Archive for category: Uncategorized

You really CAN make this shift!  Really!

You all are working REALLY hard. You give your heart, energy and smarts to fix, enhance, inspire, lift up, prevent, support, and more… to make the world better.

I appreciate you and what you do.

Maya Angelou said it best, “You want to compose a good world. It’s an honorable and noble profession.”

Yes, you are in an honorable and noble profession.

But here’s the deal that you need to “get.”

If we have sincerely shared how the world is better because our donors gave, THEY will feel like THEY have done it!  WoHOO!! Celebrate this!

“You reach the smallest communities in Wyoming with Science with your support of the Science Bus.”

“You have given a small child a coat and boots this winter and the gift of warmth.”

“You have made education possible for those who can’t meet tuition.”

“You put smiles on the faces of our senior residents with the music you provide.”

“You gave a homeless family a safe night’s rest.”

Here’s my point.  As I read all the year-end appeals, this is what I get.

“With your help, we are providing a safe space for homeless people.”

“Thank you for your continued support of _________(name) – fill in the blank.”

“We know _________(name) – fill in the blank “is important to you.”

“With your support, we do our great work.”

Folks, you need to get most of the “we” and “I” out of it.

But, you say, the donors don’t play the music at the assisted living facility (well not unless they’re Marcy – then they play at senior centers all the time – just saying). Donors don’t drive the bus and they sure don’t teach the science in remote areas.  Donors don’t go out and buy the coat and boots.

Right – and you won’t either without their gifts. So really they DO make it happen.  Yes, it wouldn’t happen without you, but it won’t happen without you connecting the dots for them to FEEL what their money DOES.  And your year-end appeal, major gift letter, thank you post card, etc. will be so much more effective when you are willing to let go needing to be appreciated and recognized for what YOU and your organization are doing and just give it all to them.

I heard a story just last week about a donor who said, “I always give to operations – then I can take credit for everything wonderful X (non-profit) does!”

Bloomerang, a donor software, is so committed to this they actually have a piece of programming within the product that rewrites your appeals, created in cooperation with Tom Ahern, to count the “we”s and rewrite to “you”s.

True Marcy Heim story, “I bought a new accounting system for CTM – Children’s Theater of Madison – where I both performed and served on the board.”  Now let me be really transparent here.  What I REALLY did was take a paper ornament off a Christmas tree in the Theater lobby and wrote a check for several hundred dollars so CTM could get a new accounting system. I knew it would help them from my years on the Board and I figured not a lot of people would want to do that ‘tree wish’.  But here’s the thing, I totally felt like I GOT THAT FOR THEM. But, of course, I never stepped foot in a store to buy any accounting software.  But I “owned” that gift. I gave it with joy and I was thrilled to do it.  So don’t go saying, “With Marcy’s help we bought a new accounting system and we set it up and we figured it out and we implemented it and we put in countless hours to get it running.”

AND, the more the donor OWNS IT, the more they are connected to you.

Sure, you’ve been writing “we did this” for years and it has raised money.  I am challenging you to understand that the more you make the donor feel THEY are totally accomplishing your work with their gift, the more satisfaction, joy and fulfillment they will feel as they give.  Your relationships will be more real… and deep… and authentic. Their giving will be continuous and increase as you present opportunities for them to more good stuff!

And do you know what else?  I know.  I. Know. Just. How. Much. You. Do! And I appreciate you, celebrate you and respect the amazing talent and gift you are in the world. And remember that I am celebrating you even when sometimes your leadership could do a better job letting you know you are valued.

So take the “we,we” out of ALL your donor conversations.  But be sure to lift up your fundraising colleagues, your accounting folks, your board, your receptionist, your program staff and your janitor.  You will reap what you sow and you will be overwhelmed  – yes overwhelmed…with appreciation.  As you should be.

Do you sometimes feel like the accounting folks are just trying to be difficult?

Here are a few examples about working with accounting I heard during my latest round of presentations. Be sure to hit ‘reply’ and share your accounting stories or questions.

SIX Accounting Stories – Sound familiar to you?

