Mind your manners!

Reflections on fund raising for Emily Post's birthday

Greetings!

Happy Emily Post's birthday. The deep secret to the mystique of fund raising: good manners are 90% of fund raising success. Here are a couple cautionary tales about lapses in etiquette.

Be Helpful. A scholar employed by the federal government was sending his alma mater $25,000 a year to establish an endowed scholarship. He wrote a critique of the Iraq war which got him in trouble with his employer. He asked the college for a letter of endorsement to bolster his case. No answer. Two more requests. Still no answer. So he stopped sending $25,000 a year to the college, and divides it up between the advocacy groups that stepped forward when he was in trouble.

Say Thank You. A board member of an organization made a $1,000,000 pledge to the organization. He left the board without fulfilling the pledge. Hand-wringing ensued: should we send a high powered board member to twist his arm? Should we sue? Nothing happened for months, until someone on the staff called the man up and asked what the problem was. "I left the board after nine years and no one thanked me." the recalcitrant donor said. A delegation quickly delivered a plaque and the pledge payments resumed.

Pay attention to what your colleagues want. The director of the Smithsonian Museum solicited a $38 million gift to create an exhibit in celebration of American heroes. The donor wanted to be able to help decide which heroes would be honored. The staff howled in protest. 70 curators signed a petition against the new exhibit. The pressure was so great that the museum had to return the contribution. How embarrassing!

Celebrate Emily Post's birthday by brushing up on your manners. Say please. Say excuse me. Say thank you.

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS AND PRESENTATIONS:

Starting a Planned-Giving Program in Baltimore, sponsored by Maryland Nonprofits on November 5, 2008, from 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM. Click here for details.

Getting Ready for your First Capital Campaign in Washington, sponsored by SALSA on November 19, 2008, from 6:45 PM-8:45 PM. Click here for details.

Basics of Individual Giving in Largo, MD, sponsored by the Human Services Coalition of Prince Georges County on December 10, 2008, from 12:00 to 2:00 PM. Click here for details.

It's All about Relationships: Working with Family Foundations in Washington, sponsored by the Foundation Center on December 18, 2008, from 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM. Click here for details.

Fundamentals of Major Gifts Fund Raising, in Washington, sponsored by the Center for Non Profit Advancement on January 15, 2009, from 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM. Click here for details.

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Free Consultation	If you are associated with an organization that might benefit from creative thinking about its relationship with major donors, send an email or call 301 758 3410.