No Time to Fiddle Around

    If your organization is like most nonprofits, the bulk of your fundraising revenue will come in during the next four months. Ideally, you haven’t waited until now to get this year’s annual fund program rolling. Even if you have, there’s still plenty of time to make progress toward your goals. But a scattershot approach isn’t going to cut it. The current economic situation means that we all need to get serious.

    This article by Mal Warwick from last year is worth revisiting. In the face of a poor economy, he recommends a reasoned middle course for our work. Now is not the time to try something flashy, new and unpredictable. It’s also not the time to cut back on your fundraising efforts.

    This is the time to focus. You can’t change everything overnight, but maybe you can spend a little time thinking about how to implement a couple of Mal’s recommendations. Here are two that I think are critical to your success:

    Personalize donor relationships. Are you using your database to segment your donors so that the correspondence they receive is relevant and meaningful to them? Have you set goals for the number of donors/prospects you are going to meet with personally in August? Relationship-building is a numbers game – do you have at least a few senior staff and board members out there helping you with “face time”?

    Deliver a powerful message. Are you falling into the trap of telling people what you do instead of inspiring them about the difference you’re making in the world? The issue of concise and compelling messaging is urgent and central to fundraising success. Remember, every donor is also being approached by other organizations. Maybe it’s time to regroup and streamline your fundraising story so it’s fresh for fall.

    Don’t panic. But do focus…and act!

    P.S. Another way to get focused is come to Front Range Source’s next workshop: Just Do It! Get Ready for the Fall Fundraising Season. We’ll help you map out a coordinated strategy for moving into year-end with confidence.

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