Social Entrepreneur blog for the world changers
Annual Fundraising
It’s All Greek to Me
Feb 6th
I recently joined a committee that funds social services projects in the city in which I live. At one of our meetings the committee was discussing setting our funding guidelines. I’ve been a part of the grant writing process for many years and have seen the result of some of the stranger and more involved funding questions.
Maybe it was just my revenge on the funders but I realised quickly that funders and nonprofits do not always speak the same language. The intention behind a funding guideline does not always translate into the intended results. Here are a couple of examples that came to my mind. I’d love to hear from you if you have any other examples.
Example #1 – Leverage
In order to receive funding a nonprofit must use a funders gift to leverage additional financial support from other funders.
Funder Intention: Their perspective on leverage is that it increases their giving power. They can say that with a gift of $500 it was turned into a gift of $1,500.
Nonprofit Result: More partners does not always equal better results. Sometimes a project is best run independent and additional partners just add cost and red tape. Many nonprofits are seeking initial funding to get the project started. This also means that they have to have a process in place to track and report to a group of funders which can mean additional work and administration. More partners does not always equal better service.
Example # 2 – Sustainable Funding
This is the concept that a nonprofit must show that they have a plan for how the project will be funded after the initial contribution runs out.
Funder Intention: The idea is that the funder is providing the start up funds for a program that the organization does not have the capacity yet to fund. They see themselves on the cutting edge of a new solution or kind of assistance.
Nonprofit Result: A nonprofit will wait until they are a year away from putting this project in their annual budget. The result is that it is not a new idea but one they have been hoping to run for a while but have been forced to put off until the organization grows to meet a sustainable funding model. This can also commit a nonprofit to a project that turns out to not work as it was originally intended.
Getting An “A” In Nonprofit Board Fundraising
Sep 5th
I saw this title to a blog recently and thought, “Wow, three words in one sentence that make most board members shudder: Nonprofit – Board – Fundraising.” For far to many board members they’d rather die than be asked to be on the fundraising committee. “Let me help out with program or communications or governance issues, but please don’t ask me to ask for money.”
And the number one complaint by Nonprofit CEO’s and Development Staff are board members who won’t fundraise. Why is this so hard? I had an acquaintance recently tell me of his experience on a board. He didn’t realize when he joined the board that he would be so uncomfortable with the prospect of fundraising and he resigned rather than try his hand at it.
The author of the blog went on to briefly list three things that help to effectively involve board members in fundraising. They deserved more discussion.
- Clearly define and communicate expectations. Sometimes people are recruited to a board without explicitly spelling out expectations. The organization is eager to fill board spots and doesn’t communicate the fundraising responsibility that goes along with the job for fear they will scare the person off, and then are disappointed when the new leader doesn’t clamor to help raise money. Board job descriptions need to be specific. Board members should be expected to give and the amount or the range should be stated. They also need to help draw resources to the nonprofit by actively participating in fundraising events.
- Appropriately equip them with the training and resources needed. As fundraising professionals we spend a lot of time learning the latest best practice for our profession. We attend conferences, hear presentations through our professional associations and take trainings. All designed to make us better fundraisers. But how much time do we spend training our board members for their fundraising responsibilities? It’s rare to find a natural fundraiser among your volunteers. Let your board know you’re there to help and provide all the support and training they need and then hold their hand through the process.
- Sufficiently empower them to execute those specific responsibilities. Board members should feel confident as they step outside their comfort zone to make that critical ask. Help them learn to express their own passion for the mission. Create board mentors who have been through the process before, who can provide advice and support as the volunteer new to fundraising makes that first foray into the unknown. As they gain confidence they will find that their own excitement and commitment to the cause will make asking easy and fun.
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Jane Kuechle is an independent consultant to nonprofit organizations and to individuals who want to make a difference. To read more of her work and connect with her visit her blog: http://www.kuechleconsulting.com/blog/
Regular Tours
Jul 5th
The very best way to help people understand and find meaning in the work of your organization is to provide them with first-hand experiences; many of our greatest donors come as a result of volunteering with the organization. Another great way to give people this first-hand experience is to provide them a guided tour of your nonprofit.
