Fundraising - What Do You Do After You Receive a Major Donation?

Relationship Fundraising - What Do You Do After You Receive a Major Donation?

Wisconsin Schools are Busting Out of Scarcity Mentality!

Last week, I spoke at the Wisconsin Education Convention to almost 100 school superintendents, principals and board members.  For the second year, I spoke about the need for schools to look at school funding in a new way.  

After years of declining school budgets with no end in sight, alinea is helping schools understand that they have more control over their revenue than they thought.  

These schools are not scaling back; just the opposite.  They are dreaming about what their schools COULD DO for students to prepare them for careers that don't even exist yet.  Even though this all costs more, instead of focusing on not having enough, they are learning how to share their exciting stories and inspiring people to help.  

It doesn't matter if they're a public school, a private school, a charter school, or a choice school. Where there's a will, there's a way.  These schools are creating a buzz and attracting resources from unexpected sources.  

Education Foundations Springing Up!

What was really interesting was the advancement in the understanding in the room.  Last year, the biggest question by school leaders had to do with how to talk about their school in the community.  They knew it wasn't about just pushing information out through newsletters, but they weren't sure how to do it. 

This year, the biggest question was how to start or grow an education foundation.  I was really excited about this, because this shows a change in mindset.  School leaders are bravely busting out of their old scarcity mentality and seeking out ways to get more resources.  They may not be doing it quite right, but they're learning that their very existence will depend upon engaging the community. 

What To Do Next With a Current Donor!

As I was sharing stories about how some schools already are receiving generous donations, one of the superintendents admitted that his district has a very generous donor who has made donations over $10,000 annually for at least three years.  

He shared that they always invite him to the school to visit classrooms when he is in town, and they send thank you letters signed by the students who are benefiting by the donation.  Everything sounded good so far. 

Then I asked if he had ever sat down with the donor to let him know what the BHAG - big hairy audacious goal - of education in the community was.  The superintendent said no.  I asked them if the district had a BHAG.  The superintendent said no.  

I suggested that without an overall vision for the future and the top three priorities to achieve that vision, the donor cannot see where he fits in.  

He is only doing part of alinea's formula of STORY + DIRECTION + RELATIONSHIPS.  He's trying to cultivate a relationship, but not very strategically, and without a compelling vision for the future and the clarity of how to get there. 

The superintendent began to show his understanding by enthusiastically nodding his head up and down.  He began to see that what needed to happen next: 

1.  Conversations and dreaming about what education could look like for the community - an exciting and compelling vision for the future.

2.  Ability to share your story in a way that inspires people to want to help - three clear priorities describing what has to happen to achieve the vision. 

3.  Inviting the donor back, sharing all of this and then asking alinea's three magic questions:

• What do you think?  Then listen.
• How do you see yourself fitting in?  Then listen.
• Who else needs to know about what we're doing here?  Then listen.

If you do this, you will get so much back in return.  The most important thing is that you will learn about how much this donor cares.  He or she may just be waiting for this moment to be part of something so big.  Without asking for anything - because you clearly state where you are going and what you need to get there - the donor can discover for himself what piece excites him.  Finally, he/she will be happy to connect you to others.  You'll have so many opportunities come from just that one meeting. 

Try this, and let me know what happens.  Sharing your successes gives others the confidence to try this.  You will be helping to empower other schools to attract the generosity of others. 

With eternal optimism, 

Deb

P.S.  alinea's approach to fundraising is a serious change in mindset.  Since most of our behavior is driven by our unconscious, you may need some help developing these new habits of mindset and behavior.  One resource that I have been using almost every day is a wonderful set of free hypnosis downloads.  Check out Joseph Clough's Unlocking Your Potential - he offers 20 hours of free downloads.  You'll get hooked if you're trying to overcome any blockage to changing old thinking into new thinking.  Click here to check it out!  Joseph Clough FREE hypnosis downloads.  

Relationship Fundraising 3 Steps to Getting Your Board Members to LOVE IT!

Step #1 – Make it easy

How many of you are confident sharing your organizations story? When I ask this question of board members who attend my seminars, there are never more than about a third of them that raise their hands.  This should be shocking, because the #1 role of a board member is to tirelessly promote their organization, school, or church in the community. 

