15 Beatles Song Titles Translated for Nonprofit Professionals

The Beatles were an English rock band that formed in Liverpool, England, in 1960. With members John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, they became widely regarded as the greatest and most influential act of the rock era.

These artists were included in TIME magazine's 100 most influential people of the 20th century. They are the best-selling band in history with sales of over 600 million records worldwide. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.

While the Beatles were together from 1960 to 1970, they published more than 260 songs. According to former Rolling Stone Associate Editor Robert Greenfield, the Beatles were like Picasso in the sense that they broke through the constraints of their time period with something that was unique and original. If you were fortunate enough to witness the "British invasion," our trends in the U.S. followed their trends. It was exciting to see what the Beatles would do next as their songs changed through the decade of the 1960s.

As a nonprofit professional, I love to use the titles of some of the Beatles songs as a metaphor for what nonprofit professionals do to promote their profession.

These are a sample of 15 Beatles song titles and my translated thoughts:

1. "Act Naturally"—In our actions with various internal and external constituencies we must be ourselves. We must be honest and transparent. You will know quickly if you have chemistry with others.
2. "All You Need Is Love"—It is important to build relationships with others and stand the test of time. Make these real, and show you care about the people you work with and others you are engaging on behalf of the institution you serve.
3. "Birthday"—Make sure you utilize some form of constant moves management with key donors, and don't forget their birthdays! They will appreciate the attention.
4. "Do You Want to Know a Secret?"—Keep key stakeholders in the loop, and provide them with ongoing and special information that everyone may not receive. They will feel special.
5. "Eight Days a Week"—If you work for a nonprofit it will seem like you work eight days a week. No one works 8 to 5 all of the time. Take care of your health!
6. "Got To Get You Into My Life"—It is all about moving prospects from the prospect box to the donor box. Figure out how to get them into your life and maintain them for your life.
7. "A Hard Day's Night"—Hopefully this doesn't happen all of the time, but it will happen with regularity if you remain in a nonprofit career. We do not have easy jobs.
8. "I Saw Her Standing There"—I was at a reception recently when I saw a donor I had been trying to reach without success. I was a happy man as I secured a few precious minutes of her time to cultivate her, which led to another important meeting.
9. "The Long and Winding Road"—How many times have you tried to secure a large gift from a prospect and found out it took many months? It takes strategies and effort just to identify, cultivate, solicit and steward large gifts.
10. "Taxman"—Have you ever attempted to secure an annual gift, major gift and planned gift from the same couple? You better be prepared with up to date tax information.
11. "Twist and Shout"—I finally secured a significant gift from a donor one time and took my wife out, and yes, we did the twist and shout to a local band.
12. "We Can Work It Out"—We all have had successes and failures with staff, volunteers, board members and others in our orbit. If our intent is sound, we can work problems out if the other party feels the same.
13. "With a Little Help From My Friends"—I do not care what anyone says, no one succeeds in this business without help from a variety of friends and supporters. It is not about you.
14. "Yesterday"—We make a maximum effort each day to do the best we can in our jobs. Let yesterday go, and look forward to what lies ahead tomorrow.
15. "When I'm Sixty-Four"—That age for many is a strange time in their careers. Many professionals are coming and going at a crossroads. They wonder what will be next and what will be their legacies after they hang up their pledge cards.

Thank you, Beatles, for changing history and continuing to influence our profession through your music. We all should be proactive change agents and think about ways to improve our profession in the future.