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Structure Your FREEDOM!

freedomPerhaps “Major Gift Officer” and “Freedom” feels mutually exclusive!  Our long days, bustling from donor visits to internal meetings, attending events, writing compelling correspondence,  and struggling to meet metrics and dollar goals hardly feels “open” or “flexible.”  And, oh yeah, where’s our family or workouts in all of this?

But in reality, most of us really do have a great deal of personal freedom. 

Consider….

Is it freedom to do or be? Or freedom from?

Is it a feeling of space?  In your days? Your calendar?

Is it relief from a never-ending in-box of work and To do lists?

Is it peace of mind? And what is that?

Is it dinner together as a family? A daily walk?

I remember each and every time I sincerely felt free…and long stretches of time I felt weighted down.

Here are five words that have a major impact on my own sense of personal freedom.

1 – Re-View

Take a look.  How are you feeling?  Overwhelmed?  Tired? Behind? Frazzled? Out-of-balance? Guilty? Powerful? In Control? Happy? Energized? Calm?  Productive?  Successful? Rested?  Competent? Organized?

You’ve got to stop to re-view.  I still struggle with giving “planning and reflecting” equal billing with “doing and achieving.”  Managing a team of major gift officers, working my own 400+ major gift portfolio, orchestrating the $1.8 billion Create the Future Campaign in the Pacific Northwest, performing with my dance band to boot….and did I mention 3 active kids?  I experienced all of the feelings above.  Make your own list of words describing the spectrum for you.  For two weeks circle the words at the beginning and end of the day that capture your primary feelings.  What’s circled the most?

Everything begins with a clear picture of where you are now and your clear intention and definition of what freedom looks like and feels like for you. Define it.

Remember you need to believe that it is possible.  “Nothing’s gonna change.” will assure that nothing will.  It is your choice. Be fully excited about your definition of freedom.

2 – Re-Focus

Once you have defined personal freedom – then take stock of what holds you back or ties you down.

tasksIs your desk piled high with papers shouting for your attention?  Does EVERY prospective giver REALLY have the same urgency?  Are you focusing on your “A’s?” Must you bring homemade t o the potluck?  Are you multitasking? (a known freedom-squelcher.)  Talking on your cell phone when you are with your kids?  Is your house bursting with stuff? Do you create an agenda, or at least a list of topics for every meeting?  Do you stick to it?  Do you believe only you can do it?  Write it all down.

Don’t criticize yourself. Just know that this is the stuff that’s in the way! What you focus on grows. 

steps3 – Re-Organize

Draining people, unwanted obligations, time-grabbing commitments, the weight of clutter, the overwhelm of too much.  Make a decision to release something that holds you back or pulls you down. You’d be amazed at how much freedom this will deliver.

Big changes start with little steps.  Start with the “freedom from” list.

This summer I made a commitment to dig out from under the clutter – in my office and our home. Working through mounds of paper with Brooke led to new processes to assure we took action.   I wanted request to be handled personally, but I needed systems to guarantee that each one got the proper attention.  Now a  new dry-erase board posted right in front of me pulls my focus to what is most important each day.  No more than 6 things on my GET To Do Today list – personal and professional. We have a weekly visit – yes VISIT – about how it is going – celebrating all we have accomplished.

In 2006, we had a crazy move in to our new home leaving kids stuff, band stuff, inherited-from-my-parents stuff, my-own-childhood stuff, broken stuff,  and more in the attic and the basement.  (Can you relate?) It was emotional to see toys the boys grew past as they lay in unpacked boxes.  So…we played with them, kept some, had a huge garage sale and took a truck load to charity.  We only got to the attic, but what a joy to see the space and the items already boxed for the basement sale next spring!

4 – Re-Structure

Now I cringe at the word “structure.”  It feels regimented and filled with words like “discipline”  and “schedule” and “systems.”   But structure paves the path to freedom.  According to Christine Kane,

“Discipline means you TAKE ACTION based on YOUR DEFINITION of true freedom. Your actions become “disciples” of your intentions.”

