remember that due to the nature of our profession, there are no wrong answers. By sharing information, one is better able to compare and contrast programs. It is also best to get involved in a variety of professional organizations where online networking and fast answers to questions exist. No idea is actually new — it's just new to you.