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I believe that every nonprofit can raise all the money required to provide its services to the community.

All it takes is the right mix of passion, mission, leadership, and fundraising know-how.

Latest Blog Posts

Are you planning to get major gifts?

Are you planning to get major gifts?  Or are you waiting for a major donor to just pop up with a large gift? If you really want to get the most ‘bang for the buck’, plan to spend some time cultivating your top 10 donors this year. It can be intimidating to get major gifts when you’re just starting out in fundraising. But here’s the scoop: it’s all about building relationships. Think about your best friend and how your relationship started. You probably weren’t best friends from the first moment you met. It took time for it to develop. It’s a lot like that with donors. Here are four simple steps to major gift success. 1. Look for LIA (Linkage, Interest, Ability). A donor must have all three or you just won’t be able to get a major gift from them. Linkage to your organization can come in lots of forms from past volunteer experience to knowing someone on your Board to simply caring about your cause. Your donor must be interested in the work you’re doing, and they must have some ability to give (think disposable income). The combination of these three things is what brings about a gift. 2. Do your homework. Find out all you can about your prospective donor. Learn about their family, their hobbies and what other charities they support. And, find out why they support YOU! 3. Match the donor’s interests with a program/need you have. A “hand-in-glove” fit will help ensure you get the gift and that the donor has a satisfying experience making the gift. If the donor is interested in your after school program, then don’t ask them to support your food pantry. 4. Make the ask. Ask for a specific amount – not a range. If the donor whips out the checkbook, you asked too low and left money on the table. The ideal answer is “I’ll need to check with my _____(spouse, accountant, financial planner, etc.)”. The best thing you can do is practice. The more you work on cultivating major donors, the better you’ll get and the more major gifts you’ll get. var addthis_language = 'en';var addthis_options = 'email, favorites, digg, delicious, myspace, google, facebook, reddit, live, more';  Read More →

Nonprofit Fundraising Resource Roundup

Some interesting nonprofit fundraising resources from around the web. John Haydon has a great post on “How to get our nonprofit’s supporters to retweet content” http://johnhaydon.com/2010/02/nonprofits-supporters-retweet-content/ Katya Andreson has a great post showing a website makeover.  Check it out at http://www.nonprofitmarketingblog.com/site/extreme_website_makeover_from_ick_to_slick/ Nancy Schwartz has a great post on How to Communicate in the Shadow of a Disaster.  In other words, how do you keep telling your story when the world is focused on Haiti?  Read it at http://www.gettingattention.org/my_weblog/2010/02/how-to-communicate-in-the-shadow-of-disaster-nonprofit-marketing.html Oneicity has a great list of things we should be thinking about in this new year. http://www.oneicity.com/blog/npo-leadership-think-this-not-that/ GrantsandFunding.net has a free grantseekers checklist that you can download.  Get it at  http://cdpublications.com/freeresources/freedown.php?ID=38 Got suggestions for additional resources?  I’d love to hear about them!  Hit the comment link and share. var addthis_language = 'en';var addthis_options = 'email, favorites, digg, delicious, myspace, google, facebook, reddit, live, more';  Read More →

7 Questions your Fundraising Plan MUST Answer

Yesterday, I led a webinar to teach people my “Simple Success” Fundraising Plan.  One of the things I shared was the 7 questions your fundraising plan MUST answer.  I thought you might enjoy them too, so here they are. 1. How much money do we need to raise?  You need a specific goal for your plan.  If you just want to “raise more money” you’re setting yourself up for failure.  After all, how much is more money?  $1 more? $100 more? 2. Where will the money come from?  You need a mix of revenue streams to ensure the health of your organization.  Will you raise money from individuals? Foundations? Events?  Don’t set a goal without knowing where you will raise the money. 3. Who will we ask?  Be specific.  Who will you ask for money?  This gets into creating lists of potential donors. 4. When will we ask?  Create a calendar of when you will ask.  Include grant deadlines, events, etc. to get a complete picture of your year. 5. How much will we ask for?  You need to think through the amount you will request from each donor.  You may have to do a litle research in some cases to find out how much is appropriate, particularly if you’re working with major givers. 6. How will we follow up on a gift?  You need to know how you will thank your donors, how you will steward gifts, and how you will build relationships.  Be proactive about this – not reactive! 7. How soon will we ask again?  Don’t be afraid to ask several times during the year for a gift.  If you only ask once during the year, I promise you that you are leaving money on the table!  If you are doing a good job building relationships with your donors, they WANT to support the work you are doing.  Make it easy for them by giving them multiple opportunities to give. If you’re currently wrestling with a fundraising plan and you’d like help, I invite you to check out the virtual retreat I’m leading on Friday, Feb 19 to walk you through my “Simple Success” Fundraising Plan.  Get all the details at www.getfullyfunded.com/simple-success-retreat. var addthis_language = 'en';var addthis_options = 'email, favorites, digg, delicious, myspace, google, facebook, reddit, live, more';  Read More →

