Wanting To Be Heard!

No matter which side of the health care debate you fall it was obvious that people in both camps were feeling desperate to have their voice heard.

The generation of today is drawn to technology like a mosquito is to a bug zapper! Be it Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube your proud teen is happy to develop carpal tunnel syndrome by achieving new heights in daily texting a minimum of twenty minutes per day. People are buzzing like bees with no unified direction or focus in this grand “social networking” experiment that is tantamount to nothing more than glorified self absorption.

This fevered pitch cannot be maintained forever yet it is not surprising that this frustration is easily carried over to how many nonprofits feel trying to rise above everyday life’s noise to reach their respective donor.

It is hard to get a donor’s attention especially if they are worried about being able to keep their job in this economic slow down or because they are constantly answering their BlackBerry.

Regardless, while nonprofits bemoan this fact it is also quite ironic that nonprofits themselves often times forget that part of their responsibility to the donor is to also listen!

When was the last time you let your donor speak?

I’m not talking about asking them to fill out a survey or questionnaire to see if they think it is a good time for you to raise money for your upcoming capital campaign. What I am talking about is really focusing “one on one” to try to discern how the donor feels about your organization and what you are doing.

We all need to be reminded at times that we are given two ears and only one mouth for a reason!

So, as frustrated as you might feel, realize in this age of technology with all the applications and madness allowing the individual to say whatever they want. More than just a few of your donors might seem a little frustrated because they feel like for whatever reason real or imagined their voice is not being heard or enough attention has not been given to them.

Only you can change the outcome of this scenario. The question remains, will you act on what you have heard or just ignore it like the rest?

Understanding Donors and Their Money

It appears that there is a common misconception that nonprofits adhere to when thinking about donors and their money. This feeling, although never actually voiced, reflects an opinion that people who are wealthy must not “value money” in the same way as they might because they have so much more.

This outward perception can be verified by the fact that the vast majority of nonprofits have no system in place to thank donors who give at various levels.

It is interesting that the people wanting money for their cause have high expectations from donors. Nonprofits, however, tend to be deaf, dumb, and blind to the fact that donors themselves also have high expectations, and rightly so, they should!

Nonprofits need to appreciate every gift. Showing appreciation does not have to be expensive nor does it have to be overly time consuming but it does have to be intentional.

Donors are not going to feel appreciated telepathically!

Below are seven inexpensive ways to show you care:

1) A hand written note speaks volumes. The note itself tells donors that you took your valuable time and energy to deliberately think about the person and what they have done.

2) Taking time to stop by and visit your donors can be extremely important to stay connected. You can ask for their opinion and/or give them an update on your current programs. Regardless this tells someone you care enough about them to connect.

3) A greeting card: holidays, birthdays and anniversaries are all moments in time to stop and reflect on the moment. This moment can be personalized and yet another way you can connect with your donor.

4) Publicity: Listing donors online on your website, in a newsletter, or in a newspaper ad thanking everyone for helping make your event successful are outward ways to let the donors know their contributions matter.

5) Handmade items mean more. When we were children most of us have a memory of either making something handmade or being given something handmade. Regardless of how small or inexpensive this exudes a quality of the item being considered “special and something of value.” If possible have the clients you serve make something for donors. This act alone helps the donor quantify in their mind that a donation they might give is actually helping someone personally rather than just an organization that many times seem faceless and cold.

6) Chocolate & Candy! Again if you can make a fresh batch of homemade cookies, great! However, an inexpensive container of name brand candy is just another way to express your appreciation.

7) Create a focal point with a “wall of appreciation” at your program location as a way to publically thank donors. This will help the clients you serve understand what goes into making your programs work as well as bring proper attention to the donors. Obviously, having this wall is not enough but you need to invite the donor out to see your facility. Begin and end your tour at this special location! You honor them by letting them know that everyday their name on the wall is a reminder to the board of directors, staff and clients that without donor support the program would not be successful.

There are literally hundreds of ways to say “thank you” and connect with your donor. However, the real challenge is breaking out of the pattern of complacency and making an honest effort towards creating a donor centered nonprofit organization versus staying self centered and aloof.

To learn more visit: www.nonprofitexpert.com

From Prospect to Donor

Most small nonprofits are clueless when it comes to attracting donors! Also, sadly once they do in fact find a donor many lack the discipline to do what it takes to keep the donor interested and the cycle starts all over.

