Tag Archive for: Generosity

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Be the person you want to be with!

Are you fun to be with? Do you leave your donors excited and uplifted…or deflated and glad THAT’S over?  Remember..every time you interact with another person you have an opportunity to leave them in a different place. It’s NOT about you, your day, your problems, your opinions or your crap.

AFP ICON 2019 Session

What a gift to be surrounded by over 7000 development professionals and your incredible zest for your missions and donors!  I’m just back from standing room-only sessions at AFP ICON, (Thank you Kendall!) Marcy & Kendall

NAYDO (Thank you, Carolyn, Mary and Pam!) plus great experiences with Marcy, Shayna, Kishshanaprivate clients. Thank you!  Kishshana Palmer and I redefined the CFRE Refresher Course experience at AFP ICON too! Thanks Kish! WoHoo!

 

Also at AFP-ICON I was delighted to catch up with friend and donor researcher, Penelope Burk. With over 3 decades of successful major gift work, I would say, “In my experience…”and her research would dig deep into what donors feel and think and prove me right!

In a nutshell,

Leave another person better

Here are my Top 10 ways you can be the person your givers want to be with.

  1. Be eager towards life.  Each day is a gift, not a burden.
  2. Understand that face-to-face visits are scary at first for givers too.
  3. Be interested in your givers, yet also be willing to briefly share your story.
  4. Be fun. It doesn’t mean you’re not “professional.”
  5. Be polite, but not stiff.
  6. Take care of yourself so you are alert and focused.
  7. Be clear.
  8. Be brief but not hurried.
  9. Be grateful and appreciative.
  10. Continuously connect the dots between your donors giving and what the money does.

I love, love, love the energy at conferences. We grow from the messages of the presenters, by networking with each other, and through the reflection that getting away from our regular days affords us.

Here are some ah-ha’s I had from being there as participant and presenter:

*Older donors are narrowing their giving focus to larger gifts for fewer organizations because they perceive there is are costs to giving and this is less as a percentage the larger the gift. Penelope Burk research

*In all our life experiences – “good” and “bad” 1) find the lesson, 2) ask for help and 3) create social value – this is not political, rather, do something for someone else. Spencer West (keynote speaker who has no legs by the way)

*Donors want THREE things every time they give. 1) To be acknowledged promptly IN THE MAIL, 2) The ability to give to a specific project or program (vs unrestricted) and 3) A report in meaningful terms from the organization describing what happened with their gift.  Penelope Burk research

*When a Board member calls and leaves a brief thank you message (most of the time) or shares a brief conversation, 95% of the donors who received the calls said this was key in them giving again.  Penelope Burk research

*The hardest part of completing anything is really the middle. You start off with a bang, then energy falters, and the last push to finish can seem really hard. Give yourself the gift of Finished! Jon Acuff

*People love to give me money! Marcy Heim…singing with you all!

Finally, several speakers addressed chronic overtime and the self-care needed in our profession. Coming up in May, I’ll be keynoting a large senior care conference about the nursing team continuing to balance what can be draining deep care for patients and residents and having a life at the end of the work day free of the weight of the work.  Chronic overtime is a complete WASTE of time. The research shows you are 50% less productive after 8 hours…and it only gets worse.

Exhausted, worrying and wondering if you can eek something out of your main donors diminishes the joy of giving for them AND you! You will never know what a donor might do because they don’t know – that’s why you are on the journey together!

Invest in JOY®

  

 

Marcy Heim is a trusted authority in the development profession and helps organizations and educational institutions boost their major gift programs through artful, long-term relationship building that dramatically increases fundraising success while promoting increased staff job satisfaction. To receive a free chapter from Marcy’s book, Empower Your Board to Serve as Effective Development Ambassadors, click here.

Questions:  Contact KK Konicek at KK@MarcyHeim.com

It’s time to hire! Again

Hope this finds you feeling like spring is approaching. Here in Wisconsin we seem to be past the deep freeze! Wohoo! And I got the Christmas tree down. Wohoo!

As I work with clients and interview major donors as part of campaign-readiness studies, the sadness and heaviness around staff coming and going is very real. We DO form relationships and these changes leave holes.

