Raise More Money: Don’t Try to Avoid Looking Foolish

A dependable revenue stream that grows — ah, paradise!

Have a fundraising challenge you want to crack? Weary of doing the same old, same old yet hoping for different outcomes? Do you want the over-the-top results that come from superior strategy?

Email me with your particular problem, and I'll arrange a quick consultation offering you a practical solution you can implement. I may even use your situation to share with my readers. Names are changed, of course!

I had the privilege of speaking with the board chair of a children's food charity last week who is, in his words, "almost at the end of my rope." His frustration was palpable as he relayed the events that have played out over the past several months at the worthy organization to which he devotes so much of his time.

Bill, who has chaired the board of this organization for over six years — and who is a substantial donor — is strongly considering opting out of both.

As I listened, I couldn't help but replay in my own mind similar situations we've all been a part of from time to time.

With a track record of reasonable success, the organization's staff leadership and even some board members have lately developed an obsessive desire to avoid looking foolish by ever making a mistake as they reach out to prospective donors. After all, their "reputation" is now at stake with every step going forward. This overarching anxiety has brought the fundraising outreach to a virtual standstill.

It began several months ago with the updating of their website. Getting the design, the message and the feel just perfect to represent their uniqueness quickly became the goals. Nine months, several thousand dollars and numerous change-orders later, there is yet a new website in place nor have any new mailings been approved. There has actually been discussion of taking the current one down until the "perfect" one is up. Mailings are still going out but almost reluctantly.