In recent weeks, a number of people have approached me with questions, all variations on a theme: effective solicitation. The minister who shies from asking his parishioners to support an important project because he wants to preserve his role as a counselor, the board members who don’t always want to be the ones out asking, the executive director who just plain feels awkward approaching others for money.
Since ancient times, we have been reminded that a true friend is loyal to us. Aristotle wrote, “A friend to all is a friend to none,” and Euripides said, “One loyal friend is worth ten thousand relatives.” Or, in the terms of today’s fundraisers, “One loyal donor is worth 10,000 fans, likes or followers whose engagement never goes further than that."
If your job is in peer-to-peer fundraising, you are in the movement business. Movements are made of humans moving, and while there is no instruction manual for this complex beast, there are some clues about human behavior that can help you get your movement moving.
The topic of standing out may not easily jump to mind but is important. In Indiana alone, there are more than 35,000 nonprofits seeking funds on a daily basis. That is a lot of competition to deal with in the arena of annual, major, planned and capital campaigns.
At last week’s Bridge conference, I was struck (again) by the many choices facing today’s fundraiser. Having a robust direct mail program and major gifts program, with a little planned giving and maybe an event tossed in, is no longer enough. Now, we need a website that is informative and optimized for mobile, and that has a user-friendly donation page. We have to frequently update our Facebook page and post a steady flow of videos on YouTube...
I had the opportunity to speak with the marketing director of a federated health-related charity in Australia last week. Claire reached out to me to ask about jumpstarting donor acquisition in her organization. She told me of recent changes in her national organization. A number of individual local chapters were recently combined in a federated arrangement under a national umbrella...
We have limited resources in fundraising. A key to success it to have a staff culture of philanthropy where your colleagues across the organization understand the importance of philanthropy and the valuable role that they can play to further the success of your organization...
The job of the program person in a nonprofit is, in my opinion, one of the most critical functions in the organization. It is also one of the most thankless jobs a professional can have. I think program people are often the most misunderstood people in a nonprofit. It is no easy job to craft a solution to a need either right in your hometown or thousands of miles away. Yet, often, major gift officers think these folks can just turn on a dime and churn out a meaningful offer for a donor...
Whether you’re an executive director, board member, funder, staff member or even a volunteer in a nonprofit, chances are you feel frustrated with the inefficiency of your organization’s decision-making processes. It’s not surprising. With the veritable maze of interlocking decisions nonprofits face and the relative lack of clarity about who has power and who makes decisions, the mere act of making a decision can be time-consuming and inefficient...
I had a delightful conversation with Cyndy recently. Cyndy is the executive director of an environmental nonprofit in the Southeast. She reached out to me ostensibly to get direction on how to execute a reverse auction at an upcoming event. I say “event” because, as Cyndy described her situation, it sounded much more of what I’ll call the “un-event.” When I hear a charity is doing another fundraising event, my mental images are of auctions, table sponsorships, and overpriced and over-cooked meals, all in an atmosphere just this side of a circus. Throw in a rock band and uncomfortable chairs and the description is complete...
