Fundraising for Nonprofits

Apologies for the old posts showing up in the blog RSS feed

2008-06-10T09:31:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are subscribed to the RSS feed of this blog, you may be confused by the random, out-of-date posts that have been recently showing up in your reader or email inbox. You are not alone. For the two months, I have had nothing but troubles with the Blogger software used to power this blog.

98 times out of a 100 when I try to publish a post nothing happens. This is actually the first post I've even attempted to publish in a month. When Blogger will decide to actually post it to the web is anyone's guest. Why 3 random old posts have appeared in the external feed during this last month is simply beyond me.

My plan is to eventually migrate this blog over to WordPress. I'm not technically minded, so a friend is helping with that. Apparently, there have been some glitches with this as well. Ugh.

All of which is to say, thank you for your patience. Hopefully this situation will be rectified shortly, and you will soon be able to return to you normally scheduled programming.

Be all you can be

2008-04-27T09:48:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more job openings, in San Francisco and beyond, recently sent to me. If you know any other development related positions open, locally or elsewhere, please do let me know. Together we can help spread the word.

Senior Communications Director
Breast Cancer Action

Director of Development
Catholic Charities East Bay

Development Director
Family Equality Council

Executive Director
Frameline

Director of Development
Global Footprint Network

Grant Writer
JCC-East Bay

Manager of Donor Relations
Monterey Bay Aquarium

Project Coordinator
Mission Minded

Director of Development
San Francisco Friends School

Director of Development
Summer Search

Sir Bob Geldof: Sexiest man in philanthropy

2008-04-18T01:28:00.000-07:00

With Bono, Brad Pitt and even Sir Richard Branson in the running, competition for the "sexiest man in philanthropy" is heating up. However, after my week at the annual conference of the International Association of Fundraising Professionals in San Diego, I’m placing my money on Sir Bob Geldof.

What you say, “An aging rock star whose last hit was over 25 years ago? Are you serious?” Yes, I am. As most of you know, as producer of the 1985 global Live Aid music concert brought international attention and over $200 million in direct relief to those facing poverty and starvation in Africa. That enough should get him inducted into the Philanthropy Hall of fame.

However, if you are like me, you probably didn't know that his entire life has been consumed by advocacy and philanthropic work. For example in 1965, at age thirteen, he formed the first anti-apartheid organization in his Irish community. In 2005, at age fifty-three, he produced the international Live 8 concerts, which resulted in multi-government pledges of $50 billion in annual debt relief and investment in Africa!

Rough shaven, greasy hair and wearing a rumpled suit, Geldof paced the San Diego Convention Center stage looking as if he had been up all night playing music. During his talk, he never strayed far from his humble Irish roots of growing up poor under the influence of the Catholic Church and British colonial rule. He shared plainly and directly his lessons learned to the 2,000 lucky fundraisers present.

According to Geldof, the practice of philanthropy is ubiquitous worldwide, but its purpose and practice varies. In the U.S., philanthropy is often sought to provide support for social change, while elsewhere its primary role is to provide for social stability. In the U.S., individuals are the largest source of giving, while elsewhere the government is the biggest giver. In the U.S., faith-based agencies receive the most donations; however, that is not the case elsewhere. In the U.K. for example, international relief agencies play a more dominant role. Finally, in the U.S., the ultimate target of philanthropy is usually individuals, which is not the case outside our borders. In China, the key role of charity is to strengthen the family. In Africa, its purpose is to strengthen the community.

Alexis de Tocqueville got it right over 150 years ago, says Geldof, when he recognized the unique use of American philanthropy to create social groups or “associations.” Geldof also challenged us to recognize that greed, guilt, vanity, pity and even cynicism, are also present under philanthropy’s thin veneer. Today, those with the least means give the highest percentage of their wealth. Yet, as income rises, individuals give less and less a percentage, until many simply reach a point where they say, “They don’t have enough to give anymore.”

Geldof reminded us that the western view of the individual as sovereign and universal comes from patriarchal Judeo-Christian teachings. He argued that much of the rest of the world simply doesn’t operate this way. In African, because of the traditional nomadic lifestyle, their society is founded on the principle of mobility. One could not survive alone as an individual; what they had, they shared. Today this collective ethos is still at the heart of African society. Western ideas of individual aid, development and philanthropy, simply do not work. One must go with the grain of the local culture in order to succeed.

North of the Straits of Gibraltar, food is subsidized in order to destroy it, while eight miles to the south millions starve. A European cow receives a $2.50 a day to be kept off the market, while in Africa the average person receives $0.50 a year to maintain subsistence living. What we call globalization, others call dying. Why are the most resource rich countries today populated with the world’s poorest people? We live in an asymmetrical world that is only becoming more so. Today one man with a bomb can stop the world.

Some progress is being made. The U.S. has actually quadrupled aid to Africa. Unfortunately, according to Geldof Bush cannot promote this success at home because it would result in lost votes and a political backlash. While Chinese, Indians and other are immigrating and making vast business investments in Africa, in the U.S. we have not seen this movement. Today Africa is the leading source of the world’s natural resources, China is the world’s major producer, and America is the number one consumer. Who do you think holds the real power in this equation?

Geldof stressed the most important lesson he has learned is that while direct charity is important, it can only do so much. One must also engage at the policy level in order to effect lasting change. While the Live Aid concerts reached out to individual donors, the primary goal of the Live 8 concerts was to create multi-governmental policy change. Where the first concerts raised $200 million in direct aid, the later as mentioned above, secured pledges of $50 billion in annual debt relief and investment in Africa.

Let’s take a minute to put these efforts into perspective. A movement started a little over two decades ago by one man has resulted in a continent of 350 million people being freed from debt slavery. No longer were they being asked to pay back money that had been lent before they were born to dictators who were no longer alive. Today over 29 million African children are going to school because of Sir Bob Geldof’s efforts.

If that isn’t sexy, I don’t know what is.

Looking for a few good women and men to serve their country

2008-04-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

While the U.S. may be in a recession, that doesn't mean nonprofits have stopped hiring. In the last two weeks alone, I've received announcements in my inbox for the following Bay Area job openings. If you know of somebody who might be interested in any of these positions, perhaps you could let them know about them? If you know of other openings, don't hesitate to send me an email and I'll do the same.