A seven-figure community donor said to me during an interview, “I don’t even bother to learn their name anymore. It will be someone different the next time.”  Sharon Bass, Executive Director, The Volunteer Center, Lubbock and a rockstar ED in my Dream-Act-Achieve Coaching program has experienced several staff changes – some welcome, some not.  She shares, “We struggled with a team member who repeatedly had attitude issues. This drama was sucking so much air out of here..so much energy. There is no sense trying to make it work after several direct conversations about the concerns.”

When we experience a departure, positive or pushed, Sharon is realistic. “Somebody is going to have to do that work in the meantime. All of it will fall on a team that is already maxed out. But one of the great things we have learned is to be patient and believe that we will find the right people.”

Sheree Allison

Following is a guest blog from my colleague and friend, Sheree Allison, President of Thrive consulting in Canada. “It’s time to hire. Again” is spot on.  You can read more from Sheree on her website at http://thrivewithsheree.com

join our team

It is time to hire.  Again.

It’s open season in hiring for most organizations. Check with a colleague or visit a nonprofit and you’ll hear about “hard to fill positions” and “it’s tough to keep good staff” and “can’t compete with compensation”. On top of that, you’ll hear a general weariness about “not enough staff and no one to hire”.

Are you sure about that?

People ARE your organization. Without the best people, you will constantly be in a hiring race. After 30 years of serving as Executive Director, I know the race well. All the money you can raise has little impact if the day to day work is not driven by the best people. With over 25% of people changing jobs every year, it’s a mobile market. There’s plenty of talent on your doorstep.

What does it take to get them in your door? It takes both a unique way of thinking followed by a unique approach. You know exactly what you need. Yet so often you step over that, or you step sideways and settle for someone who you know in your heart isn’t a fit. Consider that when you interview, you want to look for and listen for a few little things that tell you a whole lot. They’re quite simple but powerful.

1. Watch how the person arrives for the interview.

If you watch carefully, you’ll see how they handle themselves when meeting strangers. Most likely, the first person they meet is someone they don’t know. Are they shy and timid? Overly boisterous and loud? Make a mental note of how they handle themselves when they arrive. Remember, your work is all about people. You know exactly how you’d want them to present themselves out and about.

2. Look for enthusiasm.

It can’t be manufactured, so look for it during the interview. If it doesn’t show up in the interview, it’s unlikely they’ll pack it when they come to work. Talk to them about things that matter to them instead of what you need done or what the organization needs. You want to hear them tell you with enthusiasm what matters to them and what they are good at. That’s something you can build on. Without enthusiasm, the spark is hard to ignite.  Think about how many times you’ve hired dead embers that never caught fire. My guess is A LOT.

3. Drill for real.

Just as you are anxious and revved up to hire, the person you are interviewing should be equally revved up. It’s like the perfect storm in a pressure cooker. You have the questions and they have the answers. Somehow it all has to come together in 45 minutes so you know if they are the right hire. Your job is to drill to REAL. Who is this person REALLY? What do they TRULY offer? And do they TRULY want this job? Ask the questions that tell you what makes them tick.

check references

4. Check those references!

It’s not that common in small shops. Is it important? Yes. Does it get done? Not often. It may be hard to believe that people get hired and no references get checked, but it happens more often than not. Small to mid-sized nonprofits don’t have HR staff to handle the hiring, so it gets added to the Executive Director’s task list.

References don’t get checked because:

– You’re rushed (you wear 9 other hats throughout the course of a day, after all)

– Your scarce beliefs (“There’s a real shortage of good people so I’m not going to delay”)

– Your gut instinct (you “feel it” and plus you “really like them” and you’re “sure it’s a fit”)

You convince yourself it’s the right decision and sign the paperwork. That’s how references fall off your desk and don’t get done. I’ve got my own little databank of proof that references get skipped. Of the last three staff who left our organization to take jobs in much bigger shops (two in business and one in government), not a single reference was checked. No calls in. No emails. No asks about what their work was like or the value they added.

Hiring great talent starts with YOU.

And it starts with listening, observing and deciding. There may be no rule book, no right or wrong – and there IS a way to do it better than you’ve done it up to this point. Let this be the year you truly OWN your hiring process.

A Final note from Marcy….

This gives you some great advice! Thank you, Sheree!

I also like to use an assessment tool called the Kolbe test.  Look for more on that in the next issue!  In the meantime, we are all juggling our lives as best we can. Be kind to yourself in the 3-ring hiring circus.  Do we have to blame someone when it doesn’t work?  Or when someone leaves? Let’s sigh, take a deep breath, let go of “why me?” and move into “What’s next?”  It may well be an incredible new hire that’s just the person you’ve been looking for!