What makes this even worse, is the Director and the board members themselves probably don’t realize this is the case.  It is unlikely that an individual board member will admit to the group or the Director that they aren’t comfortable talking about the organization.  They feel guilty, because for some reason they think they should just know.  They’re not comfortable asking for help.  It’s not that they lack commitment or passion.  They’ve probably never been presented with a user-friendly tool and training to give them the confidence to share the organization’s story with others. 

§  Tool #1 – Professional Case Statement – This is a one-page, two-sided piece of paper that articulates your story in a compelling, concise and consistent manner.  We call it the gathering place for your story.  It’s strategically developed to inspire people to want to help.  It includes your mission, vision for the future, unique approach, achievements, current priorities, how people can help and brags about all the people who sit on your board or are supporters in some way.  Board members have commented that this tool is pretty much what they need to carry around with them.  See my series of three blog postings detailing with how to develop a professional case statement:

  Blog: Part I- How to build the 10 sections of your nonprofit’s    professional case statement

   Blog: Part II- #1 Fundraising tool: Your professional case   statement

   Blog: Part III- Case statements

§  Tool #2 – Elevator Pitch – First, while the director or development staff person is supposed to know all the details about the organization, the board members ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO KNOW ALL THAT STUFF.   Second, board members and volunteers are better ambassadors than staff people because they are giving up time and money and aren’t getting paid.  They are driven by passion for the mission of the organization.  But they shouldn’t and can’t really tell the story the same way as staff people.  The elevator pitch helps the board members understand what the major themes are within the story and then they should feel free to tie those themes to the things that interest them the most about the organization.   See a sample elevator pitch

§  Tool #3 – alinea’s 3 Magic Questions – My last blog talked about these questions in great detail.  The purpose of sharing your story is to inspire people to want to give.  But inspiring them is not enough; there must be a next step or it’s frustrating for the potential supporter.  It’s not there job to figure out how to help.  Even if you’ve clearly laid out your vision for the future and what needs to happen to get there, if there is no more conversation, not much is going to happen.  The questions are:  (1) What do you think? (2) How do you see yourself getting involved?  and (3) Who else needs to know about what we’re doing?  If you try this, you will see how much can be achieved after one tour or during one conversation.   Read the Blog

Step #2 – Use the Tools

We don’t spend a lot of time on developing the tools.  We develop them so they’re “good enough” to use.  Our focus will be on getting the board members to start using the tools and share the story.  Sharing the story is what will increase awareness and resources, not the “marketing piece.” 

This is the hard part, because this is ABOUT YOU not the company and what you’re waiting for them to do.  The problem is, you haven’t done this before so you will be reluctant to get out there and start using the tools.  This is about learning a new way to think and behave and then developing a habit, and it takes a lot of support to accomplish this. 

I just viewed a recent TED Talk on U Tube by David Kelley.  The title of the talk is “How to build your creative confidence.” I immediately thought about the work alinea

does with our clients.  We don’t tell our clients what to do as much as empower them to be able to do it, and we use research-based approaches to do this.  When I listened to David Kelley talk about the psychology behind helping people overcome phobias, it reminded me of how some of the board members of our client organizations feel when we ask them to start cultivating relationships.  

It’s almost like a phobia.  There are board members that are just terrified of picking up the phone and calling a current donor just to say thank you and invite them to an event.  There are board members who have never even told their neighbors about the volunteer work they do and of course wouldn’t dream of asking them for support.  

We can talk about why this is – we are worried about damaging relationships – or we can just figure out how to help the board members feel confidence in sharing the story and making connections that could benefit the organization.   

Tool #1 – Expect to be uncomfortable -

This tool is a new habit of mindset.  You are learning something new, and when that happens, you become uncomfortable.  You’ve been there before when you start a new job, but you knew you would be nervous so you just plugged along until repetition and small successes develop your confidence.  It’s the same thing with being a board member.  You didn’t go to “board member school,” so you’re going to have to learn how to be an effective board member.  When you get uncomfortable, you will have to tell yourself to DO IT ANYWAY.  When you do it once, you get a little more comfortable.  Then you do it again, and you begin to really love cultivating relationships.  Two excellent books that provide some help understanding why this works are:  The Power of Habit; Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, by Charles Duhigg and Subliminal; How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior, by Leonard Mlodnow.