Executive Director
Asian Community Health Services

Director of Communications
California Institute of Integral Studies

Development Specialist
CARE

Development Manager
Director of Online Programs
Craigslist Foundation

Development Director
Crisis Support Services of Alameda

Grants Manager
EdSource

Program Associate
Grants Manager
Groundspark

Executive Director
The Janet Pomeroy Center

Associate Director of Development
Mother Jones

Associate Director
National Radio Project: Making Contact

My spring break in San Diego with 4,500 fundraisers and 35,000 sailors

2008-04-09T13:23:00.000-07:00

Big love all of you who joined me for lunch this past Monday in San Diego during the 45th annual international Association of Fundraising Professionals conference. Really appreciated Nicci, Jack, Mike, Jay, Robert, Susan, Cheryl, Tod, Sue, Jim, Jay, Sean, Richard, George, Kari, Eleanor, Joy, Colleen and the rest the gang for taking a little break to enjoy a alfresco dinning experience together.

Was particularly flattered to have the lovely Kristel Komakhuk (above left) and her sister make a point of joining us all the way from Anchorage, Alaska! Apparently, she's not the only member of the staff at the First Alaskans Institute who regularly reads this blog. I'm sure they can all agree, that if the Kristel is any indication of the next generation of nonprofit leaders, we can stop worrying about the much predicted "leadership gap" right now.

I'm still decompressing after my five day stay stint inside the San Diego Convention Center (though an afternoon trip to the day spa at the Del Coronado after the last session sure helped). Like all big conferences, this one was full of low and high points. The later included several provocative workshops, making connections with many individuals and affinity groups, and moving plenary speeches by Jane Goodall and Sir Bob Geldof (who I must say ranks among the "most sexy men in philanthropy.") I took plenty of notes, so more details on this and other thoughts in the weeks to come. Do stay tuned.

Fundraising from the inside out

2008-04-08T10:05:00.000-07:00

On this blog, I've briefly mentioned the Abundance League before. Last month, I had the pleasure of talking with them in person about the power of fundraising. Co-host Neal Gorenflo was kind enough to write down a few summary notes. They included:

Fundraising is a great opportunity for transformation for both the fundraiser and those who want to realize their dreams by supporting a good cause.
When you connect to a donor through their passions and help make their dreams come true, there's no need to be shy about asking for money or other help.
Giving is good for your health. You enlarge your soul and better connect to others by increasing your generosity.
Giving and getting are connected. Make room for receiving when you give.
Learning how to give and receive are equally important to creating a culture of generosity. Reward those that give by accepting their gifts fully.
To be an effective fundraiser, all the rules that apply to building personal relationships apply to donor relations.

If you'd like to learn more about the Abundance League or get involved, please visit their blog today.

So the Pope emailed me asking for help raising money

2008-04-06T09:20:00.000-07:00

Last month I received a very flattering email from a Vatican fundraiser inviting me out to lunch. Said he was being relocated from Rome to San Francisco. Wondered if I could provide him “fundraising advice for seeking major gift donors and capacity building for several agencies in the Bay Area and West Coast,” as well as “explore mutual areas of opportunity.”

Wow, talk about the power of online branding. First, I received a call from a Noble Prize nominee and now the Pope! Who could be next? Bono?

To say I was surprised is a huge understatement! Most groups I work with have budgets of a few million dollars, not the billions under the purview of his Italian employers.

I consider myself a spiritual person, and am grateful to have worked with groups of different faiths in the past, and hope to do so again in the future. However, as someone who identifies as queer and a feminist, I make a distinction between working with organizations that are supportive or neutral on issues of LGBT equality and women’s rights, and those that oppose them. Therefore, I thought there might be others who might be a better match with his needs and values. So rather than meet with him in person, I provided him referrals to several other skilled Bay Area professionals.

In retrospect, I wish I had responded differently. For it was not like he was asking to “get married,” it was only a request for a “first date.” Rather than immediately declining his invitation, I wish I had simply disclosed my identity and beliefs, and let him decide if he would still like to share a meal. Because while I might not ultimately be the best person to provide him advice, I would like to hope that we could still be colleagues. More importantly, I missed the opportunity to learn more about him and the Catholic Church -- and myself as well.

When practiced mindfully, fundraising can teach us to move through the world with more grace. Points of resistance can often be our greatest teacher. For example, exploring why volunteer solicitors often do not follow through on their commitments can begin to help release them from their own internal fears of money, power and privilege.

In this case, after some reflection I realized two important points. One, I still have some lingering fears about being judged by others. I’m not Catholic, but there was something about a prospective meeting with the Pope’s proxy that I found intimidating. Simply stating this without judgment is the first step toward removing this barrier.

Secondly, my values are important guideposts. However, they become roadblocks when they become inflexible and absolute. If the role of a development professional is to cultivate relationships between individuals and institutions based on shared values, than we must be the first to seek common ground with others.

I have no illusions that if I had acted differently my efforts would have changed the Church’s positions on important issues that I value. However, is not breaking bread together the first step toward creating peaceful change in the world? If we are to ask others to change on our behalf, must we also be willing to do so ourselves?

I'd like to make a donation of $100 to the nonprofit of your choice

2008-03-26T17:20:00.000-07:00

In my work as a nonprofit fundraising consultant, I’ve found my most rewarding clients always come through referrals. Currently, I have some opening for new clients, so I am writing to ask for your help in connecting me with good causes in need of support. As my way of saying thanks, if you are able to refer me to a new client who signs a contract before the end of April, I pledge to donate $100 to the nonprofit of your choice!

I see my job as providing nonprofit leaders the practical fundraising tools and solutions that they need to make their jobs easier and to succeed in this ever-changing world. Licensed by the state of California, I draw on over twenty-years of nonprofit management, for-profit business ownership and professional fundraising experience. My areas of expertise include:

Annual Fund Support
Board Development
Corporate Solicitations
Event Management
Executive Coaching
Grant Writing Assistance
Major Donor Initiatives

As the President of DER, a trade association for San Francisco Bay Area fundraisers, I have an extensive network. Please let your connections know I’m always open to providing free referrals or answering simple questions. For more long-term professional assistance, I am also available on an hourly or project contract basis. (Btw, because of a family connection, I now have access to complementary airfare, so am also available to help good causes outside the Bay Area region!)

Please feel free to download and forward to your colleagues my 1-page introduction or full biography, resume or testimonials sheets. If you have any questions, referrals or suggestions, feel free to contact me anytime at gayle[at]gayleroberts.com.

Thanks so much in advance for all your help and support!

Please join me for lunch this Monday, March 31, at the AFP convention

2008-03-26T12:44:00.000-07:00

Would you perhaps be attending next week's Association of Fundraising Professional annual convention in San Diego? If so, I'd love to connect up with you for lunch this Monday, March 31.

