But I have a big beef with my college. Their donor communications to me (eNews, eBlasts, event notifications) and phone solicitations are all geared toward remembering my storied undergraduate experience.

Remember living in the dorms? Nope. I lived in a crappy apartment across the river with my singer/songwriter/poet boyfriend (Hey, it was the 90s and I was in my 20s. Seemed like a good idea at the time.) Remember that bar that everyone hung out at? Nope. We grad students had no money and if we did, we hung out at that other bar – the one where the grad students hung out. Remember Parent’s Weekend/the freshman mixer/classes at the…NO! I don’t remember because I had none of those experiences.

Don’t call me to ask for a gift that is three times the amount of my last one (and what’s your rationale for that?) and invoked the new theatre complex and dorms as a reason I should give. I was in the graduate writing program – doesn’t it say that in my record? Ask me to give to the graduate school, the School of the Arts, or, even better, the Department of Writing, Literature and Publishing. Because that’s what I care about; that was my experience.

I don’t want to give my college a gift because it is clear that they haven’t considered the best way to approach me. I know I give small gifts – but I still want to feel special; like they know me.

Later this week I’ll post on an organization that made me feel special – and in return, inspired me to give my first significant major gift.

I am a benefit luncheon junkie.  I attend an amazing amount every year and I never fail to be inspired, renewed, and rejuvenated at the impact I can have in making our world a better place.  Last week I attended the annual luncheon for Hopelink.  For those of you not familiar with Hopelink, it provides basic needs, housing, and hope to residents of north and east King County, which includes Duvall where I happen to live.  I have been a supporter of Hopelink for a very long time, longer than they have had lunches asking for gifts.  More than 15 years ago, I introduced my kids to charitable giving by sponsoring a Hopelink family in need during the holiday season.  While the program has changed over the years, we still take “wishes” from the giving tree at our church and fill them because we can afford to and we know many cannot. 

Back to the luncheon…1,800 people – an exciting “who’s who on the Eastside” –  attended the two-ballroom event at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Bellevue.  The next day Hopelink announced that they had met their goal of raising $1 million; in fact they surpassed their goal by over $50, 000!

I have been to three events like this in the past month, and would have attended a fourth if they hadn’t been oversubscribed.  All have surpassed their previous attendance levels, or sold out, and have reached or surpassed their fundraising levels from previous years.  It’s clear that our community continues to invest locally and globally to help improve the lives of others and to preserve our planet.  While we see headlines of organizations that report fundraising is well below previous levels, we are also seeing significant philanthropic investment and joy in doing what we can do, sharing what we have, and supporting nonprofits with strong leaders and important missions that resonate with our values. 

Asking with urgency, compassion, and engagement really does make a positive difference.

A new study commissioned by Campbell & Company and conducted by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University surveyed more than 8,000 donors around the country and found that donors’ largest gifts resulted from personal requests made by someone they knew.

While this may come as no surprise to fundraising professionals, this report may be helpful for leaders to share with board members, volunteers, and staff members who have been reluctant to take part in personal solicitation meetings. Your mission depends on it!

http://www.afpnet.org/ResourceCenter/ArticleDetail.cfm?ItemNumber=4182

The Methow Conservancy’s Imagine the Methow Campaign received a $100,000 challenge from a small group of donors which would be received if they could raise about 600 gifts in just six weeks – bringing their total campaign gifts to 1,000 in number by the end of summer.  

What seemed wildly ambitious at first became an amazing campaign success. By the deadline, the campaign had reached a total of 1,322 gifts!

How did they do it? Through a multi-faceted plan that included events, direct mail, a volunteer-led “viral” campaign, a visible donor recognition piece, donation boxes in local businesses, as well as ads with the local newspaper and radio station. It was a lot to manage, but the pay off is nothing short of inspiring!

Community members recognized that their gift at any level would help to advance the campaign, and donors felt a sense of community pride in meeting the challenge.

The Methow Conservancy’s Imagine the Methow Campaign is raising funds to help protect critical Methow Valley land by working with willing private landowners.  For more information, visit their website at www.imaginethemethow.org .

