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New economic realities, human resource challenges & changing donor motivations: the environment within which Canadian charities and non profit organizations work is evolving rapidly.
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May 03, 2012

Building a Web of Engagement: Tip #12 for Working with your Board

Posted By: Andrea McManus, CFRE

Excellence in Canadian Fundraising Ch 17 by Andrea McManusMy previous posts have been about building a culture of philanthropy rather than one of fundraising as a way of engaging your board members in fundraising. Tip #12 on my Top 12 Tips list is to build a web of engagement opportunities that encourage each and every board member to be involved according to their individual skill sets and comfort levels.

Grow your Organization’s Culture of Philanthropy

When we tell our board members that “we need your help in fundraising” I guarantee you that 95% of them immediately think we are asking them to ‘ask’ others.  In other words, we want them to say to their friends and colleagues those fateful 12 words, “I’d like you to consider a gift of $10,000 to my organization.”   Hence – the fear of fundraising.  Instead of talking about the ‘ask’, talk about the fundraising cycle and all the various entry points for volunteer leaders.   Talk about their role in ‘growing philanthropy’.  Work with your board members one on one and talk to them about where they see themselves contributing.  Board members are not one-size-fits-all and each individual will bring different skill sets and networks to the table.  And each of these should be encouraged, acknowledged and appreciated.   Believe me, I have met board members I would never want to put in front of a donor and I bet you have too!

Emphasize the following points:

  • There is a role for everyone in fundraising.  You can be an ‘asker’, but you can also be an ambassador and an advocate.  And within these categories there are many other roles to play.
  • The ‘ask’ is about 1% of a continuous fundraising cycle.  That’s it!  Not everyone has to do it!
  • It is vitally important that you, as a volunteer leader, contribute where you are most comfortable.  This is going to lead to greater success.

When I ask board members if they want to fundraise most of them usually don’t.  But when I ask them if they can open doors, make introductions, go on an advice visit with a staff member, thank donors, bring people to events, host events or tours and anyone of the myriad pieces of the cultivation and stewardship process, they say ‘sure, I can do that’.

And watch, the fear literally falls away.

Check out the Top Ten Indicators of a Philanthropic Culture.

More to come in future instalments of ….the fundraising beat…

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Apr 26, 2012

It’s Not About the Fundraising: Tip #11 for Working with your Board

Posted By: Andrea McManus, CFRE

Excellence in Canadian Fundraising Ch 17 by Andrea McManusIn my previous post I spoke about building a culture of philanthropy rather than one of fundraising.  Tip #11 is an essential step in ensuring your board understands that it is not about the fundraising, nor the dollars in the door, nor the next event.  What it is about is the relationship and what donors are looking for.  One of the best ways to do this?

Tip #11 – Make your board ‘feel’ why people give, generally and specifically to your organization.

If you aren’t already, try the following:

  • Regularly celebrate gifts to your organization at board and committee meetings and actively create other opportunities to share how and why a donor came to your organization and why you appealed to his/her philanthropic inclination, how the cultivation process unfolded, and why he/she ultimately decided to make the gift.  Don’t just advise that a gift was made by Mr and Mrs. Smith.  Bring your board into the passion of Mr. and Mrs. Smith.
  • Give your board members the opportunity to interact with donors at individual meetings, on tours and at events.  This is just part of good stewardship but also gives your board members deeper insight into giving motivations.  And insight = understanding.

Gail Perry has a terrific exercise that effectively allows board members to get their own feelings out about fundraising but also opens their eyes to why they, and other people, give.

First, ask your board members to pair up and talk about how they feel about soliciting and asking for money.  A good question is “How do you personally feel about raising and soliciting funds?”  Give them a couple of minutes to discuss with each other – you will see lots of animated discussion – and then share with the group.  The words are often ‘rejection’, ‘embarrassed’, ‘charity’, ‘begging’, ‘hitting-up’, ‘nervous’, ‘unpleasant’,  ‘ guilty’ – you get the picture.

Next, ask them to pair up again and discuss a different question.  ‘Think of a time you recently made a gift to an organization you really care about or that has touched you personally.  How did you feel when you wrote that cheque?  Why did you write that cheque and what do you hope to achieve by it?”  Again, give them a couple of minutes for discussion and to process with the group.  This time you are very likely to hear all the reasons we, as fundraisers, know of why people give: to give back; to improve or save lives; to help people in need; to give people a hand up; because they felt a personal responsibility to others; and many others.  This is the perfect time to compare the two sets of answers and relate their giving to the same reasons that other people give.  It is a very powerful exercise.

Kay Sprinkel-Grace has a great quote that works particularly well with this exercise:

“Nonprofit organizations exist to fulfill community needs.  People do not give because an organization has needs.  They give because your organization meets needs.”

Board members really get this quote.  It can be like a light going on and puts the focus where it should be – on the people you are serving and what opportunities are available for the donor to connect with them.

Click here for the Top Ten Indicators of a Philanthropic Culture.

More to come in future instalments of ….the fundraising beat…

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Apr 19, 2012

Building your Philanthropic Culture: Tip #10

Posted By: Michelle Regel, CFRE

by Andrea McManus, CFRE

Aaah!  My favourite rant and tip #10 in my Top 12 Tips to Engage your Board - Build a philanthropic culture that overlays your internal fundraising culture.  And how do we do this?

Let’s start with talking about ‘philanthropy’ more and ‘fundraising’ less.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus and yes, fellow fundraisers, this is our conversation to change!  It’s about using the right terminology at the right time, i.e. how we frame the message.  I believe that if there is one cardinal sin we make as fundraisers it is in talking too much about ‘fundraising’ to our boards and not enough about ‘philanthropy’.  Yes, fundraising is our business, our profession, our tools and techniques and we want to build a strong and viable internal fundraising structure.  But ‘philanthropy’, now that is an amazing thing.  It is about mission support and it is a wonderful, warm, caring, generous, feel-good concept that has an external focus.   We must build a strong philanthropic culture that our boards can enthusiastically support.  They don’t want to talk to their networks about fundraising – but they will talk to them about contributing, giving back, paying it forward, bettering the community and the world.

As Gail Perry so eloquently says – fundraising is the ‘F-word’ and by always talking to our board members about fundraising, we not only play into that fear but we feed it.  We focus our board members on their fear, their discomfort, their great unknown, instead of focusing them on what they can achieve, what donors want to achieve and how they can contribute to the great process of doing good.  Really, fundraising is simply the gateway or engine of philanthropy so let’s focus on the good stuff where it really counts.

While you are building this philanthropic culture remember to focus on the day-to-day jargon that undermines engagement.  Find new words for ‘target’, ‘hit-up’ and ‘moves management’.  Again, they are internally focused and that is exactly where they should be kept – in the office and not communicated to board members like you are planning to cold call every single name that escapes their lips!

Read the Top Ten Indicators of a Philanthropic Culture.

More to come in future installments of ….the fundraising beat…

Interested in picking up your very own copy of Excellence in Canadian Fundraising? Follow the link to order http://bit.ly/excellenceincdnfrbook.

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