Most people aren’t free because they take action based on their emotional reaction in the moment. Structure means you make the plan, then WORK the plan. The weight on the clutter is gone and I have committed to a weekly clean-up to keep the piles at bay.   There is an amazing feeling of freedom from structuring the time to do it.

When I lead workshops in creating “RAPS” (relationship action plans), there’s a great deal of push back….”Who has time for this?”  RAPS are WRITTEN plans that involve others and outline the steps and a dollar goal for all of your top major donors.  They turn into action steps and fundraising success.  Do you have these and are you working your plans?

5 – Re-Engage

“Screw it. Let’s watch a movie, or catch a drink, or get on Facebook… or just do nothing. That’s freedom.”

While we all need play, freedom is not shutting down….glazing over…comatose in front of the screen.   It may look like freedom to someone who has been engaging with too much that drains her:  negative relationships, poor planning, too many projects, clutter.  “Who cares anyway?”  is not freedom.  If we check out of our lives so much that we can’t create the solutions to what’s dragging us down, we’re already disengaged.

Freedom is about STEPPING UP, taking responsibility, committing to results, honoring your plans – personal and professional.

sunsetFreedom.  Not to do as we please, but to do as we CHOOSE!  It is the structure… systematically accomplishing what is most important, that reassures us that both our personal and professional lives are under control.  Thus… real freedom, peace. 

As the seasons change, embrace a new order.  Re-view, re-focus, re-organize, re-structure and re-engage.  Commit to the bite-sized, repeatable actions that will give you the freedom to enjoy and celebrate your successful year-end.

Invest in Joy!

 

 

Why can’t you do it all yourself?

“Many hands make light work.” Remember that saying?

(Credited to John Heywood – I thought it was my mother.)

doitallWhen did it change to, “You can connect from almost anywhere now so you can do it ALL yourself.”

WRONG!

As Major Gift Officers, Executive Directors, Directors of Development, VP’s of Development and others in management and service in this honorable and noble profession of advancement, we do a great deal of the ‘heavy lifting’ in our organizations and institutions. We are continuously juggling meeting our metrics with being “donor focused” and, at the same time following scores of rules about how it is all to be implemented. (Classify each contact with one of 10 ‘moves’ steps… deduct your glass of wine from the receipt prior to submitting expenses… and on and on)

So hear me loud and clear. YOU CAN’T DO IT ALL YOURSELF BECAUSE YOU WILL LOSE ….YOUR JOY.

And when you lose your joy, your passion for your mission dims.

And when your passion for your mission dims, well, it’s all just harder… and a lot less fun and you won’t have the same success.

Let me share a story about my most significant and successful years raising major gifts. Her name was Jenny Dascoli. Nope, she was not a tremendous major donor who provided zillions for the UW. Jenny was my administrative assistant. And not only mine, but I shared her with Jodi, my partner in raising major gifts for the College. Jenny transformed my world… and me. My office went from clutter to structure, my deadlines from missed to early, my reputation from ‘always late’ to ‘generally early’ and my dollars-raised soared. Same was true for Jodi. And we laughed… a lot. And our donors could feel our joy.

I didn’t have to come in early or stay late to double-check that everything I needed for my donor calls or trip was in the folder. I didn’t have to worry that the handouts were copied out of order or missing pages. I knew that if the invite for the ‘big event’ was to go to the printer while I was away – it would, without typos. I could hand over a dictation tape or handwritten notes and she gladly entered the contacts into the system, created my letters or email follow-ups and made sure my next actions were noted…with time to prep for them. Life was really, really good and I raised lots of money.

So I am puzzled when these days development officers are often expected to enter all their own contacts, generate the letters and get the next steps set. Many consider it the necessary evil of the job. Some managers have fairly severe consequences for not getting data in within 24 hours.