Think through various program staff members that have been great advocates for your work. Who is always coming to you with an exciting new story or wants to show off a new idea? Find a few people in your organization who are excited about the work they are doing and ask them if they’d be willing to participate in a regular tour of your organization.
Choose just a couple of areas to highlight and plan on highlighting each of them for 20 minutes or so. Your tour should not last much longer than an hour and a half. Start the tour with some historical context of your organization and an overview of what your nonprofit does. This is a great chance for your chief development officer or one of your target major gifts people to say a few words. The rest of the tour should be given by program staff and program directors. A great way to close a tour is to have a few minutes for an update and Q & A with your CEO or Executive Director.
Set up these tours as a regular monthly occurrence. Let your board members and executive team members know that you are doing this. When you start a tour program you can get a little bit of pushback about a regular commitment. But it will be much more difficult to book everyone’s time if you do not have a regular schedule. It will also be much more difficult to get your board and staff to understand the need to invite their friends. It will take a few months to get them in the habit of inviting their friends and co-workers.
Related posts:
- Showing Off Your Non-Profit: A Word About Tours
- Referrals Program
- How Do You Engage Your Board?
- Grassroots- A broad brush stroke
- Annual Board Solicitations
Sending on Behalf
Jun 27th
The most effective kind of referrals are those where a board member or friend of the organization directly introduces you to someone else. You will be the very most successful meeting new people if your board members take the time to prepare the individual you’d like to meet. However, that is not always the way that it works. Many times I will have people suggest I talk with someone in the community that they know but they are not willing to send an email to introduce me or make a phone call to let them know I’m going to call. This often happens during a research session where a number of names are identified and they don’t have the time to make an introduction to all of them individually.
A great way to connect with an individual that you will not have an opportunity to be introduced to is to connect with them on behalf of your board member. This can be done through mail, on the phone, or via email.
Before you reach out to a list of people on behalf of someone else, make sure that they know you are going to use their name. Ask permission to send a note or make a series of phone calls on their behalf. If you have a copy of the note, ask them to take a quick look at it. Make sure that your board member has a good idea of what you are going to say and believes it is the right message. Let your board member know that some of his or her friends may follow up with him/her and ask about the message and that he/she should be in full support of it.
Have you used this technique? I recently used this technique in inviting a number of individuals on some tours of my organization and it was rather successful. I found that it worked maybe 1 in 5 times where as a direct referral worked probably ever other time.
Related posts:
- Getting a Hold of People
- The Art of Phone Follow Up
- Handwritten Notes
- The Immediate Thank You Call
- Pick Up the Phone
Plan Ahead with Your Proposals
May 2nd
Sometimes it makes a lot of sense to fund the new exciting idea that someone has. Other times it is valuable to take a step back and think about what your long-term plan is going to be. Many funders like to know that they are funding a project that is part of a larger picture. Other funders want the recognition that can come with funding your organization. It is important to know what kind of funder you are working with so you can plan accordingly.
When doing a grant or foundation proposal you will get much further if you have a comprehensive program. Take the time to think about what kinds of outcomes you can produce if you take enough time to do the project right. Are you training a few staff members? What if you trained all your staff members instead, how would that change your outcomes? What might that level of training mean for your organization? What if you did this program once a year or every month, how would that change your outcomes?
When you have a plan like this you can strategize about when and how you approach your funders. Work with your program staff and make sure that they are aware of your overall plan and on board with it. If you have a plan in place before you start, it is much easier to make sure everyone is on the same page. You don’t want to commit to funding a project before you receive approval from your funder or it could make the entire deal more difficult.
What kind of planning process do you undergo when you are approaching a new or existing funder? How do you prepare and set expectations for new projects? Have you ever lost a deal with a funder because of lack of internal coordination?
Related posts:
- It’s Good When it Works
- Tips on Building Good Proposals
- Social Media Planning: It’s All About Engagement
- Creating an Online Fundraising Plan: Interview, Part 3
- Meeting Outcomes
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