Howdy Partners! You can’t do this alone!
To all my fundraisers, donor relations, event manager friends out there inspiring generosity….THANK YOU! AND…
Listen up!
YOU CAN’T DO THIS ALONE! (especially at year-end)
Start today to better engage your Board, colleagues, and others in inspiring generosity with you!
Step by Step…….
- Think about your partners differently.
“If only my board would help!” Rather — how can I support them so they are comfortable and willing to help? Change your mindset. Change your self-talk about you board and partners – you projecting your feelings on them. Understand that they often are still building trust with us. What will we say to someone they have connected with us? Will we build an authentic artful relationship or just go after the money?
- Talk about what you do together differently.
NO FUNDRAISING JARGON! “Help connect us with those in your networks…” They hear, “hit up your friends.” They hear, “get someone to do something they don’t want to do.” HOW you talk about what you do is the difference between a “professional beggar” and a development professional. How you talk about your givers – are they numbers and stats – have money you want…or people who you care about?
Spend some time talking about why THEY give – how does supporting you bring them satisfaction, joy, a marketing opportunity, a tax deduction…. Board members and other partners give for different reasons. How do they feel about money and wealth? What does the money they give do? What values do people who support you have in common? They need to have help verbalizing how it feels to give. This lets them come to their own decision that connecting you to someone in their network makes sense.
- Give them the overall picture of a donor journey.
I call this a Relationship Action Plan. Talk about how coming to an event can help them experience what you do – hear stories of the way it made people feel; helped them; gave them an education, a dance class, a home. Then lay out an ideal donor journey – they get interested through your partner, then take a tour where the partner joins in, perhaps meets a team member, meets a recipient – some experience. Then they learn about what gifts at various levels do. AND be sure to share how the giver continues to be thanked and kept informed.
- Give them options for how to help.
Partners come with all sorts of talents — and insecurities and money mindsets. Don’t assume that “pitching” a $1M contracts feels anything like asking a friend to consider a gift of any size. Give them a list of touches that they can select from that they feel comfortable doing – and stress that helping create a joyful giver (cultivation) and being a grateful recipient (stewardship) supports your relationship-building work. You can speak the ask.
- What EXACTLY do you want them to do?
When I interview boards and other partners, they often say they are not sure what’s expected. Be CRYSTAL CLEAR just EXACTLY WHAT you are asking them to do, and by WHEN. And offer to walk through it with them or help them compose the email or letter or call message. Don’t just “assign.”
- Plan the next steps WITH THEM. (It’s not a hand-off)
This is key – When your Partner agrees to connect you, be sure you share that this is a journey, not a hand-off. They don’t introduce you and you take it from there. While the partner need not be involved EVERY step of the way, they should clearly see these actions as something you are doing together over the long run.
- Inspire (and EXPECT) 100% Board giving. Have a Board giving policy.
There really is no reason for every Board member not to be providing a gift. I like requiring a gift that is meaningful and significant to them – rather than a hard number. And…while perhaps the bank gives a gift in recognition of one of their employees serving on multiple boards, I still look to that individual to do something. There is just a different level of engagement when it’s YOUR money.
8. Share stories at every board or staff meeting – how did this feel?
Stop talking about the big one Sue brought in. Rather share this good news as the work of staff and partners together – from the receptionist to the CEO – and over the course of time. Board shares should be on every board agenda. This is how you grow a culture of generosity.
Bringing on partners takes time. Doing it yourself is impossible.
Every master was once a disaster – you don’t ride the bike the first time. Have grace with your partners — consider THEM finding THEIR way to help as part of engaging them more in your mission and a chance to deepen their own giving and connections.
Taking the time to grow partners will yield great LONG-TERM results beyond the original connection or meeting.
Yes, talking about, and asking for, money can be uncomfortable for many of us. The more you bring your board and others into the relationships with you, the more comfortable they will be! Thank you for creating a bigger culture of generosity!
Invest in Joy™