According to Yelp San Diego, the best fish tacos in town are only a few blocks away at the Tin Fish Gaslamp cafe, which has a full lunch menu and offers plenty of outdoor seating as well. If that sounds tasty to you, let's plan to meet-up at the Convention Center's main entrance at 11:20 am. Please drop me an email at gayle[at]gayleroberts.com to confirm, and include your cell phone number, so I can give you a call on Sunday to coordinate the exact meet-up location.

Hope to see you soon!

How to produce your next fundraising event and remain smiling

2008-03-25T09:41:00.000-07:00

Hey kids, the Giving Carnival has rolled into town again. Let's all go! Hosted by Roger Carr of the Everyday Giving Blog, this month's collection of participants offer valuable of tips on how to produce successful fundraising events.

Creating and sustaining a fund development culture in your organization

2008-03-18T11:20:00.000-07:00

How do you promote and sustain a fundraising culture inside your organization, while coping with external pressures, program needs, budget limitations and an overworked staff? Are you a development professional or an Executive Director who has to manage and allocate resources to different areas of your nonprofit? If you so, and you live in the San Francisco Bay Area, please join me Tuesday, March 25th from 3 - 5 p.m. at the San Francisco Foundation Center for an important FAB workshop titled, "Creating and Sustaining a Fund Development Culture in Your Organization."

DER's Fundraisers Anxiety Busters (FAB) workshops are quarterly, peer support workshops for intermediate and seasoned fundraisers, and nonprofit staff and volunteers with development responsibilities (3 or more years experience requested), to share fundraising strategies and tactics, meet challenges and solve problems. This month's guest experts will be Lucy Barnett, the Director of Development for Sutter VNA Hospice in Santa Rosa, and Regina Neu, a Fundraising Counsel and University Professor, who has spent over 25 years working in the nonprofit sector.

I’ll be co-facilitating this event with fellow DER board member Michael Magnaye, Development Director at the SW Community Health Center, who will be taking over future FAB facilitation duties in 2008.

Seating is limited, so for more information or to register, please visit the DER website today.

We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming to give thanks

2008-03-03T10:16:00.000-08:00

Given that my posting schedule this new year has been somewhat remiss, I was quite surprised to learn that this blog was recently highlighted on three of the most influential fundraising blogs: Donor Power Blog, Don't Tell the Donor, and The Chronicle of Philanthropy's Give and Take. So pardon me while I send out a big virtual hug of thanks to bloggers Jeff Brooks, A Fundraiser and Ian Wilhelm!

The first two commentators both found value in my post Everything you know about fundraising is wrong. Jeff wrote that, "If you don't see fundraising that way, you're missing something that will increase your joy in your job -- and your effectiveness." While A.F. wrote, "Gayle Roberts proves (once again) that she is one of the most inspirational fundraisers in the business today." All I can say is, "Wow."

Over on Give and Take, Ian linked back to my most recent post, noting that a "good metaphor can be crucial to garnering supporters."

One the most important jobs we have as fundraisers is to help people to believe in themselves. We do this by simply reminding them that, "Yes, you can." To have three of my peers say that to me inspires me to return to a more regular blog posting schedule. In fact, I'm already drafting my next missive tentatively called, "So the Pope emailed me asking for help raising money." True story. Stay tune for details.

Appreciate what you have

2008-02-14T07:58:00.000-08:00

The idea of reducing the world’s population to a community of only 100 people is very useful and important metaphor. It makes us easily understand the differences in the world, and where we fit in.

There are many types of reports that use the Earth’s population reduced to 100 people, especially in the Internet. For example, the above video has been viewed by over 1.5 million YouTube viewers alone. Ideas like this should continued to be shared even more, especially today when the world seems to be in need of dialogue and understanding among different cultures.

The text that originated this video was published on May 29, 1990 with the title State of the Village Report, and it was written by Donella Meadows, who passed away in February 2000. Nowadays the Sustainability Institute, through Donella’s Foundation, carries on her ideas and projects.

What powerful metaphor are you using to tell your good cause's story? What if your client base or community was only 100 people? Who would they be? What if you had only 100 donors, how would they be contributing?

30 tips for effective nonprofit board leadership

2008-02-05T15:51:00.000-08:00

When you are fundraiser like me, you routinely are asked to join nonprofit boards. In the last 4 weeks alone, I've been asked to join the leadership of 4 different organizations! I couldn't tell you how many times I've been asked the same question in the last 12 months, as I've lost track.

While some people have the capacity to serve on multiple boards, I simply don't. Particularly because I'm the new board president of the Development Executives Roundtable, a trade association for nearly 200 Bay Area fundraisers, representing organizations with combined budgets of approximately $1 billion. DER is an all-volunteer group, so we're a "working" board in the fullest sense of the term.

I recently posted a question on LinkedIn asking for advice as a first-term board president. Given how essential this role is to successful fundraising, I thought I'd share with you just some of the invaluable tips I received:

Avoid micromanagement, while making sure you understand the big picture.
Be passionate about your organization, making sure everyone you meet hears about your nonprofit frequently.
Communicate clearly and frequently to the membership and the outside world.
Develop a plan. If you don’t already perform strategic planning, start now. Establish a list of realistic and attainable goals, and make them happen.
Develop individual board member agreements that specify what each member will contribute and what they can expect in terms of support and opportunities.
Ensure all board members play a role in agency fundraising.
Find 15 minutes on the agenda of each board meeting to either reflect upon a big picture trend or to learn about an issue that affects the work of the nonprofit.
Find opportunities to expand the participation of regular members in big and small ways so they have a stake in the organization success.
Have a strong treasurer who keeps true financial oversight.
Hold monthly check-in calls with agency leadership to act as sounding board and provide coaching. Call all board members once per quarter and thank them for specific things they have done, checking in on their sense of engagement.
If you ever decide to hire paid staff, make sure to establish a true partnership with the executive director, rather than a vertical relationship, and keep expectations realistic.
In advance of board meetings, call key board members to check the pulse. Often important or sensitive matters will emerge in private that may not be suitable to be addressed in a larger context.
Insure that all members of your board share a common vision for the organization.
Keep organized records so when your term is done you can hand off information to your successor. Make sure that officers and committee chairs are doing the same.
Develop patience. Learn how to smile when you really want to cry.
Less is more. Doing the right 1-2 member-driven items is far more valuable than a laundry list of initiatives.
Make sure there is a shared understanding of the importance of board development, and what support directors need to be successful.
Make sure there is an engaging and challenging conversation on the agenda for every board meeting and that it is well framed.
Make sure you have a clear understanding of what you were elected to do and what you are bringing to the table.
Review the year and look at what worked and what could use improvement
Run effective meetings. Have an agenda, with times, and follow it.
Strengthen collaborations with other organizations in your sector.
Succession planning is critical. Have board officers and committee chairs take the lead in scouting for successors.
Use the board executive committee to preview of the full board meeting agenda and really road test it to work out kinks.
Weed out the people who have nothing better to do than to contribute through negativity or simply want something to put on their resume.
When chairing a meeting, find ways to draw in people who don’t always get a chance to speak or who are newer to the board.
When people’s terms on the board expire, find ways to hold on to them in some capacity if they contributed a lot: perhaps by forming an advisory group?
You need a process person and a cheerleader on the board. Decide which you are and then find a partner to play the other role for the organization.
Your primary market is your membership. Just as in any other business, you must assess the needs of your market.
Recommended books: The Best of Board Cafe, Great Boards for Small Groups, Heroic Leadership, Nonprofit Board Answer Book, Basic Principles of Policy Governance, Boards that Make a Difference, Good to Great and The Social Sector, The Source, and Leaders Who Make a Difference.