1. Your volunteer speaker goes off the script at a fundraising event and promotes his favorite project. Accounting tells you the dollars that are given are designated for his project – not the annual fund – because that was the Ask they responded to.
2. Your donor wants to pay a major gift pledge off in 5 years – giving in years 1, 3 and 5 only-  to get to the gift level needed to deduct the gift on her taxes. Accounting tells you this can’t be done.
3. You learn that even in the annual fund donors like options. So, you create 3 options – where the need is greatest, current programs and staff professional development.  Accounting says they will note the option in the annual fund and periodically look at the expenditures to be sure dollars given were spent accordingly.
4. Your accounting department will not support additional marketing budget to increase program enrollment because they believe that the enrollment projections are not guaranteed to be successful and that will create a budget deficit.
5. Your major donor wants to pay a $100,000 pledge off with a $10,000 for the first two years, then $40,000 for the last two years when she is finished with a pledge to another organization. Accounting says the amounts need to be the same every year.
6. Accounting resists spending money donors have given for use immediately to have reserves.

These are just a few relatively simple examples of many awkward, and perhaps frustrating, conversations between the number crunchers and the relationship builders.

Accounting Basics to Remember

1. The belief that your organization is stable and ethical is one of the top reasons, according to the research, that donors invest.  This comes from accounting adhering to proper practices, even when the donor may have specific requests to do things differently.
2. Accountants and bookkeepers are generally wired differently than fundraisers and are less flexible and understanding of the unique relationship with each donor.
3. You ALL are important to the success of your non-profit and to the joyful giving donors experience!

The Stories Continue – Here’s my take

1. Yep…the volunteer going off on a tangent about his pet project shifts the Ask. It may not be what you intended or even what is written in the program. It is still an Ask focused to a specific project. You need to put the dollars toward that project or clarify with each donor what the intention of their gift was and process, or re-process it accordingly.
2. Every other year pledge payments is a rock-solid solution to addressing mid-level donors impacted by the new tax laws.  They can then take the new, much larger, standard deduction one year, and give basically a double pledge payment the next to have an amount larger than the new standard deduction.  AND…remember to recognize them in giving clubs EVERY year. No, you don’t issue any sort of tax-deductible receipt – this is for recognition only so they are part of your giving family every year.
3. Doing the annual fund appeals, looking at 3-5 general yet specific designations within the annual fund throughout the year is a good way to give donors some choice without having an accounting nightmare.  The research tells us that donors who like to have a choice will DOUBLE their annual fund gift when they are given options.  However, only 20-25% of all annual fund donors want this. For those who want the options, it brings in more money.  It DOES mean you need to be doing more with the annual fund than just operations – some programming too. The optional areas to designated must typically be funded in part by the annual fund so you will generally use the money given for that use.  In my experience, the amounts given are not large…but are good ways to more effectively engage some beginning donors in the annual appeal.
4. There are many factors that lead to increased enrollment, paid participation, whatever….not JUST marketing. Best to set big results goals, but be conservative in the budget. It’s better to get most of a larger goal than all of an insignificant increase.  We have been trained to shoot low to be sure of success. BIG visions get BIG results.  This budget decision should be part of setting reasonable giving goals – not just a budget-gap number that doesn’t make sense with where you are with your giving program.
5. This one is just silly. Donors should be able to break down pledge payments in any size they wish. Perhaps some accounting software is easier to use with a consistent number, but clearly, this should serve the donor in giving you money! Honor your major donor’s wishes.
6. Saving for a rainy day with outright gifts…this is just wrong. While accounting wants to have reserves for stability, it cannot be done by squirreling away money given to use NOW. Spending that money to fund scholarships, or programs, or staff NOW is honoring the donor’s wishes. It’s unethical and wrong when a donor is believing something good is going on right now with their gift.  Additionally, the stories you can share about this giving making an impact will encourage more from the original donor and others!

Fostering a great relationship with Accounting

1. Connect the donor directly to the accounting folks.  When they hear straight from the donor, they tend to want to help address the request.  Ask accounting folks to join in a visit. I have seen major changes when accounting hears directly from donors.
2. Take time to learn more about how money is managed, interest is earned and spent in endowments, etc. While meeting with your donors is always number 1, a once-a-month hour to learn more will help.
3. Treat everybody in accounting like a major donor. Cookies, appreciation, communication. It really is all about relationships – with your accounting colleagues and MONEY.

Remember we ALL bring our money mindset into this work. We are often uncomfortable talking about money and tend to come from a place of scarcity instead of abundance!  See your dollars growing! See your relationships doing your mission – then take action to connect the donors, and accounting, to the real reason for money – to create abundance and do good in the world!  Thank you for making it happen!

What is your value?

What do you bring to your work? What to you contribute to your professional and personal relationships?

What difference do you make?

