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Keep the Change...  a monthly shot in the arm for your fundraising May 2012
Hello! 

 

This month's issue features the first of a two-part series on an innovative fundraising model that involves more than just the development staff.  

 

We'll start with the pieces you should have in place before launching something like this.

 

And next month, you'll get two case studies so you can see how these programs really work.

 

Thanks for taking time out of your day to give this email some love. I hope you like it! 

 

Happy summer, 

   Tina  




Tina Cincotti
Owner & Boss of Everything
Funding Change

P.S. Back by popular demand, I'll be doing an encore performance of my last webinar -- After the Gift: How to build a satisfied, loyal donor base -- on Wed, June 20th from 3-4pm ET. I hope you can join me!
 

 

What if the whole staff did some fundraising?  

   

Even the best fundraiser can only talk to so many people in a day.

So, the more people you have on your team, the more supporters you can build relationships with, and the more money you can raise.

Nothing earth shattering here, I realize, but stick with me...

One of the reasons nonprofits often give for why their fundraising efforts aren't more successful is their board. And you're right that having the board engaged is important.

At the same time, the board isn't the only group that can help.

So, my question is -- Why aren't we also trying to get the staff involved in fundraising?

My interest in this topic was sparked by the seven years I spent building and running a full-staff fundraising program. Now I help other nonprofits set up programs like this as part of my consulting practice.

Here's what I've found to be the main benefits... 
  • More collaboration and less silo-ed departments. Development staff will understand the program work better. And, program staff will understand fundraising better. Everyone's work will be strengthened because you'll have a better sense of all the moving parts within your organization.  
  • More money. Having more people to help with fundraising means you'll have stronger connections with more of your donors. And that will lead to more revenue.
  • Group ownership over your income and expenses. If you're part of bringing money in the door, you'll feel more invested in whether or not the organization makes budget for the year. And you'll think more about how funds get spent. 


So, how do you start to build something like this?  

Clearly, you can't just announce at your next staff meeting that everyone is now going to be fundraising as part of their job. I'm sure you can imagine how well that would go over!

You need to build a culture of fundraising before you can think about people playing a more direct role.

As an aside, let me say that even if you don't end up piloting an all-staff fundraising program, it's important to have a culture of fundraising. So most of this is worth thinking about even if your nonprofit has a more traditional structure.

Okay, back to business...  


Here is how you lay the groundwork for an all-staff fundraising program.
 

  • Get buy-in from the Executive Director, the Development Director and any other key staff who others look to for their opinions. Your organizational leadership must be behind your idea to try this new model. If the ED believes that the fundraising staff should be the only ones doing any fundraising, then this grand plan isn't going anywhere.
  • Start breaking down those walls between your fundraising and your programs. When you're doing major planning or strategy work for either, have both perspectives in the room. Program planning will be stronger if done with an eye toward fundraising. And fundraising will be more effective if done with an understanding of where the program staff is coming from.
  • Put fundraising on the agenda at all your staff meetings -- if it's not already. Talk about where your money comes from. Report on what's been raised and pledged, and how much you have left to raise to meet your goals. Discuss any trouble spots or potential funding issues you foresee so everyone knows the situation and can help solve it. Or at least not be surprised by a large donation falling through.
  • Teach all staff to read and understand your budget and key financial reports. Allowing everyone to know what your income and expenses look like is a critical part of the big picture understanding that people need to have. 
  • Give people space to talk through their fears and anxieties about money and fundraising. These feelings are very real. They need to be addressed and validated. Then you can introduce some new ways to think about fundraising.
  • Re-define fundraising and help your staff understand that it's not all about asking for money. This is something you'll have to help people un-learn over and over. When fundraising is all about the asking, it's understandably something that people aren't too excited about. But when making thank you calls or going to a donor meeting to talk about the work you do is fundraising, then it's much more possible to see yourself being part it. 


That should help you get started on this whole "culture of fundraising" thing.

And, next month, I'll be back to tell you about two case studies of organizations with all-staff fundraising programs so you can learn how something like this could work.

See you in June!








 

 
 

 

 

 

 

Tina's pic
Yup, that's me!

Off-topic personal plug


If you're in Boston and free on June 14th, I highly recommend seeing this...

Gen Silent
Gen Silent, the award-winning documentary on LGBT aging, is playing at the Cambridge Public Library on June 14th at 6pm. View the trailer.

Gen Silent tells the stories of LGBT elders, many of whom are going back into the closet because of the fear they face getting care and services.

This event is free but requires advance registration due to limited seating. It will sell out so sign up soon.

View the trailer to learn more. 



What have you missed?

 There are more than two years of past issues of this newsletter online.

Read all about -- improving your annual report, optimizing your website for donors, getting your message across to supporters, planned giving for small shops... and more!

It's all available for you in my online archive.  


 

My favorite fundraising gurus  

 

 

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 Sponsored by NonprofitWebinars.com, 
these sessions cover an ever-expanding list of nonprofit topics.

Now on Tuesdays and Wednesdays!

Check it out



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Enough about you, let's talk about me...

That's me! 

A fund development expert with a passion for social change, Funding Change founder Tina Cincotti gives grassroots groups the skills, tools, training, and confidence they need to raise more money from their supporters.

 

She specializes in building individual donor programs; improving donor relations and donor communications; writing newsletters, annual reports, and solicitations; coaching staff new to development; and motivating boards to be more engaged in fundraising.   

 

Email me to talk more about what you're struggling with.  

 

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