"F" is for Fundraising

Avoid the B.S.

It’s back. A running tally of words and phrases that are, quite simply, bullsh*t.

If you read last month’s post, Getting Over Overhead, you will recognize today’s theme of the icky double-standard between what’s okay in the private sector versus the non-profit sector.

1. Admin.

As in, “How much does your charity spend on admin?” This question is making my hair fall out in uneven clumps. Who cares how much we spend on admin? Do you really think we’re living like kings over here?

The computer system in my office is held together with string and glue AND we’re trying to educate children! Meanwhile, Coke’s CEO makes $22.1 million a year selling those same kids bottled sugar. I bet HIS computer isn’t still running WordPerfect.

2. Cost to raise a dollar.

As in, “What’s the cost to raise a dollar for this event?” Isn’t the real question something like: is more money going to go to the cause because of this event? Yes or no people? Not that it isn’t rewarding to hold an event in a cold church basement instead of a hotel, because it just wouldn’t LOOK right to increase our cost to raise a dollar (and risk success, god forbid).

3. Overhead.

As in, “I only fund charities with low overhead.” The real-world translation of this could read: “I only fund charities that don’t have the capacity to make a difference.” Do you think Twitter obsessed about overhead while they built an empire that resulted in a $25 billion IPO? I have seen charitable organizations with multi-million dollar budgets question the value of $35 professional development seminars to provide skills training to their fundraisers. Yikes!

Arm yourself with tools to fight the B.S. by checking out Dan Pallotta’s Charity Defence Council and reading his enlightening book, Charity Case.

– Siobhan

P.S. Hair still falling out? Try a light conditioner and follow my blog by clicking on the button above.

Get over it.

Easier said than done! But in a recent workshop with Dan Pallotta – he of the famous TED Talk urging everyone to stop harping on the cost-to-raise-a-dollar issue and get on with saving the world – I learned a few tips that I’ll share with you here.

For those of you who haven’t seen the Talk, here are the Coles notes: Charities are forced to obsess about overhead and, as a result, are caught in a cycle that denies them the tools to raise enough money to solve the huge social problems they exist to address.

Not so in the private sector, where investment and capacity-building are rewarded; competitive salaries attract the best talent; and advertising is an obvious part of doing business – not a waste of funds that should go straight to feeding the poor.

1.  First of all, there’s no silver bullet. Everyone asked Dan for help with volunteers and donors who have an allergic reaction to the notion of “overhead.” His reply: It will take time to overcome the mentality that charities should operate on a shoestring. After all, this thinking has been in place for hundreds of years.

Lesson learned: Start with your board and key volunteers and show them the TED Talk. It’s a 10-minute investment that I have seen turn people’s thinking around (I now show it to my fundraising classes on day one to elevate their thinking about the potential of the social sector).

2.  Next, we all asked for an elevator speech that magically makes people understand how limiting the cost to raise a dollar limits the charity itself. But there isn’t one. Drat!

Lesson learned: You will need to have ongoing conversations with volunteers, donors and your own staff to introduce the concept that you need to invest in capacity if you want to make serious change in our world. Get a non-fundraiser to join in these conversations with you to avoid the risk of sounding self-serving because, in case you didn’t know, we fundraisers are also “overhead.”

3. Finally, it might be time to shift your OWN charity’s “charity case” complex. What are the organization’s real goals? Do you actually have plans in place to achieve your mission or are you just working towards getting 3% growth this year? In many ways, we are responsible for how charitable work is perceived. It’s time to get over the Bake Sale mentality of doing business in our sector and be more vocal about what’s really needed to get the job done.

– Siobhan
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Do what Bowie does.

So I was at the Association of Fundraising Professionals conference in Toronto. AND the city was hosting an amazing touring exhibit of everything Bowie – interviews, video, artwork, album notes, costumes and more.

The takeaway: If you can’t find inspiration in Bowie, you’re in big trouble. So put on some lipstick and sparkly tights and let’s get started!

WBTM (what bowie taught me):

1.  Be creative – find inspiration!

Bowie doesn’t just sing. He paints, writes and designs crazy costumes.

You know how to fundraise already, but how can you broaden your world of knowledge? Get out and volunteer for your organization on the front lines. Or read up on the latest research on your issue area. Or take an architecture course to decode the blueprints of your capital campaign.  This will make you more engaging in your written and in-person communications.

The best fundraisers are generalists who are engaging because they are passionate and always learning new things. Yes, just like you!

