New Year's Resolutions for Fundraising

New Year - New Fundraising Goals

Whether your fiscal year ends on December 31st or not, January feels like a good time to set new goals.

Even though just 45% of Americans set New Year's resolutions, and just 8% of them successfully achieve them, the beginning of a new year is still a good time to start some new habits that could bring better results.

You could be that 8%, which would put you out front of everyone else.  First, let's talk about the keys to successfully following through on your New Year's resolution.  Second, we'll talk about some good resolutions to set related to fundraising.

Keys to Achieving Your New Year's Resolution

I did a little research on what that 8% does to achieve their New Year's resolutions, and my favorite pieces of advice include:

• According to The Women's Club Blog (www.thewomens-club.com), "Leaving your comfort zone can be very daunting but it is this discomfort we must face in order to truly reach our goals." 

• According to Winners Drink Milk Blog (www.winnersdrinkmilkblog.com), "Write down and publicly announce your goals.  Tell your friends, broadcast it on Twitter, Facebook or whatever your choice of communication. You are much more likely to make improvements than someone who hasn't made a formal resolution."   

• According to The Telegraph Blog (www.telegraph.co.uk), "Break your goal into a series of steps, focusing on creating sub-goals that are conrete, measurable, and time-based.  

What Does This Have to do with Fundraising?

If you want to get different results in fundraising, then you'll need to change your behavior just like you have to when you want to lose weight, manage stress, get a better job or recycle or volunteer more.  

That's why I love the three keys to success I found above.  Let's relate them to fundraising. 

#1 - Leaving Your Comfort Zone 

My clients who get the best results are so open to THINKING about things in a new way and suffering through the discomfort of DOING things in a new way.  My favorite clients say, "Deb, just tell us what to do; we're ready."  They have a little faith and when they try what I ask them to try, they're so pleasantly surprised by the results.   

• Pick up the phone and talk to people.  Whether you are the development director or a board member, this is the number one thing holding you back.  Go find my blog on case statements and elevator pitches and just start practicing on someone, anyone.  Whatever is the most difficult thing for you to do is probably the most important thing for you to do - just like exercising.  Stop saying you don't have time.  That's really an excuse for avoiding something you're uncomfortable with. If you can call on your discipline to JUST DO IT, you will get results. 

#2 - Share Your Goals 

I recently worked with a client that had a goal to increase their patrons.  They already a significant number of very loyal patrons who just adored them.  I asked, "Have you told the people who already love you that you're looking for more people like them?"  People like to help; but they need to know how.

• Don't be afraid to let your supporters know about your goals.  There's a kind of intersection of magic that happens when an organization inspires someone who has the desire to make a difference.  It's actually a gift to the donor AND the organization!  No one knows how hard your're working and what you need unless you tell them.  In the words of one of my clients, " I have also gotten more specific in identifying what people can do to help - specific number of drivers and specific things we need to buy.  It really seems to motivate folks to hear specifics - even if they can't do it they may hand me a check [for some amount]." 

#3 - Break Your Goal into Steps and Celebrate Along the Way 

Let's say your goal is to raise an additional $100,000, and your total budget is just $2 million.  That's a big increase.  How can you break this into smaller, achievable steps? 

• Figure out what this $100,000 will pay for.  Be specific so prospective donors know exactly how they can make a difference.  For example, maybe you need $6,000 to pay for two lego robotics sets, $15,000 for Chrome Notebooks for 60 students, $6,000 for Discovery Education Online Curriculum, $15,000 for student project supplies, and $58,000 for a new computer lab.  Defining your needs will allow prospective supporters to know exactly what their contributions mean. 

• Schedule one hour more per week focusing on relationship culivation.  One hour more per week equals at least 50 hours per year, and that can really make a difference when it comes to cultivating relationships.  Think about it.  One more hour per week could mean a significant number of interactions with people every week:  10 more phone calls thanking donors, two more tours, one more lunch with a new donor or research on two more people that might be inspired by your work - EVERY SINGLE WEEK!  While there is no guarantee you will receive a specific gift from a specific person, there is a guarantee that if you do the activities (research, calls, tours, meetings, etc.), you will get more than you got before. 

