7 Provocative Ideas Guaranteed to Shake Up Your Fundraising Results

By Gail Perry

I'm [recently] back from three incredible days at the AFP International Conference in Vancouver. The AFP International Conference was a real high! And my mind is still blown from the provocative ideas that flew about in the workshops, big sessions and stimulating conversations with my peers.

Just like I did last year, I'm sharing my favorite BIG ideas from the AFP International Conference. Last year, The Agitator blog totally trashed my list from last year. (ouch!). But being the thick-skinned seasoned pro that I am (yeah, right), here I go again with yet another list.

I hope they will shake up everything you do: from your approach to your donors, your fundraising strategies, your board, your accounting metrics, your message. You might say that some of these ideas are old news. BUT the presenters just nailed the issue in a new, provocative way.

Here are my top, favorite BIG PROVOCATIVE IDEAS from the conference.

1. "Think really, really big and then execute."
Scott Harrision from charity: water has a wildly innovative approach. Charity: water doesn't really use a traditional nonprofit model.

Charity: water has a clear simple story, very clear metrics and goals, an untraditional approach, brilliant marketing, angel investors and lotsa hutspa.

I love his quote: "If you are excited enough about your project and you write enough e-mails, you can fund your project."

When he was starting out, he asked EVERYBODY he knew to help reach the goal. He thought big, and even bigger!

Take away: You are not thinking big enough. Be bold.

2. "Your stories should touch your donors' souls."

Fraser Green of GoodWorks brought us to tears over and over in his presentation. His stories broke our hearts. (can you break hearts with your stories?) He wears his heart on his sleeve. (Do you?)

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Gail Perry Author's page Gail believes in parties first, rabble-rousing second, and having fun while changing the world. Gail Perry CFRE is an international fundraising coach, speaker, trainer and thought-leader. She is a leader in a new breed of fundraisers who are on the cutting edge of fundraising today. Her Fired-Up Fundraising approach, developed over the past 25 years as a nonprofit philanthropy expert, has helped organizations raise hundreds of millions in gifts. Gail's practical and refreshing approach to raising money in today's world is based on the very latest innovative fundraising strategies. An inspirational and popular speaker, she leads energizing fundraising workshops and board retreats around the globe. She particularly enjoys working with nonprofit board members, introducing them to a new perspective on fundraising and ways they can be successful at it. Gail's book, Fired-Up Fundraising, has been called the "gold standard guide to building successful fundraising boards." Gail got her start in fundraising at Duke University, and then went on to lead fundraising at the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. You can read Gail's weekly blogs at FiredUpFundraising.com, and also find her provocative articles at FundraisingSuccess, Guidestar, and Capital Campaign Magic.