Whether you are the Executive Director/CEO, staff, Board Chair or board member of a non-profit organization, you must be a team that is focused on the organization's financial health to advance your mission. And that means everyone on your team should support fundraising initiatives. Creating a "culture of philanthropy" takes work, and the importance of fundraising must be front and center at both staff and board meetings. Sharing stories of how fundraising supports programs and those you serve creates a picture of what donations support and gives the team talking points.
Board Members and staff must have a clear understanding of the value of building trusting relationships with donors, potential donors, and stakeholders. While the board must be willing to "tell the story" of the organization, they must also open doors for development staff, make introductions and identify opportunities to raise revenue. Your development staff should have experience in creating a fundraising strategy that makes sense for your organization. The revenue goals should be lofty, but achievable. Using a team approach to achieve the goals created by staff and approved by the board to meet the goals set for your budget is the best way to reach your target.
Here is an example of "fundraising failure". Years ago, I worked for a large health organization as a Vice President of Corporate Partnerships. My new colleague, with years of experience was hired to build a robust major gift department with individuals he could find in the database. The individual records had no information on the donors. My colleague had to research what their donations were for so that he could glean at least some knowledge of what the donor supported in the past. Like any good development employee, he spent the first couple of months making phone calls and writing handwritten notes thanking donors for their past support and informing them of upcoming events and programs. His goal was to build relationships first to lay the groundwork for making an "ask." Yet because he hadn't immediately raised money, he was terminated. He was not given the tools he needed to succeed and had no interaction with the board who might have opened doors or given him a history of the gifts. Raising revenue for a non-profit, regardless of how important your mission is, takes time....and a team!
At each board meeting, the development staff should present reports to show their fundraising results and have an honest discussion of the "whys"--why they hit their targets or why they did not. This discussion is important because it will allow an open dialogue with the team to think strategically about how to better the fundraising results in the future. It will also help open up discussions on building relationships with potential donors, enhancing relationships with current donors, and how to reengage lapsed donor. Who knows the donors? Who is willing to approach them? Who wants to do the work of listening to a donor and what is important to them?
So, what's ideal to achieve the maximum success in fundraising? Hire a proven fundraising executive with experience that has engaged in on-going professional development education. This might include a Certified Fund Raising Executive certificate, that tells you this professional has spent at least 5 years learning, studying, attending classes, conferences and more in order to advance their fundraising and non-profit organization knowledge. A CFRE can also act as a mentor to your less experienced development employees. In addition, your experienced fundraiser can coach Board Members, the Executive Director/CEO and Board Chair on building fundraising capacity and how important philanthropy is to the organization.
Many Executive' Directors/CEO's are challenged with a lack of understanding that they are important leaders in creating the culture of philanthropy and defer to their development staff to do the heavy lifting. The reality is that the Executive Director/CEO and Board Chair must be on the same page, have a deep understanding of the fundraising plan and financial needs of the organization, and must be front and center in building donor relationships. They must also support and encourage the entire staff and board in embracing the fundraising plan which will support the mission today and ensure the stability of the organization's future.
"Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.
-Henry Ford
Email me at: fundraisingwithoutfear.blogspot.com
