Tag Archive for: fundraising

“Been getting a lot of ‘NOs’ lately.”  That’s how our coaching call began. As we inspire generosity sometimes it seems we don’t. It can pull us down. A “No” has a different effect if it is a long-time donor or someone new you are engaging in a major gift conversation, yet all can disappoint us.      Here is what you need to remember:       1. They are saying no to what you ask them for. They are not saying you are a bad person or your cause is not worthy.    2. They deserve to make a gift that makes them happy, on their timeline. That’s not necessarily our campaign timeline or the giving goal we wrote down for them from our research. That doesn’t mean we are stupid or wrong, or they don’t get how important our mission is.    3. It is not our place or job to judge them. They are not right or wrong – it’s just their decision at this time.    4. We get to do this work. Leave the conversation with gratitude for the chance to ask for their support.         Now, with that said, what can you process from this?         1. How comfortable were you that you had a great match for a major gift?        One real gift of using my 3-sentence ask is that the donor generally reacts to the part that isn’t right and the rest is ok.  For example, with this 3-sentence ask…    You have such a heart for supporting seniors.    You understand how our respite program helps keep the staff so important in their care.    Would you consider a gift of $35,000 to support staff respite weekends?         The donor says, “No, I don’t think I want to support that.” What does that tell you? $35,000 is just fine – you have the wrong project.         “Great! Let’s consider what would be more meaningful for you to support for seniors?” would be a good question to ask.      2. Did you court long enough?       In a world that’s pushing you to get on with that ask already, a wedding proposal on the first date has never been effective and still isn’t. In major gift work we are looking to move from transactions to genuine relationships. In this relationship did you develop the connection to this ask?         3. Did you listen or talk?       When we deep listen we pick up on little clues that cue us in on what our givers want to do. When we are more interested in funding our greatest need we might not hear that this isn’t a fit for our giver.         4. Did it just become about getting the money?       When we can really wrap our brains around serving our donor instead of getting the money it just goes better. Donors are not ATMs.         And, finally, what do we do next?    1. Remember that even if we do everything right – donors are living their lives and right now a “yes’ just isn’t part of it.  At some level there are a certain number of no’s you will get – and that’s when you simply move on to the next conversation…and the next. The “yes” will come.   2. Give yourself an amount of time to feel bad this ask didn’t work out. Over time shorten this time.    3. Don’t be a fortune teller and make up what your donor is thinking. Chances are it will be negative and wrong.       Aside from being fearful about asking in the first place, a “no” triggers piles of mindset demons.  And a run of “no’s” makes us wonder if we’re cut out for this work in the first place. Show compassion for your donor – it was hard to turn you down. Be grateful that today you get to talk to someone else about supporting your work. Know that the more you have conversations, tell what the money does  – the real impact giving has, make clear asks and shower genuine appreciation, the more money you will raise.   Your next “YES!” is just around the corner!  I promise you! Flip the switch with, “Every day in every way I am attracting major giving to me!”   Yes, you are!  SHINE ON!!

Invest in JOY®

January has come and gone. Ground Hog day has passed – Here it signaled six more weeks of our blustery Wisconsin winters!  The chances are 50-50 each year.

What are the chances you’ll hit your 2023 fundraising goals on your own? 

17%.  

Here’s something to consider as it relates to your fundraising goals. 

•    The gift will not come without speaking an askful ask. 

•    You will never get the appointment you don’t set up. 

•    You will never get the grant you don’t apply for.

•    Your donor will never be inspired with an impact story you don’t share.

•    You donor won’t feel appreciated with the card you don’t send.

In fact,

•    You will not change your results…if you do not change your behavior. 

The moral? 

The longer you wait to take action…the less likely you are to take action. 

So instead,

•    Decide what you CAN do to begin. It may be printing out that challenging email to take action the first thing the next morning when you have more energy. Take a step. Then another. You’ll never finish what you do not start. 

•    Listen rather than talk.  You will become wiser and clearer on the next actions to take. 

•    Count on yourself. Can you count on yourself to do the right thing?  Honor your commitments?  No one in this world (spouse, boss, government) is responsible for making your life better. It’s on you to do the right thing.

•    Your success comes from within. No one is “set up” to succeed.  Your preparation, your study, your hard work, your determination to bring your best “sets you up” to both see and grab the opportunities that come your way.  (and those opportunities may not even look like you thought they would)

•    Be competitive. The perfect competitor operates with the highest of professional standards to become their best competitive self. They do the right things, the right way and never succumb to lying, cheating or unsportsmanlike conduct.

•    Be trustworthy. Trust, loyalty and integrity are massive competitive advantages. The world is filled with people who will play you. Keep your standards high and you will attract what you want.

Now this may seem like a strange message coming from a major gift and life coach. Nope. Indeed you need others for support, for accountability, for challenges. Not to do it FOR you but to help you uncover the person you are so desperately trying to be.

….to call you on your excuses; to challenge the “poor me” in you; and to lift up even your smallest of successes to morph you into the person who competes to be the best version of yourself.

The world needs you now. It needs you to be a strong, courageous, independent thinking person who will use their creative ideas and unique talents to make a lasting difference. 

Pursue your highest good and you will inspire the highest good in others. You actually always have. Thank you.

Invest in JOY®

YOU are beginning!  However you crossed the 2022 finish line, you are beginning this New Year! Bravo! It’s scary and exciting all at once!

I’m celebrating the New Year in Faro, Portugal where Ken and I are exploring with our son, RJ, and his gal, Bailey.  It’s been a tremendous adventure filled with delightful surprises and opportunities to flex your positive mindset muscle that only international travel can bring!