Invest in JOY®

  

 

Marcy Heim is a trusted authority in the development profession and helps organizations and educational institutions boost their major gift programs through artful, long-term relationship building that dramatically increases fundraising success while promoting increased staff job satisfaction. To receive a free chapter from Marcy’s book, Empower Your Board to Serve as Effective Development Ambassadors, click here.

Questions:  Contact KK Konicek at KK@MarcyHeim.com

Want different fruit- look at the roots?

Don’t like the fruit? Look at the roots.

Are you and your board disappointed with your results? Are you struggling to get together on a plan for growth? Not sure what you can raise?  Wish you had more time with your family? Wish the Board was more ‘on board’? Weren’t working evenings? Down to that number on the scale?apple tree

These are all fruits.

And we spend a great deal of time looking at them, talking about them, and analyzing them.

There are not enough of them. They are not big enough. They are not red enough.  And on and on.

Recently one of my Dream, Act, Achieve coaching clients shared a financial spreadsheet for the board. It was a page of numbers…and a projected 13% increase to allow for a needed hire and other infrastructure. The board wanted reassurance that raising this increase was really doable.

Here’s the big problem.  A TREE CUT OFF FROM ITS ROOTS WILL DIE.  If something infects the roots, it will decline.

Instead – Focus on the roots that grew the fruit. It’s your actions that lead to your results. It’s your inner world (mindset) that brings success in your outer world (results).

focus roots

What if under these numbers you draw the direct connection to the roots that are needed to grow this fruit?

————————————————–

To achieve these results requires the following actions:

1. An increase of X many more in-person visits by the development staff to engage X new major gifts of $X and above.

2. 100% meaningful giving by the Board to demonstrate their leadership and passion for the mission.

3. X Board calls to connect a prospective giver to the development team.

4. X communications out to all current donors so they continue to see the impact of their giving

5. X phone calls to set up appointments.

6. X phone calls by staff, board and volunteers to express appreciation for gifts of time and money.

7. X sponsorships for success at the next event.

8. Canceling X event to free up staff time for more productive activity.

9. Setting clear priorities and giving options.

10. X number of facility tours with current and prospective givers.

And so on….

My point?  If you only show the board numbers, that is what they will focus on.  What you focus on you grow – BUT – you are only giving them part of the story.  The focus must be on the actions needed to produce the results.

These “roots” are written right into the spreadsheet with the numbers.  It’s a package.

Then the board understands what is really needed for these results.  Are they all willing to invest? Do they understand the staff time needed to make all the calls?

When reviewing an event, do we lay out only numbers?  So many tables, money goals?  Or do we lay out the number of staff hours in set up and arrangements needed, the number of conversations each board member needs to have at the event, the number of phone calls by the board and staff prior to the event to invite key current and prospective givers, time collecting silent auction prizes, etc etc.

You won’t have the fruit you want until you get clear about what’s needed in the roots.

This also applies to your personal “fruits.”  What are the roots that lead to the fruits you don’t like? These are all situations I am coaching right now….Current Fruit and Change needed in Roots (mindset)

1. Current fruit – missing time with family. A leader/manager picking up work for an unproductive staff member to avoid enforcing performance expectations and difficult performance conversations and missing evenings with family.  Root change – respect yourself. You are worthy of high performing team members. You don’t need to cover for poor staff performance to be loved.

2. Current fruit – overweight, tired.  Placing work and personal activity over buying and preparing better meals. Skipping walks and workouts. Root change – You are worthy of your own self-love and making self-care a priority.

3. Current fruit – Overwhelmed. Letting others via email and text set your agenda instead of doing your more important tasks first. Root change – Set times to look at email, don’t start your day with it. List your top 3 items and do them first. You can set boundaries and still be liked and respected.

So, from now on, dig deeper and discover what is at the ‘root’ of your challenges.  I promise you will enjoy the ‘fruit’ so much more!

Invest in JOY®

  

 

Marcy Heim is a trusted authority in the development profession and helps organizations and educational institutions boost their major gift programs through artful, long-term relationship building that dramatically increases fundraising success while promoting increased staff job satisfaction. To receive a free chapter from Marcy’s book, Empower Your Board to Serve as Effective Development Ambassadors, click here.