 

§  Tool #2 – Practice, sharing successes, and accountability – It starts with the first time.  As a board, give yourself homework and require everyone to report on how it went.  Also, add a regular agenda item called “community engagement.”  If you don’t commit to doing this, you won’t follow through, and you’ll get the same results you got before.  For example, have everyone commit to sharing the story with two new people each week and make observations about how people responded.  What kinds of questions did they have?  Were they excited?  Did anyone ask you how they could help?  When someone has a good experience, require them to share it with the group.  Celebrating each others’ small successes helps everyone build confidence to try it too.  Doing this weekly is important.  Remember that saying about it taking 27 days to develop a new habit?  Well, it’s going to take a lot of repetition for board members to do this naturally, and when they do, you’ll see significant results.

Step #3 – Tracking relationships and following up

If you actually try this, get ready, because the floodgates will open, and you will quickly find yourself overwhelmed with the generosity of people.  I’m not kidding.  If you do not follow through once you’ve initiated relationships with people who are inspired by the organization’s story, you will damage those relationships.

Put all the people your board members have inspired into a tracking document like excel or some other kind of data base that allows you to generate a weekly report of due dates and next steps.  Have each board member be responsible for cultivating three relationships and make sure there are next steps for each one, along with a due date.  The key to all of this is continuing to cultivate relationships.  At each board meeting, a report should be generated showing cultivation assignments for each board member and brief reporting on what’s been happening.  Board members will work with staff people to get the support they need. 

Following up with relationships could look like this:

• An email sharing a student success story. 
• A personal invitation to a student exhibition or other event. 
•  The receipt of a newsletter or invitation to an event.
• Scheduling a meeting to update the person on an initiative of interest to them.
• Asking their advice about a new program. 

The type of follow-up is not as important as the consistency of communication and outreach.  In addition to sharing good news about the organization, take the time to get to know the interests and priorities of the other person.  If you notice an announcement in the local business journal about their promotion, cut it out and send it along with a congratulatory note.  Care about the other person. 

If you decide to try these three steps to helping your board members LOVE RELATIONSHIP FUNDRAISING, please let us know how it goes.  Remember, it won’t be enough to just educate them on their role.  You must help them develop the confidence to do what you’re asking them to do. 

Deb

Relationship Fundraising - What to do after you've inspired someone

Learn how to use 

alinea’s 3 Magic Questions

alinea's formula for attracting resources

Many of you have already read about alinea’s formula for effective community engagement = STORY + DIRECTION + RELATIONSHIPS. 

If you haven’t, you may want to visit some of our previous blogs; or in a nutshell, here it is:

To ATTRACT (not ask for) resources, you need to share your story in a way that inspires people to want to help, clearly articulate your top three priorities so people know how to help, and genuinely build relationships with people.

If you’re doing a good job inspiring people to want to help, you may be stuck here, because you don’t know what to do next. 

Do you get stuck after Story + Direction?

Do you let people walk out the door after a tour of your school or nonprofit?  If YES, you’re missing a huge opportunity.   

If your friends, family and colleagues have expressed support for the organization you volunteer or work for, have you asked for their feedback, willingness to help or the names of other people who might be interested?  If NO, you’re missing a huge opportunity. 

These moments are the GOLDMINE of potential resources, whether it be money, time, expertise, internships, technology equipment, PR or more people with which to share your amazing story. 

TRY THIS!  We call them alinea’s 3 magic questions, because amazing things happen when you have the confidence to take the next step after you inspire someone with your organization’s or school’s story.

Question #1 - What do you think?

After you have had a chance to share your passion, ask the other person for their thoughts and really listen to what they have to say.  They will likely share a story with you about something that resonates with them. 

Here’s an example of how powerful this could be. 

After my parents divorced, and my mom and stepfather moved my two sisters and I to West Bend, I attended Holy Angels Grade School for 6th through 8th grade.  Years later, I realized that these were the three most impactful and important years of my entire education.  I felt loved, accepted and encouraged.  I was super shy – I couldn’t even look people in the eye – but I felt like I had lots of friends and my teachers really knew me. 

