Who Validates Your Case for Support?
Test your case with key stakeholders. Try to find the "movers and shakers" of the community to see if they support your case now and in the future. If you desire future funding, building relationships, effective communication, broad-based education and exact forecasting are musts for success.
In this day and age, just because you have obtained funding support for a cause in the past doesn't mean you will get funding in the future. The uncertainty of government direction, economic changes and more demanding donors are just a few of the variables you need to contend with. The demand for accountability has never been greater. Your case has to be powerful, meaningful and relevant. You must have a degree of community validation plus internal support. Your board needs to not only ask for funds, but be totally engaged in the priority validation process. If it does not own your case, no one will.
Sadly, in my consulting role I do a number of development audits. I am still amazed at the lack of connectivity between internal administrations, boards of directors and staffs responsible for generating financial support. Today's donors need to feel trust that the organization is spending their dollars wisely, organizations are making a community impact and volunteers understand their ambassador role.
Your existence alone doesn't make you special or worthy. Take a deep breath, stop asking for a day and look in the mirror. Who validates your case for support?
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Duke has extensive experience as a nonprofit practitioner, author, lecturer and consultant. He has been a contributing author to NonProfit PRO for the last 11 years. He has been a long-standing member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals where he was previously named the AFP Indiana Chapter Fundraising Executive of the Year and has held the CFRE designation for many years.
He received his doctorate degree from West Virginia University with an emphasis in education administration, master's degree from Marshall University with an emphasis in public administration and a bachelor's degree from West Virginia University with an emphasis in marketing/management. He has also completed post graduate work at the University of Louisville.
He is currently executive director of development for The Salvation Army Indiana Division in Indianapolis, Indiana. Contact Duke at dhaddad324@gmail.com or 317-224-1029.