I don’t see this as a technology literacy issue… but rather a time, productivity and joy issue. After a long day making calls… we come back to the hotel to do the data entry? Really? That’s when we should be walking, or heaven forbid – resting. Or… after a donor visit we should be creatively thinking about the next step and getting moving on them.

Now I am a firm believer in metrics – as a tool to be certain we are serving enough prospective givers effectively by creating and implementing relationship action plans. And… I still say, “If it isn’t recorded, it didn’t happen.” However, as I coach all types of organizations/institutions to help them enhance major giving performance and reduce staff turnover, they believe adding a development officer is what they need. Instead, I often recommend administrative help over a development position, or another development position. And I am seeing a trend in high-achieving shops of all sizes where today’s version of the good old-fashioned secretary can do more for the success and satisfaction of your development professionals than anything else. An outstanding administrative assistant is one that can….

  • establish systems
  • create habits
  • anticipate needs
  • see patterns
  • live for managing details
  • drive timelines
  • input with accuracy and flair
  • make decisions
  • stay off personal Facebook, personal banking, personal email…
  • resist drama and gossip
  • cover your back
  • let you rant once in awhile without running to HR
  • and ‘gets’ that, while we love our donor conversations, it is hard work.

Each team member, CEO on down, needs to consider what they are brilliant at, competent at, and what they struggle with. Old School leadership would say, ‘work on strengthening your weaknesses.’

Today’s successful leaders know they must make the most of their teams’ unique gifts and provide ways to off-load the rest.

– even those things they might be competent at, but distracts them from the relationship-building work that dictates major gift success. How do you want your development staff spending their time? In meaningful contacts with donors. How do you want your ED spending whatever piece of their time they can dedicate to fundraising? In meaningful contacts with donors. While we all will have pieces of our work that is less exciting for us then other pieces, we choose how we spend each 24 hours and, as much as possible, we must spend our time where we are brilliant. For successful major gift officers this is having “meaningful contacts” with prospective major givers…not sitting at a computer or typing into some device…and usually doing this after hours, compromising our personal relationships.

Let me share a few true stories.

  • Joe tells of the 2 folks he hired to help him with the infrastructure of his small shop. They do 90% of the behind the scenes work. Joe is out constantly and turns over hand-write notes after each call on a form designed just for him. He’s incredibly successful. He calls his assistants his ‘peace’.
  • When Susan hired a part-time administrative person and off-loaded the tasks that slowed her down the most, she found she had the time to better plan her trips. She saw better prospects, connected with more prospective givers on each trip and was better prepared for the conversations rather than “winging it.” Within 6 months the change was reflected in gifts coming in… more than compensating for the additional staff member.
  • When Jim has update meetings with his major gift officers since an additional office team member was hired only 3 months ago, he noticed that there was time to talk about the successes his team had… then get into any struggles they were having in their relationship-building where they might need his help. Prior to this it seemed they were so reactive that the talks tended to begin with, “What problems do I need to know about?” His team is happier.
  • Alex, a VP, saw stewardship activities soar when they added an administrative position to the mix. She did much of the call entry, created correspondence from notes they outlined, and followed through on the ideas they had to “Invoke the grateful recipient” as I call this phase. Instead of many good intentions, these gratitude and impact actions were happening! Do I have to tell you what THAT did to the bottom line?
  • When an ED working long days week after week, hired an administrative person and got volunteers to serve as receptionist instead of trying to combine the two positions together, both areas improved and she found she could actually get some donor calls into the mix – and she enjoyed them! It’s just a start, but major gift work before this was zero.

Agree with me on this, but can’t get someone to help now? Here are some tips for making it better.