Big love to all those who contributed their words of wisdom, including: Aaron Hurst, Beth Yoke, Birgit Van Hout, Brian Weiner, Chris Sinton, Doug Barg, Gayle Uchida, Glen Peterson, Greg Lassonde, John Darrouzet, John Kenyon, Jovida Ross, Juanita Carroll Young, Kliff Kueh, Kliff Kuehl, Lela Davia, Marion Conway, Mike McClure, Morrie Warshawski, Neal Gorenflo, Peggy Hoffman, Sara Farina, Stephen Peelor, Steve Novak, Pam Cook and Sushma Raman.

Everything you know about fundraising is wrong

2008-02-03T19:17:00.000-08:00

If you think fundraising is merely raising about money, you really are missing the point. The inspired fundraiser understands her job is to foster greater generosity and gratitude in the world. Development is simply the building of valued-based relationships between prospective donors and organizations. Fundraising is a vehicle for donors to act on these values, bringing joy to themselves and others.

I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Truth is there is no lack of money for good causes. According to Giving USA, last year $295 billion was given away to nonprofits in the U.S. Over 83%, or $245 billion, came from individuals. All research indicates that individual can provide nonprofits with stable and flexible sources of funding, even in times of recession. The single largest barrier to raising money is your own lack of belief in yourself, donors and your good cause. The first step is healing your own negative relationship to money, power and privilege. If you are having trouble raising money from others, let me suggest you start by increasing your own donation.

It is also a mistake to think you must know rich people to succeed as a fundraiser. You already know everyone you need to get started. The fact is that low- and middle-income folks give at a higher percentage of their incomes than those of upper incomes. Successful fundraisers welcome donors of all levels. Statistically speaking the regular, small annual fund donor is the best planned giving prospect.

Too many of us have forgotten that the ancient practice of giving and receiving of gifts has the power to transform the lives of individuals, institutions and communities, and even connect us to what is divine in the world. Fundraisers can:

Help those in need to break free of the cycle of poverty, violence and oppression they might face, reminding them there are those who still care.
Help donors express personal values, developing a sense of abundance and generosity by learning they have enough to share.
Reduce isolation in communities by connecting people who share common values, providing them opportunities to organize for social change.
Create sustainable financial support for organizations that have strong community need, yet often little or no perceived for-profit market value.
Through opening hearts to the cycle of giving and receiving, connect people to something larger than themselves, which is the core of every spiritual tradition.

Think about the last time you wrote a donation check or spent time volunteering at a nonprofit? How does it make you feel months or even years later to remember? Isn’t this one of the best feelings? Don’t you want everyone else to feel as you do right now? You can. All you need do is ask them for a gift.

You see, asking for help is one of the best ways you can tell someone they are important to you. If you decide to not ask, perhaps you think they are not rich enough or do not care enough about the issue. You may think you are protecting them. In fact, you’ve taken away one of their most valuable rights: their right to choose. The truth is, people only rise to the level of expectations we place them. To succeed as a fundraiser you don’t need to change donors, only your belief in them.

The inspired fundraiser provides donors an opportunity to put their values into action, to become the hero of their own life story, and to make their dreams for a better world come true.

So let me ask you. When you ask someone for a donation, whose gift is bigger: their’s or yours?

What is the average fundraising cost per dollar raised?

2008-01-21T11:48:00.000-08:00

In the last few days, a couple different consultant friends have both told me about clients quickly growing frustrated that their fundraising efforts are not “turning a profit” within the first few months. I blogged recently that in order to successful raising money, nonprofit leadership needs to make a long-term commitment to the process. However, the question remains, “How long must one wait?”

My friend and talented nonprofit technology consultant Robert Weiner recently turned me on to a few fundraising benchmarks. Included are statistics pulled from James Greenfield’s book, Fund-Raising: Evaluating and Managing the Fund Development Process. Greenfield states the U.S. national average cost to raise a dollar is 20 cents, which he breaks down into the following:

Capital Campaign/Major Gifts: $0.05 to $0.10 per dollar raised.
Corporations and Foundations (Grant Writing): $0.20 per dollar raised.
Direct Mail Renewal: $0.20 per dollar raised.
Planned Giving: $0.25 per dollar raised (and a lot of patience!)
Benefit/Special Events: $0.50 of gross proceeds.
Direct Mail Acquisition: $1.00 to $1.25 per dollar raised.
National Average: $ 0.20

One of the challenges with such benchmarks are they do not take into account different nonprofit markets and missions. It is a lot easier to raise money for puppy dogs, than say for some rare and unknown disease. As a rule, social welfare nonprofits receive smaller average donations than organizations in other areas, such as education or the arts, and thus must solicit larger numbers to acquire adequate funds. Nor is it fair either to compare a small, community nonprofit with a large, established university. Most importantly, uniform benchmarks do not take into account start-up acquisition costs and the typical donor's giving life-cycle.

In the past, a general rule of thumb I have used is from the Maryland Association for Nonprofits. Their recommended Standards for Excellence are that organizations work for a 3-to-1 fundraising efficiency ratio over a five-year period. The important factor here is that fundraising efficiency is measured over a period of years, in which market factors and acquisition costs are accurately weighed against total revenues received.