• Celebrate small success to provide more momentum.  A  lot of this work is done by volunteers like board members, who are really looking to make a meaningful contribution.  It's important that they feel there's progress being made, even if it's small.  It's just not motivating to feel like what you're doing is never good enough.  If your goal is $100,000, and you've just raised your first $5,000 of that amount, send out an email to your entire boad congratulating them.  Do a little dance to celebrate.  Think about what recognizing your children for their little accomplishments does; it makes them want to do more.  We really never grow out of that need for positive recognition.  

Share the Joy! 

There's enough to go around.  You don't have to be in competition with anyone.  The more you share, the more you receive.  Please share your success stories on my blog - spread the joy! 

Happy Holidays!  

Deb

Holiday and End-of-Year 
Fundraising Appeals

If you're already planning on a year-end appeal, how can you maximize your results? 

If you've never done a year-end appeal, how can you quickly write and get one out by the end of this week?


But Aren't People Tired of Being Asked to Give?

Your donors support you because you are doing something important.  If you have done a good job of showing your gratitude and using their donations wisely, then your supporters expect you to continue asking for help.  

And there are two really good reasons to appeal to people for support at the end of the year.  

FIRST, in the hustle and bustle of planning family gatherings and shopping for presents, many people take a step back and think about the idea behind holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.  These are opportunities to think about family members, neighbors and community members, people we don't know but are in need, and organizations doing good work. 

SECOND, the end of the year is an opportunity to follow through on goals and pledges related to charitable giving.  An added benefit is the tax deduction that comes with a donation to a qualifying organization.  

So, DO NOT feel badly about asking for more support.  People will make their own choice about whether or not to give at the moment.  Offer them the opportunity.  


3 Steps to Maximizing Your Results 

Step #1 - Say thank you and tell them why you're asking for help up front.  

Always begin your letter or email with a big fat THANK YOU for all the support you've already received.  You can't say thank you too many times.  The second sentence should make clear why you are writing again.  

Here's an example: 

• Dear community member, we are so excited about how our first year is going at Tomorrow River Community Charter School!  

• We have so many people to thank for our successful launch - the families who chose our school for their children, our amazing students, volunteers who helped get our classrooms ready and continue to step up for any task we need help with, and community members who are interested in offering hands-on experiences to our children. 

• We welcomed 52 students this fall, and we're in the process of growing our enrollment by more than 30 more students next year, and even more the year after that.  We'll outgrow our space soon, and that's why we're writing.  

Step #2 - Celebrate your successes so your donors know how their past support has made a difference. 

No one knows how hard you're working or the impact you're having if you don't tell them.  People will feel very excited when you share stories with them that help them understand the meaning and impact of their donations.  Take this opportunity to tell them a story that brings your mission to life.  

For example: 

We want to take a moment to share some exciting accomplishments:

• Hands-on learning and field trips.  We're so excited to report that just three months into the school year, our students have been able to take their learning outside of the classroom almost every week through field trips plus hands-on activities.  These opportunities are critical to our unique Waldorf approach.  

• Transportation funding.  For many of our families who come from other school districts, transportation is an obstacle.  We're excited to share that our parent group was able to raise enough money and work with our local bus company to make transportation affordable.

Step #3 - Share your vision and priorities and explain why you're asking for support.  

The last step is to let people know more about what you need help with.  You have expressed gratitude for their support and helped them see how they have already made a difference.  Now it's time to share your new priorities and be specific about what you need to accomplish those.  

For example: 

• Tomorrow River Community Charter School is excited to have opened our doors to 52 students this year, but we will soon outgrow our space.  We plan to build a sustainable, nature-inspired building that is suited to our unique approach.  This new facility will allow us to expand enrollment to eight classes totaling 160 students.  

• The building will blend into the natural surroundings of the Central Wisconsin Environmental Station (CWES), which is located on 200 acres of woods bordering beautiful glacial Sunset Lake.  The building will utilize many energy efficiency measures and solar to produce electricity and to heat the building. 

