Tag Archive for: fundraising

Posts

Creating White Space in your Life – Part 1

Issue 12 blog

Do some days feel too packed to even begin? 

Do your “smile” muscles hurt? Have you fallen asleep in a movie?  (Be honest here – my 19-year-old son has.)  Are you pushing through a fog all day? Do you feel like you’re ON all the time? Is it summer, but you feel like you’re drowning? Are you mentally exhausted?

This is not an age thing or a non-profit or fundraising thing. It’s a SPACE thing. It’s when there is NO WHITE SPACE on your calendar or in your brain! You are too FULL!

Mobile giving, monthly giving, tours, major gifts visits. You could literally be on a free webinar from 6am until midnight every day. Club leagues, summer programs, free concerts, movies on demand. There are so many options to choose from.

If you are like most people, you are overwhelmed with too much to do and too little time. As you struggle to get caught up, new tasks keep rolling in…like the unending waves of the ocean. Those ocean waves can be warm and caressing, or they can knock you over leaving you feeling panicky like you may
drown!

Let’s grab some white space and protect our time. 

What is White Space?

White space is the strategic pause taken between activities

The term came from literally looking at the white space on the calendar and realizing that on the days with more white showing, people were more effective and projects moved faster.

Think of an appeal letter. Narrow margins, tight line spacing and solid words look like a piece that’s a chore to read. White space is critical to how compelled we feel to even begin to read a letter, magazine, or book.

So, too, with your mind and life.

White space TIME can be created in tiny spots as small as 10 seconds. These intentional, thoughtful pauses laced through the busyness of the workday are the oxygen that allows everything else to catch fire.  They allow us to reconnect to us. 

As an advancement professional, you can use White Space to REBOOT and CREATE!

1. To recuperate, reinvigorate, restore, reconnect, reboot your taxed mind.

Our brains get fried. We become mentally exhausted.  There is a mindset component to this – the role telling ourselves how we feel plays.  But studies tell us we need downtime to “recharge our batteries.”  Just like our phones run out of charge, we too will be dead if we don’t stop to get plugged in and soak up energy.  Phones recharge faster when they can just charge…not work at the same time. While we may find time with friends enjoyable, time totally alone with our thoughts gives our mind the space to shutdown and reboot.

2. To create, innovate, renovate, plan.

In our daily push to reach the end of the task list, we move, usually at a breakneck pace, to cross off the list of mainly urgent (not important) tasks.  To mentally set aside the minutiae of the day opens up space to focus on big thoughts.  It gives us the room to evaluate if “we’ve always done it this way” is a good enough reason to KEEP doing it this way.  It allows us to think ahead (what a concept!)

As an organization, you can create a culture with built-in white space to think before acting (or reacting), set a pace that is productive yet avoids burnout and creative decline, and protects high-value action (personal visits) over technology (keying in data)

In an organization where white space is used strategically, Juliet Funk shares that staff will be ENCOURAGED TO…..

1. Schedule time between meetings to prepare and/or reflect on the content.

2. Control the amount of data and dashboards experienced so that they can be informed without being overwhelmed.

3. Create specific designated times for creativity and innovation.

EIGHT TAKE-AWAYS ABOUT WHITE SPACE

1. Everyone needs WHITE SPACE – a feeling of openness in your mind and schedule. How you “set your mind” to creating and enjoying this space is individual. How you think about your white space determines the complexity of the schedule you enjoy.  White space is not doing mindless activities like Facebook, TV, solo-drinking.

2. You define your white space by creating structure. Scheduling as little as 5 minutes of silence staring into space will make a difference in your overall feeling of calm.  Many mini-sessions are generally more impactful than fewer longer sessions.

3. Protecting your time (not managing it) means you place the same level of importance on your own work and personal “get to do” lists as those of others. Respecting yourself generates respect from others.  You are not selfish. Placing other’s needs before yours is a choice you make. You create the expectation for others about you. You can change it.

4. Placing white space in establishing timelines and deadlines produces healthier, more productive partnerships. The old “underpromise and overdeliver” holds true if managed with space. Look at each project within ALL your projects.