2.  Don’t do what everyone else is doing!

Bowie went with short, spiky hair in a time of rock and roll manly men with long manes! In fundraising, you plug along chasing that stretch goal like everyone else, but why not check out the private sector for something new?

Explore sales teams of successful corporations – our sector is notorious for lagging behind current practice – and study new ideas around recruitment and retention. Need an example? Take Disney. The Big Mouse doesn’t want anyone to have a negative experience, to the point where they track the life-span of light bulbs in their hotels. They do this so they can go in and replace the bulbs just before they’re due to burn out! What can YOU do to ensure a seamless experience for your donors?

3.  Change your perspective!

Have a cocaine habit you can’t kick? Try moving to Berlin. Oh wait – that particular Bowie-ism really doesn’t translate well to fundraising.

Instead, think about changing your point of view. When was the last time you interviewed one of your donors about why they give? How about the last time you got in touch with a colleague at a competing organization to share ideas and challenges? How about going on an information interview to explore what it is about your job that matters to you? Try one of these to kick-start your passion and change your perspective.

Siobhan

A hot-potato issue!
(image by Greg W.)

Another hot potato issue! Almost every charity group I have worked with has been freaked out by the thought of asking volunteers to give.

Here’s the sassy back talk I usually hear:

• They’re already giving the gift of time. This is a very common argument, used most often when talking about board members. The truth is that people are very invested in where they volunteer and likely have a strong understanding of the org’s need for financial support.
• They’ll be offended. I think this all depends on how you ask and who the ask comes from. Find a volunteer who already donates and ask them why they do – there’s your case for a volunteer giving campaign.
• They don’t have the money. I have heard this one many times and it’s a dangerous assumption to make. Better to assume your volunteers are generous (if not wealthy) and make sure to include them in ALL your charity’s campaigns and projects.

Here’s how to pull it off:

1. Don’t worry about what will happen if you ask your volunteers for money – do some research first!
2. Get a focus group of your volunteers together and show them some campaign ideas specific to areas that involve them. Let them know what you need and why. Ask them whether your case is appealing and if they’d give to it. Get their feedback on anything that might be turning them off.
3. Take the feedback and plan a test group for your campaign – don’t send it to every volunteer at first. Figure out whether you’ll do paper mail, email, or both, and when you want to send it out.
4. If you have tonnes of volunteers, consider an A/B test for the test group. Create two different campaign asks, send one to the first half and the second ask to the second half. Whichever ask does better then gets sent to the rest of the volunteers.
5. Respond to any negative feedback right away. Be sure to let people know that your campaign was tested with a focus group of real volunteers. If a volunteer strongly disagrees with the campaign, thank them for their feedback and reassure them that their volunteer work is still the single most important gift you need.
6. Don’t give up easily! Send reminders and follow up with non-donors again in a few weeks. It may take a couple of tries to build the culture of giving within your volunteer team, especially if you’ve never done it before.

Good luck!

Siobhan : )

No plan. No fundraiser.

I won’t make you wait for the answer to this one: It’s the plan my friend.

Need Convincing?

Don’t doom yourself to fundraising mediocrity by taking the easy way out. I see it all the time – an organization finally gets the money together to hire a fundraiser, they post the position (“Must walk on water. Jesus encouraged to apply…”), offer the lowest possible salary, hire an inexperienced fundraiser, then leave the whole job to that person and turn their attention to other things. Ack!

It may be a much-hoped-for relief to find someone to dump all the fundraising on, but you’ll be setting them up to fail. Instead, make a minor initial investment in some planning like so…

How to Do It

Step 1:

Hire a seasoned fundraiser (consultant) with planning experience to analyze both your fundraising history and potential and come up with a plan of attack. They should work with you to create a two-year action plan with a timeline. It should include the different types of fundraising you will do, the campaigns or initiatives within each type, the steps needed to execute each, timing, and a stab at some financial and activity goals.

Don’t skimp! Find someone who’s experienced with NGOs of your size and type and get testimonials. You may even luck out and find someone to do it pro bono.

Step 2:

Now that you have a detailed plan, you can customize your hiring process to find the right person to execute it. Do your research on Charity Village to find existing job descriptions to borrow from for your position and look at the salary ranges being offered. If you have the money, consider getting a recruiter to help you out.

Step 3: 

Once you start the interview process, make sure to do some serious snooping! Check your applicants out on social media and ask around your circle discreetly to see if anyone knows them. And when checking references, make sure to ask for one from someone who reported to the applicant. It can be very illuminating to hear how someone treats subordinates versus their boss.