  1. If you’re shop insists you enter your own contacts and this isn’t your bag, consider getting a voice recognition product (even if you pay for it yourself!) and talking them into the system. It you are a writer… can you find a part-time volunteer (who signs a confidentiality agreement) to come in and enter for $10/hour. Or, find a device you can write on that puts them in. Again, even if you have to buy it yourself. Invest in your JOY.
  2. Set aside time as part of making appointments to go to a private place and make your report. Don’t let them pile up to the end of the day and try to do the follow up when you are exhausted. If you are a supervisor, allow team members to block out time for follow up like a firm meeting with themselves. And, fundraisers….honor that time and don’t get distracted with email and Facebook.
  3. When you have lots of information to enter, make the first two to three sentences a summary and include the next action. Then use the subsequent paragraphs to expand on the details. It will save you time down the road preparing for the next visit.
  4. If you really don’t like doing this piece…Set a timer. Tell yourself you’ll do this for 30 minutes only…then switch to something else. Make it a game to see how many you can enter before the buzzer goes off!
  5. Express to supervisors the timeline something will take including the time you spend doing the administrative stuff. Then price out your cost/hour and what it would cost for a data -entry person per hour. Should your organization be paying you for this level work instead of someone who would be at a lower salary level? Do some cost analysis.

Why can’t you do it all yourself?

Because our honorable and noble profession needs you to be passionate and inspired about your mission… and this means you need to be focused on what you are brilliant at – creating major gift relationships. 

And creating these relationships cannot come at the cost of your personal relationships because you’re working 24/7 to keep up.

Invest in whatever it takes to support you.

Invest in Joy!

Do you keep it simple? Six simple steps.

simple-1I wish to bring to your attention, and deliberate upon, the merits, challenges and opportunities brought forth by making it a “best practice” to avoid complexity in all aspects of your professional endeavors. In other words, “Keep it simple!”

Simplicity is NOT the process of “dumbing down.” In fact, nothing could be farther from the truth. The mere mention of the word, ‘simple’ can create a feeling of relief and freedom in this increasingly complex, and hectic, world.

These past several weeks I’ve done my “Making an Artful Ask” workshop for hundreds of you from Oregon to Orlando. (It was GREAT!) The feedback was simply, “Now I get it. A clear, simple Ask!” But this light bulb didn’t shine in ten minutes. Only after seeing the simple recipe , simple-2hearing my examples, considering your own donor, filling in the blanks, speaking your ask in front of the group, experiencing my coaching, speaking it again… repeat with the next participant… then “Now I get it!” appeared. in other words, “It is not easy to be simple.”

Complexity in our giving options, daily processes, technology, and communications leads to frustration, stress, confusion and missteps. If only we had the time to think! Consider these six simple steps.

1. Simplicity loves planning.
simple-3Planning takes time… and it can be sort of boring. Or, it can seem to not be as urgent as “doing.” Creating a relationship action plan (RAP) for your top major donors gives you a road map for the next steps to take for major gift success. Planning does not delay action, it facilitates it.

2. Simplicity loves space.

Space in the drawer, space in the file cabinet, space in the schedule. In fact, “simple” often describes elegance, beauty and sophistication versus stuffed, cluttered, and full. Is a full calendar a good thing? Create space by purging, giving away, and adding time for transit and follow up notes with each major gift appointment. Visualize a spacious office (generally uncluttered), an inviting read (generally lots of white space) or a welcoming closet (lots of trips to charity or recycle bin)!

3. Simplicity loves systems or processes.

If it has more than 3 steps, create a system for it. You will discover short cuts when you write down the steps… and better yet, you might just be able to delegate a task that has a clear system. (more space!) It also saves stress and time looking for pieces, keys, readers, whatever. “A place for everything and everything in its place.” We’ve all heard it.

4. Simplicity loves clarity.

simple-4Are you clear on the message? The ask? The next step? The “why?” The impact? Consider the famous Blaise Pascal quote: “I have made this [letter] longer, because I have not had the time to make it shorter.” 1657. In other words, taking time to simplify correspondences of all types makes then clearer and eliminates rambling and confusion.