Questions:  Contact KK Konicek at KK@MarcyHeim.com

You are a Gift! I appreciate you.

 

Roses are Red

Violets are Blue

YOU are a gift!

I appreciate YOU!

HeartMay your Valentine’s Day be filled with love, your favorite chocolate and flowers. There is still time to shine and share your love and appreciation with YOUR special family, givers and friends.

Create your own Roses are Red verse.  Email it, text it or call and leave it as a phone message. Simple and sincere is special and powerful!

And I DO appreciate you

Invest in JOY®

  

 

Marcy Heim is a trusted authority in the development profession and helps organizations and educational institutions boost their major gift programs through artful, long-term relationship building that dramatically increases fundraising success while promoting increased staff job satisfaction. To receive a free chapter from Marcy’s book, Empower Your Board to Serve as Effective Development Ambassadors, click here.

Questions:  Contact KK Konicek at KK@MarcyHeim.com

Fundraising Lessons from Shelling in Florida

You are in an honorable and noble profession and your work is SO important. It’s challenging and rewarding. Fine-tuning your own restoration is as important as continually learning new skills.

For me, there’s nothing like the ocean to restore a full tank of optimism and energy!  And, there is nothing more powerful than storytelling.  So here’s my story from my temporary Florida home on the shore of Venice Beach. May it lift you up!

Marcy Holly Mike Shelling

Florida beaches are laden with shells – thousands of them.  Honestly…where do you even start if you want to find that “perfect” shell?

Certainly you can just get out there and look!  Time flies by walking endless miles of beach. Depending on the tide, there can be corners deep with shells.  It’s overwhelming actually.

Or, you partner with others, listen to what the “locals” know, and do some research on the internet.  Soon you learn that Casperson Beach is a great place to find Shark’s teeth, Venice Beach has vast quantities of Kitten Paws, beaches you can only get to by boat are more exclusive and boast rarer shells, and so on.

You discover there are tools to help you.  Shark teeth metal sifters, long-handled net baskets, shell bags and more. Some seem helpful, some just sort of get in the way. You learn the tools that serve your particular mission.

In the vast diversity of what is out there do you even know what you are looking for?  Is it just the most valuable shell?  Is it a shell that has a certain color or will work for a specific project?

Dawn Marie is caring for my cats while I’m gone and I wanted a meaningful way to say “thank you.”  My friend, Holly, pointed out these beautiful dainty shells called Kitten Paws or Cat’s Paws. She suggested I glue these to a small vase suitable for a votive candle. Her partnership detailed the specifics of the project beyond what I could have done on my own even as well as I know my cat sitter! This brought clarity to my vision for shelling!

But what was Holly looking for?  She was seeking Fighting Conch shells for a home landscape project. So we worked together to find both her shells and my shells making both of us more successful more quickly.

SO many shells – my goodness! Are the right ones even out there?  Those that truly fit my mission?  Every time I shelled I visualized that THIS WAS THE TIME I would find a perfect shell. I could see them in my mind. I proclaimed out loud, “Today I will have success!”  And I believed it!

I would share my dream, my vision, with others. On one excursion I told Mike, “I believe today I will find a sand dollar!”  So far, I just didn’t seem to have the knack for seeing them…usually mostly hidden in the sand.  A bit farther down the beach, Mike called me to him, and with a sparkle in his eyes said, “Look around here.”  There was a perfect sand dollar!  We don’t always get our results they way we expect.  They can appear as opportunities.  Sharing my goal, believing we could do it better together, had led to success! He got excited about my vision and invested in making it happen with his time and resources.

Flower Shells

But it was also frustrating. SO many shells looked so good at first, only to be broken. Really…that was the vast majority of them. They were not perfect. I threw them down again. My friend, Holly, gently said, “To me, these shells look like flowers.”  WOW! What a different perspective!  I could suddenly see how they could fit into my shelling projects. There were shells with holes. Rats. Holly saw these as natural necklaces.

After days of this, I had quite a collection. Glue gun in hand, I quickly discovered that no two shells are alike making it hard to uniformly complete my Kitten Paw candle holder. Pressing on, taking imperfect action, the result was gorgeous BECAUSE of the diversity of the shells.

Shell centerpieceWhen creating a centerpiece, the “perfect” shells combined beautifully with the “flowers” (broken shells). Your eye might be drawn to the largest shells, the biggest contributors, but scores of smaller shells filled in the empty spaces establishing the foundation for the rest. For some projects, using just one type of shell produced dramatic results.

