Having a compelling mission is a key to Getting Fully Funded. Watch this short video as I explain what a compelling mission is.
Stay focused for fundraising
May 30, 2011 By
Routine: a pattern of behavior that is repeated over time.
We all have routines, don’t we? We have a particular order of doing things when we get ready in the morning or when we cook our favorite dish. or when we’re working.
Some of us like routine - children do better with routine (so do my cats and horses!). Routines can help us accomplish tasks easier and with less stress. But, once we get out of a routine, it can take some time to get back in it.
For example, I’ve been in a pretty good habit of blogging for the past few years. There’s a particular time of day that I normally sit down and put my thoughts online. Over the past few weeks, I’ve experienced lots of unusual bumps in the road that have thrown me off. It would be really easy for me to say “I’m too busy right now. I don’t have time to blog.” and blow it off. If I did that, chances are good I’d eventually quit altogether (and I don’t want to do that). So, I’m recommitting myself to share something helpful to you.
As a Fundraiser, look at your habits. It’s easy to set important things aside when craziness crashes in. For example, maybe you have some time set aside every afternoon for making thank-you calls to your donors. Then one week, you have a grant application that for whatever reason, you are running behind on. You have to decide between making your calls or getting your grant application out. Maybe the next day, your Board Chair needs to chat with you. And the next day it’s something else. Before you know it, you’ve given up your routine of calling donors. Which, in my opinion, is a major mistake if you want to raise big money!
The bottom line is that you must choose what’s important and what you will spend your time on. In your case, I encourage you to always think about which tasks and activities will move you closer to your goals. (If you don’t know what your goals are, that’s an even bigger problem!) There’s always going to be a “crisis du jour” in your office that will cry for your attention. Always be very clear about your priorities and what you need to spend your time on. When you stay focused on the most important thing, you’ll reach your goals and be successful.
And if you need to, join me in recommitting to those things that we need to do.
You must learn the language
May 13, 2011 By
On our farm, we have 4 cats. Each of them was rescued from a shelter and they are all a part of our family. The fun part is that they are all very different from one another. And none of them actually say “meow.”
I think when I was young, I learned that dogs say “woof” and cats say “meow.” I guess my young brain thought that meant that all cats say “meow” and only “meow.” But now I have all these kitties who speak a different language.
I don’t think I can spell the sounds they each make. Each of them has a unique, signature verbalization which makes it easy to tell them apart from the other room. Because I love my kitties so much, I’ve gotten to know them so well that I can tell them apart just by the sounds they make.
This all got me to thinking… how would fundraising be different if we got to know our donors so well that we understood their language? What I mean is that they all have their own unique likes, dislikes, and things they like to talk about. What if we took the time to know the specific phrases they use when they speak? Or the stories they like to tell over and over?
I’m thinking that our fundraising would explode. If we took the time to get to know our donors so well that we speak their language, we’d be developing relationships that would last for years. Our donors would feel important to us and would give to support our work over and over again.
So, spend some time learning the language of your donors. Get to know them. Learn what makes them tick. You’ll raise more money.
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