Coming up with new ideas for raising money is the easy part. But translating those ideas into a plan that can be implemented isn’t at all simple. How do you make sure you’ve thought of the critical pieces? How do you work through the details?
It can be overwhelming, but without a solid, thorough plan, big inspirations don’t have a chance of succeeding. Many great ideas fail and some never even see the light of day.
In our work, we use the “straw man” concept to translate big ideas into fundraising reality. It’s a way to make the way clear, to get rid of uncertainty, and to move forward.
A straw man can take any form. It can be the outline of a new strategy, revenue and expense projections, a future org chart, or even the start of a case statement.
It’s a written version of the idea with specifics fully fleshed out. It’s not at all final or maybe even do-able - and some of it might even be made up out of thin air — but a straw man is meant to create a reaction and shape discussion and future action. The final version of the idea may look nothing like it, but the straw man helps you to get there.
Example - we recently facilitated a planning retreat with an organization and the group made a decision to prioritize a middle donor program. It was a big and exciting idea, but what would it look like and how would it fit into the rest of the fundraising program?
To get the group started, we created a comprehensive straw man strategy that went into great detail about the specifics of the program, including things like the tag line, collateral materials, and solicitation schedule. We just made them up from what we knew now.
The purpose wasn’t to get it right this time. The purpose was to get something on paper to make it real, so we could test assumptions and fine-tune details.
The straw man did not survive the discussion in tact (they rarely do!), but it forced the group to make the decisions that resulted in an implementation plan and a solid new middle donor program.
Use a straw man when your discussions are vague and stuck.
When the idea is BIG and not well-defined: Conversations around strategy, long-term planning, or new initiatives can get very creative. But there’s something about translating the idea into writing that makes it more real. A great example of this in the fundraising world is donor retention. It’s all the rage to talk about it, but only when you try to put together an actual plan of action does it become real.
When you’re trying a totally new approach: There are so many great models for fundraising, but how do you know what will work with your organization’s culture and assets? A nonprofit we work with wanted to add telephone solicitation to their annual fund cycle, but had no idea what shape it should take for them. We created a straw man implementation plan that the team was able to react to and mold to suit their audience and their unique strengths.
When the conversation gets bogged down: Sometimes conversations around organizational change don’t move because the words become meaningless over time. Things like, “We need a fundraising committee of the Board” are said over and over again, but nothing ever happens and no one really knows what is even meant by it anymore. We’ve seen that problem disappear by the simple creation of a straw man committee description that gets the discussion moving again.
With a straw man you can gain momentum and catepult your planning ahead.
- Get clarity: Ideas and concepts are made clear for all to discuss.
- Build consensus: People agree on the fundamentals of a new strategy or initiative.
- Initiate action: This clarity and consensus makes the space for creativity and action.
- Create sustainability: Plans that are built on common understanding are much more likely to succeed.
What we like best about the straw man is that it moves ideas toward a clear plan that has a much better chance of actually being implemented. A straw man helps to ensure that every idea is uncovered, vetted, and molded into something that will translate into action!
Is there a place for a straw man in your fundraising planning?
