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Put your picture on the piano

February 28, 2011 By Sandy
piano pics

I was at a fundraising committee meeting recently and we were talking about growing the organization’s donor base. This is a common goal for nonprofit organizations, right?  Well, I’m always delighted when folks who don’t have formal fundraising training get it, as happened that day.

As we were talking about strategies for growing the donor base, we talked about how minimizing the loss of donors would help increase our overall number of active donors.  That’s when one sweet man said “we need to put our picture on their piano.”  We giggled immediately knowing what he meant.

I remember when I was little, my Grandma had lots of photos of family and friends on her beautiful upright piano.  That was her way of keeping them close and remembering them often.  The suggestion of putting our picture on the donor’s piano was a perfect way to describe the importance we need to put on relationships with our donors.  Our donors are so much more to us than just the check they write.  Their gift is a vote of confidence in the work our organization is doing.  It’s their way of saying they support what we’re doing and they want to see us succeed.  They, too, want to see the change we’re after in the world.

And that kind of support deserves our attention and respect.  Maybe we should put their picture on our piano, too.

Filed Under: Capital Campaigns, Communications/Public Relations, Donor Relations, Donor Research, Fundraising Planning, General Fundraising, Get Fully Funded, Inspiration, Leadership

What happens when you do what you’ve always done?

January 26, 2011 By Sandy

Work rhythms are common. We all fall into ways of doing things that serve us in some way. We host the same special event each year or we submit the same grant application each year. It works for a while, but then attendance starts to drop off or our grant is no longer funded. But it’s a good idea to evaluate your work habits periodically to make sure they still work.

I was talking with a client yesterday and she was telling me about someone in her organization who has become a problem child. Every time others talk about changing things or trying something new, this woman says “that’s not the way we do it.” She’s not willing to hear a new idea. She’s so stuck in the old ways of doing things that she’s starting to impede the progress of the organization. In fact, she clings so tightly to the old ways, that she’s gotten quite negative with others and has lost sight of the mission of the organization. Others are now avoiding interaction with her because of her negativity. It’s become “me vs. them” and she’s determined to win.

I can remember working with a couple of people just like this. In one case, I came back from a conference with new ideas ready to implement, and she did her best to discredit me and squash my enthusiasm. I never could understand why she was so negative, unless she was terrified of change. Either that or she wanted to be the “Star of the Show” and I was stealing her limelight. Either way it was holding the nonprofit back from doing bigger and better things.

So, back to my original question. What happens when you do what you’ve always done? You get what you always got.

If you aren’t happy with the fundraising results (or any results for that matter) you’re getting, then you MUST change what you’re doing. Simple as that.

You have to find a way to get these negative folks on board with moving forward, or they need to be let go. I know that’s harsh, but it’s true. You have way too much important work to do in the world to be held back by someone who has their own agenda.

Have you had experience working with negative people in your nonprofit who were reluctant to change? I’d love to hear your story. Click on the comment link and share.

Filed Under: Board of Directors, Capital Campaigns, Donor Acknowledgement, Donor Relations, General Fundraising, Get Fully Funded, Leadership, Management, Marketing, Planned Giving, Strategic

Helpful Hints for Capital Campaigns

April 19, 2008 By Sandy

There are many keys to success when it comes to capital campaigns. Here are two examples from my own experience.

Back when I was a staff person, I found planning well in advance to be golden. When I worked at the local food bank, we knew that we would outgrow our building sometime within 5 – 6 years. So, I started cultivating donors with the thought that I would ask for a gift or two before the capital campaign, then I would be ready with my top donors whenever we were ready to launch a campaign. Up to then, we had not done much with our larger donors, so I thought that using that time to give them the experience of giving to us in a bigger way would be a good thing. I left the organization before a capital campaign started, but I left with the knowledge that everything was lined up and ready.

Another key to success with a campaign is having the right people involved. One of the organizations I’m coaching through a campaign now is a prime example of this. They have strong leadership in their Board and the gentleman who is chairing the campaign is a former fundraiser at a local college. He knows exactly what needs to be done and he has the connections in the community he needs. On top of that, it’s a great organization and has a good reputation in the community, so we are fairly certain the campaign will be successful.

At its heart, a capital campaign relies on the same things as other fundraising efforts: a compelling case, relationships with donors, and the right person asking for the right amount at the right time.

Filed Under: Capital Campaigns Tagged With: ,