5. Simplicity loves visuals.

“A picture is worth a thousand words” refers to the notion that a complex idea can be conveyed with just a single still image. A mind map is an effective tool for getting a grasp on complex ideas, multiple projects, just too much! Creating a vision board has the added benefit that your life changes to match the images you’ve collected.

simple-5

I have drawn the above on napkins, yellow pads, the back of business cards… it simplifies how an endowment works for the donor even though my drawings are never this fancy ;). The best planned giving folks are masters at boxes and arrows. It helps show how complex giving vehicles work.

6. Simplicity loves focus.

“Simple” is not simple to maintain. Without a conscious, sustained effort, the papers pile up, the email reaches the thousands and we neglect to reply to a key message, we’re late for a donor call and we’re not prepared for our major gift ask. So set the timer for 30 minutes and focus on simplifying your desk, work, head and life. Enjoy the peace, elegance, space and joy!

“Are you worth it?”

arrowsI am always a few feet off the ground for weeks after the AFP International Conference on Fundraising. It is humbling and invigorating to see what our profession accomplishes to “compose a good world.” (Maya Angelou) It’s a massive conference and an investment to attend. But WHAT AN EXPERIENCE! It was even better because I had just helped staff the Millionaire Mind Intensive in Denver. We were treated there with Adam Markel (in the photo) as lead trainer – he is transformational.

Adam_MarkelAt times throughout these conferences, I heard some grumping about the costs and that not all organizations can finance the trip, or AFP chapters pay only part of the costs, or it is so hard to get away, or we are Soooo Busy, etc. Friends, you’ve heard my story… . it all began at age 17 when I bought for myself “The Strangest Secret” by Earl Nightingale and the notion that, “We become what we think about.” Therein lies the key to success… but sadly, also the key to failure. For as Adam Markel, CEO of Peak Potential puts it, “How you do anything is how you do everything.” So if you drop out if an experience costs you a bit of money, or is during a busy time, or someone might think you are weak for asking for help, you will always stop short of investing in yourself.

Bernard Ross said, “I’d love to hire some navy seals. When something goes wrong they don’t say, ‘I’m not being supported here.'”

My Major Gift Success Club guest earlier this year, Richard Perry, states, “When we take counsel, we secure wisdom. We find a way. We become enlightened. We know what to do.”

So mix all this WISDOM together and my message to you this month is…

YOU ARE WORTH IT! Invest in your own growth and professional development!

You are worth every dime, minute and experience you can get your hands on. Even the ones that take you out of your comfort zone and into things you are afraid of. Even the ones you think make you look weak, or not as smart, or lacking somehow. LET those thoughts go!!

Let me give you an example.

afpeepI have been complaining about Facebook and Twitter as timewasters. (and I still think that is true in part) But they do have a role and perhaps I am just not comfortable with them. So, at the AFP conference this year I pushed myself into being a AFPeep. I surrounded myself with some of the folks best at communicating this way and tweeted some messages and photos. Now I’m certainly not the pro at succinctly emoting great wisdom, but I have started!

afpeep-visa“People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can’t find them, make them.” George Bernard Shaw

Now some would argue that I don’t appreciate how difficult it is for some… they have challenges I just don’t face. In reality, those of us in the not-for-profit world get this better than most. Every day we see people overcome tremendous adversity to reach fo r that prize… their freedom from addiction, financial freedom, a job, peace with their families, a home, an education , whatever it is. Why? Because somewhere inside they decided that THEY ARE WORTH IT!

“When you’re interested you do what’s convenient. When you’re committed, you do whatever it takes.” John Assaraf

Each month I shower you with testimonials from others who attend my workshops… why? So you will be inspired to come and learn. I have made my Major Gift Success Club SO affordable. Why? So you will join in and grow and learn. Stop fussing over who’s going to pay for it, or how you are going to make the time. Start thinking about your lifyou can make into your own learning and success. If you’re not growing, you’re dying. There is an abundance of terrific opportunities out there. You have the time. You have the money. You want to grow. My sincere wish for you this Spring time is for you to burst with vibrant life!