5. Protecting your time means you are PROACTIVE, not reactive. Every time you look at an email popping up, Facebook, a text message – you have turned over control of your time to someone else’s agenda.

6. Constantly evaluate with other priorities and timelines or tasks and projects. Give yourself a list of questions to ask when taking on new tasks. What can be delegated to someone else?

7. Your mindset controls your perception of how full your days and life are. Much of how you think is impacted by the rest you get. Rest is dependent on white space.  Sleep is white space.  GO TO BED

8. Your ability to select your most important task at each moment, then start on it and get it done quickly and well will be key to your success. YOU deserve to have White Space in your life.

I want you to enjoy success AND WHITE SPACE in your life!  It is always your choice!

Invest in Joy!

 Marcy Signature.jpg

Must Have Skills for Rock Star Fundraising Success

June 14 header

Do you have these fundraising success traits?  Some things you just have to “be” instead of “know.”

Here are 8 Personal ‘Must Have’ Skills for Rock Star Development Success

1. A Healthy Ego

A healthy ego – that is – a mind that directs its thinking – gives us the ability to withstand the many “no’s” we get along the way to our many “yes’s”.  It allows us to review “no’s” and profit from the analysis. Perhaps we might better tell our story or manage our time to better engage more folks. Or, we might cast off our fear of “rejection” and the time wasted on the “drama de jour.” It also lets us buy-in to our unique place in the process – one that has us sharing or totally giving away “credit” to a volunteer or leader for a job we have actually done well. In fact, doing it well means others felt THEY did it!

2. Passion for your organization’s work

In his leadership Ted Talk, Simon Sinek says, “People don’t buy WHAT you do; they buy WHY you do it.”  I believe this means that donors don’t GIVE to WHAT you do, they GIVE because of WHY you do it.   When we lead our relationship building with our sincere passion to share why we do what we do, instead of our numbers and needs, we create lifelong donor relationship success.

3. People Orientation

You need to sincerely like people – talking with, and learning about, other people. Not in a snoopy way and not only because they have something you want (money, influence, connections) but because you genuinely want a win-win relationship with the other person. You need to be a likable person – fun, pleasant, positive, polite.

4. Goal Orientation

While a people-orientation is critical, you must also have a passion to accomplish goals driven by your beliefs. Taking responsibility for a certain level of activity – visits, phone calls, letters, etc. – each month leads to success.  You can control activity, goals, and success. You can’t control someone being ready to say “yes” to your request. We know activity leads to giving success. So embrace this. I often encourage hiring another admin before another fundraiser so that current fundraisers can devote maximum time to the relationship and someone else can do the data entry and follow-up pieces as much as possible.

5. Empathy

Empathy is about standing in someone else’s shoes, feeling with her heart, seeing with her eyes. Empathy is hard to outsource and automate, but it makes the world a better place. We need this at two levels. As a major donor, how does it feel to be “liked” and paid attention to ONLY because you have money, connections, or influence others want? Are you dropped like a hot potato if your fortune turns?

As the “user” of your services, how does it feel to be a struggling student, addict, homeless person, abused person, sick person, struggling leader, or hungry person? Also, How does it feel to be a well-performing student, drug-free, sheltered, out of harm, healthy, strong, and fed?

Feel this without getting dramatic. Don’t take on your victim’s victim mentality.

6. Resilience

Resilience is defined as the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness or the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape; elasticity. My coach, T Harv Eker, says it’s not the size of the problem; it’s the size of you. Think about things that totally threw you at one time and later you wondered why it was such a big deal. Exchange the dramatic overwhelm with vigor to generate possible solutions and seek advice from others (like donors) to help create “wins” from any perceived evil.  Just keep going.

7. Aggressive patience

It’s the giver’s timeline, not ours. Your campaign timeline, operations needs or annual goal, while urgent to you, may not coincide with your donor’s giving timeline. We must be aggressive in continuing to reach out, insert urgency, tell our story one more time or a bit differently, try a different partner, or whatever helps continue the conversation and the journey with our major givers….on their timeline.