The Top 10 Reasons NOT to Plan

I thought I’d have a little fun here and list for you the Top 10 Reasons NOT to create a fundraising plan (David Letterman style).  Here they are: 10. You like working in crisis mode.  It makes the day more interesting. 9. You think flying-by-the-seat-of-your-pants is somewhere between “coach” and “first class.” 8. If you have a plan, you might lose your membership in “Underachievers Anonymous.” 7. You think “crisis du jour” means soup of the day and you’re hoping it’s broccoli cheese. 6. Being reactive actually forces you to scurry around the office more, and it counts as exercise. 5. If you had a plan you might need to be organized, and you’re afraid of what you might find if you were to clean your office.  Some of those piles of paper have been there a LONG time! 4. You LIKE wandering aimlessly! 3. You have no more space on your bookshelf for the binder containing the plan.  (Isn’t that what we do with plans?) 2. Working a plan would mean being more efficient and you’re not sure what you’d do with all your free time. And the number 1 reason… 1. If your plan is successful and you raise a lot of money, you might work yourself out of a job! var addthis_language = 'en';var addthis_options = 'email, favorites, digg, delicious, myspace, google, facebook, reddit, live, more';  Read More →

Are you planning to thank your volunteers?

There are so many little things that get overlooked when we as Fundraisers get busy.  One of them is thanking volunteers. I was coaching a busy Executive Director lately and she mentioned that she has a lot of people who are volunteering with her organiazation and doing sweet things.  I asked her if she had thanked them recently. “Thanked them? Uh, no.”  So here’s the idea I gave her.  Go pick up a box of valentine’s and write a personal note on them, then mail them to your volunteers.  It’s simple, it’s affordable, it’s quick, and it works!  Most of the time, people just want to know you appreciate them. (This also works for some donors and other supporters.) Brainstorm a couple of ideas throughout the year when you can do these little things to thank your volunteers.  Then get them on the calendar so you won’t forget. Would you like more great little ideas like this?  Join me Thursday afternoon at 3 pm eastern for a free call.  Sign up and get all the details here: http://getfullyfunded.info/where-is-sandy/free-teleseminars. var addthis_language = 'en';var addthis_options = 'email, favorites, digg, delicious, myspace, google, facebook, reddit, live, more';  Read More →

My favorite nonprofit planning quotes

Here are some of my favorite quotes about planning. The significance of a man is not in what he attains but in what he longs to attain. Kahlil Gibran If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.  Yogi Berra Don’t bunt. Aim out of the ballpark. David Ogilvy Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude. Thomas Jefferson Success always comes when preparation meets opportunity. Henry Hartman If you can dream it, you can do it. Walt Disney Plan your work.  Then work your plan.  Anonymous Do you have a favorite quote on planning?  I’d love to hear it!  Click on the comment link and share. var addthis_language = 'en';var addthis_options = 'email, favorites, digg, delicious, myspace, google, facebook, reddit, live, more';  Read More →

A note about setting fundraising goals

Setting goals is a key part of creating a plan.  How you create your goals is equally important. True story:  I’ve asked nonprofits to share their goals with me and they say “raise more money” or “raise a lot of money”.  Those are not good goals.  They’re too vague.  They set no direction.  Does “raise more money” mean you want to raise $1 more?  Or $100 more? Be as specific as you can when setting goals and you’ll be much more likely to achieve them.  Setting a goal of “raising $10,000 by July 1″ is a better goal – provided that you have the capability to raise that amount of money in that timeframe.  Once you set a goal, be sure that you know HOW you will achieve it.  Pulling numbers out of the air and then hoping you’ll reach them is no good.  Be sure you have specific work plans to back it up.  In the case of the $10,000, if you know you can add one more direct mail appeal to your schedule and raise that money, then that’s a good goal and one you’ll be likely to achieve. var addthis_language = 'en';var addthis_options = 'email, favorites, digg, delicious, myspace, google, facebook, reddit, live, more';  Read More →