Say it, “My Time, My Turn, My World!”

mytimeI saw this coffee cup at my local Hallmark. I absolutely went nuts! “YES! It IS MY Time, MY Turn and MY World! ” I shouted in the store, beaming. There were two mugs, one for me, one for my sister.

MY Time

I create my life. I used to say, “I’m negotiating with the guy above for more than 24 hours a day, but so far no deal” until someone said to me, “Marcy, God picked 24 hours because that is the correct amount of time.”

This IS my TIME! — Right now — not next year, not when this or that happens, but right now. It is my opportunity to manage myself. Time cannot be managed — I must manage my focus and protect myself from distractions and pettiness. I know what to do. It is MY Time to SHINE!

And it is your time too. Your time to be the BEST development professional you can be. You know what matters and don’t be bothered with the rest. Set up ‘task appointments’ in your calendar according to your most important work and stick to it. Meet with your givers in person, listen to them and serve them. You have enough time to do what is most important. And, you know when it is time to stop, go home and focus on your personal relationships.

MY Turn

This is it. Get rid of your “Yeah, buts.” It is YOUR Turn! You are enough just the way you are. It is your turn.

Get very clear about why you are doing what you are doing. What is the personal mission statement connecting you to the job? Where do you need to change your habits?

You are good enough. You know enough. Your cause is worthy enough and you know that when you are authentic in connecting with your givers the money, and big money, will follow. The givers, abundance, health, whatever you want is out there already. Be open to seeing the coincidences, surprises and serendipities that will transform you life. They already lie in wait. It is your turn. “Good luck” “lucky breaks” happen to people who are open to seeing them — it is your turn.

MY World

My world is not my work, my family, my health regime, my spirituality, my successes or my mistakes, or the money I make or raise —- it is ALL of this together. If your world is overwhelmed and stressed, you may think dealing with the little stuff will make it better, but this just puts off taking the time to view your WORLD and getting clear on what you want. Make a circle, put you in the middle of it and map out everything in your life… your world. Thoughtfully consider what each area would look like in a good (not perfect) relative (not every day) balance. Hang it up where you can see it and remember, it is YOUR World. Then give what you want for yourself to others and you will receive the same. Now. Say it, “My Time, My Turn, My World!”

Your Real Job Description

John_LippincottThis past December I had the pleasure of hearing CASE President John Lippincott as we presented at “CASE V and VI Together.” It was pure joy to hear John proclaim what a GREAT time this is to be in development work. There is enormous demand, our roles have never been more strategic, respect for our work has never been higher, the opportunities never boarder and the work never more noble.

Yet, it is challenging work — work that must be executed with a certain magic. We weave the spells that transform written mission statements into positive, significant results. Every day in every way everything everyone does must link back to our “why.” According to John, our single greatest asset is trust. And, because we often are in our positions through one or more leadership changes, we are the “keepers of the flame” for our organization — creating life-long engagement. It’s not about working toward the next job, work in this one.

Gary Ryan Blair had this list in something I read. Of course I tweaked it some and share it with you as what you are REALLY hired to do…

  • surprise and delight
  • go the extra mile
  • demonstrate gratitude
  • exceed expectations
  • focus on solutions
  • elevate the conversation
  • challenge assumptions
  • inspire excellence
  • practice integrity
  • believe in your mission
  • contribute ideas
  • deliver results
  • meet deadlines
  • take risks
  • ask challenging questions
  • set a good example
  • think
  • love your donors
  • persevere in spite of obstacles
  • fight for principle
  • act with urgency
  • initiate ideas
  • honor your commitments
  • make good decisions
  • play to your strengths
  • learn from mistakes
  • take pride in your performance
  • build a legacy

Now get to work! And thank you for being part of this honorable and noble profession.

