Archive for the ‘Boards & Leadership’ Category
A Remarkable Act of Generosity
Posted by JBA in Boards & Leadership, Donor Cultivation on August 18th, 2009
“[W]hatever you do … don’t ever forget that people always come first. If you pay attention to them and show that you care every bit as much about them as you do their philanthropy, well, truly wonderful things can happen.”
We have all heard about donors making million-dollar-plus gifts and the impact such generosity had on the recipient charity. In America, this generosity is evidenced regularly with hundreds, even thousands of million-dollar gifts occurring annually.
Like most fundraisers, I think about what truly motivates a person to give that much away and what I can do to see about getting such a gift for my clients. There is no doubt that a worthy organization with a particularly compelling need can be successful in attracting seven-figure gifts. But, I have found over the years that almost as important is taking the time to get to know your donors and paying particular attention to “the little things.”
Linking Your Needs With Their Desires
Posted by Jennifer Furla in Boards & Leadership on July 16th, 2009
“We have a good, committed board, but we just can’t get them to fundraise.”
“Our board is committed and willing, but we need help understanding our role.”
And so goes the perennial dialectic among development professionals and board members: Organizations think they are clear in setting hoped-for objectives and asking for help. Volunteers want to help, but don’t know how to engage.
Does this sound familiar within your organization? What can you do to clear the lines of communication to help volunteers connect with your needs in a way that moves your organization forward?
Are you making general pleas to everyone generally (and no one specifically) for help running a special event, asking for members of solicitation teams, recruiting new leadership, etc., as a regular (and ineffective) part of your volunteer meetings? Or are you asking in a way that allows the volunteer to act?
In fundraising, we know that a personal visit with a specific ask is the most effective way to solicit gifts. Are you thinking about how we use this best practice to help board members, campaign steering committee members and other fundraising volunteers engage?
You might start by considering some excellent pointers from my colleague, Rita Galowich of Fund Inc., on ways to more effectively work with board members and other volunteers. Here’s a link to her article, Maximizing Your Board Members’ Time.