“How can I make sure that another organization doesn’t steal my donors?”

I’ve been asked this many times. Let me put this to rest right now. You can’t “steal” someone else’s donors.

People give to the organizations and causes that they want to. There’s nothing you can do to change this. If the donor decides to give to a different cause, it’s because they perceive the new cause to be more worthy of their support. You can offer someone else’s donor information about your organization, but the decision to give is theirs. Likewise, another organization can offer your donors information about their work. If your donor goes away, it probably has more to do with your lack of donor relations than anything else.

Bottom line – you can’t steal donors from another organization. Nor can they steal yours.

“Well-behaved women rarely make history.”

I  love this quote!  I saw it so clearly recently. I spent the weekend in Savannah, Georgia with my Mama and sister-in-law to celebrate my Mama’s birthday (she’s 74).  What I didn’t expect was to learn so much about the role women have played throughout history.

We learned the details of how Juliette Gordon Low started the Girl Scouts of America (and we saw a couple of scout groups touring Low’s home).  Interestingly, Low lost her hearing, but didn’t let that stop her from forming this wonderful organization for girls.

We learned about a group of women who stopped the destruction of the largest Live Oak tree in Savannah (it was awesome!) and others who rallied to prevent the destruction of various historic homes in the city.

It reminds me over and over of the difference one person can make.  One person decided to start a program for girls.  One person decided to save a beloved tree or a house.  And they made a big difference.

You’re one person.  What can you do to make a difference today? Can you offer a warm smile or a kind word to brighten someone’s day?

I’ve been talking with several folks lately who are working with new nonprofits that have recently gotten started.  They are so excited and have so many questions!

They want to know how to put a good Board together and how to get Board members to have ownership of the organization.  They want to know how to spread the word about the work they are setting out to do and how to get the attention of the local media.  They want to know how to apply for grants without having served any clients yet.  They want to know how to find donors and raise money. (See what I mean about lots of questions?)

Since I seem to be attracting these startups like moths to a flame, I’m putting together a coaching program just for them to get them up and running fast.  I’m calling it the Nonprofit Startup Jumpstart.  My intention is to help them speed up their learning curve on these issues and get moving fast.  It’s packed with information and affordably priced. You can read all about it at http://www.getfullyfunded.com/nonprofit-startup-jumpstart.

So here’s my question for you, my readers:  What does a Startup need to know?  What do you wish someone had told you when you first started your organization or when you first started working in fundraising?  I’d love to hear your thoughts!  Please hit the comment link and let me know what you think.

Oh, and if you know someone who might benefit from the Nonprofit Startup Jumpstart program, please share the link.  The program starts September 1 and the deadline to sign up is September 14.

Last Thursday, I had the honor of presenting at the AFP North Carolina Conference on Philanthropy in Charlotte.  My session was called “4 Simple Steps to Building Donor Relationships and Fully Funding Your Mission Using Donor-Based Fundraising.”

My intention for this breakout session was to help my students focus on building donor relationships and share my concept of getting fully funded. Here are a few notes from the session.

What does it mean to ‘Get fully funded?’ It’s a state of fundraising where you can easily raise all the money your organization needs to fulfill its mission.  Your organization has all the equipment, supplies, and staff it needs.  Fundraising is not only easy, it’s fun!

What is donor-based fundraising? It focuses on the donor and the relationship. It creates long-term sustainability for the organization and a satisfying experience for the donor.  It requires honest two-way communication.

When you follow the principles of donor-based fundraising, there are 4 simple steps to raising all the money your organization needs.

1. Tell your story.  Keep it short and simple, and tell people why they should care about your organization.
2. Ask for a gift. Ask multiple times during the year and use a variety of techniques.
3. Thank the donor.  Be warm, sincere, and prompt in your gratitude.
4. Build relationships. Get to know your donors and what peaks their interest in your organization.