8. Creativity

You may not realize this, but creativity is really about self-care. It is rest, food, family, space, exercise, quiet – whatever renews YOUR spirit so it can soar in a vibrant way for the joy of others. When events drain us, metrics overwhelm us, lost grants defeat us, and schedules exhaust us, it’s our cue to re-prioritize our work and life and narrow our focus. What aren’t we going to do so that our marvelous God-given brains can WOW in our world – for ourselves, our families and our donors?

So our take-away from this list?

You must earn the right to ask. Your givers have the right to enjoy their giving. People care about what you do, but give because of why you do it.

Thank you for being the GREAT PERSON you are and allowing me to stretch you a tiny bit more!

Invest in Joy!

Marcy sign

Five Trends for Raising Money Right Now

5 Trends for Raising Money HeaderRecently, I dug in and researched trends for success in giving and the role our thinking has on our giving results noted by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Charity Navigator, consultant colleagues, Executive Directors, key major donors, my clients, and many of you.

Here are my FIVE TRENDS – ideas that successful non-profits are embracing RIGHT NOW– complete with a MINDSET TAKE AWAY to think about that leads to an ACTION to take! WoHoo!

Are you a “unique snowflake” with such unique struggles that these trends don’t relate to you? I encourage you to shed your winter victim coats and embrace these trends. They apply to all – regardless of the size or your staff, your mission, your current fundraising success, your board members or whatever else you put on your excuse list.  

Ok here we go! Marcy’s FIVE Trends to Sustain and Increase Giving, Spring 2017…

TREND #1 – GET CRYSTAL CLEAR AND BE TRANSPARENT

In this emotionally chaotic time where too many folks spend precious time emotionally thinking, posting and hashing over what “might” happen, successful non-profits are sharpening their focus and getting crystal clear on what they do, who they serve, and the impact an investment in their mission has for the donor.

Vibrant options of giving (operational as well as program options) that directly connect givers to results will be funded.

And what is your BIG DREAM?  Where are you going long-term?  Big donors want big visions well beyond this coming year’s giving goals and operations fund deficit.

Mindset Takeaway

A confused donor doesn’t give, a confused fundraiser/ED doesn’t ask or lead, a confused board member/volunteer doesn’t help. Get clear.

Action

Set aside time for thinking.  Set aside time for board and staff planning sessions. 

One of my VIP clients dedicated a 9 am – 2 pm session last week for planning (3 hours longer than a usual board meeting). This session was led by an expert facilitator and PUT ASIDE all the busyness of the typical board meeting. One Board member said, “This should be an activity we do regularly!” Have faith in what can happen with even a simple “SWOT” (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) if you MAKE SPACE for conversation!

TREND #2 INVEST IN INFRASTRUCTURE

Fear of spending money to get the people, equipment, consulting, etc. separates those non-profits that are in perpetual “struggle” from those that grow and meet more mission goals.  I’d rather have 40% of $2 Million going to Infrastructure than 10% of $100,000.  That’s $1.2 Million doing good vs $90,000.  Yes, you have $800,000 going to create that $1.2 Million. That means you are paying enough staff a decent salary, giving them a budget for mailings, etc. and have equipment that works well and frees their time to build the relationships that generate impact.   Boards that are afraid to invest are dooming an organization to struggle and fail under the banner of “we spend as little as possible on operations.” Donors that invest this way are part of the problem.

There is a war for talent and pressure to boost non-profit salaries. While staff members are passionate for the mission, they are also putting a higher value on their time and life balance. The contributed printer that doesn’t do the job is no gift if it means staff stand there and hand-feed it. I see places where poor equipment has been there so long the staff doesn’t even react anymore.  Adequate administrative support is no longer optional.  The best development professionals MUST be supported by quality staff and then taught to delegate.

Mindset Takeaway

Stop talking about cost/dollar raised. 

Action

Create vibrant options for giving from the Operation fund and learn how to talk about them as a key part of providing impact.

TREND #3 MAKE MAJOR GIFTS A HIGHER PRIORITY

trend 3ANY size of shop can inspire major gifts.  Any size shop can improve on major gift relationship-building right now.  Just like a New Year’s resolution to diet, did you long ago abandon your major giving plans? You need to create small changes that form new habits over time for success.

