Little Dogs ... Big Tricks
So on a recent trip home from Los Angeles to New York, I decided to take matters into my own hands and jot down a few tips on the back of a cocktail napkin — tips that begin to address the specific needs of small- to medium-sized nonprofit organizations. These aren't scientific by any means … just a few things I collected along the way after serving as a senior manager at a large institution and then transitioning to a smaller organization. I also have served on several boards of smaller organizations that often need to be more creative in their approaches.
I. It starts at the top
OK, if you work for a small to midsized organization, the person in charge must be the fundraiser-in-chief. Period. The person at the top must understand fundraising and embrace it fully. He or she must serve as the point of contact for all major funders, and fundraising must be a significant portion of his or her job (50 percent, in my estimation). If this is not you — or your boss — then I'm just going to say it: I have a hard time believing that you are ever going to be bigger or better than you are right now. So make it so.
II. Make it a family affair
At a small organization, every member of the staff should be a fundraiser or know how to raise money. Everyone should understand how to build a budget and where the money comes from to pay for the work. Even consider giving each member of the staff a small portfolio of donors (five to 10) whom he or she can build a relationship with. Imagine a donor getting a timely update from a program staffer or a thank-you call from the person directly benefiting from her generosity. Pretty cool, right? An added benefit is that you are teaching someone else a really useful skill — especially if that person has executive director ambitions one day (really sell this point).

Dane Grams is the director of membership for Human Rights Campaign. He has held senior positions at Amnesty International, Greenpeace USA and Care2. Reach him at dane.grams@hrc.org.