When I work with new fundraisers, the single most important message is this: Hope is not a strategy.
Often new fundraisers will bank on getting a fat check from Oprah or Mackenzie Scott or “going viral.” Sure, I suppose that happens to some people just like some people win the lottery, but it’s not a plan.
Most fundraisers don’t realize that they’re already sitting on a potential goldmine, which is your email list, your board and your former donors.
You don’t need a million people to fund your nonprofit. All you really need is 1000 true fans.
The mistake that many fundraisers make is that they forget to nurture their fans before asking for something.
You have to plant and tend before you can harvest.
When we look to extract and transact before planting and nurturing the field, we will end up with barren soil.
Often when I meet fundraisers who have boards who aren’t engaged in fundraising or have donors who don’t give second gifts, it’s often because they haven’t considered what value they have given in exchange.
We’re all looking for something: sense of importance, purpose, legacy or belonging.
What experience are you creating that is of value for your community so that they bring something in return?
When you shift your perspective to creating value for others instead of putting money at the center of a relationship, you start creating true fans.
PS: The Fundraising Accelerator application is open for the September session. If you enroll before June 15, you’ll be invited to a masterclass for you and your board members about fundraising on June 24 at 12-2pm ET.