Nonprofit Fundraising Resource Roundup

Here are several resources I thought you might be interested in. The January edition of the Nonprofit Blog Carnival is up at IssueLab’s Footnotes.  You’ll find several posts on the topic of ‘online outreach on a budget.’  Check it out here: http://issuelabfootnotes.blogspot.com/2010/01/online-outreach-on-budget-january.html There’s a great post on the “A Small Change” blog about making your fundraising efforts go viral. http://www.asmallchange.net/how-to-make-your-fundraising-efforts-go-viral If you’re serious about blogging and social media, check out the results from John Haydon’s 31 day challenge.  There’s some very interesting stuff here.  http://johnhaydon.com/ Network for Good has a new, free ebook called the Fundraiser’s Checklist.  Grab your copy at http://web.networkforgood.org/201001ebook Kivi Leroux Miller at the Nonprofit Communications Blog has a great post on integrating your website, email newsletter, and social media.  Read it here:  http://www.nonprofitmarketingguide.com/blog/2010/01/26/integrating-your-website-email-newsletter-and-social-media-sites/ Nancy Schwartz at the Getting Attention Blog has a great post on how most nonprofits fail to connect with their audience.  Read it here: http://www.gettingattention.org/my_weblog/2010/01/nonprofit-marketing-crisis-survey-shows-messaging-fails-to-connect-with-key-audiences.html One of my favorite authors and bloggers is Seth Godin.  Here’s a great post on his blog about spreading ideas.  http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/01/random-rules-for-ideas-worth-spreading.html There’s a good article on the Step By Step Fundraising site written by Marc Pitman that talks about the 80/20 rule.  Interesting.  Check it out at http://stepbystepfundraising.com/the-pareto-principle-the-8020-rule-for-fundraising/ If you know of other really interesting resources I can share, hit the comment link and let me know.  Thanks! Sandy var addthis_language = 'en';var addthis_options = 'email, favorites, digg, delicious, myspace, google, facebook, reddit, live, more';  Read More →

Got fundraising plans?

If you need help putting a fundraising plan together for this year, I’d love to help! Join me Thursday, February 4th at 3 pm easter for a free call as I present my “Simple Success” Fundraising Plan. I’ll tell you Why you need a fundraising plan 7 questions your plan must answer The optimum number of goals you should set How to create goals that you can reach My proven tool to keep yourself on track each month Plus, you’ll hear about a virtual planning retreat I’m hosting in February. Sign up now for this free call! http://getfullyfunded.info/where-is-sandy/free-teleseminars If you want to hear the call, but can’t be there with us, go ahead and sign up.  I’ll send you a link to the recording. Register at http://getfullyfunded.info/where-is-sandy/free-teleseminars. var addthis_language = 'en';var addthis_options = 'email, favorites, digg, delicious, myspace, google, facebook, reddit, live, more';  Read More →

The 1 question to ask before you plan

Before you embark on fundraising planning, there’s one question you need to answer.  Knowing this answer will help ensure your success.  Here it is: “Why are you raising money?” You need to be very clear about the reason for fundraising.  And it better be compelling to your donors.  Raising money to cover overhead won’t appeal to your supporters.  Raising money to change peoples’ lives will. What are you raising money for this year? var addthis_language = 'en';var addthis_options = 'email, favorites, digg, delicious, myspace, google, facebook, reddit, live, more';  Read More →

