Author: Pamela Grow
Article:
Albert Einstein was quoted as saying “It's not that I'm so
smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer.”
Unfortunately, the world of nonprofit development can be
notoriously fickle and unfocused.
Clearly we are in a major recession with no end in sight. The
trick is not to panic. Here’s how you can meet your goals and,
yes, even prosper in the upcoming year!
1. Stay the course. Develop a balanced, thoughtful budget
approach which includes realistic goals for grants and corporate
support, individual support, program support and events. Plan as
you normally would.
2. Retain staff. This one is key. I have worked with nonprofit
organizations who have had – seriously – five development
directors in three years! How can an organization have any kind
of continuity with donors with that kind of record? Staff your
organization with quality individuals and do your level best to
keep them.
3. Invest in Education. If you’re not sending your development
staff to workshops, classes and seminars, you’re doing your
organization a grave disservice. Why are so many organizations
reluctant to invest in education for their employees? Training
enables and accelerates innovation. It’s good for the employee –
it’s good for the employer.
4. Research, research, research. Foundation giving may be
declining. On the other hand, it may not. Remember, foundations
are created with the sole purpose of supporting philanthropic
causes – regardless of the state of the economy. To maintain
their legal status Foundations MUST donate an amount equal to 5%
of their assets averaged over 5 years. Foundations also often
INCREASE their giving in challenging times to offset decreases
in giving from other sources
That said, you need to make it a practice to routinely scope out
new sources of foundation funding. Develop a system where you’re
sending out proposals or letters of inquiry to new foundations
on a weekly basis.
5. Start a Monthly Giving Program. This one’s a no-brainer and I
am astounded that more organizations have not picked up on it.
If you’ve got donors who are giving you $1,000, $100, even $25
every year, they’re prime candidates for a monthly giving
program. Implement one now. Give donors the option of monthly
credit card or checking account debits. And what rule says you
can only mail once a year? Why not twice or even three times a
year?
6. Refine (or Define) Your Story. Benevon calls it the
organization’s “emotional hook.” It’s your nonprofit’s “story” –
what makes donors give to you. The most compelling stories bring
on the tears. Talk to your board members, talk to your clients,
talk to your staff, talk to foundation funders and individual
funders to find your emotional hook. Bring it to life.
7. Communicate. It doesn’t have to be on a weekly or monthly
basis but it absolutely needs to be consistent. Donors would
rather be kept notified on a timely basis in a simple manner
than receive a glossy magazine publication (that makes them
wonder what the heck you are doing with their money) once every
two years. A two to four-page quarterly or triannual newsletter
is ideal.
About the author:
Pamela is a consultant, assisting nonprofit organizations with
proposal development, prospect research, annual appeal
strategies and communication planning and is the author of “Five
Days to Foundation Grants.” Check out her weekly blog, “Towards
Effective Nonprofit Writing” -
http://writegrantproposals.blogspot.com/. Join her Facebook
group, Tools for the One Person Development Office at
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=34636080193.
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