Write YOUR Own Obit

As 2013 begins, we reflect. Another year..done, gone, lived. Seems to me we go through this process…

  1. sunsetYikes, how can it be a new year?
  2. Geeze, what did I REALLY get accomplished?
  3. Well… I did do…
  4. And I do have these things to be grateful for…
  5. And this coming year will be even better… more of everything I want to do and be!!!! CHARGE!
  6. Almost February 1st… oh well, good intentions anyway.

Do you want the new year energy and dreams to last? Write your own obituary – now… and revise it from time to time. Start with the end in mind. Ask yourself, “How will the people WHO MATTER THE MOST TO ME, remember me? What impact have I made in their lives?” For your work, do the entire process… where you were born, parents names, etc. But for our purposes here, I’m doing just a snip it. So here goes:

Marcy Heim roared into heaven on this (date in the future), confident it was there. She was born on November 15, National Philanthropy Day, and was passionate about the power of giving in composing a good world. She and her life partner, Ken, created 3 children, Carly, RJ and David, to be positive, responsible and contribute to society. After 23 years with the UW Foundation, she stepped away and created harmony between professional and personal. With her own business, The Artful Asker, she was a speaker, author and coach, joining people and non-profit passions together with major gift success and authenticity. With her band, Marcy and the Highlights, she shared a special connection with all through her music. Her passion and energy were contagious, but also demanding and she was driven at times to over pack life, seek perfection and strike hard. She died with her desk a mess, boxes of clutter left behind to sort, and too many ‘good intentions’ left undone but with the sincere love of her family, donors and clients. All are asked to contribute to a charity of their choice in her memory and continue to compose a good world.

So, I have some things to accomplish yet but I am comfortable with where I am with the people who matter the most to me. How about you? Stop and take some time to answer these questions – What do you want your life to represent? How would you like to be remembered? Write it out, print it out and let this be your guide to the choices you make each day. Remember, it is not the date of birth – date of death that matters. It’s what you do with the dash in between.

13 Tips for Finding the Funny in Fundraising

As 2012 and all the Year End Magic (remember YOU CHOOSE how you view year end) comes to a close… here are my Top 13 Tips for incorporating humor into our Major Gift work. This title and tips were created from my Major Gift Success Club December interview with Liysa Callsen, author, stand-up comedian and Fund Development Coordinator for Holy Family Memorial Hospital on our December call. While this is normally available for subscribers only, I wanted to share these with you to celebrate the holiday season.

1. Mistakes happen. We get together for mission. If your event experiences a goof up, Remember your donors are at your events to share in the mission, not to experience you worked up about a mistake. Address it with humor and get back to enjoying the event!

2. Humor and laughter create HOPE! That’s why it fits at a funeral or helps as we share troubles with our donors.

3. Find something funny that works for you. Newspaper headlines, local politics, whatever makes you smile and you can practice to share with others.

4. Practice a good, appropriate joke or light-hearted story. If you can’t tell jokes well, don’t!

5. Smile and SAY THE WORD, “SMILE.” Begin a visit with, “I’m here today to bring you a smile!”

6. Remember people who lift you up, help you. Surround yourself with people who lift you up. To create the Petronius spell in Harry Potter, the wizard needs to find his happiest thought – this Petronius then defeats and deflects evil.

7. Honor yourself as you use humor. It should not steal your credibility. Don’t knock yourself down or belittle yourself with self-deprecating humor.

8. Borrowing from theater… good improvisational actors listen intently to Find the gift or nugget of information to build the action off of. Listening to your donor this intently will build a bond.

9. Give permission to your staff, colleagues, family, friends to have light moments. Create opportunities to share in funny activities. One example….find a photo or drawing and have a funniest caption contest. It’s free, doesn’t take much time and reading the captions will generate laughter and camaraderie. Use humor to solve problems. Ask the team to offer the silliest ideas they can imagine to fix it. These ideas can actually lead to the solution. For example….one silly suggestion was to have a staff member naked under a sandwich board. Actually….the sandwich board addressing the issue ended up being a right answer…with clothes included.