Shells require some care and not each one the same way. For the Sand Dollars, appreciating their unique, fragile nature and coating them with glue strengthens them so you can enjoy them for a life time. Other shells need only a periodic dusting to continually contribute to the collection.

Finally, my fundraising colleague, Don Gray, in Florida Shell with Lifetoo, pointed out that EVERY shell, regardless of size or type, had already contributed as a home to a living creature. Even the tiniest of shells piled up in the sand, had a unique and significant story.

Take aways:

  1. You don’t find shells sitting in your office.
  2. Embrace the tools that best serve you, not every new gadget is a fit.
  3. Clarity on your end goal focuses you, even if it morphs along the way.
  4. What you focus on, you find.
  5. Let others be part of getting the result. You don’t need all the glory.
  6. Reach beyond words, appearances and actions you don’t value and find ways to connect.
  7. You get more accomplished with partners.
  8. Be open, even invite, surprises.
  9. Keep your dream in front or you at all times – see it, say it.
  10. Replace disgust with understanding. (That mega donor who has more conservative beliefs than you.)
  11. Appreciate the unique nature of each giver for a strong lifetime relationship.
  12. Stop judging. Everyone has missing pieces, broken parts and holes but is still of value.

As you plan ahead, be sure to include something that restores you!

Invest in JOY®

  

 

Marcy Heim is a trusted authority in the development profession and helps organizations and educational institutions boost their major gift programs through artful, long-term relationship building that dramatically increases fundraising success while promoting increased staff job satisfaction. To receive a free chapter from Marcy’s book, Empower Your Board to Serve as Effective Development Ambassadors, click here.

Questions:  Contact KK Konicek at KK@MarcyHeim.com

Be More Confident! 10 Habits to Drop Now!

It’s a new year.

going into new year

Regardless of what happened last year or yesterday, you have a new day today.

Confident people trust in their ability to navigate.  No matter the obstacles, they believe they will make it to their destination. That conviction attracts others because it makes them feel more confident in themselves.

Real confidence takes effort to attain. It takes repeating and repeating actions that help you build the unwavering self-trust you desire. You can’t just buy new clothes and expect that to sustain you through the ups and downs of life.

You need to immediately give up these 10 habits if you want astonishing confidence. (Adapted from a list by Matthew Jones)

1. Tolerating your negative self-talk.

Your mindset! Being first off, AWARE, of what you are thinking and saying to yourself, then knowing it is holding you back and lowering your self-esteem. Replace it with positive messages.

2. Caring too much about what other people think.

Seeking approval from other people reinforces that you need external validation. Why is someone else’s opinion more valid than what you know to be true about yourself? This really reflects you have insufficient internal love. To build yourself up, stop trying to meet other people’s expectations, and start appreciating yourself.

3. Seeing shortcomings as something you need to “fix.”

Focusing on what you don’t do well builds their strength and your feelings of inadequacy. Reduce your time in areas that aren’t your strength. Put most of your effort into what you do well.

Quiet in the outdoors

4. Filling your life with screens and stimulation rather than quiet introspection.

Stop over-stimulating your brain by staring at screens all day. Peace and quiet builds a foundation for confidence.

5. Constantly reliving the past. Anxiously anticipating the future.

No matter how good or how bad things in the past were, they’ve already happened. The only way to create the future you want is to take action in the now. Bring your attention to the present moment and start building a better future.

6. Focusing too much on the details and not reflecting enough on the big picture.

Most of your day should be in today. Balance your perspective so you can be involved in your current work, know where it’s going, and see how far you’ve come.

7. Looking to external objects–people or things–to alleviate internal hurt.

You know your hurts. Pushing them down keeps them just below the surface to raise their ugly heads during new challenges. Address them. Close them out. Seek help from a coach or therapist. It’s not about being ‘right’. Make peace.

Don't sweat the small stuff8. Stressing over small problems that don’t really matter. Today’s drama.

Stop creating problems and building unnecessary stress. You always have the power to choose your reaction. Being dramatic drains you of valuable energy that you could be investing in your personal and professional growth. Stop looking to be offended.

 

9. Thinking about faults, regrets, and failures instead of practicing gratitude.

Most people aren’t exactly who they want to be. The people who are happy and confident are the ones who appreciate what they have right now, which allows them to continue growing and building a satisfying life.