• Our next task is to secure $4,500 to create drawings and a design.  We hope to raise this amount before the end of the year.  

• I know many people that make donations to charities in lieu of receiving gifts for the holidays.  If this sounds like you or someone you know, consider a gift to Tomorrow River Community Charter School for our facilities campaign.  Let us know if you want to make a gift on someone's behalf and we'll be happy to recognize both you and the other person. 

• We're enclosing our professional case statement, which tells you more about our philosophy and approach, as well as our facilities case statement.  Please feel free to pass it along to others to let them know what we're up to.  In the meantime, your donation of $1,000, $500, $250, $100 or other amount will help us achieve this next important step in our facilities plan. 

Get Your Appeal Out Via Mail, Email or Facebook by the End of This Week! 

You've got a small window though to do this.  The end of the year is very busy, and you should try to get it out before December 10th.  As always, let me know how it goes, especially if you've never done this before.  Others can benefit by your experience. 

Deb

The Best Seminar Experience Ever

What Would Your Best Workshop Experience Look Like? 

On March 21-23, 2014,  I will be facilitating my FIRST EVER weekend-long transformative workshop for people who want to learn how to apply the alinea formula to their nonprofit, school, church or other project.  

I'd really love to know your thoughts on what would make the best-ever workshop.  I want to know what I have to do to make attendees say, "This was the best program I've ever been to.  I'm inspired and I know exactly what to do to get better results for my organization."

Click here to to take a short survey

My clients (schools, nonprofits, churches, small businesses) hire me because they want: 

• More awareness and attention
• More money, technology, community partnerships or sales
• More students, volunteers, congregation members, board members or customers
• More engaged board members or volunteers 

Typically, I deliver my services through a consulting/coaching model over 12 months, costing my clients $14,000 or more.

While I love working this way with my clients, I'm limited in my reach and impact.  First, I can only work that intensely with a limited number of organizations.  Second, there are so many awesome organizations out there that cannot possibly pay this level of fee. 

My new goal is to inspire and empower more people with the alinea mindset and formula, and I've figured out a way to do that. 

Over the past 10 years, I've been able to document exactly how I do what I do, and I'm prepared to share all my secrets with you.  I can guarantee that if you apply the alinea formula in the way I teach you, YOU WILL GET MORE AND BETTER RESULTS. 

Beginning next week, I'll begin promoting this transformative weekend-long experience and accepting early registrations.  

Now, on to some useful advice:

Encourage Your Supporters to Make Donations in lieu of Holiday Gifts

One of my awesome clients, Tomorrow River Community Charter School (Amherst, WI), just launched their school this fall with 52 students.  Their unique approach combines the Waldorf education method with a natural environment.  They're going to outgrow their space in two years, so they need to quickly build a foundation of supporters to raise $2.5 million to expand their facilities.

I told them to just start letting people know about their plans.  I've been known to tell my clients, "You just never know what will happen if you share good news and let people know what you're up to."  They've decided to let people know about the option to make a donation to the school in someone's behalf in

lieu of a Christmas or holiday gift.

I personally know of many people who are looking for a way to have a meaningful impact, and the Holiday's are an opportunity to do that.  Consider simply adding this option to your existing communications materials, like your Facebook page, website or holiday concert program book.  See what happens.  People want to help, and it's up to you to let them know how.

As always, please feel free to share your success stories so others may benefit by your experience.

Deb

Founder and Chief Inspiration Officer

Board Member Engagement - Elevator Pitch Tool

Board Member Engagement - Popular Topic of Interest

When I went back and reviewed my blog postings over the past three years, I found that two of my most popular articles had to do with engaging board members.  THIS IS PERFECT!  At the end of my last blog posting, I promised to next write about how to use the ELEVATOR PITCH as a user-friendly way to share the story articulated in your professional case statement.

Today, I'm going to teach you how to use alinea's version of the ELEVATOR PITCH to empower your board members to be more active ambassadors for your organization.  You know the saying about how focusing on just one or two things can bring more results than trying to implement too many ideas?  Well, this is one of those tools that if maximized will make a measurable difference in your results.