Put your major gifts program on a health plan. Dedicate 5 hours each week to major gift relationship-building. Put it on your calendar! Establish and enforce metrics on personal visits to get staff out of the office.  Invest in staff training (like my MORE Major Gifts Bootcamp) to give them confidence in what to do. Revisit time-sucking events or anything else that takes away from major gift work time.  Focus on numbers around appreciation and donor retention and get everyone involved in a culture of generosity that inspires your Board to be ambassadors and investors. One of my VIP coaching clients has set aside two 3-hour blocks of time away from distraction to focus on major gifts with great results!

Mindset Takeaway

Invest in major giving relationship building right now! TODAY! Begin!

Action

Commit 5 hours per week and 5 major donor prospects NOW and make monthly touches with these folks. Are your RAPS getting buried under events and annual meetings?  Commit NOW to major gift work, or you will not feel ready to speak that major gift ask later this year. 

TREND #4 GET SOCIAL, BUT BE SELECTIVE

Your givers are communicating with each other through social platforms.  And they trust their own friends more that your newsletters and appeals, so you need to be repurposing your stories on media where your peeps hang out most.

But remember, direct mail still accounts for 60-80% of revenue. So pick 1 to 3 platforms and create a simply, consistent presence.  DO take time to make everything  – website, ezine, etc – mobile-friendly.

Mindset Takeaway

Enhance a solid direct mail/newsletter program with other media – don’t replace it.

Action

Listen to suggestions but do not feel compelled to implement every new platform someone mentions. Resist splatter from doing too much poorly. Constantly monitor the real time these “easy” tools take. Get a good year-end plan in place early and segment special tweaks to evaluate new ideas.

TREND #5 DIAL DOWN THE DRAMA

trend 5Work now for funding balance. If you have been relying on one source of funding (say, a government grant or program) too heavily, now is the time to deal with it (vs whining about it) and broaden your giving base.  80% of all giving comes from individuals.

Tell your STORY, not your opinions, your excuses, or your funding fears.  Your mission story should be filled with emotion – why what you do is important.

Respect everyone – treat everyone like a major donor – donors want to invest in causes that reflect THEIR values, not yours.  You can agree on the importance of your mission without agreeing on politics or other charged current events. Choose your words carefully.  Words are power.

Mindset Takeaway

Drop being a victim. Successful people want to believe in you and your ability to carry out your mission, not feel sorry for you and your funding changes. They may well have empathy for the people your mission serves – that’s different.

Action

Take responsibility for your funding balance and engage your donors to help you find solutions. Ask for, and respect their advice.  Focus on the good you do. 

The bottom line?

As old as time – if you believe you can, you can.  If you believe you can’t you are right, too.

Choose dynamic results!

Invest in Joy!

Marcy sign

Create YOUR Circumstances!

“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, create them.” — George Bernard Shaw

In our major gift development work…as in life, every day is filled with circumstances – the “state of affairs.” Too often we simply accept that these are the cards we have been dealt, shrug and plod along. Like Mr. Shaw, I don’t believe in circumstances. Instead….

  1. Make the most of the prospective givers you know now. “My portfolio doesn’t have as much potential as Joe’s.” When I worked at the University of Wisconsin, my constituency was Life Sciences and Agriculture. Clearly engineers had more wealth! You could see 10 lawyers and never leave one floor in a high rise – mine were hours apart! “My mission does not address basic needs.” And, of course, the current favorite, “The economy!” The magic of major gift success lies in the relationships we build – in propelling ourselves out of our desk chairs, prying ourselves away from our ‘life-changing’ email and getting out and talking to prospective givers. Use energy, creativity and take a long-view in your major gift work and I promise you will find wonderful gift surprises in every constituency, mission and portfolio. Read more

Let’s Connect

info@marcyheim.com

(608) 772-6777

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

Marcy Heim logo

Stay Inspired!

SIGN UP to receive Marcy’s bimonthly ezine filled with tips and inspiration to help you and your organization.

AND receive a free chapter from Marcy’s book, Empower Your Board to Serve as Effective Development Ambassadors!