10. Wasting time comparing yourself with others.

We compare our ‘insides’ to others ‘outsides.’  We see their polished external posts, website, mailing, and more and compare that with the hiccups and stumbles we are experiencing – all the internal issues they have too, but we don’t see. Stop envying other people and instead discover your own value.

You are amazing. You do good in the world. It’s a big pie out there with plenty of opportunity to go around.

Better version of you!

I have confidence in you. I know what you can do – for your mission, your work, your family and for you!  You are worthy. Each day is your opportunity to be a better version of YOU. Enjoy!

Invest in JOY®

  

 

Marcy Heim is a trusted authority in the development profession and helps organizations and educational institutions boost their major gift programs through artful, long-term relationship building that dramatically increases fundraising success while promoting increased staff job satisfaction. To receive a free chapter from Marcy’s book, Empower Your Board to Serve as Effective Development Ambassadors, click here.

Questions:  Contact KK Konicek at KK@MarcyHeim.com

Plan Your 2019 Off-Season!

Walter Bond

You can create your off-season!

What?

Let me share a story. Last year I earned my Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) credential!  Wohoo!  Turns out the National Speakers Association hosts a conference JUST for CSP’s to gather and grow.  One of our session leaders was Walter Bond – a former NBA professional basketball player. Now he’s a motivational speaker booking over 100 speaking appearances every year (my dream). A few years into speaking he was feeling like he wasn’t “on top of his game.”  Then he realized that as a professional basketball player, he always had an “off-season.”Marcy Heim with CSP medal

Off-season training is considered the most important phase of any conditioning plan. It helps the athlete recover physically and psychologically. Playing sports at competitive maximums is taxing on the human body. It is common sense: You cannot race a car hard every single day at the track without something eventually breaking down.

The human body (hear YOUR human body) responds in much the same way.

As development and advancement professionals, there has been a shift….while our year-end work does intensify, do we really have a “slow” time? Like that race car, you can’t push hard day after day without something eventually breaking down…like you.

What would your off-season look like?

YOU can create your OWN off-season!

OK!  You can create your own off-season keeping these REMARKABLE characteristics in mind:

  1. REMOVE. You separate yourself from “business as usual.”

More important than the amount of time – one hour, one afternoon, one day, one week – it’s feeling like you are in a different place. It’s a mindset!  NOT at your desk, NOT in your office.  Away from what is yelling at you to take care of next in that space.  Away from the routines and habits in that space.

  1. REFLECT. You reflect – without judging.

Looking back on your past year in advancement work – fundraising, marketing, communications, constituent relations – reflect.  Consider the days you felt like a rock star. What made that feeling? Consider the days you wanted to quit. What made that feeling? Not through the lens of “I should have… been better prepared.” “Started earlier” etc. NO JUDGEMENT. Just sit with your calendar and look back over the year and FEEL your energy change as you remember.

CSP Mastermind Group

  1. REFRESH. You practice skills.

For athletes, this time is an opportunity to practice but at a much lower intensity and volume than during your competitive season. So practice planning a major gift ask, practice the ask. This is NOT when you MUST GET THE GIFT at year end!!! Our ‘competitive season.’ Improve on the fundamentals. Enjoy your visits when the quarterly or year-end numbers aren’t bearing down on you. Actually be in the conversation at the moment.

 

  1. RE-ENERGIZE.  You revisit your passion – your ‘why.’ 

It’s never about the money – it’s always WHAT THE MONEY DOES.  Remember how inspiring science literacy, securing a spiritual connection, lifting up a Jewish heritage, feeding hungry people or pets, rewarding academic excellence, restoring health ….whatever it is that brought you to this place.  AND…check in, is the passion still there? If not, how do you find it again?

  1. RECHARGE. You are a unique gift.

Remember that you are a unique gift to the world. You bring perspectives, love, empathy, stories, and opportunities to others in a way no one else does. Rest, walk, add white space, workout, clean out the file drawer, purge electronic files, get with friends, read, whatever physically and emotionally recharges you. The conditioning work done in this time stabilizes you for the higher-intensity demands to come in the “competitive seasons.”