Thank you for investing your talent and passion into inspiring generosity – for non-profit missions…and LIFE! It’s an honorable and noble calling. Here we are ready to launch again!  There are those who go through laborious lists of tasks to prepare for the New Year.  I think it comes down to 3 pretty simple resolutions – and none make you go to the gym, clean your piles or pledge massive changes. 

THREE Resolutions You Need for 2023!

1. Resolve to be bigger than your problems.

It’s not the size of the problem; it’s the size of you! Think about how you struggled with zoom early 2020 – now it’s a cinch. Zoom hasn’t changed really. Perhaps there are more features – but what HAS changed is you – your growth in comfort with the tool. Being in Portugal now is a new language, new money, new streets – all doable with some time and thought.

“Every master was once a disaster.” (Eker). Everything new, or at least new to you, is scary at first. Fear shuts us down. Try instead to be curious. “I wonder how or what I could do to take a next step.” Know yourself. How do you feel most comfortable confronting something new – a person by your side showing you, an on-line tutorial, a class? Jay Wilkinson, Founder of Firespring, and tech wiz, collects new tools he sees and sets aside a Saturday morning each month to explore them. Good advice. As we navigated Portugal, we each had our ways of figuring it out. 

2. Resolve to try again tomorrow.

There are lots of reasons thing don’t go as planned. Some issues seem to never get resolved and get frustrating. Some people we struggle don’t seem to change. You may feel worn out. It may look bleak. It may feel like it will never change.  Have a nice dinner, watch a Disney movie, put it all aside. Tomorrow really IS another day. Life is overflowing with opportunities to begin again.

As Annie sings in the show, “Annie” “Tomorrow! Tomorrow! I love you, tomorrow! You’re only a day away!” 

And, the Japanese Proverb goes, “Fall down seven. Stand up eight.”  It doesn’t matter how many times you fall down, fail, or get discouraged – as long as you stand up again.  We learned this navigating narrow one-way streets when we were way too tired.  Tomorrow IS another day.

3. Resolve that the world is basically good and you are here to thrive!   

You choose how you walk through life. Sure, it’s not something you can constantly hold on to, but you DO choose to believe the world – the universe – God – is basically good. I choose to believe that I was placed here to THRIVE – be the best version of myself I can muster. Indeed there are manipulative people out there.  Yet believing that you are destined to be successful and happy and LOOKING for signs towards what you define as success and happiness draws you to it – it must.

I say often in my talks that I believe there are people in Madison, Wisconsin who get out of bed in the morning and ask, “How can I be offended today?” And guess what? They find something!

When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at….wait for it…CHANGE!

If you are looking for 2023 to be the best yet – it will be.  I promise!  HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Invest in JOY®

Just days away from 2023 isn’t it great to look back and remember……

—the donors you helped make the gift that was JUST RIGHT for THEM!

—those whose lives are changed because you and your organization SHOW UP every day!

— the board members who gave and led by example for others to follow suit.

— the skills and knowledge you’ve gained to be even better at this calling of fundraising.

—the camaraderie with your co-workers, volunteers, and team.

—the last minute gifts – miracles and surprises!

— the fun! 

—the way you feel right now – maybe a bit tired but SO Fulfilled!

Now is the time to …..

Joyfully adapt and Bravely Believe!

It WILL be a(nother) HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Invest in JOY®

Busy! Busy! Busy!  Happy December!

Traversing that fine line between overjoyed and overwhelmed – sometimes only seconds apart!  I LOVE IT! Showed up for a great session with AFP New Jersey and then back to get the tree up (or upside down actually). HAHAHAHA!

Simply Showing Up Is Enough

5 Key ways to simply show up for Giving (and Living) Success

With millions given the last month – and last day – of December now is the time to embrace that simply showing up is enough.  Be thrilled with how giving empowers your mission. Be joyful as you celebrate this magical time. Be authentic in caring that your givers experience giving the gift that is meaningful for them.

Connect with as many of your key givers as possible now – those who have given this year, and those who usually do, but you haven’t heard from yet this year. Start with your largest givers – but have a long, long list. You’ll get some surprises!

“You are important to us and I want to wish you happy holidays! If there is anything I can do to help you with your year-end giving, I’m happy to help.”

1. Show up at the door.  MAKE TIME!

Connect – in person. Olivia takes out poinsettias. Nancy bakes bread. Holly has pictures from camp. Call and stop in. Don’t take your coat off. Be sure to get to the kids stuff and the funerals, too. In person.

 2. Show up on the phone. True story from one of my coaching folks.

“Called David to ask if they were planning on making their gift ($25,000) before year end and if so, was there was anything I could do to help make that happen. He thought they had done it!  He said, “Yes, we will get on that right away.”  Within about 10 minutes I got a text message saying the money had been requested from their Vanguard account and would be showing up shortly.”

Enough said.  And texting is great, too!

3. Show up in the email. 

Short. Simply. Simple gets read, busy does not. Get all the emails cued up to go out – now, December 28th and 31^st.  HELP them remember they can simply click and do YOUR MISSION some good.

4. Show up in their mailbox.

May your days be merry and bright! Send a card. Your year-end letter can be sent again with a note attached – “Wanted to be sure you saw this – Thank you and Happy Holidays!”

5. Show up for yourself.

When you are just too pooped – and you really don’t enjoy the thing you have on the list to attend – email to say your plans have changed and you can’t join in. Rest.

IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!  (Can you hear me singing?)

Invest in JOY®