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Plus learn how to think from a place of abundance instead of scarcity. All the resources you need are right in front of you. You just don't know how to see them, and you don't know what to do next if you do see them.
DATE: Come to sessions on Saturday and/or Sunday PLUS networking on Friday night at the Zen on SevenCOST: PAY WHAT YOU CAN OR WANT!
REGISTER: Email Deb at dlukovich@alineaconnect.com
or call 414-803-3229
LOCATION: Historic Hotel Metro in downtown Milwaukee
Today's Blog Posting:
Why You Should Treat Your Volunteers Like Major Donors
I just cringe when I hear nonprofit staff people complain about their volunteers. Sometimes they complain that volunteers are unreliable, showing up late or not showing up at all. Many times, they complain about young people because "they think they're all that."
I think it's amazing that anyone volunteers their time for a cause that resonates with them, and to me, if you're not getting what you want from a volunteer, IT'S YOUR FAULT!
Many organizations spend lavish amounts of money on "major donors," a direct implication that the size of your gift correlates to the appreciation you will receive. It's kind of like a class system within philanthropy.
We all know that a volunteer who takes the time to read to a child an hour per week is having an immeasurable positive impact on that child's present and future life, but we really don't show our appreciation in a way that reflects that impact.
Yes, you need resources, but when it's clear that your agenda is to raise money, you are actually limiting the resources you are attracting because you are coming from a place of scarcity and need.
An Amazing Story of the Power of Genuine Relationship Building
Did I ever tell you the story about when Pat Molter was tempted to NOT take the time on one particular day to talk to her volunteers about the impact they were having? Thank goodness she resisted that temptation. Read on. . .
Pat Molter is the most amazing ambassador for many faith-based nonprofits in Milwaukee, some of which she actually helped found. She's so effective because she really doesn't have an agenda other than connecting with people.
This is an amazing story. This was a couple years ago, and Pat was working part time (well, being paid part time) as the liaison for House of Love, a group home for teenage girls who cannot be adquately served by the traditional foster care system. At that time, House of Love had purchased a four-unit apartment building so they could maintain support of the girls who aged out of the foster care system (a whole other conversation about why anyone would ever think throwing at-risk 18 year olds out on the streets would ever have a good outcome).
Anyway, House of Love saved up to purchase this apartment building. Unfortunately, it was in pretty bad shape. On this particular day, Pat was helping other volunteers clean the inside while another group of volunteers was working on the garage. It was disgusting, full of drug needles, bugs, filth, etc. Pat explained to me that she almost wanted to throw up, and by the end of the day she just wanted to go home and take a shower.
But Pat had always, always made sure to take time to go talk to the volunteers. Not just to say thank you, but to share the real meaning of their contribution. To share the familiar story of the girls they were helping. Stories of rape by relatives, physical abuse, fatherlessness, expulsions from schools, lack of hope and lack of unconditional love. Well, on this particular day, as usual, she was sharing the House of Love story with a group of mostly men who seemed to be close to retirement age. Two weeks later, she got a call from one of them. He said, "Pat, I haven't been able to sleep since you spoke with us. Until last night that is, when God told me I should make a donation to House of Love. And God even gave me a number." As Pat shared this story with me, she said she was so excited, because she thought maybe they would be getting a $5,000 donation, and this was thinking big, as House of Love had never even gotten a $1,000 donation from an indidvidual.
The man asked to come deliver the check in person. When he met with Pat, she almsot fainted as he presented her with a $50,000 check - YES $50,000, the exactly amount they needed to replace the roof of the apartment building.
It turns out that this gentleman and his wife had been abandoned in their youth. They were pretty much middle class folks who had worked hard all their lives, and it seemed like a GIFT TO THEM to be able to make this donation to House of Love.
The Moral of the Story
I share this because it's ALWAYS TRUE that the most amazing gifts come out of the least expected situations. It's like planning for a gift actually gets in the way of the gift. That's what I mean by NOT having an agenda, and instead focusing on being truy curious about other people.
The second lesson is NOT to make assumptions or judgments about people. When a volunteer graces you with their presence - that's how I look at it - they are "dipping their toe in the water." How you treat them will determine what you will receive from them. YOU JUST NEVER KNOW who they know or what their true situation is.
Your intent should be to genuinely care about and be curious about other people first. If you do that, you will find an emotional connection. But don't be attached to an outcome. It doesn't matter if they're interested or not. You have just shared your story with another human being, and you just never know what might happen down the road.
As always, try this and let me know what happens. If you really, really take my advice, you might experience something that feels like a kind of miracle.
Passing Along Information About My Seminar Could be a Gift to a Nonprofit, School or Church You Care About
If you enjoy my blog postings, please consider helping me out by encouraging organizations that could benefit by my philsophy and turn-key approach to attend my seminar this weekend.
Thank you for your support!
Deb
