Everyone Into The Pool
The last few copies of The Chronicle
of Philanthropy were so full of gloom and doom, it was all I could do to
keep the angst at bay. "Tough Times Will Continue," "Foundations Remain
Cautious...." "People Skills No Longer Sufficient..." That all just on the front
pages. But the most insidious of all was the article that proclaimed
"More Charities Enlist Staff Members to Pitch In With Fund Raising."
Let me be clear. I am not against
anyone involved with a nonprofit being part of a fundraising solution. I
am, however, opposed to making it a requirement of a program or administrative
person's job responsibilities. And
I am really against encouraging staff or volunteers to create yet another
special event to raise a few more dollars.
Fundraising, I believe, is mainly about
providing people (and organizations) opportunities to be involved with a great
mission. And I think that everyone involved with such an organization
would be proud to tell their family, friends and those they randomly meet about
the good works that are done by the organization for which they work. But
I don't think it is their job to solicit those people for money any more than I
think it is the job of the professional development officer to run a
non-fundraising program at the organization.
Cross-training within areas of expertise
is great, but asking people to add something to their already overworked
scheduled where they have no expertise is folly. You wouldn't, for
example, ask the fundraiser-no matter how well intentioned-to pitch hit for the
substance abuse counselor or check a patient's pulse.
It's bad enough that most nonprofit jobs
are already overwhelming. Doing
more with much less is a typical mantra in our sector. Read More
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Seven True Things About Fundraising
- Fundraising is about relationship
- People really do give to people
- Your best prospect is an existing donor
- Living individuals make up more than two-thirds of the giving pie, and dead individuals give almost twice as much as corporations
- Donors hate it when you only contact them when you are asking for money
- The closer you get to a prospect, the more likely he or she will become a donor
- The most important words you can say to a donor are: "Thank you for all that you do." The second most important words are "Join with me in supporting...."
Are there other true things about fundraising you can add to
this list?
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Understanding the Problem
Whenever I need a quote for an article or a speech, I start
by checking Albert Einstein. My
other favorite-but for totally different reasons-is Yogi Berra. Einstein is quoted as
saying that if he had only one hour to save the world, he would spend 55
minutes defining the problem and only 5 minutes finding the solution.
Oftentimes, we think we know what the problem is: We don't have enough money or resources;
we don't have the time. But in
point of fact, those aren't the problems-they are the result of the problems.
How to get to the heart of the matter?
There is much written in both management and scientific
circles about defining problems. They range from the practical (Rephrase the problem) to the whimsical
("Problem-solve your problem statement"). Most, however, warn
against avoiding solutions until the problem has been defined.
Iris Lloyd who was (and may still be) a management analyst in the Management and
Organizational Division of the National Bureau of Standards, suggested in a
1978 article in the Public Administration Review, that perhaps defining the problem was
actually the wrong way to approach complex management problems. Read More
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The earth moves. No, it's not love; it is
another earthquake. Just this
morning (April 14th) the LA Times reported on a 7.1 temblor in
China's Qinhai province. Three
other deadly earthquakes-Haiti, Chile and Turkey-have already hit this year. Another caused damage in Taiwan and on
April 4th, those of us living in southern California felt the
shaking from a 7.2 earthquake centered in Calexio.