The term prospect research can be defined as the process of selecting and reviewing information gathered in order to identify potential donors. While people would like you to think this information is magical and the process itself is mysterious, the truth of the matter is that the data is gathered from public records. This information can include but is not limited to biographical family information, which gives you a snap shot of a family philanthropic history as well as a possible clue as to personal interests. Also, information can be gathered showing past and current addresses as well as the career background of an individual including his or her education. Other information such as real estate, stock ownership and ownership in items such as planes, boats, horses or art might also be obtainable.

However, let’s be totally honest! Small nonprofits can’t pay to get this information and even if they could what does it really tell you about a person other than that they have the potential to give you money, not that they want to.

So, this is where YOU come in! But first, I want you to read the following story of Sally Jenkins:

Sally was excited when her mother told her she would help her have her very own flower garden in the backyard. She was warned that she needed to start small and have a plan! Sally loved flowers and knew she might want to start planting before the snow melted but really look forward to spring. She decided to plant mostly perennials because she knew they would come back next year but also wanted some annuals as well. In picking her spot Sally knew having good sunlight was important and she wanted to make sure she has at least six hours of exposure. After finding her spot Sally made sure the soil was moist and dug down ten inches and then mixed it with special potting soil her mother gave her to establish her flower bed.

A lot of work has been done so far hasn’t it? Yet, she has not seen the first bloom and won’t for quite some time.

Sally focused mainly on plants that would come back each year i.e. current donors. However, she also wanted to make sure she has annuals as well i.e. possible new donors. A lot of Sally’s time was spent thinking about her surroundings and conditions. Likewise, you would do well to make sure where your program is located is not only inviting but also ready to receive donors so they will be impressed. Regardless, you should remember that Sally was extremely patient with her flower bed and she wanted to make sure it had six hours of exposure. I hope by now you realize that the process we call development is a long one!

In order to cultivate donors you have to start with a plan, just like with anything you do with a purpose, and realize that there has to be certain steps you will need to take in order to be successful.

Let’s look at three easy steps that will help you move from prospect to donor.

Step One: Be honest, what are your real motives?

If your only motive is to “get money for your organization” then you will be limited in what you will be able to accomplish. People with or without money can spot a fake or plastic person a mile away. Donors are not stupid and understand that you are getting paid to work at your organization i.e. that is your job. However, what they don’t know is if this is a passion or not. I’m sure you have at some point in time been infected with the contagious passion passed on from another. The excitement in a person’s voice and seeing their actions literally made you excited as they were as well. You felt like you were part of something bigger than yourself and you knew that by joining them big things would happen! Your motivation needs to be true, and I am a firm believer in that you yourself, the paid staff person, need to personally give if you are going to ask others to give.

In all giving, it starts with you and your commitment must come first!


Step Two: Scattering the Seeds

Finding like minded people can be difficult and at times the shotgun approach is needed. Yet, in order for someone to find you they have to first learn about you!

Unfortunately, nonprofits generally do a poor job at promoting themselves and providing opportunities for the general public to really come out and learn what their organization is all about. One of the best ways to do this is to have an open house and conduct organizational tours, coffees and even lunch meetings.

Likewise, you can’t expect people to always come to you but you have to go to them. In every community there are civic groups that have monthly meetings and most would love to have a speaker come in and talk to their group. This is a great opportunity not only to tell people, many you have never met, about your organization but also give them an opportunity to volunteer or help with specific needs your organization might have.


Step Three: Make Sure Your Board is Working

Nothing is more frustrating than to feel like you are doing it all alone. It is important for your board of directors to not only set policy for the organization but also play an active role in fundraising to help your organization grow.

Part of this growth occurs when board members are active ambassadors in both giving money and time as well as telling others about the great things the organization is accomplishing. In order for a board member to be “the best they can be” they must themselves be taught all about what goes on within the organization. A brief organizational history and a current copy of your by-laws and current financial information are just a few of the items needed in order to be able to speak intelligently about the organization they now represent.

With all this said, it is important to remember a truth in fundraising, which is: “People give to people first before they give to an organization.”

Each and every board member has a sphere of influence that includes people they work with, friends and family members. These connections will help you in finding additional prospects and donors.

Now is the time to get your hands dirty. It may take a rake or it may take a shovel, but you have the tools needed to get it done.

