A+ Coaching

As I chat with executive directors about fundraising and especially major and deferred giving, here are some of the push backs I receive:

1. I do not have time

2. I do not have a development person

3. It is easier to get grants than individual major gifts

4. We don’t have the money to focus on this area

5. We have a plan but have not implemented

6. I struggle with fundraising

Sound familiar?

Let’s talk more about the push backs.

First and foremost, if you are a non-profit and serving a mission, your number one focus needs to be paying the bills that allow you to offer the gut wrenching, important and ever so critical mission. Raising money has to be in your calendar. You are the leader. You set the priority, the urgency, the goals. Your organization mirrors you. And in many cases, so does the board. You cannot simply delegate this to a team. It has to be central to your role, when it is important to you, it is important to the whole organization. Does that mean, every day, it is a topic on your mind? Ah yes!! The devil in the details? It is the way it shows up on your calendar. I am always happy when I work with an executive director and that light bulb comes on. Knowing when it has to be you, and when it can be delegated.

So, you do not have a dedicated development person. In my book, every person on a non-profit payroll is a development person. Ever read the book, Who Moved My Cheese, by Spencer Johnson, MD? When you set the tone that donors are important and that we need to spend a few minutes each day in communication, in listening, in extending grace, and in caring not only about our mission, but about those who are on that journey with you, magic happens. Simple things, like answering the phone. How many times have I hammered that first impressions, dialogue, and questions are valuable? Greet each phone call with that in mind. That philosophy will spread to your team. Sigh or body language says oh dear not now when a donor calls the office. That will be mirrored in program staff and others. When program staff, volunteers, or you are out in the field, pictures speak volumes. Yes, I understand boundaries with that. But when you take a minute to snap a picture for Mr/Mrs donor, it catches on and others start looking for opportunities to showcase what they are accomplishing. When you ask in a staff meeting, “how can we show appreciation?” it catches on. When you are all pulling to identify communication tools with donors, it is not as hard. When others are thinking in terms of donations, they become stewards in the community. Set the expectation, and lead the way.

Why is it so hard to get major gifts versus grants? Grants are typically fill in the blank applications and typically program specific. While grantors also require care and communication, individuals require more of a relationship. You can get a bank loan without the banker being a close friend of the organization as long as you meet certain criteria, but you will not get a donation from their leader without a relationship. Gifts of all levels are expressions of faith and commitment to your work. When you approach with this mindset and show gratitude, it becomes a culture in your organization. When it becomes a culture, relationships are established. One of the easiest way to lose a major gift, is lack of attention to small details and lack of communication. When I hear that organizations are behind in thank you letters because they do not have time, I simply shudder. WHAT do you mean, you don’t have time to write a thank you?! What does that say to the team – those that pay our salaries are insignificant. I am so offended when I don’t get a thank you or one that has an electronic signature. Really! I took the time to write the check, go to your website and type in my credit card but you are too ungrateful to sign a letter? What is that communicating? Sometimes my small, regular donors have grown into my largest donors. Why? because I valued them as a team player in my mission. I keep a quote on my desk about a missing key in an typewriter as a reminder of this. Email me and I will share with you. It is not as hard as you think to get major gifts. Great donors are out there. But they expect and deserve our time as leaders, our communication, our listening to their goals, our patience and our caring. They know when they are a pain, a necessary evil.

We don’t have money to focus on this area. I really cringe at that answer. Quite the catch 22 isn’t it. What business or household can say that they do not have money for their number one priority and survive long term. But hold on, it doesn’t have to be expensive. You would not believe how many times, I took pictures of even random things that I knew donors liked, and texted or emailed them saying I thought of you when I saw this. Bam, a touch point, showing them I cared, I listened, and I want to know who they are. If I find an article that is something we talked about during a phone call, write a quick note and send. I pick up the phone and reach out, send an email on a birthday or when something really great happens in our organization. “I just wanted to share some great news….so blessed to have you on our team making thing like this happen.” Eblasts and social media have made communication inexpensive and easy as well. Have you considered sending news out first to those who are major donors and then the rest? Expensive. I beg to differ. Impactful – yes. It is a relationship, not a slick brochure. When I do development program audits, I see this lack of connect between strategy and action as one of the biggest holes.

We have a plan that we have not implemented. Sorry, but that isn’t a plan. That’s a bunch of words written on a piece of paper. Maybe even cut and pasted from an internet plan. Take the time to digest with your team, the boards vision, and the strategy. Then come up with an action plan that is doable, that holds us accountable, that is realistic and not only makes you feel better, but it makes life easier. It takes the stress off your plate as you think through ways in a dedicated planning time to incorporate the mindset and action steps of fundraising into your daily life.

I struggle with asking for money. I get that – it is one of the top 3 fears in the country. When the relationship is there, communication flows through to hearts, and it just works. I like to say when the impact reaches the hands, heads and hearts of our extended team, it is an honor and pleasure to make the dream a reality and does not feel so painful. We get so focused on the shared excitement of what we can accomplish together; we move beyond the dreaded ask. It just feels right.

Executive directors. The buck stops with you. This is one area that simply cannot be totally delegated. It doesn’t work. And if you do, you may be the biggest nightmare for your development team. I have shown directors how to create the culture, how to be the example, and how to incorporate in the exhaustive to do list. You got this. Be the example.