What kind of money do you want to raise? Tens of dollars? Hundreds of Dollars? Thousands or millions or billions of dollars?
You may be part of the group of fundraisers who is blaming the economy for sluggish donations. But I advise you to get out of that group and fast!
The truth is that lots of nonprofits are doing just fine. I have clients who are having record-breaking experiences. One raised more money at their annual dinner last month than ever before. Another just got a $355,000 grant. Another got a first-time gift of $10,000. Still another has seen nearly 50% more donations than last year.
Here’s their secret: they are intensely focused on their mission. The are not distracted by the news of the economy. They are passionate about the people they serve and are willing to continue to ask for support from their donors. And guess what? They’re getting it.
In a recent note from the Institute for Charitable Giving, Jerry Panas shares this story:
Everyone knows you can’t raise money during a difficult economic period, the worst Recession we have had in this country since the Great Depression. But no one told Dana-Farber they weren’t going to be able to raise money.
So they’ve gone ahead, and during these difficult times have reached $1 billion (that’s a B), and are over the goal. And the money keeps coming in. They are going to continue their campaign for the next two years. It’s the most ever raised for a healthcare institution. Dana-Farber is one of the leading cancer research and treatment centers in the world.
If you think you can’t, you can’t. If you think you can, you can. Even in times like this.
Take a tip from these folks. If your fundraising efforts aren’t producing, it might be time to step back and evaluate what you’re doing. Stop doing those things that aren’t working. Let go of stinkin’ thinkin’ and beliefs that aren’t serving you. And start telling your stories to your donors.
You could be raising thousands more. Or millions or billions!
[...] Tens, Hundreds, Thousands, Millions, Billions [...]