For more information visit: www.nonprofitexpert.com

Nonprofit Survival Tips

For many people it seems now more than ever that the world in which we live is different. When this change occurred is hard to pinpoint exactly. Some might say September 11th was the time that brought the world’s problems closer to home. Others might direct you to a different date.

Regardless, most people feel at the very least uneasy! It is hard to think that “this” is the new normal, but the reality is crystal clear that things will never be like they use to be in the past.

With so much uncertainty our own survival instincts slowly start to kick in and we individually think it is best if we just pull in. At this point it is paramount that you start the process of taking a mental inventory of yourself and learn what it means to: Know Thy Self.

Likewise nonprofit organizations need to take this same step as well. Go back now and look at your mission statement and make sure you are focused on what it is you said your purpose was for existing. Is the organization doing what it said it would do or has it gotten side tracked because it was able to get grant monies that sent the organization in a totally different direction?

Unlike individuals that might feel a real need to pull in and in some ways hide, nonprofits need to be the absolute opposite. This is your time to shine! The old cliché is true that “out of sight is out is out of mind” so it is up to your organization to be diligent in making sure you get all the public attention you can making sure everyone knows the programs you offer and the difference you are making daily in the lives of others i.e. Toot Your Own Horn!

Keep Your Friends Close: If you really stopped and asked a person to write down a list of all the friends they have the list might be several pages long, much like your donor list. However, if you pressed the issue a little more and ask the person to tell you who they think they could count on if they really needed help? Most people’s list would shrink to only a hand full. With that in mind, I would contend that nonprofits with small budgets probably have never heard of the term “donor cultivation” much less practice the steps needed to accomplish this task. In short, many nonprofits appear to be fair weather friends and lack the energy or will to sustain a long term relationship. This needs to be corrected if you want to have any friends at all you can really count on when you need them most!

Have you been shopping lately? Have you noticed smaller sizes but the same price? Also, have you felt like you are seeing more messages like: Save Now, Half Off or Valuable Coupon!

Granted we all want a deal and in fact we are being conditioned that the regular price is not acceptable. This prevailing attitude has and will make every consumer look closer at what we spend. As consumers we are also looking closer at the “quality” of what we spend our money on and the “quality” of what we are getting to make sure it is a good value.

A regular nonprofit is no longer acceptable! You heard me right, the survival of your nonprofit depends on how your new and improved version not only looks but how it functions. It is nothing new to nonprofits to be diligent with the money they have. Trust me nonprofits know all too well about how to live on ramen noodles! To not only survive but thrive in this environment your nonprofits must establish their: Point Of Difference.

What makes your nonprofit unique and what makes your nonprofit valuable? The standard bearer can no longer be anecdotal evidence of how good your nonprofit might be but you have to be able to back up what you are saying up with raw data and fact.

In uncertain times another point that is critical for survival is Keeping The Faith! You have to know that you can weather this storm no matter how long it might last. This is critical because nothing will kill a nonprofit faster than the prevailing attitude of its employees. If the people working for the organization think they are on a sinking ship then all the buckets will have holes.

To help you keep the faith you need to put your situation in context and for that you need to: Count Your Blessings.

Nonprofits are fluid organizations and many times the turnover in both staff and board members are so great that the long term institutional memory vanishes. A great deal of good would come if nonprofits have a social gathering and invite all the past board members and especially all the past presidents as well as others in your community that have played and currently play a vital role in not only establishing your nonprofit but making it grow. This introspective look should be a time to celebrate and really see how far you have come as well as reconnect those lost ties that bind!

Lastly, in order to survive you need to: Say Thank You! I can guarantee that if more nonprofits would commit to this one tip in a year’s time they would see a tremendous positive change in their organization.

I realize it is hard to create a habit, but I would like to challenge all nonprofit professionals to daily call a donor and tell them how much you appreciate them or write a note to a donor and mail it everyday! If you have to, place a calendar over your computer screen, on top of your phone or just somewhere you will have to look at it to remember. Mark off each day with an X when you accomplish this small but important task.

Likewise, ask your board to make a commitment and either call or write at least one donor every month i.e. assign names to specific individuals. Make it a point at your monthly meeting to reiterate how important this is to your organization and make sure to follow up with how everyone is doing.

Remember, Your Survival Depends on It!

