Thriving in Fundraising with our Missions

This is a short three part series on practical ways to thrive in fund development. This series will not cover self-care; however, self-care is vital. Read the first in the series here. After we fill our generosity tank, we next need to fill our passion tank. When we have been in a fundraising position for awhile, we can become so focused on our endless to-do lists and get disconnected from the "why" we are fundraising. How do we re-connect? First, what is your origin story? Why did you join the cause as a staff member, Board member or volunteer? Then, go one step further and tell your story to a fellow staff or Board member or volunteer. Second, take time without your fundraising hat on. Just be with your organization's mission. Spend time talking with clients, recipients, patrons. Take the time to hang with the animals. Or, visit the places or history the organization is trying to protect. Be a tourist within your organization. Third, give a one-time donation to your organization. We are more invested when we give our own funds. Now, if you find, after you have done these things, that you are no longer passionate about the cause, it's…

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Thriving During Fundraising Slumps

Yesterday, I attended a webinar for nonprofit consultants that started with a focus on brain science and stress. The stress we are all consciously or unconsciously facing right now is affecting our ability to plan for the future. With that in mind it is important to consider how the next phase of fundraising during this pandemic will impact you personally in your fund development role. If you have not yet reviewed the research from The Better Fundraising, co. and Jeff Brooks Fundraising on phases of donor generosity during an economic or natural disaster, please download it here. It will be helpful to share with the organization and Board you serve. Credit: The Better Fundraising Co. and Jeff Brooks Fundraising. Download the research summary here. The authors describe the four phases of generosity (as pictured above) as the bump, the slump, the surge, and the new normal. This pandemic bump was quite extraordinary and lasted about 2 months. Network for Good, one of the largest and longest established organizations that receives and distributes donations, saw a 30% year over year increase in donations for both direct and indirect service nonprofits. To put that in context, a 3% increase is considered a conservative, but…

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Living Authentic

The blur between a fund development professional's work and personal life has increased with the rise of social media. A Facebook post or Twitter tweet meant for friends or as a personal view can have a greater impact than just a Letter to the Editor because the potential viral nature. Accepting or declining a Friend request of a donor to the nonprofit you serve is fraught with decisions on how to be authentic in the online and the off-line relationship with that donor.

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