If you are like many non-profit professionals your value is HIGH! You deepen and enrich all of your relationships! The work you do literally transform lives daily – in education, healthcare, social services, the environment, religion and more!

Yet do you really recognize and appreciate your value? 

October 7-9 I’ll be hosting my MORE Major Gifts intensive workshop in Nashville for about 20 folks. (You can register here) At $597.00 this is an incredible value -small group, highly interactive experience. Yet I am often ask if I offer scholarships or discounts.  Now I DO offer scholarships and early bird pricing (and I do it to GIVE first) and I understand we are all working to get the most value for our investments. But, because our mindset determines everything…because our inner world creates our outer world, I wonder when this whole process reflects our lack of self-esteem?  When does our attraction for a “deal” deplete us rather than lift us up?  It’s almost begging. We can’t afford this. It’s not in the budget. It’s out of our reach.

Do we focus more on a free lunch than how the experience will help us grow, enrich our connections or deepen our skills?  Do we have some ceiling on what level of experience we could ever really manage – I mean, we could only go if our organization paid for it, right?

Or perhaps it is this marketing that pushes through the noise in our lives – all the email, social media posts, deadlines, meetings and obligations.  Early Bird Pricing, Discounts, Time is RUNNING OUT! Sale, today only!  DO IT NOW! Must we get pushed into taking action by these sales gimmicks pouring into our inbox and appearing on social media?  I know I react.  Do you “get what you pay for” or are some experiences simply not worth the price of admission?

In the end, wouldn’t it be great to just go for First Class?  What would happen if you just decided you were worth it and paid for it?

You see, I believe this is really a question about living a life of abundance.  When we harbor fear around running out of money, or that there is not enough money “out there” to fund our mission or pay for the workshop, we contract our actions, our thinking AND OUR RESULTS!

Think about setting fundraising goals, attendance goals, enrollment goals – how many of us “play it safe?”  “Well let’s not shoot too high in case we don’t get there.” “Better to aim lower and get past our goal rather than miss it.”

I say it’s better to get SOME or even MOST of a BIG GOAL, than ALL of no goal – nothing.  Are you failing if your goal is $1,000,000 and you reach $850,000?  That’s $850,000 you didn’t have for your mission – and nothing is stopping you from continuing to work toward the $1M.  Or that’s 258 students enrolled instead of the 270 you were shooting for, but it’s also 23 MORE than you had last year – and you have 23 more to grow as well as those new tuition dollars in the budget.  I’d say that’s a success!

You see, you reap what you sow. It is really so simple.  You get what you give.

If you sow anger, you get anger.

If you sow joy, you get joy.

If you sow fear, you get fear.

If you sow love, you are loved.

If you sow learning, you get smarter.

If you sow investment into your growth, you will grow.

If you sow action, you will reap results.

You’ve got to put the wood in first, to get the fire.

Big donors want big visions. They want to see you on fire with what you want to accomplish – how your organization or institution will make that difference. So if you want others to give money – you need to give money.  If you want others to give time, you need to give time.  If you are reluctant to give, you demonstrate your fear and belief that there is not enough. Resources are scarce. You have to hold on, hunker down, be conservative, contact…..play small.

Have a big vision for yourself! Invest in yourself. Start talking about what is RIGHT! What you are on fire to DO! Read books, listen to podcasts and surround yourself with positive messages.  Sow giving, kindness and abundance with a vengeance – then look out! You will reap what you sow. Expand your thinking about what is possible for YOU.  I appreciate you and I believe in you and all the good you are sowing in the world! Thank you!

Can you be trusted? This is about TRUST. Earning your donor’s trust and knowing you have set this up to honor that trust is what your agreements do.

Here’s my story.

You’re meeting with your new leader – the Dean, CEO, Executive Director, or Manager. Will she “get” development at all? Will she be a partner in building artful relationships? Will she simply want to know, “what big gifts came in this week” and have little interest in being involved with relationship-building?

It’s a stressful time. We want to be optimistic about the new leadership partnership. But we are understandably anxious to know how this leader will operate in the giving arena.

During my 23 years of incredible major gift work at the University of Wisconsin, I was privileged to work with amazing faculty and leaders — most still cherished friends today. There was one Dean, however, that had a very different understanding. Shortly after she began, she asked me how many endowed funds we had and if I could provide the memorandums of agreement for the funds. I was delighted! Certainly she wanted to get familiar with the funds – especially those with living donors so we could visit, thank and begin a relationship.  Wonderful!