However, I think perhaps Mal Warwick states it most clearly when he writes:

"The 'overall fundraising Cost to Raise a Dollar' is a myth. There is NO such standard, and anyone who tells you there is one should survey the real world of fundraising in all its diversity. One organization might be embarrassed to spend more than a dime to raise a dollar, while another might be fortunate to squeak by with 40 or 50 cents on a dollar -- and both might be ethically run, well-managed organizations."

Therefore, as with most things the answer to the question is, “it depends.” It depends on the organizational fundraising goals and what financial risk the agency leadership is willing to take to reach them. Most importantly, it depends on how effectively the organization uses monies raised to fulfill its mission. That should always be our primary benchmark.

All fundraising rises and falls on leadership

2007-12-31T10:29:00.000-08:00

In preparation for my new role as Board President of the Development Executives Roundtable I’ve been reading a lot of leadership books, by authors ranging from Deepak Chopra to Peter F. Drucker to Marcus Aurelius.

One of my favorites is John C. Maxwell’s classic Developing the Leader Within You. It is a must read for anyone leading a nonprofit development team. I agree with Maxwell, who says the world needs leaders:

Who use their influence at the right times for the right reasons;
Who take a little greater share of the blame and a little smaller share of the credit;
Who lead themselves successfully before attempting to lead others;
Who continue to search for the best answers, not the familiar one;
Who add value to the people and organizations they lead;
Who work for the benefit of others and not for personal gain;
Who handle themselves with their heads and handle others with their hearts;
Who know the way, go the way, and show the way;
Who inspire and motivate rather than intimidate and manipulate;
Who live with people to know their problems and live with God in order to solve them;
Who realize that their dispositions are more important than their positions;
Who mold opinions instead of following opinion polls;
Who understand that an institution is the reflection of their character;
Who never place themselves above others except in carrying responsibilities;
Who will be as honest in small things as in great things
Who discipline themselves so they will not be disciplined by others;
Who encounter setbacks and turn them into comebacks;
Who follow a moral compass that points in the right direction regardless of the trends.

QUESTION: What steps can you take to develop the leader within you in 2008?

How to become a top ranked expert on LinkedIn, without really trying

2007-12-27T17:51:00.000-08:00

I'm rather shocked to tell you that out of LinkedIn's current 15 million users, I am now ranked among the top 15 Charity and Nonprofit experts on the site. This after joining just a couple of months ago. If you wish, you too can quickly become one of the top experts on the Internet's leading business networking site. The secret is to take advantage of LinkedIn's powerful Answers features.

Search and Share Answers
LinkedIn’s Answers is somewhat like a modern day oracle. Do you have a question -- any question -- that you need answered quickly? Post it online and within hours dozens of people will have shared with you their thoughts and opinions. Some are wise -- some are not so -- but collectively you will have received pretty good advice. Odds are somebody has asked your question already, so often you do not even need to post a new query to get find a good answer. The site archives hundreds of thousands of previous responses that you can easily search.

LinkedIn Answers offers a “share this” link that appears at the lower right hand corner under each question. Click on the link to e-mail the question to a LinkedIn personal connection, add it to del.icio.us or digg, or grab a permalink to highlight it on your blog or other social networking service like Facebook. This is a great way to strengthen your network by helping your friends get their questions answered quickly, or letting them shine by answering a question within their subject expertise.

Ask Questions
Posting a question is an excellent way to quickly survey the community. You can post your question privately and forwarded to just a few of your select contacts; or you can choose to make it public and have it available to be answered by anyone of the site's millions of registered users. It will also then show up on the home pages of all your network connections. This means if even I am the only person you are connected to and you ask a question, it will show up on the home page of over 15,700 people. (If you answer one of my questions, the answer will be linked to the home page of over 1,245,000 people!)

When asking a question, just be careful or you can come off looking rather silly. For example, avoid asking something that has been posted before or could be answered through a simple Google search. Remember good grammar and spelling still count. Don't post just to fish for new clients; people can always tell. Most importantly, be clear about what you are asking and why it is important to you. If you receive permission and give credit, answers make great source content for republication to a blog or elsewhere.

Answer Questions
You can become a ranked expert like me by consistently providing useful answers to other's questions. LinkedIn uses a rating system to award expertise points. If you follow the above posting advice for asking questions, your reputation will strengthen when responding to others as well. By answering questions, I have made connections with individuals as far away as Australia, India and Israel.

Do you have a favorite category in which you would like to become a recognized expert? My suggestion is that you subscribe to its RSS feeds. Simply use the "Browse" module in the left hand column of the Answer module to navigate to the category you are interested in subscribing to, where you can find link to that category’s feed. This is one way I'm strategically keeping up to date with the pulse in the Charity and Nonprofit sector. Many of my answers have ended up inspiring recent posts here on this blog.

2008: Let it be a year of a thousand invisible kindnesses

2007-12-17T11:04:00.001-08:00

I received the following this morning from the good folks at Bread for the Journey. Thought I'd pass it along to you.

QUESTION: What if the healing of the world utterly depends on a thousand invisible kindnesses we offer simply and quietly throughout the pilgrimage of each human life?

There are as many ways to make a difference as there are people. One simple way you can contribute to a healthier world is to make 2008 your own "Year of a Thousand Invisible Kindnesses." We’ve compiled a list of ideas to inspire you. Please join us in creating a movement of people, each doing something every day to heal our world and create a life that embodies the best of who we are.

Turn off your TV, computer and cell phone.
Walk places and say hello to people.
Refrain from gossip.
Get involved and vote.
Say “I love you” every day, more than once.
Bake something and give it to a neighbor.
Find new uses for things you would have thrown away.
Love yourself well.
Fix it even if you didn’t break it.
Forgive someone.
Buy from local merchants and farmers.
Garden, then share your harvest.
Discover what you love and give it to the world.
Sing, dance, be in your body.
Stop and breathe deeply before you react.
Take time each day to meditate.
Take children and dogs to the park and play with them.
Listen well.
Ride your bike instead of driving.
Help carry something heavy.
Do it even if it isn’t convenient.
Baby-sit for someone.
Seek to understand.
Pick up litter in your neighborhood.
Make a monthly donation to a nonprofit you love.
Honor an elder you know.
Volunteer your time.
Recycle it instead of throwing it away.

How would you add to this list? Please add your suggestions in the comments below.

5 steps to create a “B-R-A-N-D New U” online

2007-12-13T10:14:00.000-08:00

Last summer I received a phone call from an influential Washington D.C. figure, who had recently been nominated for the 2007 Noble Peace Prize. You might even know his name. He was looking for fundraising advice. However, before I share with you details of that conversation, I’d like to talk to you about why he called me of all people.

