I’ve gotten a ton of feedback about my last post about Anna Delvey so….remix!
Ok, we can all agree that Anna Delvey is definitely a fraudster and most likely a sociopath. Yes, we all agree that she’s not a good or an ethical person. But, there are some lessons here for fundraisers. To be clear, I’m not advocating for her actions (very bad, Anna!), but let’s pull out the teachable moments.
Why would Anna Delvey have been a good fundraiser?
People wanted to be around her. Love her, hate her, vilify her or laud her…one thing you can’t accuse her of is being boring. When you are a fundraiser, your charm and people wanting to be around you are prerequisites for the job. If people groan when your name pops up on the caller ID, it’s a nonstarter. People have to want to talk to you and be around you. Be charming, not tedious.
She knew the power of warm introductions. As sophisticated as we pretend to be, we’re all still tribal creatures and we very much depend on the power of the group. Anna was able to infiltrate her marks because she knew the power of other people vouching for her and presenting her. The same is true of your nonprofit: who is advocating for you? Who is vouching for you? And do you make them look good?
Image matters. Anna was a master of image. She knew how to dress, how to act, how to order wine. As much as we’d like to pretend otherwise, we all make snap judgements about people based on their appearance and who we think they are. Never underestimate the power of looking the part before you have the part. (“Don’t crowd my entrance.” Genius.)
She sold people on a vision. Anna was able to convince potential investors in her Anna Delvey Foundation–herself most of all. The power of passion and vision can’t be understated. Storytelling, vision-casting, creating emotional moments–these are the tools in the fundraiser’s toolbox. Use them responsibly.
She harnessed social media. For those of you (myself included) who think of social media as a waste of time, look at Anna Delvey. Her social media was part of her brand and her myth. By leveraging the power of social media, you can tell the world who you are and why they want to be a part of it.
Go forth and use these lessons. By which I do not mean defrauding people. Give people something to believe in, something to be a part of, something that gives them a purpose and they will follow you to the ends of the Earth (or at least to a five star luxury resort in Morocco).
PS: Stay tuned later this week for exciting news about my book baby: Get that Money, Honey!
- Christina Yuna Lee, age 35
- Michelle Go, age 40
- Soon Chung Park, age 74
- Hyun Jung Grant, age 51
- Suncha Kim, age 69
- Yong Yue, age 63
- Delaina Ashley Yaun, age 33
- Xiaojie Tan, age 49
- Daoyou Feng, age 44