Fundraising Planning Simplified

There’s a scene in Alice in Wonderland where Alice meets the Cheshire cat.  Alice is lost and asks if he can tell her which way to go.  The cat says “where do you want to go?” and she says “I don’t know.”  “Then it doesn’t really matter which way you go” says the cat. In fundraising, if you don’t know where you want to go, then it doesn’t much matter which way you head, either.  Any road will get you there. The best fundraising plans start with a goal.  It might be the number of dollars you want to raise, the number of donors you want to renew or the number of new donors you want to attract.  Once you know what target you are shooting for, you can take aim. Here are some tips for putting a fundraising plan in place.  Put it in writing.  This will help make the plan real and your goals more achievable. Set goals that are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. Diversify your revenue streams.  You never want more than half your money coming from one source.  If that source goes away, you’ve got HUGE problems! Create a Summary Calendar to keep all your activities in one place.  This will help you manage your work better and be proactive instead of reactive. Put support in place to keep you on track. Get someone to hold you accountable and make sure you work your plan.  Otherwise, you may be tempted to let the plan slide. var addthis_language = 'en';var addthis_options = 'email, favorites, digg, delicious, myspace, google, facebook, reddit, live, more';  Read More →

When planning fails

Sometimes our plans don’t go well.  Check out this short video to see what happens when things don’t go according to plan. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vE9Zq7Gs-U var addthis_language = 'en';var addthis_options = 'email, favorites, digg, delicious, myspace, google, facebook, reddit, live, more';  Read More →

The How and Why of a Fundraising Plan

Before you begin any fundraising program you need a plan to guide you along the way. A good fundraising plan is a roadmap to success and shows you how to allocate your precious resources of time and money.  It can also help keep you out of crisis mode and help you control the flow of work in your office.   This is a shift from being reactive to being proactive. When you’re proactive, you’re organized and focused.  You raise more money.  A written plan should contain the Who, What, When, and How Much information about each fundraising strategy and goal you are working toward.  It should include the case for your organization, or the reason why someone might support it.  Your plan should clearly state your overall and specific fundraising goals along with potential sources of donors and strategies to reach those donors.  Be sure to include an implementation plan along with revenue projections and a way to measure your success. Before you implement a plan, you need to have everything in place so that your plan is effective.  There are 3 basic things you need before you begin to plan.  You must know: Your organizational strategic direction. Your organizational goals for the year. Your revenue/expense history and budget. Gathering information before you start will help you create a fundraising plan that is supportive of your organization’s overall goals and needs.  Once you have a handle on the big picture, you can put together a fundraising plan that will help keep you on track for the year.  Don’t be tempted to cheat and create a Fundraising Plan to “raise a lot of money” or “get lots of new donors”.  You need to have a clear picture of why you are raising money for your organization.  Fundraising plans must be tied to organizational goals and objectives. Even though raising more money and getting more donors is ultimately your goal, you want your plan to be solid and effective so that more -donors and more money is the result of your plan.  Itemize each goal so that you can work to achieve it.  It’s really simple. Just look at what your organizational needs are over the next year and think about separate funding goals in each of these categories: Programs and projects Administration Equipment Capital This will help you evaluate funding opportunities and help you assign priorities.  When you start getting to know your donors and funders well, you’ll learn which ones prefer which kinds of gift opportunities.  It will make your fundraising more targeted, and your fundraising efforts will be much more fruitful. var addthis_language = 'en';var addthis_options = 'email, favorites, digg, delicious, myspace, google, facebook, reddit, live, more';  Read More →

Get SMART about fundraising goals

As I kick off a series of posts on planning, I thought it would be good to talk first about goals.  Setting goals for your fundraising plan is the obvious first step.  Without them, you may wander aimlessly from one thing to another. Is your goal to “raise more money than last year” or “get more donors”?  No good. Do yourself a big favor and make your goals SMART. SMART is an acronym that will help you set yourself up for success. It’s a way to set goals that you can easily create action plans for and later determine if you’ve met them or not. Here’s what the acronym means: S=Specific.  Set specific goals for your fundraising activities, like “acquire 100 new donors this year” or “write 10 grant proposals in March”.  Answer the ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘where’, and ‘why’ questions to make your goals specific. M=Measurable.  Make sure your goals are easily measured.  Establishing concrete criteria will help you determine if you are successful or not.  Think through questions like ‘how much’ and ‘how many’ to make your goal quantifiable. A=Attainable.  Set goals for yourself that can be reached with the skills and resources you have.  Don’t set goals that are unrealistic – you’ll likely get frustrated and stop working on them. R=Realistic. Set goals that you are willing to work on and that are reachable.  Otherwise, it’s just a dream and that won’t move your fundraising program forward.  T=Timely. Create a timeline for reaching your goals.  If you plan to double your donor base, by when will you do it?  Good examples of SMART goals: Increase our donor base by 10% by June 1, 2009. Recruit 2 new sponsors for our Spring Golf Tournament by March 1. Find 6 volunteers to help sort donations at the thrift store on Mondays.  Orient them and have them in place before April 15. By setting SMART goals, you’ll be much more likely to be successful in reaching them and raising the money your organization needs. If you want more help setting your goals and getting your fundraising plan together, I invite you to join me for a free webinar on February 4 where I’ll share my “Simple Success Fundraising Plan.”  Here’s the link for more info and registration:  http://getfullyfunded.info/where-is-sandy/free-teleseminars.  See you there! var addthis_language = 'en';var addthis_options = 'email, favorites, digg, delicious, myspace, google, facebook, reddit, live, more';  Read More →