Let’s face it, we live in an interconnected, intermediated and Internet world. If perception equals reality, than what people learn about you online can influence your career success, whether you are an independent consultant or a long-time staff fundraiser. Tom Peters got it right ten years ago when he developed the concept of personal branding. “We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You.”

Today more than anything else, one thing determines the strength of your personal brand: your Google rankings. What are the total numbers of personal responses returned, how high are your results, and how relevant are they to what you would like to be known about? If you don't have an online presence, in the eyes of a growing number of people, you simply don't exist. For a more comprehensive analysis, visit the Online Identity Calculator today.

If after evaluating your online identity, you are serious about developing a stronger online brand, I have a turn around strategy for you. Here are my five recommended steps to create a “B-R-A-N-D New U” online.

B)log
Start a blog focused in a niche subject area that you would like to become well known. Set yourself a goal of at least 3 posts a week for 6 months. Wordpress and Blogger are just 2 of the many free services available. Google rankings are heavily determined by how many links in and out, as well as how fresh is the content of your site. Regular blogging is the easiest and fastest way for an individual to actively increase their rankings. Want to get real serious about blogging? Than subscribe to Darren Rowse’s ProBlogger.

R)espond
Responding to posts on other blogs is the best tip I can give you to becoming an effective blogger, because it forces you to become a blog reader. You will quickly learn what are the most current topics of under discussion in your field. Use Technorati to locate the top 10-15 authoritative blogs in your niche. Subscribe to their RSS feeds using Google Reader. Read their posts daily and set yourself a of leaving at least 3 comments a week. Truly contribute to the dialogue, and you will soon find the favor returned.

A)ppropriate
Assume everything you post online will be accessiable forever and will eventually be linked back to you, including those nasty anonymous comments on a Hollywood gossip blog. Are you sure all the personal information you are posting on Facebook is something you’d like to share with strangers ten years from now? Many think public advocacy only means criticizing those in power, but have you ever been impressed with someone who complains all the time without providing solutions? Keep it clean and constructive.

N)etwork
The further you progress in your career, the more you understand we are all only as strong as our relationships. The number one rule in networking is that if you want to succeed, help others succeed first. One of the added benefits of using a professional business networking service like LinkedIn, is that Google ranks LinkedIn profiles very highly in its search results. It takes less than an hour to set-up a free profile and invite your friends to join you. In just a couple of months, my business network there contains 350 people who can help me reach over 1 million professional users on the site.

D)o It
We all start as beginners and learn by doing. If as young children we never tried to walk because we were afraid of falling, we’d all still be crawling around on all fours. When I’ve described this B-R-A-N-D New U strategy to others, a common reaction is, “What will I write about?” The great thing is that you don’t need to know, it will come to you. These recommended five steps will not only develop your personal brand, but your personal growth. Today’s thought leaders are bloggers, and by pursuing this strategy you can become one too.

As for the man who called me for fundraising advise? No, it wasn’t Al Gore. It was another good man with a good cause, whose board wasn’t engaged in fundraising, was the sole fundraiser for his agency, and needed help developing back office systems and procedures. Sound familiar? All around the world, our needs are not very different.

Finally, why did he call me? The answer is simple, because of my strong online personal brand.

How fundraising has changed my life

2007-12-12T14:42:00.001-08:00

Am honored and humbled to announce that I have been elected the president of San Francisco’s Development Executive Roundtable. Hank Ross, the godfather of contemporary fundraising, founded DER many decades ago. He had a dream of a group that provided accessible training and peer support to fundraisers at all stages of their careers. Today DER builds thriving organizations and communities by helping nonprofit professionals teach the joy of giving.

For those of you who knew Hank, or know of his legacy, he talked a lot about the transformative power of fundraising: the ability to change not only the lives of those who receive, but also those who give gifts.

However, we do not often talk about the transformative nature of fundraising on those who ask for gifts on behalf of others. What can happen to you when you dedicate your life to fostering generosity in the world? I’d like to share briefly how fundraising has affected me, and the role DER has played in my life.

Not too many of us grow up as young children wanting to become fundraisers. Like many of you, I made a mid-career change into this line of work. After being let go of my previous job during the dotcom bust I looked around for other work. Given my background in nonprofit marketing, fundraising wasn’t too big of a stretch. Moreover, if I could learn to raise money, I knew I’d always be employable. It was simply a practical decision.

Soon I went to my first DER meeting, and like many others before and after me, I stood up and introduced myself as an unemployed person hoping to break into the field. That first day I met people who would become my friends and mentors, who would help me find jobs, and whom one day I would later hire.

Like many others, at first I found soliciting gifts very difficult. To be an effective fundraiser, I soon learned I had to come to terms with my own relationship to money and privilege. Over the years, I’ve come to believe that one of the greatest obstacles in raising money is not finding people who will give, but helping people become more comfortable with receiving abundance in their lives. Too many of us in this culture don’t think we are worthy of such attention or affection. In order to foster generosity in others, the first person we need to start with is ourselves. One who is mindful of the practice of fundraising, can develop a spirit of self-acceptance and generosity toward themselves, others and the world.

Today fundraising does help pay my bills, but it is much more than that for me. It is a sacred calling. I believe you and I are inheritors of a tradition of giving and receiving that goes back to our earliest cultural memories. It is at the root of all our major spiritual practices and indigenous cultures. We who help transform the world, cannot help be transformed in the process.

If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area, I encourage you to join DER with me. Individual memberships are only $50. Not too bad a price to pay to transform your life, don’t you think?

The 5 keys to individual fundraising success

2007-12-07T07:20:00.000-08:00

For-profit organizations know that developing a new market requires financial risk and takes several years to return a profit. The same can be said for nonprofit individual fundraising. It takes several years of up front investment to develop a strong pool of individual donors, let alone find a return on the initial capital outlay. Success therefore requires leadership committed to a multi-year, 5-part fundraising cycle of planning, prospecting, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship.

Planning
Internationally know fundraising trainer and consultant Kim Klein, once wrote, "The key to fundraising success is planning, planning, planning and then working your plan." A good fundraising plan is donor-centric. It requires a willingness on the entire agency, from top to bottom, to engage with donors in the most transparent, accountable and professional basis possible. This often requires an internal cultural shift and building the capacity of the organization.

Prospecting
"You already know everyone you need to know to raise money," is one of the truisms of fundraising. Many people think you need to know rich people to be a successful fundraiser. Of course this doesn’t hurt, however wealth is the least reliable indicator of giving. Strength of relationships and the interest in the cause are more reliable factors. Successful fundraising builds on the relationships already in place between an agency, board, staff and community to identify new prospective donors.