One of several frameworks discussed yesterday was “preparing for the recovery.” For many of us, we feel we’ve been doing just that by focusing our development efforts on all cultivation, all the time. We’ve rationalized this approach by telling ourselves that keeping donors close to us and our missions will position us for more and bigger gifts when the economy improves. But, I ask you, how much GREAT stewardship have you given or gotten lately?

Does inviting someone to our gala qualify as a “move?” What if I send a major donor a note with an article that speaks to his field of expertise? Defining what “cultivation” and “stewardship” mean in your organization is key to imagining and acting on steps that make the most sense for each donor in and of themselves. Karen Osborne went one step further by suggesting that we strike the word “cultivation” from our fundraising vocabulary. Instead, she opined, it is meaningful engagement that begets giving. Whatever you call IT, be clear about how you do it and why.

As you prepare for the recovery and think about what cultivation/stewardship/engagement means to you, remember that it’s the small, unexpected gestures in life that often make the biggest impression. Ask yourself today and everyday, what is a mission-focused, inexpensive, and quick experience I can create for a donor that will make her say “wow!”

P.S. The final word from speaker Bill Tolliver of The Matale Line: “Headlines, hardship, and stock indexes are not supposed to define who we are, they are supposed to test who we are.” Good luck and godspeed!

A 30+ year veteran of the nonprofit sector, Stuart published his first book “Capital Campaigns: A Guide for Board Members and Others Who Aren’t Professional Fundraisers but Who Will Be the Heroes Who Create a Better Community” after retiring from full-time work with TCG.   While we miss his wisdom and wit in the office, we’re happy that he’s had the opportunity to craft these books and share his extensive expertise with the greater community.

You can purchase “Getting the Green” at http://www.aacc.nche.edu/Publications/Pages/Product.aspx?Product_Id=623

“Capital Campaigns” is available at http://www.amazon.com/Capital-Campaigns-Professional-Fundraisers-Community/dp/0595414729/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252010129&sr=1-1

Congratulations on your latest publication, Stuart!

The role of social media in nonprofits is getting an enormous amount of attention these days. Without a doubt networking tools enable your organization to build a level of awareness previously unimaginable (and prohibitively expensive). However, just like the ability to “friend” hundreds of people in our personal lives can blur the boundaries of deep vs. casual relationships, too much focus on social media can risk shifting your efforts away from personal, face-to-face meetings with donors who have the capacity to further your mission and vision.  In other words, when it comes to the foundation of a strong development program, it still is – and will always be – about major gifts.

So what does it take to build a major gifts program that can create a strong foundation for operational sustainability or to prepare for a special campaign that will take your organization to the next level?  

Think peapods.  Yes, peapods.  Like a peapod, every successful major gifts program – regardless of the sector you serve – has several “P’s”:
 
Planning:  At the organizational level, donors want to know how you are thinking strategically about the future, what you’re thinking about, and why. They also want to see a business plan, based on realistic projections, that shows how you’ll pay for that future. Within your development department, sound annual and multi-year plans should map out the role fundraising will play in getting you there.
 
People:  You can’t build relationships without them! Professional staff creates a culture of philanthropy, holds or brokers relationships with donors, and choreographs ongoing stewardship that demonstrates accountability, transparency, and impact. Volunteer peers open doors, often step inside, and ask others to join them in the essential work of your mission.  
 
Policies:  Whether you’re setting investment strategy, clarifying the kinds of gifts you accept, protecting donor confidentiality, or determining who has access to prospect research, clear policies lend integrity to the relationships you are growing. Your board should craft them carefully and review them regularly. 

Procedures:  Like all relationships, those with donors and prospects are based on trust and follow-through. Clear processes to manage, track, prioritize, and monitor prospects ensure that you have the time to do what matters most: inform, listen, engage, and act.
 
Performance:  Developing a mature major gifts program takes time. Because the return on investment ultimately will be high, measuring success to sustain momentum during what is an ongoing journey requires both qualitative and quantitative evaluation and benchmarks.
 
Positioning:  Strong key messages bring your unique market niche and purpose to life. You’ll want to respond to a donor’s specific motivations and interests by sharing the many chapters of your organization’s story, simply and compellingly.
 
At the end (and beginning!) of each day, having the patience to build upon the relationship-based work you are already doing or are committed to start will create a base of loyal, engaged donors eager to partner with you and your dreams.

We hope you enjoy our new endeavor!