Wrong. I was SO wrong.

She wanted first the agreements with NO living donors. Her goal?  Loopholes. Yes, loopholes in my agreements that would allow her to spend the money HER way.

Much to my horror, she invaded funds to use the earnings for her own uses while I sat by helpless to do anything about it.  Sure, I shared my concerns with higher-ups, but the agreement was what mattered. Fast forward – the dean was not renewed, and the next Dean was terrific. The fund’s earnings were again used correctly and all was well, right?  Honestly, the trust I felt I had a hand in breaking has haunted me forever.  My donors trusted me.

This was an experience that would forever change how I approached documenting the wishes of a donor…..and for that fact, how I looked at every legal document – personal or professional.  It got to be a bit of a joke at the UW Foundation – how long Marcy’s letters of agreement were.  You bet they were! And they were crystal clear.

Here’s Marcy’s “Never Forget List” you need when completing any sort of agreement, memorandum, contract or other legal documentation in work and life.

1. Agreements must be written.

Conversations have no legal strength. They told me “this or that” rarely is heard. What did the legal agreement say? If you die without a will, it doesn’t matter what you told the kids. If you go into a coma without a medical directive, you have no say, nor do others, as to what happens next.

If you don’t record clear meeting minutes, you have no record of what was discussed or decided.

2. Agreements must clearly state the organization or institution.

Certainly the legal name of your organization or institution is important, but the EIN number (Employer Identification Number – Tax number free online) solidly identifies YOU.  If you say “the Catholic school in MyTown” that could mean scores of potential places – and I have seen an estate gift divided up to places we know the donor never intended. Name, ID, address. Exactly who are the players in the agreement.

3. Agreements must be crystal clear on the use.

Yes, many agreements set up “for all time” situations so we may be told to write them “flexibly” as to not tie the hands of future administration or force us into costly legal situations so that we can “use” the money or implement the directive.  They also need to honorably speak for the donor, the child, you.  Using examples of your donor’s vision for how this money would or would NOT be used helps bring clarity. It is helpful to include your donor’s intentions in making the gift, “In setting up this fund, the donors wish to honor the life of Joe Smith, Betty’s father, and his connection to the FFA for more than 40 years.”

4. The agreement needs to address, ‘What if?”

Time changes everything. What if we no longer have this department, program, whatever?  You must ask and you must have a documented answer. You can use standard language, “In the event X ceases to exist, the organization will use the funds for the closest purpose as the original intent as possible.” Better…set up someone – family or friend – to consult. Or, list examples of what broader uses would look like for the donor.  And, include things the donor would roll over in their grave to see happen with their money.

5. The agreement needs to be as long as the agreement needs to be.

I have a reputation for writing long agreements.  Why? Because I learned the hard way — a dead donor has no voice except in my agreements. And working through these actually is a way of serving your donor – helping them get clear on what they want to do.  I have actually increased the gift size working through the agreement as a donor better understands what dollars are really needed to accomplish some task. Additionally, if a donor wants 15 interviews and an essay contest to award a scholarship, writing this out is a great way to educate on how this may not be practical to implement FOR ALL TIME…when that staff member who agreed to do it is long gone.

This also pertains to meeting minutes for Boards.  Make an Executive Summary if your board wants shorter minutes, but document who said what.

6. The agreement legally must be kept for all time. 

How many of us stay at a place 23 years? I saw funds implemented, donors pass and how the communications with new leadership and staff played out. Question #1, ‘Is there an agreement on how this money should be used?” If you want a specific letter included in the agreement, scan it and insert it into the body of the agreement.  Trust me…attachments and exhibits get lost.  After over 20 years at the UW, it was clear that agreements are kept, scanned and documented.  Letters, contact screens, call reports can well be deleted to make room for more.

Likewise for meeting minutes – by law your Board meeting minutes must be kept for all time.  The level of detail and clarity can be invaluable and minutes can even provide insight into how the group was thinking as they made a decision.  Trust me – no one remembers – or remembers accurately.

This is about TRUST. Earning your donor’s trust and knowing you have set this up to honor that trust is what your agreements do.  Sadly, your word means nothing unless it is documented in your agreement. It hurts to see misuse and have no power to correct it.  It is a forever JOY to see your donors and their families forever delighted with the results of their generosity!

You have the power to create and honor trust.  I totally trust you to make it happen and I appreciate your noble contributions to lifting others up through their giving!