The Nonprofit Arena 2010 Outlook

In 2010 we can expect a third of the work force in the US to be unemployed or underemployed at some point over the next year! The reported 10% unemployment rate is not the true picture. The actual rate is over 17% when you include the unhappy part time workers and those that have stopped looking for work i.e. discouraged which are labeled a politically correct term “marginally attached” versus unemployed.

The real challenge for the nonprofit arena is to motivate people to do what they are already wired in their mind and hearts to do naturally, which is to give!

How this is done is not rocket science but is based on the principle of truth and honesty.

First and foremost nonprofit organizations need a healthy dose of realism and face the fact that not everyone will be attracted to their cause and that is ok.

Secondly, the best nonprofits are those that are run by people who they themselves believe in the cause. In my opinion people who love what they are doing and would do the job they are doing without pay if they could are the ones who I want on my team, how about you? Wouldn’t you rather work with someone excited to do their job versus someone who is just punching the clock for a paycheck? They answer is obvious and donors to nonprofits are quick to pick up if the people working for that nonprofit are genuine or fakes.

Ok, let’s say you have all the right people leading your nonprofit so what comes next?

The volunteers, namely your board of directors, must be fully committed. It is unreasonable to expect success on raising money from people outside the organization if those inside are not giving to their full potential.

This finally brings me to a critical point of how your nonprofit markets itself to others.

Is your organization financially transparent on how it operates? Can people clearly see how the money they give makes a real and lasting difference in the lives of others?

A donor is an investor in every sense of the word. They not only want, but expect, to see either a direct or indirect outcome for the contribution they have made. You need to be careful that within the organization everything is not so convoluted that a doubt lingers in the mind of your donors. They must know that their contribution made a difference!

People, now more than ever, will be rethinking every aspect of their life and determining what is important and what is fluff.

For the nonprofit this will mean even a tighter squeeze than in 2009 which will cause either drastic cut backs in services for some or close doors permanently for others.

The year 2010 will be remembered not only as the “Year of The Tiger” but also the year that only the strong survived. If you have not watched a Rocky movie lately now might be the time to rent one and get ready!

To learn more visit: www.nonprofitexpert.com

How Nonprofits Attract Donors

First, nonprofits need to be fully aware that not everyone is a donor or wants to be a donor to your cause! For some reason many nonprofits think that just because they "do good" that everyone should be attracted to their cause, which is simply never the case. Nonprofits need to learn to cultivate donors by making connections with individuals that are really interested in what they are doing!

Also, realize that just because you have Ms. X, who is a donor or maybe even on your board of your organization, and she is friends with Ms. Y, who is known in the community as very generous and donates lots of money to causes, does not mean you should have instant access to go knocking on her door and expect a huge contribution. You have to learn as a nonprofit to really work at building a relationship and EARNING the right to ask for a contribution! While it is true that people give to people, sometimes regardless of the cause, if you are looking for long term donors you're going to have to work a little harder!

Do people in your community really know that your organization exists? If not, then you need to be like any other good business and get the word out and advertise. Don't expect everything free either! Be creative! Do you have a newsletter? Are you talking at civic groups? Are you listed in the phone book? Do you run an ad in the newspaper? Do you have a billboard? What are you doing to create your point of difference between your nonprofit and all the others out there in your community?

One good way to cultivate new donors is to have an open house. Lots of hard work up front has to happen in order to get people to come out, but in doing this you are casting a large net asking people to come see what you are all about. Realize that just because someone might stop by does not make them an instant donor! Take it slow. Example: Most folks hate going into a store shopping and having a pushy salesperson, right? So you don't need to be the pushy salesperson in your nonprofit. Show your best side, make a good first impression so there will be a chance for another connection later. If possible get people to give you some information about themselves so you can follow up with them later. If nothing else just send them a card saying thanks for stopping by!

** Very Important** People want to be a part of a success and a winning team not a sinking ship!

If people come to your organization and get nothing but a sob story then your chance of success will be limited. Getting a "pity donation" is a one time donation and you will quickly be forgotten and replaced by another organization that is offering more hope of success.

Also, I hate to be the one to break the bad news but, there is no one size fits all solution to creating success in all nonprofits! Each case is different and all nonprofits have different strengths and weaknesses. If you need help....I'm here to be a sounding board, just send me an email: john@minges.com. Also, make sure to vist my website www.nonprofitexpert.com for more information.

DISCLAIMER: This information is not intended to provide legal or accounting advice, or to address specific situations. Please consult with your legal or tax advisor to supplement and verify what you learn here.