Fundraising words of wisdom

I heard a great speak today at my AFP chapter meeting.  It was Bill Krueger of Capital Quest (www.capitalcampaigns.com).  He talked about 5 common myths of capital campaigns and was very educational and entertaining.  He said a few things that I thought applied to anyone involved in fundraising.

Conservative is the opposite of visionary. When we’re so busy making sure we stay within our means or boundaries, we don’t throw ourselves open to what’s possible.  Boy, have I seen this with groups I’ve worked with!  I prefer to think about “Big Blue Sky” – what would I do if there were a big blue sky and I knew I couldn’t fail?  It sets me up for bigger and better things.

Stop talking to donors.  Start listening to donors. I’ve always said we have two ears and one mouth and we should use them accordingly. My biggest professional belief is that fundraising is based on relationships.  How can you build a relationship with a donor if you do all the talking?  By listening, you learn all kinds of interesting things about the other person.  You get to know them.

Stop trying to time a campaign correctly.  Deal with the Now. What if we changed our thinking from “we’re in a recession – this isn’t a good time to raise money” to “fulfillment of our mission depends on our fundraising success, so we better get busy now”?  There’s plenty of money out there.  We just need to continue to work with our donors- cultivate them, involve them, educate them.  I believe that if we keep them in the know about how their gift makes a difference, they will continue to support us, regardless of what the economy is or isn’t doing.

Thanks Bill for this great food for thought!