Five Years From Now: A Visioning Exercise for Stronger Fundraising

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Here's an exercise to try at your next board or association meeting:

Ask those present, "What do you envision our organization looking like five years from now?"

Ask everyone to particularly explore what programs, resources and tools will be needed in the time leading up to that five year vision to make your organization even stronger along the way.

Provide pens and paper. Allow those present to draw, write or record any format that comes to their minds. Allow at least ten minutes for the ideas and creativity to flow. Adding names to individual submissions should be optional.

Perhaps at a second meeting, review the input. Enjoy the inspiration. Take some time to drill down to approximately five programs, resources or tools that are needed to help achieve your vision of a stronger, more effective organization in five years.

Those five programs, resources or tools can become the focus of your fundraising efforts for the next five years. In communicating out to your base about these needs, be sure to tie the needed areas back to your vision and mission. 

This visioning exercise helps focus your fundraising plans. Focused fundraising with a clear purposes is stronger fundraising. 

FlashPoint is available to facilitate a full, formal strategic planning process for your organization. Contact us today to discuss how this process can help make your organization even stronger.

Celebrating You This National Volunteer Week

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Thank you! Thank you for volunteering for your favorite causes. Thank you for giving of the time no one has enough of to move missions forward. 

As we wind up the 2012 edition National Volunteer Week today, take a moment to pat yourself on the back for the difference your volunteer support has brought to those your favorite organization serves. Thank you also for your interest in connecting donors and your mission through your following of this blog!

Even if you didn't happen to do it this week, consider designating a recognition time or outreach that would mean the most to your volunteers to applaud the great work they do. Something as simple as a personal note to a volunteer who inspires you can make all the difference.  The website linked above is a good starting point for additional ideas on recognizing and engaging your volunteers.

Independent Sector recently released their study of the value of volunteer time in 2011. Nationwide, the economic impact of volunteering is $21.79 per hour. Wow!

Iowans are among the most generous people in the nation in volunteering their time and talents. This link gives more details on this tremendous accomplishment. Congratulations, Iowa!

This National Volunteer Week and always, may you feel celebrated and appreciated for the amazing impact you have as a volunteer! Thank you!

Have an inspiring volunteer story to share? Use the comments section below.

Building Credibility: Reflections on Personal Gifts

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You're found a great organization with a mission in which you passionately believe. You enjoy volunteering. You know additional resources will move your mission forward. You're ready to help your organization tackle its critical need to connect donors and your mission through fundraising. What's next?

Take a moment to reflect on your personal giving to your favorite organization(s). The time you dedicate is incredibly valuable. One of the best ways to build credibility as you prepare to ask others to invest in your mission is to make an investment of your own. 

Few interactions are more meaningful when you ask others to donate than to when you ask them to join you in making a mission investment.

The best recommendation I've ever heard on how much to invest in your favorite organization(s) is from Helen B. Arnold, CFRE. "Give at a level where you care how the money is spent."

 Is it okay that this amount will be different for each person and his or her particular circumstances and realities? Absolutely. 

If you don't believe enough in your favorite organization's mission to make a mission investment, why should anyone else do the same? 

What are your thoughts on personal gifts?

Why Do People Give?

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Through the resource of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), I have had the opportunity to engage in phenomenal, relevant ongoing education covering fundraising and philanthropy through a combination of prescribed formal classes and local chapter programs. 

If you're not already connected to your local AFP chapter, drop me a line here and I will help you make that connection. I highly recommend their programs!

One example of how AFP education has helped me is in understanding why people give to nonprofit causes. Since it isn't logical to just give money away, understanding motivations makes for more effective fundraising. This list represents my summary of the most important reasons people give, enabled by my AFP education:

1. First and foremost, people give because they were asked. What asking do you have planned for your fundraising? Are you asking people you've already built relationships with?

2. People give to make a difference and make the world a better place. Nonprofit donations enable mission progress. How are you communicating that gifts to your organization make the world a better place?

3. People give to causes they are predisposed to support based on family history and personal experience. How is your list of people predisposed to your cause coming along? For more details on that list opportunity, click here. 

What are your thoughts on why people give? Please share them in the comments section below.

Take a Trip Back to Your Well

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Recently, I received the great blessing of catching up with a wonderful, longtime friend I hadn't seen in far too long.  The visit felt like a trip to a well of inspiration and joy that was long overdue. I didn't know how thirsty I was until the visit refreshed me! 

The experience and the joy that visit brought me reminded me  of the value of taking trips back to the well  in the nonprofit mission work we do. 

How can you take a trip back to the well of your nonprofit work? Here are just a few ideas:

1.  If possible, visit your organization's founder(s). Ask him or her to share what makes them proud of their role, as well as any favorite memories.
2. Visit your longest standing donor. Ask them why your work has been blessed enough to receive their investment.
3. Visit recipient(s) of your program(s). Ask him or her to share what the impact was of your services on their lives.
4. Visit your longest standing volunteer. Ask him or her to share what has made your organization lucky enough to grow through their gift of time.
5. Visit a long standing board member,community member or other contact with an historic connection to or affection for your organization. Ask that person what he or she thinks makes your work important to the community.

You might also ask all of these contacts to share a favorite memory or two of their relationship with your organization.  Most importantly, use this experience to thank those critical to your organization for the unique difference they've made through their gifts of time and treasure.

Especially for smaller, all-volunteer nonprofits, a realistic goal might be to make three of these visits in the next three months.

Prepare to have your batteries recharged on these visits! I also highly recommend making immediate notes after these visits on the stories that might be incorporated in your future fundraising. If those wells you visit would be willing, it would be powerful to quote them directly in future fundraising communication. 

Try taking a trip back to your well. You, too, might be surprised at how thirsty you are.