Are Your Board Members as Active as You'd Like to See Them?

If the answer is no, the reason isn't what you think.  In most cases, the board members of a nonprofit, church council or school or school district are passionate and excited about your organization.  If they're not getting the results you want from them, it's because YOU ARE NOT PROVIDING THE DIRECTION, INSPIRATION AND TOOLS they need to confidently share your story with others.

Whenever I do a workshop for board members, I always start by asking attendees if they are comfortable sharing their organization's story.  EVERY SINGLE TIME, only about a third of them raise their hands.  The first time I did this, I was aghast!  These are the people who are supposed to be safeguarding the mission of the organization.  These are the people who are responsible for ensuring sustainability of the organization.  And most of them aren't even comfortable talking to people about the organization.

Sometimes staff members will get frustrated with board members, but I have come to understand that the best way to maximize the contributions of your board members is to provide clear direction, user-friendly tools, and a little coaching.  Board members come to an organization with all kinds of passion, but oftentimes, they quickly begin to feel disappointed in their own contribution.  Then they begin to feel guilty about it.  Rarely, do board members receive the support they need in order to make a personally meaningful contribution.

The Most Important Job of a Board Member - Tirelessly Promoting the Organization

I'm not sure why staff members assume board members know how to share the story of the organization, but this assumption prevents board members from admitting they are not sure about what to do and they never ask for help.  So there ends up being this illusion on the part of staff about what everyone thinks board members are doing and guilt on the part of board members.  This situation stands in the way of achieving some really amazing results.

I've developed my own version of the old fashioned elevator pitch to to help board members develop the confidence they need to share their organization's story.  Ideally, this elevator pitch would be based on your professional case statement.  But if you haven't developed your case statement yet, you can still develop an elevator pitch.  Just follow these instructions:

Step #1 - Share the big themes of your story.

An elevator pitch isn't about memorizing a script.  It's about bringing your organization's story to live in a way that's natural for a volunteer like a board member.  What are the big themes in your mission and how you deliver your mission.  For example, one of my clients is Interfaith Older Adults - Neighborhood Outreach Program.  Their mission and how they achieve it is very compelling, but it's way too long for a volunteer to share.  So, here's how they start their elevator pitch:

Interfaith is about caring people who volunteer to help older adults stay independent in their homes.  We drive them to important appointments, do minor home chores and help keep them connected to the world outside their homes.  

More than 1,000 volunteers help more than 5,000 older adults every year!

Step #2 - Paint a picture to help people understand quickly.

After you've shared the big themes, your goal is to make an emotional connection with the other person, and the best way to do this is to share a story that illustrates the big themes.  A good way to begin is to say, "You know how . . ."  Here are two of the common examples an Interfaith volunteer uses: 

You know how . . . so many people are looking for ways to volunteer and do something meaningful?  In fact, in the United States, there has been an increase in volunteering in just the past few years – even during this difficult economy.  Well, the volunteers at the Interfaith Neighborhood Outreach program are always talking about how much they love helping older adults because they find them to be a fascinating group of people.  They love to hear the stories of the places they've been and the interesting lives that they've led.  They've all led such incredible lives and it's hard to see that now they're no longer independent.  The volunteers believe that it's very important to be there for them at the end of their lives and make sure that there's someone there to help and to listen.

You know how . . . hard it would be if you suddenly couldn't drive or walk to public transportation anymore?  How it would feel to lose your independence?  You wouldn't be able to go to appointments, run errands, or even visit anyone. Well, that is a reality for many older adults who live at home, throughout Milwaukee. But because of Interfaith Neighborhood Outreach Program and their dedicated volunteers, older adults in Milwaukee have the help and support they need. Volunteers take them to run errands, to appointments, and even out for a trip to the museum or movies!  Thanks to Interfaith, older adults receive support at home, as well as connected to their communities!

