My oldest daughter, who has struggled with her weight for years, recently lost 45 pounds. She watches her diet, runs several times a week (she's surpassed me - a runner or over 30 years - in that department!) and looks and feels amazing.
The other day I suggested to her that her experience would be prime fodder for a book, even an e-book, to help others struggling with their weight. After all, she has been struggling with her weight for over ten years and seems to have hit upon the perfect solution!
"Are you kidding mom?" she responded. "I lost this weight through diet and exercise! It was hard work! No one wants to hear that! Everyone wants a quick fix or a pill..."
You know what?
She's right.
Lately it's occurred to me that many of us in the field of nonprofit fundraising have the same mindset.
In fact, whenever I've met with potential clients, I always hear the same questions or concerns:¨
- "Can you help us develop a signature event?"
- ¨"How do you get major donors?"
- "How do we use social media to raise money?"
- "We tried grants a few years ago and it didn't work..."
As Charlie Brown used to say: "Argh!"
What I have found, in my many years of working in the nonprofit arena, is that organizations who commit to their development in the same way that they commit to their mission, and who establish sound fundraising systems will always have the tools at their disposal for sustainable funding.
Great development is all about systems and relationship-building. There is no magic pill. There isn't one single technique or tactic or trick that will set your organization on the path to sustainability.
Nonprofit organizations need tried and true systems - systems for:
- Grants management
- Individual giving, including online and monthly giving
- Donor stewardship & communications
- Website creation & management
And the backbone of all these systems is donor-centric fundraising, along with a strong case statement presented with engaging story telling.
An organization doesn't "try" grants one year and decide it doesn't work! You've got to engage the foundations, reapply, research on a consistent basis and steward the grants that you have received well.
After all, you wouldn't go the gym once, decide exercise didn't "work" and never return would you?
Repeat my mantra: systems and relationships, systems and relationships, systems and relationships... and check out SimpleDevelopmentSystems dot com for more information.
Pamela has worked in the nonprofit arena since 1995. Since 2003 she has had her own private consultancy, assisting nonprofit organizations with proposal development, prospect research, annual appeal strategies and communication planning. Pamela is the author of "Five Days to Foundation Grants" and publishes a weekly blog, "How the one-person nonprofit development shop does fundraising" - Subscribe at http://www.pamelasgrantwritingblog.com!
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