Planes, Trains, Automobiles… and Leadership

I’ve just returned from a short trip to New York and I wanted to share an amazing adventure with you. Part of my travel required a flight from Philadelphia to Newburgh, NY.  Everything up to Philly was uneventful.  But when I arrived in Philly, I found out they had cancelled my flight to Newburgh and it was going to probably be 9 am the next morning before I could get on another flight.  I needed to be in a meeting with my new business coach at that time, so I said to the woman in line next to me that we should rent a car and drive.  I didn’t know how far it was, but it couldn’t be that far.  Turns out she worked at a college in that area and knew the drive (about 3 hours she said).  After about a half hour of waiting in that line and getting more agitated, we decided to go for it.  Several other passengers decided to jump in with us and our merry band of 5 struck out to find the car rental counter. Long story short – I made some wonderful new friends including a preacher, an assistant Athletic Director at a college, and 2 pre-med students.  I got to see part of the country I’d never seen before, and I arrived safe and sound at my destination just a couple of hours later than originally planned. It took a little leadership on my part to suggest the idea and a little leadership on the part of another to rent the car, but we made it happen.  The big lesson I came away with is that sometimes things don’t work out as planned. But if I keep my eyes on my goal and keep my cool, there are always options for reaching the goal. I’m going to be sharing more about planning over the next couple of weeks and I think this is the perfect time of year for it.  We’re all still thinking about the year in front of us and how we can make the most of it for our fundraising efforts. So if you need a little help getting your thoughts together for creating a plan, stay tuned!! var addthis_language = 'en';var addthis_options = 'email, favorites, digg, delicious, myspace, google, facebook, reddit, live, more';  Read More →

My Favorite Leadership Quotes

I’m a big fan of inspirational quotes.  The good ones make me think.   Here are some of my favorite quotes on leadership. Shift the emphasis from saying the right things to asking the right questions.  Linda Edgecombe Not every reader is a leader, but every leader must be a reader.  Harry Truman If you don’t believe in yourself, you make it challenging for others to believe in you.  Doug Smart Be the change you want to see in the world.  Ghandi If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.  John Quincy Adams What about you?  Got a favorite quote on leadership?  Click on the comment link and share! var addthis_language = 'en';var addthis_options = 'email, favorites, digg, delicious, myspace, google, facebook, reddit, live, more';  Read More →

Born Leader?