  1. REJOICE.  You are grateful.It's not Happy People who are Thankful

You GET to do this work. You GET to connect a giver to their joy. You GET to listen to others and help them invest in what is important to them. You GET to build relationships and document them so they become life-long for your organization. You GET to do this work AND you GET to serve your friends and family. Remember, it is the most basic law of physics – for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Perhaps your spouse or kids don’t seem to appreciate your service and support…..it MUST come back to you, but it can be from anyone, anywhere. Drop the scoreboard and rejoice.

Rejoice!

Happy New Year! It’s gonna be a GREAT ONE!

Invest in JOY®

  

 

Marcy Heim is a trusted authority in the development profession and helps organizations and educational institutions boost their major gift programs through artful, long-term relationship building that dramatically increases fundraising success while promoting increased staff job satisfaction. To receive a free chapter from Marcy’s book, Empower Your Board to Serve as Effective Development Ambassadors, click here.

Questions:  Contact KK Konicek at KK@MarcyHeim.com

Today is Your Day!

Today is your DAY!

Is today just a place between stressing over what didn’t get done yesterday and what’s on the list for tomorrow?

Is today what you pass through getting to “someday” when you will “arrive?”  When the time will be right? When your ship will come in? When you can finally get some sleep?

Tolle quote

Are you waiting for the time to “be right?”

To be right to speak that “ask?”

To be right to be true to your values?

To be right to NOT conform to what “most people are doing or saying?”

To be right to ignore the drama of the day?

The past is behind us. The future is ahead of us.

Between the two…this tiny slice of time … the present.

It’s all we have.  It’s all we will ever have.

How old must we be before we really get this? Neither yesterday nor tomorrow is our friend. It’s comforting to want to cherish yesterday and to look towards tomorrow to smile on us. We are all creatures of habit…Habits of thinking, behaving, eating, communicating, talking. We agree it’s insane to expect different results tomorrow by doing the same things we did yesterday.  The best predictor of tomorrow’s results will be based on what we think, say and do….today. Yesterday and tomorrow encourage excuse making, procrastination and being afraid today.

Hear these words from one of my favorite coaches…Dr Seuss.

 

Dr. Seuss Today is your Day!

 

Right now, the present moment is the only moment you will ever have.

Today is the day you’ve been looking for.

Today is the day to initiate change in your life.

Today is the day to act with urgency.

Today is the day to be your own hero.

Today is the day to make your dreams come true.

Today is the day to unleash a lifestyle of generosity.

Today is the day to lift up those around you.

We become tomorrow what we are thinking about today!

You create your life…Today!

Go do something big, bold and beautiful with your donors for your mission….. TODAY.

Invest in JOY®

  

 

Marcy Heim is a trusted authority in the development profession and helps organizations and educational institutions boost their major gift programs through artful, long-term relationship building that dramatically increases fundraising success while promoting increased staff job satisfaction. To receive a free chapter from Marcy’s book, Empower Your Board to Serve as Effective Development Ambassadors, click here.

Questions:  Contact KK Konicek at KK@MarcyHeim.com

How will I get it all done? Get in the zone!

Ever feel, “Wowza! How will I get it all done?”

You are making time to be grateful to the people who have supported you in the past. You are reaching out to connect with, and serve, as many people as possible to help them accomplish their year-end giving goals. And you have a slew of events – family and mission – on your list to attend.

Let me help.help on file cabinet

You are only one person and one team. There are only 24 hours in each day. You have plenty of time just too many opportunities in which to invest this time. But, this isn’t just about setting priorities.

It’s about staying in the zone.

Getting into the vortex. Setting your mind to the task at hand with optimism. Embracing the chaos! I love this time of year. I love the energy! People coming at you over text, phone, mail, email, Facebook messenger, oh and in person! (my personal favorite!) Just wanting to share the magic of this most generous time of year!

But then something shifts. “How dare they? Don’t they know how busy I am?” “Stupid cookies!” “Presents! Don’t they have enough?” “Why can’t people get it together to give earlier?”

When we get out of whack we start shoving our family, donors and colleagues into the liability column instead of the blessing side. When we feel too busy to even be courteous we lose the spirit of giving thanks and appreciating our donors, our good work, ourselves.  When we are not, “in the mood” and snarky we can really set ourselves back by trying to continue to move forward.

So how do we get back in the zone?

STOP – Time for a reboot!

First off, what does it mean to be “in the zone?”

happy peopleIt’s when we come from a MINDSET that is eager towards life.  We tackle the next thing with vigor. We celebrate finding the perfect gift. (Wahaha)  We flow with creative giving options to share with our donors. The right questions appear on the tip of our tongues!

