The Fundraising Power of Participation
The power of participation
Have you ever seen a child’s face light up when you ask them to help you? It doesn’t matter whether you’re making a batch of cookies, or fixing a broken appliance, that child wants to be included. Your offer helps that child feel wanted, loved, needed.
In my experience, we never outgrow that reaction to an offer of help from someone we care about.
Think of the fundraising implications of that!
On the other hand, I have seen people who support a nonprofit’s mission who want to be included in that organization’s work. They want to be asked. Sometimes they even go so far as to ask how they can help. (I am NOT talking about money here.) And I’ve even seen these requests go unanswered – or worse, seen the offer turned away.
Now think of the fundraising implications of that!
Please share your experiences and thoughts about this.
Image attribution: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kelleys/ / CC BY-SA 2.0
Everything’s Related on Cape Cod
I've been working at an intense level on a project not related to fundraising, but I discovered that there really is truth in the strength of friendraising.
The project relies on people from all walks of life to manage it. Some of those folks have managed to leave the people working with them feeling very frustrated. As days go by, I watch the level of frustration rise. Angry emails. Curt responses. You know what it's like.
Meanwhile I find myself thinking, "Lucky these managers don't have raise any funds for this project." Even I would be hard pressed to donate to people whom I find frustrating.
The relationships among people in the project also remind me about how small our little home, Cape Cod, really is ~ and how easy it is to burn bridges.
Whether you are working on a fundraising project or something that appears to be unrelated, on Cape Cod everything is related.
So keep on friendraising! You never know when it will serve your organization's mission now or in the future.
Learning from a Project
I've been working intensely on a project that will last about another month. And while it's managed to keep me away from my blogging, it also has been food for thought.
This project has used people from all walks of life in management roles. Because many of these people have few real leadership skills, the frontline workers are struggling and frustrated.
So it has occurred to me - luckily, these "managers" don't have to raise funds for this project.
The workers' frustrations also serve as a reminder about burnt bridges. Since we all live on a small spit of sand, 30 miles out to sea, burning any bridge is not a great idea. If we have burned a bridge somewhere nearby, then it may come back to haunt us on our next fundraising project.
You have heard me say in more than one blog that relationships are the key to successful fundraising. My current project, although unrelated to fundraising, has served to underscore that notion with a thick red line!
Keep on friendraising!
Fearless Fundraising
The key to success
Many years ago, the first time I was hired to do fundraising as a small part of my job, the very thought of asking someone for a large gift left me nearly paralyzed. I could not imagine having that much audacity. The idea was unsettling and ran counter to how I saw my relationships with people.
I was mentored by a savvy man who simply showed me that genuine friendship was the key. He would become real friends with potential donors and simply share his passion for the mission, and keep them updated.
When it came time for a capital campaign, he let them know about it and how the successful outcome of the campaign would benefit them. I saw, then, that they would clearly signal whether they wanted to participate.
Years later, when I was the head of my own development function, I set about making friends - lots of them – and sharing my passion for the organization’s mission. I found ways (before Constant Contact) to keep them “in the loop.” I did my homework.
Lo and behold, donations increased dramatically.
The moral of this story is that every single person in your organization who can make friends is a potential fundraiser, and they never ever have to “ask” for the large gift. Yes, someone has to do that, of course.
But everyone in the organization can play a comfortable role in fundraising if they can comfortably make friends.
I ♥ Fundraising
I'm usually all about the work. I choose not to talk much about me, but I've been inspired by Julie Roads of Writing Roads to blog more personally. So I'm starting with why I love fundraising.
At the top of the list is that it's all about relationships between people. I've always loved work that is people-oriented. And really, fundraising is not about the "ask," although a lot of ink is spent on the "ask."
It really is about finding people with whom you share a passion for your mission, and then building a friendship with that person.
So for me, fundraising - or friendship building - comes naturally.
My second reason for loving fundraising is that it helps us solve public policy problems that are not being solved through government. Sometimes a nonprofit can laser in on a problem in their local area - like many great Cape Cod nonprofits do - better than any level of government can.
We're talking about neighbors and friends helping neighbors and friends. We're talking about that idea, "It takes a village...." For me, there is nothing quite like the feeling of helping our friends and neighbors. And I've discovered that many folks here share that feeling.
Finally, I love fundraising because for me, its a way to give back. In my own life there have been times when I've needed someone to have my back, or mentor me, and I've received that help and leaned on it. I struggled growing up with a tough family situation. I've had other occasions since to lean on someone for a time. So when things are going well, it is time to pay it forward.
So basically, for me, fundraising is a way to make new friends, provide a community service, help solve problems for my friends and neighbors here on Cape Cod. ♥