You know how . . . stressful it is when you can’t care for an older family member because you live out of town?  On top of that, the costs to hire extra help are often unaffordable. Well, Interfaith Neighborhood Outreach program helps older adults stay in their homes by linking older adults to caring volunteers who help them with rides, chores, and more. The clients' families are so grateful for this help, and they just don't know what they would do without Interfaith. 

Step #3 - Wait and Listen for a Reaction. 

Your elevator pitch is successful so far, if the response is something like, “That makes sense, but how do you do that?”  or “That’s interesting, but do they lose touch with their friends?”  or “WOW, that’s cool!”

If you take a breath and just wait for a response, you'll be amazed at what the other person may share with you.  Think about how you would respond so far if someone was sharing the Interfaith story with you.  Personally, I think back to when my grandmother had no choice but to go into a nursing home.  It wasn't the right place for her though, because she wasn't sick enough to be there.  The lack of stimulation and interaction with other healthy people ended up causing her to just sort of give up on life.  She died, but she didn't die of anything really.  This is an emotional connection. 

So, if you really pause and listen to to what the other person shares, then your job is just to engage in the conversation.  Ask them more questions, learn more about their perspective so you know what to share next. 

Step #4 - Share Your Vision for the Future and What You Need to Achieve it.

Don't stop here though.  Many people who are very natural about sharing their organization's story DON'T do the next critical step, which is sharing what the major priorities are so people can start thinking about how they might fit in.  You need a call to action, otherwise people actually can become frustrated that there's nothing for them to do. 

Remember my formula:  Story + Direction + Relationships?  This is the direction piece.  You've brought your story to life by sharing the themes in your mission and then illustrated this through a story.  Then you made an emotional connection with the other person by listening to them tell you what part of your story resonated with them.  They're interested and probably excited.  Don't leave them hanging.  Share your vision and goals with them.  

Here's how the board members of my client Interfaith share their priorities: 

The older adult population is quickly growing, but programs that help especially with transportation are shrinking.

Interfaith has decided to STEP IN AND FILL THE GAP.  We have three big goals right now that we want to reach by the end of the year:

1. Recruit 100 more caring volunteers
2. Set a new record for our annual Chair event of $75,000 for transportation costs – it’s coming up on November 7^th (have your flyer with you)
3. Get donations of basic office supplies, like paper and stamps 

Step #5 - If they’re Super Interested, ask alinea’s 3 Magic Questions

After you've shared your big priorities, if the conversation is going well and you can see that the person is interested, ask my magic questions and see what they say.  You'll be pleasantly surprised at what you might hear back.  Here are the questions:

1. What do you think?  Really listen to what they have to say and take notes if you can.  They are providing valuable insights that we may use to evolve the story and the big bold goals.
2. How do you see yourself getting involved?  DO NOT BE AFRAID to ask this question.  If they’re already interested, their wheels are turning about how they fit in, so just ask the question and see what happens.  If they saying, nothing right now, SO WHAT.  That’s one more person that knows your story.
3. Who else needs to know about what we’re doing?  They are probably already thinking of people who might be interested either in services, coming to the Chair event, could donate stamps or some other way.  JUST ASK THE QUESTION AND BE READY TO BE PLEASANTLY SURPRISED AT WHAT THEY SAY.

Be sure to report your results to the group or update your tracking document so you take next steps.  Don't be surprised if someone is ready to help or offers the names of others who may be interested.  That means you've gotta take some notes and make sure someone follow up.  That's where most organizations fall down - on the followup of these golden opportunities.

Step #6 – Always Leave the Door Open

Always ask if you can have someone send follow-up information, schedule a tour or put them on the email list to stay in touch.  Make sure you follow up with your local director so she or he can be sure to continue to cultivate the relationship with this interested person.

That's all there is to it.  I put all of this in a document for board members and volunteers - and even staff people and I have them practice at board meetings, with their spouses, neighbors.  The next step is to help your board members develop a NEW HABIT of actively sharing your organization's story.  

I love to hear success stories from people who try out my tools.  Please feel free to comment on my posting, sharing and promoting your own story.  

Deb