 

Try these tips…some will work better for you than others.

1. DISPEL LIMITING BELIEFS. “People are asked too much.” “They won’t give this year.” “I am not a good asker.” “My cause is not important enough.”  You cannot have something until you believe you can have it! Everything you want is on the other side of your limiting beliefs. Beliefs are not truths. They are your perceptions based upon your experiences and what you have been told.

2. DECIDE MONEY AND WEALTH ARE GOOD. This time of year we can get very self-righteous about money. Much of our society is wrapped up in a mindset that money is bad. We often hear words like “selfish” “entitled” “mean” “didn’t earn it themselves.” Consider portrayals of wealth on TV shows…Gilligan’s Island (remember that?) Dynasty. Undo the thought that poverty is more “holy.”

3. WRITE ASKS TO SET INTENTIONS. Who are the donors with the greatest capacity, interest and most ready to give yet this year. Write out your 3-sentence asks. Call them, “Hi and happy holidays! This is Marcy. We’re so honored and delighted you have chosen to invest in (our impact) in the past.  I want to be sure that I’m available to help you accomplish any giving goals you are considering for us yet this year.” Then be quiet. Let your words settle and let them speak. This is wonderful because it lets you know if they are interested or not. Often it triggers them to give! They just haven’t gotten around to it. Hear them saying, YES! Or, know you can plan to reconnect in 2019. Today I talked with Nancy Gerard…one of my VIP clients.  She said, “I have my year-end 3-sentence asks in front of me and I just keep reaching out, knowing they want to help.” That’s being in the zone.

Yoga pose with Sunset

4. WALK! STRETCH! SING! DANCE! By far when I talk to successful fundraisers, physically moving is the quickest way to get back into the zone. Whatever you do to keep movement in your days and joy in your step, don’t stop now! It’s more important than ever that you are able to maintain your joyful spirit and attitude. When I have a hectic speaking travel schedule on top of my client work, I forget how much I enjoy what I do.  Getting OUTSIDE is key for me. What refreshes you?  Think about it. I find most of my clients KNOW what re-energizes them, but they don’t do it!  A massive problem or challenge will SHRINK if you step away from it and MOVE…even for 5 minutes!

5. WHAT AM I GRATEFUL FOR? Ask this out loud and answer it out loud!

6. SOMETHING GOODS GONNA HAPPEN TO ME! I CREATE MY LIFE!Take back the knowledge and power that you create everything that is in your life and everything that is not.  You have no circumstances – you create them.

At my recent keynote in Seattle I reconnected with my good friend, Penelope Burk.  I love her research.  She documents that after believing in your mission and wanting to make a difference, donors gave because they were asked.  So now focus your energy on asking your donors to consider a gift to you…your mission. During these last few amazingly generous days of the year over a third of the charitable dollars are given. Whenever you slip out of the zone, STOP and get back into it. Remember that every positive step you take makes a difference for those you serve. Remember that every kind word lifts up your family and donors and colleagues. Remember that every smile on your face (even if you have to put it there sometimes) brightens your spirits. Breathe in this amazing work we GET TO DO each year end!

Invest in JOY®

  

 

Marcy Heim is a trusted authority in the development profession and helps organizations and educational institutions boost their major gift programs through artful, long-term relationship building that dramatically increases fundraising success while promoting increased staff job satisfaction. To receive a free chapter from Marcy’s book, Empower Your Board to Serve as Effective Development Ambassadors, click here.

Questions:  Contact KK Konicek at KK@MarcyHeim.com

Thankful for You!

Giving thanks to YOU on Thanksgiving. Grateful for the good YOU unleash in the world!
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I am thankful for

…Unending ways to continue to learn – if your not growing your dying – and I’m a-growing!

…My family… and you – the joy you bring to me, and to the world, and the gift I have been given to serve and inspire you. Thank you.

May your Thanksgiving Day, and every day, be filled with abundant gratitude, joy and love.

Invest in JOY®

  

 

Marcy Heim is a trusted authority in the development profession and helps organizations and educational institutions boost their major gift programs through artful, long-term relationship building that dramatically increases fundraising success while promoting increased staff job satisfaction. To receive a free chapter from Marcy’s book, Empower Your Board to Serve as Effective Development Ambassadors, click here.

Questions:  Contact KK Konicek at KK@MarcyHeim.com

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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