I’ve used these principles and steps many times, as a Development Director and as a coach, tobring about some amazing results in fundraising. I’ve had donors thank me for giving them the chance to make a donation.  I’ve broken fundraising records.  And I’ve had an absolute ball doing it!

Stay tuned as I share more about what it means to Get Fully Funded and how you can do it, too.

I’m seeing signs of the economy improving.  Are you seeing them?  Restaurants and shopping malls are packed and I’m hearing positive news from trusted sources.

My clients are seeing more and bigger donations coming in (yay!).  I firmly believe that fundraising is going to get easier a little bit at a time over the next several months.  I don’t know if it will go back to where it was, but I don’t plan to spend any time worrying about that.  I’d rather focus my attention on what needs to be done now to set ourselves up for success both now and in the future.

Here are some things that smart nonprofit organizations are doing right now to prepare for success:

• Deepening donor relationships. Smart nonprofits are investing time into their donors.  They’re spending more time getting to know their donors.  They know that this is the best use of their time, because loyal donors will stick around for years to come.
• Showing their appreciation. Smart nonprofits are spending more time than ever before thanking and acknowledging their donors.  They’re making thank-you calls and sending handwritten thank-you notes. Some are getting their Board members involved in this!  They’re making sure that the donor knows how much they appreciate their support.
• Honing their Case for Support. Smart nonprofits are getting very clear about their reason for existence.  They have concise, razor-sharp answers for the questions about why someone should give to them.
• Strengthening their Board. Smart nonprofits are spending time to make sure their Board members understand their roles and responsibilities for leading the organization, and have the resources they need to do their job.  They’re helping their Board members find ways to comfortably participate in fundraising.  Instead of sitting back and expecting their Boards to know what to do, smart nonprofit staff are educating and supporting their Boards.

What is your nonprofit doing right now that’s smart?  I’d love to hear!  Click on the comment link and share.

If your organization is having trouble raising money right now and you’re blaming it on the economy, I want you to stop.

There are lots of nonprofits who are doing just fine.  Many of my clients are raising more money this year than last year.  Attendance at annual dinners and galas is up.  Donors are still giving and many have increased their gifts.

What makes the difference between those organizations and yours?  It’s mindset.

What you think about and believe becomes your reality.  Yep, those little thoughts running around in our heads have more impact on us than we realize.  If you spend your day focused on how bad things are and how you can’t raise money, your thoughts become a self-fulfilling prophecy.  If you focus on what’s possible, you will find opportunities to raise money.

Here are some BIG THOUGHTS I want you to think:

• There is enough money out there for all of us.  Every nonprofit can raise all the money they need to fulfill their mission.  Don’t look at other nonprofits as competition either.  Focus on the fact that if every person who gives to a charity gave just 1% more, we’d all be cash flush!
• The best fundraising is based on donor relationships.   Our donors are NOT ATM machines and we have to stop treating them that way.  Focus on your donors as friends and partners in your work, then treat them as such.
• Passion is contagious!  Share your passion for your work.  The more excited you are about the life-changing work your organization is doing, the more others will be excited and want to help.
• Have an Attitude of Gratitude.  Be grateful for everything.  Thank your donors.  Thank your volunteers. Thank the people who pick up your trash.  You never know who might be capable of connecting you with an invaluable resource or dropping a large gift in your lap!

You can change your circumstances, but you have to first change your mindset.  Start monitoring your thoughts.  Dump the negative ones and focus on the positive.

When you need an answer to a fundraising question, who do you ask?  Whose advice do you take?

Whether you’re looking for a coach, a consultant, or just signing up for an electronic newsletter, it can be tough to choose the right person. Hundreds of people are out there giving advice and sharing their knowledge.  How do you decide who to listen to?

Here are some tips for finding the best source of help for you and your nonprofit organization.

1. Find someone you can follow who has experience in the size or the kind of organization you are working with.  They’ll have the “been there, done that” information you need.

2. Find someone who clicks with you.  Listen to your gut when you’re choosing a fundraising advisor.  We all run across people from time to time who we really like and can hear what they’re telling us.