10. In any stressful setting – healthcare, volunteers addressing a complex task, etc. humor can be a tension reliever. Fill yourself with light-heartedness and share this with those donors and volunteers to break down nervous barriers in stressful situations.

11. Scan the room. Look for something in the environment that can take on a humorous bent or simply Pull the subject away from the more serious concern at the time and provide a lighter conversation.

12. Change your vocabulary. Replace the typical “fillers” with words that reflect you authentically. “How are you today?” “Fine.” becomes “I’m terrific!” if you mean it, and will brighten any conversation.

13. Advocate with kindness. When you need something to accomplish a donor gift, seek common ground. Ask for what you need, but be open to sharing information and finding a mid-way solution.

With this…. I leave you two news clips!

  • Santa unveils his fundraising strategy for North Pole capital campaign.
  • Gang violence escalates between Major Gifts and Annual Giving for control of the donation trade.

Just kidding!! SMILE, enjoy our honorable and noble profession and the gift of the supporters, family and friends that fill our lives with joy. Happy Holidays!

Be Grateful – For EVERYTHING!

Consider your ability to be grateful for EVERYTHING that comes into your life! Giving thanks is really quite simple — yet in our daily rush we tend to focus on the “Yet To Do” and forget to be grateful for the “Ta Da’s!” big and small. A successful, happy life requires continuous growth. And gratitude ensures growth. How?

1. Gratitude raises our awareness.
It’s humbling to realize all the connections, all the people whose talents and contributions play a role in providing what we enjoy every day from our food, streets and buildings to the success of our development efforts. This humility deepens our gratitude. Consider the vast numbers of our major givers who express how humbling it is to be recognized for their support. Then they talk about their joy! Humility and gratitude are partners in happiness and success. Reflect upon what you have accomplished at a set time every day. Best if you keep a running list.

2. Gratitude recharges our energy.
Gratitude empowers us to embrace “failure” however you define it — a “no” to your major gift ask, an overwhelming inbox, an argument over metrics and process — anything that robs us of energy. Gratitude links physical and mental well-being. When we can view a negative simply as an event that a) provides us with information to apply to the next call, b) gives us new ideas for how to present or package a giving option differently so it’s a better fit for the donor, or c) enhances our understanding of another’s view, then gratitude deepens and provides immunity to anger, envy, resentment, fear and depression — all energy-drainers.

3. Gratitude enhances our self-worth and strengthens our spirit.
You happen to life, life does not happen to you. Finding something good in each and every day harnes ses the power of gratitude. Are you a crap magnet? Do you run around complaining, making excuses, blaming others? The more you do the more of the same you attract to you! Instead share the positives, shower others with appreciation and fill their emotional bank account right up to the top! Then notice the strength of your spirit!

Some people are garbage trucks. They live day today full of garbage — frustration, disappointment, anger — and as their truck fills up they need a place to dump it and sometimes that’s you. Don’t take it personally. Don’t take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets. The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day.

BE GRATEFUL FOR EVERYTHING that comes your way — the good, the bad and the ugly — trusting that its meaning will become clear… even if you can’t see it right now. We can be grateful because we are happy or we can simply be happy because we are grateful.

Want to raise a lot of money yet this year? Keep your eyes wide open and be grateful for the power and joy of philanthropy. Armed with gratitude, you will have the awareness, energy, self-worth and spirit to make the connections between our donors and our missions that will generate the giving meant to be!

BOO! Fundraisers’ Fears and Fixes

Tis the season to be scared!

Think about it. Someone or something scares you… you freeze, your heart races, you sweat, your eyes widen. In a haunted house this might be exhilarating and exciting, but in our major gift work, (and in many areas of our lives) it is crippling. But realize this — THE FEAR STARTS and ENDS IN YOUR HEAD!!! We become what we think about! Read more

Let’s Connect

info@marcyheim.com

(608) 772-6777

Marcy Heim Consulting | The Artful Asker
2679 Fahey Glen
Madison, WI 53711

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