Step 4:

Schedule proper orientation for the new person – sharing it out with other staff where possible – to quickly integrate them into the team. Introduce them to the board. Give them some pens and a working computer. Meet with them regularly to review the plan and offer support. Set up professional development and mentoring opportunities. Get ready for the good times!

–          Siobhan

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Use the News!
(photo by Marcel Germain)

Notice I said “easy” and not “quick!” That’s because good donor stewardship takes a bit of elbow grease to get the best results.

In this case, grease means finding juicy content.

Sure, you can send donors a stewardship report on what they gave to and keep them on the newsletter list, but I’d like to suggest adding some more personal touch points.

Step One: Gather some behind-the-scenes content

Give your donors access to the inside scoop. Informally interview the programs staff and put together a quick story and quote based on what they’re up to. Don’t ask for formal updates or anything in writing, as they’ll likely send you a committee-approved blurb in jargon-ese. Useless.

At the David Suzuki Foundation, I’d mug our scientists in the kitchen on their way to the coffee pot (shade grown and bird friendly of course). At United Way, I’d do the rounds with chocolate in hand and casually ask our homeless support workers what was up. Getting unscripted information is always best.

Step Two: Set key Google alerts for more content

Sometimes, finding sexy content is a challenge. Yes, you’re always busy saving the world, but sometimes you want to send a donor touch point and it’s a slow news day at your charity.

My two-pronged sexy-content-finding approach is to set Google alerts on your mission (“homelessness,” “opera,” etc.) and on your donors (“Vancouver Foundation,” “Coast Capital Savings,” etc.).

In the first example, when you see media stories on your issue area, you can share them with donors and match the info to what you do. Example: Send a link to a story on bullying and mention your anti-bullying programs. You get the idea. Your donors want to know you are working on relevant issues.

In the second example, when you see great stories about your donors, send them some snaps. Acknowledging their successes might not directly relate to their funding, but will go a long way to developing the relationship. Example: You might work at a children’s charity and send a congratulatory email to a funder who’s in the news for building a new playground.

Step Three: Send that sexy content in an email to each donor

There are two secrets here: be wildly brief, and address and send each email one at a time. No cheating with group blasts using Constant Contact! A real email to one donor is more likely to be opened. And by brief, I mean maybe two sentences followed by a second paragraph with three or four more lines – max.

Don’t forget to log this amazing activity in your donor database. Is it time consuming? Hell yes! But I have seen this transform a donor’s gift from $10,000 to $100,000 in six months. For real.

Siobhan out. : )

No rubber chicken please.
(photo by Thomas Hawk)

I once read a suggestion for how to evaluate a special event: ask attendees if they wish it could have been longer and see how they react. It was probably meant as a joke, because those galas and rubber chicken dinners are usually three hours long, if you’re lucky.

The one thing that adds unsavory bulk to many events is the need to have VIPs address the crowd. The most common VIP speaking offences are:

• The CEO who recites your boring mission statement verbatim.

• The Board Chair who details the board’s progress on the latest strategic plan.

• The event sponsor who lectures the crowd on the services her bank (or whatever business) offers.

• The drunk keynote speaker who trips over the podium and crashes through the head table.*

The solution

First, tell everyone that they will be scripted. If you don’t make exceptions, then no-one can complain (too loudly). Provide a script with timing, letting the VIPs know they can make changes, but that they have to stick to the basic outline. Then write them some good copy using these angles:

• The CEO: Get her to tell you her favourite mission-related story about your organization and write it up into a script. Maybe it’s the time she worked in the rabbit shelter, or witnessed a legal win for the environment. If it meant something special to the CEO, then that same story will likely resonate with the crowd at your event.

• The Board Chair: Get him to talk about the vision he has for the future and how he wants the charity to get there. Again, it works well to have a quick phone conversation, then write up the speaking notes for them yourself. Maybe he dreams of a new research chair to oversee a cancer drug trial, maybe he wants to expand the charity’s operations to China someday. You get the idea.

• The event sponsor: This one can be very tricky, but stick to your guns and the sponsor will come out of it looking like Mr. Awesome Pants. Instead of talking about his business, get the sponsor to take a role in the event itself. Get him to present an award to a deserving student, or announce how much the event has raised, or even introduce the keynote speaker. This way, instead of slowing the event down in a tar of business stats, he can keep the action moving and look like a champ.

And speaking of events – a special shout-out to Junior Achievement of BC for following these tips superbly for our gala!

– Siobhan

* I am sorry, but there is no solution for the drunk keynote speaker. Now hurry up and follow my blog if you aren’t already! : )