Today’s post was provided by Sheila Moore, Executive Director for the Center for Nonprofits in Chattanooga, TN. Born Leaders? As someone who has made my fair share of mistakes (and done a whole lot of learning and growing!) over these many years since I achieved adulthood, as well as someone who has made her living as a trainer and workshop facilitator, I have come to fervently believe that leaders are not necessarily “born”.  Rather, they are made – honed by experience and practice. “Transformational” leadership is the concept that if you have the desire and willpower to lead…you can learn to do so, and do so effectively. It doesn’t mean, however, that leadership skills come naturally to many of us, or that any one leader masters all of the elements of effective leadership:  it takes real work, a little humility, a willingness to grow and learn, and a lot of soul searching.  It is a never ending process of self-examination, education, training, and experience that develops leaders. Managers are usually put in charge by virtue of their job description or position.  Leaders, on the other hand, can come from anywhere within the organization; power and position do not necessarily make one a leader, they simply make one the boss.  Warren Bennis, in his book “On Becoming a Leader”, writes “There is a profound difference between management and leadership, and both are important.  To manage means to bring about, to accomplish, to have charge or responsibility for, to conduct.  Leading is influencing, guiding in a direction, course or action.  The distinction is crucial.”    In one of my very first jobs, I witnessed firsthand the difference between leadership and management.  I worked for a man, who by virtue of his position was our “boss”.  In truth, he had no real desire to lead, only to manage and control – and he didn’t do either of those very well.  The organization was floundering, and as money grew scarcer, he grew more erratic.  There came a time, in one memorable staff meeting, where he became so angry he actually picked up his stapler from his desk, and heaved it across the room, narrowly missing one of my co-workers! Ah, the stories we can tell.  We can talk for hours about examples of poor leadership skills displayed by those we have known, or worked for, and some of those stories can be downright entertaining! But ask yourself, who have you known that you would consider a true leader – one that you would work for or follow again?  What traits or skills did they possess that made them an effective leader?   Make a list of those traits.  Then ask yourself – do I model those behaviors? The “experts” are predicting a “dearth of leadership” in the nonprofit sector over the coming decade. (http://www.meyerfoundation.org/downloads/ready_to_lead/ReadytoLead2008.pdf).    I would argue that the current economic challenges, as well as the rapid changes in our society, create a need for true leadership in our nonprofit organizations now.  There are, and will continue to be opportunities a-plenty for those that are willing to not just manage – but lead.  The question is, however, not if we need leadership, but what are we doing today to develop not only ourselves, but others, as leaders? I recently spoke with a President of a large nonprofit, who told me that training and development was a luxury they simply could no longer afford.  I would argue that they can’t afford not to invest in their employees.  With a little creativity, training and development costs can be minimized; but the long term cost to the nonprofit community if it fails to develop effective leadership is another matter. var addthis_language = 'en';var addthis_options = 'email, favorites, digg, delicious, myspace, google, facebook, reddit, live, more';  Read More →

Think Different

This is an old advertisement, but I think it’s appropriate for our series on leadership. var addthis_language = 'en';var addthis_options = 'email, favorites, digg, delicious, myspace, google, facebook, reddit, live, more';  Read More →

Leadership Through Delegation – A Matter of Performance & Health

Today’s post is provided by Karla Kurtz, nonprofit consultant. Are you overwhelmed? Phone calls, emails, grants, meetings, budgets…and that’s just for today! The solution is delegation, but it’s a dirty word and seen almost as a sign of weakness.  Leaders are putting in tons of overtime, sacrificing family and friends, and putting their own health at risk rather than delegating.  If you’re working 50 hours or more a week on a regular basis, you need to delegate and/or hire more staff. An internet search quickly yields countless studies on work-related stress and health issues.  I’m no doctor, but do suffer from hypertension, weight gain, sleep apnea, and depression all from being a recovering workaholic and Type-A personality. Why fear delegation?  There is no one-size-fits-all answer, but two of the most common responses I hear and think are often “code” for some unhealthy choices are: It’s easier to just do it myself.  Translation:  I’m the only one who has this information. This is so important it has to be done a certain way.  Translation:  No one can do it like me or to my satisfaction. It’s hard, but delegation can be learned and it’s a choice.  What are we losing by not delegating?  Sharing information with your staff and allowing them to complete “higher level” tasks is a professional development opportunity which can pay huge short- and long-term dividends in terms of job satisfaction and performance.  What if you’re out sick, go on vacation, move onto a better position, or retire?  Grooming a temporary or permanent replacement allows you to be away from the office without constant interruptions. Will it be done exactly the way you would do it?  No and that’s ok.  Give a previous or similar document to work from (if possible) and if something has to be changed, explain why and allow them to do it.  Invest in and trust your staff.  There’s only one you, but remember your staff also brings unique perspectives and skills.  Utilize those to your and the organization’s advantage by allowing them to take on more responsibility and ownership.  So shed some weight in 2010 by delegating tasks. Karla S. Kurtz, MPA, CFRE – Empowerment Consulting kskurtz@nonprofitempowerment.com var addthis_language = 'en';var addthis_options = 'email, favorites, digg, delicious, myspace, google, facebook, reddit, live, more';  Read More →

What Should Nonprofit Leaders Expect from the Development Officer?