Cultivation
Prospective donors should be cultivated as agency "friends." If we ask ourselves how we would like to be treated by our own friends, than we have answered the question as to how to treat prospective donors. We should thank them for their interest, maintain regular communication, actively listen to them, spend time with them, be accessible, share information and ask for their advice. New friends whom we want to get to know the best, our major donor prospects, should receive even more regular and personalized interaction from agency leadership.

Solicitation
Many people fear asking others for money or help. Exploring our own personal relationship to money and recognizing that fundraising provides an opportunity for donors to act on their values can often shift this barrier. However, not everyone involved has to ask for money. Fundraising is a team sport. There are always more line roles available than those in the backfield. Yet, without a strong quarterback, there is no point in taking to the field.

Stewardship
The importance of donor stewardship cannot be over-emphasized. Gifts received by nonprofits are not given to us, but through us in service of the greater community. Donor stewardship includes gift acknowledgement, managing funds effectively, maintaining good donor communication and deepening donor relations. This is good manners as well as good business practice. All gifts should be appreciated. However, the larger the gift, the more personalized the donor attention should be. As a matter of efficiency, cultivation and stewardship activities are often combined.

What to look for when prospecting for donors

2007-11-23T16:00:00.000-08:00

I was recently asked by someone if, “complete strangers are more generous than close friends?" She asked because she is continually surprised by who donates and who does not.

My short and simple answer was “no.”

My longer answer was that when prospecting for potential donors one traditionally looks for three factors: linkage, interest and ability. The stronger each of these qualities, the more likely your prospect is to make a gift.

Linkage means the closeness of the relationship between you and the potential donor. It is the most critical factor in determining whether someone will be inclined to a good cause. In surveys, the number one reason people give for donating is that someone they knew asked. The fact is, people are more like to give to an individual representing a good cause, rather than a good cause all on its own.

Interest means just that, is the prospect interested in your good cause? How do they spend their time and money, what is their family history, and most importantly, what are their values? At its core, fundraising is simply offering donors an opportunity to act on their values. When you ask somebody to make a donation, you are helping him or her become the hero of their life story by making a difference in the world.

Last -- and of surprisingly least importance -- is ability or how rich someone is. The wealthy may have more money to give away, but statistical speaking lower- and middle-income people give a higher percentage of their wealth than those with higher-incomes.

One other important factor is how routinely has the prospect ever given in the past to other causes? Some people are givers; others are not. Usually this has to do with their own relationship to money, something constructed within all of us at a very early age. It is easier to secure gifts from those who learned “to whom much is given, much is expected.” On the other hand, if they learned, “money is the root of all evil” or “we need to save money for a rainy day,” my friend may have some barriers to overcome. The successful fundraiser is one who actively listens to prospective donors, and through reporting, assessing and reframing helps them build a more healthy and generous relationship to money.

And the young shall inherit the earth, thankfully

2007-11-17T09:21:00.000-08:00

In 1992, at the age of 12, Severn Cullis-Suzuki raised money with members of the Environmental Childrens Organization (a group she founded) to travel from Vancouver to speak at the Earth Summit in Rio De Janeiro. Watch this 7-minute video and know there are leaders among us who can be the change. They are our children.

I'll show you mine, if you show me yours

2007-11-05T09:09:00.000-08:00

I’ve been tagged. Britt Bravo, of the most excellent Have Fun, Do Good blog, has invited me to participate in a book meme. So without further ado:

Total Books I Own
275. Thought it would be less, as I enjoy giving away books after reading them. Guess I still have challenges with "letting go."

Last Book I Bought
The Last American Man by Elizabeth Gilbert.
If you’ve loved her recent run-away best seller Eat Pray Love like both Britt and me, then you'll also enjoy her previous National Book Award finalist looking at life on the other side of the gender line. I'm nearly finished reading this one, and makes me wonder how much her own personal journey of self-discovery in Eat Pray Love was inspired by Eustace Conway, the real-life protagonist of The Last American Man? Also makes me wonder how some people are able to experience life with insight? If I could only live my life with half, no a quarter, no a tenth of the passion Elizabeth or Eustace experience, I'd die happy. But then again, the message of both these artist adventurers is we can. We only need to choose.

Last Book I Read
Co-Active Coaching: New Skills for Coaching People Toward Success in Work and Life by Whitworth, Kimsey-House and Sandahl.
There is nothing I enjoy more than sitting down over a cup of coffee with someone and having a good conversation. So it is no surprise that I am attracted to coaching, which according to this book is the "art of the powerful conversation." What I enjoy about fundraising is its ability to transform lives; coaching has that potential too. I've been seriously considering getting my coaching certificate, because I believe fundraising and coaching together can be very powerful tools for both individual, institutional and social change.

5 Meaningful Books
The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life by Zander and Zander.
What if we gave each person in our lives an "A plus" grade? What we gave ourselves an "A plus" too? Brimming with optimism, this title written by a husband and wife team argues that life is all invented, so why not invent the life we want to truly live? Filled with engaging antidotes and exercises, it made a believer out of me. Perhaps it will for you too?

How Then, Shall We Live?: Four Simple Questions That Reveal the Beauty and Meaning of Our Lives by Wayne Muller.
I’ve already written before about this book, given to me as a gift, so no need to write a lot more. Other than to say, isn't there something special about receiving a book as a gift, rather than buying it yourself? Even better when it is unexpected, don't you think? So why wait until the holiday season to bring joy into somebody's life? Do it today!

Care of the Soul : A Guide for Cultivating Depth and Sacredness in Everyday Life by Thomas Moore.
Maybe I don’t have to fix everything? In fact, what if within suffering is the source of healing? This is the message of Moore's extraordinary book, which takes a homeopathic approach to what ills our contemporary spirits. Drawing on over 2,500 years of western cultural and spiritual traditions, this Jungian therapist and former Catholic monk, is a literate man of grace and compassion. Reminded me again how important it is to simply treat ourselves, and others, a little more gently.

Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg.
I used to live in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where among other things I was active in the local literary scene: publishing a community arts newspaper, hosting literary festivals and promoting spoken word artists. One day an editor friend visited my house. He seemed a bit disoriented at first. Then after a long pause he told he had been to this house many times before. This was where Natalie lived a decade before when she wrote her now classic text. Told me how he would come over to her house for a book group; sitting on milk crates they would discuss their dreams of becoming successful writers. See what happens when start sharing your dreams?