I can still picture in my head the last formal gathering of us as eighth graders for a program our teachers put on for us.  A teacher would get up and talk about one student at a time – this happened for every single student – and they shared what they thought was unique about that student and what they felt the future held for them.  My jaw literally dropped when my English teacher Mrs. Osol – I loved her fingernails – got up and told the whole group that she thought I was going to become a cover model. 

Now, I did actually go to modeling school and briefly gave modeling a try, but that’s not the point.  Having your teachers really know you and express their belief that you will achieve great things in your future is very empowering at that age. 

25 years later, our class had an eighth grade reunion, and that feeling of acceptance came back like it was yesterday.

My point in sharing this with you is this:  If you are the principal of a middle school, and you are giving a tour to someone who may become a donor or supporter – or anyone for that matter – wouldn’t it be good to know that middle school had that kind of impact on him or her? 

Simply asking WHAT DO YOU THINK? Will open the door to the other person sharing something potentially powerful with you, and is the start to building a genuine relationship that could result in resources.

 

Question #2 – How do you see yourself getting involved?

SECOND, after you have allowed the other person to lead the conversation in a way that gives you insight into what is important to them and what about your school (or nonprofit) is resonating with them, ask this question. 

This might be hard for you.  It’s where a lot of people get stuck.  Why?  Because we value relationships and we don’t want to make people feel uncomfortable.  Plus, we’re afraid of rejection. 

This is where you need to think about this in a different way.  This is NOT about asking for money, or anything for that matter.  This is about moving a relationship along in a natural way after they have expressed genuine interest for something you are passionate about.  I can’t believe how many people share stories about how they were waiting to be asked for help.  Being asked makes you feel valued.

Anyway, just try this.  Ask, “How do you see yourself getting involved?”  Think about what the answers could be.  Let’s start with worst-case scenario.  You’ve had a wonderful conversation with someone who has expressed his or her interest.  Let’s say they say, “Well, I already sit on the board of another organization, and it’s taking up a lot of time.”  Are you worse off than the day before?  No.  Will they feel offended?  No.  Should you feel disappointed?  ABSOLUTELY NOT!  This is one more person who has learned about your story and could pass it along in the future.  That’s a success.  

They could say they have to think about it, or they may ask more questions about certain initiatives to figure out how they’d like to help.  Best case scenario, they offer specific ways they can help. 

THERE IS NO REJECTION IN RELATIONSHIP FUNDRAISING!

Question #3 – Who else needs to know about what we’re doing here?

THIRD, our starting point is a person who is already supportive of the organization and has shared personal information with you about their interests and how your mission resonates with them. 

When you ask them “Who else needs to know,” they will immediately begin thinking of people who would be very interested in the mission of your organization or school.  They might think of families for whom your school’s approach is a perfect match.  They may work for a company with a foundation who is focused on the same mission.  YOU JUST NEVER KNOW.  Worst-case scenario is they can’t think of anyone.  It just doesn’t matter.  The key is not to expect anything, and then you’ll be pleasantly surprised. 

What to do next

After this 20 minute discussion (after a tour or other conversation), you’ll have lots of “stuff” to follow up on.

1. Provide a packet for the person to take home that includes your case statement, recent newsletter, materials of specific interest and flyers for any upcoming events.
2. Send a hand-written thank you note right away – or you’ll forget. You can send an email too, but the hand-written note is a must.
3. Make sure this person is in your tracking and there is a next step and a due date.  It doesn’t matter as much what the next step is except that you will “touch” the person in some way in four weeks or sooner.  You could send an email sharing a student success or other success story.  You could personally invite them to an upcoming event. 
4. Add them to your email distribution list.
5. After the due date comes and you complete the next step, now you need another next step, and then another, etc.
6. When the relationship begins to develop more, think about another meeting where you will talk more in detail about an initiative that you think the person might find interesting.  Here, be ready to talk about what’s needed to accomplish this initiative, so this person knows exactly how they can help.  You just never know.  He or she may want to “own the whole thing,” because you really found how they want to make a difference.

PLEASE LET US KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU PUT ALINEA’S 3 MAGIC QUESTIONS TO WORK.  COME BACK AND SHARE ON THIS BLOG POSTING.

I promise you’ll see a little magic happen if you do this right!  Learn more at www.alineaconnect.com or www.facebook.com/alineallc.  

 Deb

Deborah Lukovich
CEO & Founder
alinea, LLC