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Three cups of cold tea

April 25, 2011 By Sandy

I’ve been watching with sadness the controversy surrounding Greg Mortenson and the nonprofit he heads up.  I think it’s made my heart so heavy because I just read “Three Cups of Tea” which tells the story of how he got started.  I was very moved by the story and even wondering how I could help.  Then I started seeing news stories online about how money isn’t being used wisely, etc.  I hate it when any nonprofit has to face these kinds of situations.

Whether you believe in the allegations being made about Greg or not, it doesn’t really matter – the damage is done.  Lots of people will hear the accusations and believe them instead of digging in to find out what the real story is (by the way, the accusations never tell the whole truth).

There’s a HUGE lesson here for everyone.  Do EVERYTHING you can to protect your nonprofit’s reputation.  I’ve always said that your reputation is about all you have.  Once it’s damaged, it takes a lot of time and energy to repair.  Once it’s damaged, it makes a big impact on whether the community wants to continue to support you or not.  Once it’s damaged, fundraising gets a lot harder.

How do you protect your reputation?  Be trustworthy and honest and ethical. Be a good steward of the gifts donors have given.  Be willing to share your financial reports with anyone who wants to see them.  ALWAYS build trust with donors and the community.

Nonprofit leaders who don’t pay attention to this or gets complacent thinking “that will never happen to us” are asleep at the wheel and put their nonprofit’s reputation on the line.

It’s time to wake up! One person grumbling about how your nonprofit handles money can be the start of an avalanche you don’t want to be in. 

Filed Under: Communications/Public Relations, Donor Relations, Management

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

Working with Bosses and Volunteers

February 22, 2011 By Sandy
Asheville 2011

How to Work With Bosses and Volunteers to Raise More Money

Last Wednesday, I had the privilege of speaking at the Western North Carolina chapter of AFP in Asheville.  I had a great time seeing old friends and making new ones.

Can you imagine me anywhere not having fun?

I spoke to them about working with bosses and volunteers in fundraising, especially when you don’t like your boss or volunteer.  I know this is (unfortunately) a common issue for lots of people and I’ve experienced it myself.

I remember working as a Development Director and not liking my boss much.  It wasn’t easy, but we were able to be successful in fundraising as a team.

Here are some of the things I shared with the group.

There are three keys to being able to work with a boss or volunteer in fundraising. 

The first is communication. We must learn to be clear in asking for what we want and in sharing information.  And we must learn to set clear expectations when we set out to work with someone else.  This above all I think is critical in relationships!  I see lots of problems on Boards because people were not given a good idea of what to expect when they agreed to serve on the Board.  Being clear in the beginning can prevent a lot of problems later.

The second key is trust. No matter how much we like or dislike someone on our team, we must work to build trust with them.  Otherwise, we aren’t going to get very far.  Some ways you can build trust are to act consistently and keep your word.  Do what you say you will do.  And treat people with respect.  Remember, if you don’t respect someone, it’s your problem, not theirs.  It’s yours to fix.  Again, I know this isn’t easy, but it’s what will help you be successful in raising money.

Finally, I talked about ‘leading from the chair.’ There are an awful lot of Executive Directors and Board chairs out there who have little in the way of leadership skills.  If this is your situation, then you can try providing leadership without actually being in charge.  It’s not easy to do, but with some grace, it can be done.  When I was in this position, I found that it was a matter of gently (and I mean gently!) sharing information that my boss needed to know, and making suggestions as to the action that was needed.  Over time, my boss turned to me repeatedly for advice and insight into lots of situations.

Sometimes the relationship with your boss or your volunteer is so damaged and broken that no amount of trust and respect will repair it.  That’s when it’s time to dust off your resume and go find another job.

The good news about working with bosses and volunteers in fundraising is that you can get a lot more accomplished when working as a team.  They may have connections in the community that you need or knowledge of your organization that you don’t have.  Either way, presenting a united front to your donor prospects will get you much farther down the road of raising money for your good cause.

Filed Under: Board of Directors, Communications/Public Relations, Donor Acknowledgement, Leadership, Management, Volunteers
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