3. Find someone who is going to be around for the long haul.  Stay away from anyone who appears “fly by night” and might be here today, but close up shop next month.

What else?  I’d love to hear from you how you choose the people you follow.

There have been a LOT of nonprofit contests going on lately.  Seems like everyday I get asked online to “vote” for some organization in one contest or another.

But are these contests worth it?

My colleague Sherry Truhlar at Red Apple Auctions recently addressed this trend on her blog. Sherry points out that small nonprofit organizations can easily waste a LOT of time promoting their participation in one of these contests.  And with limited resources (like time), they may be better off promoting something that’s a sure thing, like a fundraising campaign or an auction event.

I totally agree with Sherry.  It’s easy to get lured by the prospect of winning $10,000 just by having the most votes.  But these votes aren’t always easy to get, plus you’re competing with thousands of other nonprofits.  I’ve even heard a few nonprofits complaining that some contests aren’t set up very fairly.

I encourage you to think very carefully before you decide to participate in one of these.  Make sure it’s worth your time before you jump in. And remember that these contests are sponsored by businesses that are getting a lot of promotional value from it.  

Read Sherry’s entire post at http://www.redappleauctions.com/marketing/benefit-auctions-versus-online-non-profit-contests-wheres-the-big-payoff/

I had a few minutes between appointments yesterday and got to stop in one of my favorite thrift stores. It’s one of the stores operated by Knox Area Rescue Ministries and it’s a really nice store.  Every time I go in there, I have to smile.  That store is there in part because of me.

More than 10 years ago, I took my first job in Development at the Rescue Ministries.  My job consisted of managing special events (don’t we ALL do that at first?), coordinating volunteers, and overseeing the thrift store.  At that time, there was one location for the store and it wasn’t doing well.  It had been operating in the red for sometime and the President of the organization was ready to close it.  But I wanted a shot at turning it around.

I didn’t have any experience in thrift stores, but I had worked in retail before. So I took a look around and started making changes. I fired the store manager and hired someone with a lot of passion for the organization’s mission.  I made a few common sense changes in the store like applying a fresh coat of paint, expanding the hours, and increasing the prices of a few items (like charging $2 for a shirt instead of $1).  And within 2 months, we were turning a nice profit.  In month 3, we netted $10,000.  It was awesome!  The Board Chair sent me a nice cookie bouquet!  Later that year, I wrote a business plan to further expand the store, opening multiple locations in the community.

Today, there are several locations throughout the city.  And I smile when I pass one. I know I helped create something wonderful that has lasted long after I left my job there.  Of course, the store has gone through some ups and downs since then, but had I not been there and gotten things going, the store would have been closed in 1998.  Today, the thrift stores provide jobs to people in the community and a source of revenue for the Rescue Ministries.

So, what legacy will you leave behind?  No matter what job you do, you have the ability to leave something wonderful when you leave.  I invite you to think carefully about what that will be and see what you can do to make it happen.

It’s been amazingly dry here lately.  Our pastures have become brown and crunchy.

Then yesterday, for the first time in weeks, we had a long, steady rain.  And again today, it rained.  It was so refreshing!

I started thinking about how sometimes working in fundraising can be like that.

We can have long dry spells, where we’re working as hard as we can, trying everything we can think of, but nothing seems to be happening.  When small nonprofit organizations go for long periods of time without income, in can become very stressful.

If you happen to experience these times (and I hope you don’t!), be sure to engage in activities that refresh you.  Make sure to schedule yourself some personal time for fun and rejuvenation.  Get a massage or go for a walk.  Do something you enjoy.  It will help you tremendously when it’s time to face the fundraising tasks again.

Personally, I love anything outside – weeding the garden, repairing a fence, or scratching a horse’s itchy neck.  There’s something about being outside in nature that feeds me.

I’d love to hear what you do that refreshes you.  Click on the comment link and share.