Today’s post is provided by Lynda Lysakowski, ACFRE, President of Capital Venture. As a consultant to nonprofits, my blood just boils when I am asked by executive directors or board members, “So, we are thinking about hiring a development officer, how long it will take before this person is raising more money than the salary we pay them?” This question indicates that these leaders really do not understand development or the role of a development officer in their organization. I recently asked a group of fundraising professionals about their biggest challenge. Contrary to what I had expected, it wasn’t raising money in a challenging economic climate, or finding new donors, or even getting donors to give at higher level. It was “getting the rest of my organization (board, CEO and program staff) to understand what development staff people actually do, and getting them to support development efforts.” This is a huge area of concern for many organizations. But, think about it, what is usually the last position filled in an emerging nonprofit organization? The program people were there first; after all, if you don’t have program, you don’t need a nonprofit. Then, as the organization grows, an executive director is appointed and a finance director hired. Often a PR or marketing person comes next, and then one day the organization grows to maturity and says it itself, we need more money to expand program, move to a larger facility, hire more program people, or whatever. So, let’s hire a fundraising staff person. The result? Most of the people in the organization have no idea what “development” actually means. Nonprofit leaders must understand that it is called “development” for a very good reason—it often takes years to develop relationships with major donors. These donors can be a tremendous source of support for the organization once they understand its mission and are ready to become investors in its vision. The organization’s leadership must understand that it needs to invest not just time, but money, in its development office. A good software program, professional development opportunities for the development staff, and an investment in things such as research tools and consulting and training help for the development office can reap huge rewards. Nonprofit leadership must understand the ethics of fundraising and not expect that they can pay a development officer or a consultant on a commission basis. Furthermore, one of the most critical aspects of engaging a development officer is that this person should not be expected to “raise their salary.” Does any nonprofit ask its CFO to “cut the budget by an amount greater than his or her salary,” or tell program directors that they need to “bring in program fees equal to or more than their salary?” I have never hear anyone expect this from anyone else in the organization, and yet, so often they think in these terms when engaging a development officer. They need to, instead, look at the ROI (Return on Investment) that a professional development officer can bring to the organization. And, finally, leaders must understand that donors will expect the organization’s leadership to be involved in the fundraising efforts, both with their own financial commitment and in the process of identifying, cultivating, and soliciting donors. The development officer is there to coordinate the effort, create the development plan, and prepare the leaders for success, but leaders must get involved in the process themselves if the organization is to succeed in its fundraising program. A few tips I’ve found helpful for nonprofit leaders: Make sure the development person reports directly to the CEO and is part of the management team. The development officer needs to have a good working relationship with the CFO and the CFO must understand the role of the development officer. The development officer should be given time at departmental staff meetings to talk about the role of development, how it helps the organization fulfill its mission, and how the rest of the staff can help development efforts. CEOs and board chairs must support attendance of development staff at board meetings and assure that the chief development person is the liaison to the development committee of the board. Boards and organization leadership should seek guidance from an expert if they are not certain of their role in the fundraising program. For more tips on how the executive director and board can support development efforts, including a Philanthropic Assessment Form to evaluate our organization’s philanthropic profile, visit www.cvfundraising.com. Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE Linda is President/CEO of Capital Venture, a full service consulting firm with offices throughout the United States.  Linda is one of fewer than 100 professionals worldwide to hold the Advanced Certified Fund Raising Executive designation. In her seventeen years as a philanthropic consultant, Linda has managed capital campaigns ranging from $250,000 to over $30 million; helped dozens of nonprofit organizations achieve their development goals, and has trained more than 16,000 professionals in all aspects of development. Linda is also a prolific writer and Wiley Press has published her books, Recruiting and Training Fundraising Volunteers in 2005, The Development Plan in early 2007. Linda is a contributing author to The Fundraising Feasibility Study—It’s Not About the Money, also published by Wiley in early 2007 and her latest book, The Essential Nonprofit Fundraising Handbook, was published in July 2009 by Career Press. Linda’s first eBook, Everything You Wanted to Know about Capital Campaigns is available on her website and she is currently working on several more books. var addthis_language = 'en';var addthis_options = 'email, favorites, digg, delicious, myspace, google, facebook, reddit, live, more';  Read More →