What Matters: Young Writers and Artists Speak Out edited by Jancie Mirikitami.
Another surprise pick. This poetry collection was written by the children of Glide Memorial Church, located in San Francisco’s tough Tenderloin Neighborhood. However, I still remember one Sunday listening to the young authors read their work. Afterwards I walked up with tears in my eyes to buy not one, but five copies, so that I would have enough to give away to friends and family members. Rooted in the ethos of the 1960's civil rights movement, Glide is world renowned for its gospel choir and extensive social service programs, including serving up 1.5 million free meals a year out of its basement kitchen. These young authors have lived more by the age of ten than most adults I know.

5 People to Tag
So whose book collections would I like to learn more about? Well, here's a short list people I know who occasionally read this blog and have blogs of their own. Perhaps they would like to share what is on their bookshelves with their readers as well?

Phil Cubeta
Susan Herr
A Fundraiser
Sean Stannard-Stockton
Francesco, Ioana and Daniele

TAG, YOU'RE IT: Don't have a blog? Feel free to add book titles which are meaningful to you to the comments below.

Donor communications and stewardship strategies workshop

2007-10-26T08:58:00.000-07:00

Your year-end fundraising campaigns is working and the checks are beginning to coming in. Now what do you do? How do you find the time to effectively engage your donors to strengthen their relationship with your nonprofit? What communications strategies will increase their interest in your agency? What are effective stewardship activities that encourage gift renewal and increased support?

If you live in the Bay Area you can get answers to these and other questions Wednesday, November 14th from 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. at the Development Executive Roundtable FAB workshop I'll be facilitating at the San Francisco Foundation Center.

FAB ("Fundraisers Anxiety Busters") is a free, peer support network for intermediate and seasoned fundraisers, and nonprofit staff and volunteers with development responsibilities, to share fundraising strategies and tactics, meet challenges, and solve problems. I'm happy to announce our two November guest experts will be Dean Zaldue-Hilkene, Manager of Annual Giving at the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and Barbara Hirst, most recently the Associate Director of Development Major Gifts at California State University East Bay.

These events always fill up. So for more information or to register, please visit the DER website today.

San Francisco Bay Area corporate philanthropy trends roundtable

2007-10-23T17:34:00.000-07:00

Looking for an opportunity to meet some of San Francisco's leading corporate grantmakers? Then join me for lunch, Friday, November 9th, noon - 2:00 p.m., as DER, The Foundation Center and San Francisco Business Times co-host our annual Meet the Corporate Grantmakers roundtable. Last year's gathering inspired one of my favorite blog posts; I'm sure this one won't disappoint either.

In 2006, the San Francisco Business Times reports that the greater San Francisco Bay Area’s top corporate philanthropists increased their Bay Area giving to about $140 million. The panel plans to address current trends in how Bay Area corporations are selecting the organizations they support, showcase local corporations who were recently recognized at the San Francisco Business Times Corporate Philanthropy Summit in July, and shine the spotlight on a new corporate donor in the region. Panelist include:

Randy Chun, Regional Vice President, Wells Fargo
Larry Goldzband, Manager, Charitable Contributions, Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Rey Ocañas, SVP, Community Relations Executive, Wachovia Bank
Sylvia Samano, Vice President, External Affairs-Bay Area, AT&T California

Please visit the DER website for more information and to register online.

What has 1 question and 13 answers? The November Giving Carnival!

2007-10-19T06:26:00.000-07:00

Hey gang, the Giving Carnival is back in town. Let's go!

Where do you find your next fundraising superstar?

2007-10-17T06:49:00.000-07:00

These days, there are few things more difficult than hiring a new fundraiser. There simply are not enough people to fill the ever growing number of development jobs. Recruiting more individuals into this field should be of critical importance for all of us.

The first step of creating a powerful job description is not only a helpful recruitment tool, but essential long-term planning guide and evaluation benchmark. Please take a some time to reflect on your goals and expectations for this position. Are you looking for a staff person, consultant or a volunteer? Full-time, part-time or temporary? What is the life stage of your organization? What gift markets do you want to develop? What is your hiring, as well as long-term support budget?

If you are having a hard time answering these and other questions, call up a similar nonprofit and ask to conduct an information interview with the head of their development efforts. I’ve found that fundraisers are, by and large, very generous with their expertise.

Ultimately, successful fundraising is a team effort, whether you are an all volunteer group or a large institution. The traditional model is a small, well-trained professional staff supporting a large group of volunteers, with occasional outside consulting assistance. The answers you get to the above questions, as well as which team member you are recruiting, will of course shape your recruitment strategy. However, you can’t go wrong with 1) looking to promote from within, 2) leveraging your personal and institutional network, 3) accessing professional trade associations or special interest groups, and 4) paid advertising.

Perhaps you have an intern who is ready to step into an associate position, or a manager who might be ready to take on a new director role with a little bit of coaching? Other options include forwarding your job announcement to contacts in your address book or asking your Board to do the same, attending a meeting of the your local fundraising association, or even advertising. If this is a high level position, you would be well served by putting together a staff/board search committee or even hiring outside professional experts.

With so many people making mid-career moves into the field, you may want to also try reaching out to local for-profit MarComm and Publicity groups for people with similar skills. There are a growing number of MBA graduates entering the nonprofit field. More colleges and universities have nonprofit management programs that you can approach. Many cities have nonprofit management support organizations or volunteer centers that act as information hubs.

Finally, don’t forget to ask your current funders. Experienced donors often already know the best fundraisers in your community.

These days -- and into the foreseeable future -- it is a job seeker’s market when it comes to fundraising. It is not uncommon for it to take six months or longer to fill an open position. Interim staff or consultants are temporarily filling many jobs. Because of these factors, do understand the salary scale for development jobs is higher than in any other nonprofit department. In fact, some Development Directors earn more than their Executive Directors.

One last piece of advice. When looking for your new superstar don’t just sell the position, sell your mission. That’s what’s going to attract someone to your organization with passion for the work, who can successfully raise funds for your good cause.

Humble lessons from an early morning blogger

2007-10-11T07:46:00.001-07:00

When I started this blog, a little over a year ago, I thought of it originally as a marketing device. However, over time I have come to think of it more as a personal development tool. Writing forces me to think more clearly about my work and what I believe, while learning from other bloggers in order to stay relevant.

Today’s Thought Leaders are bloggers. Most of my fundraising peers, because of the daily demands of jobs and lives, are unaware of the fundamental changes happening in our industry. Without more intentional engagement and professional training, I fear in ten years the world will have passed many of us by. Posting on this blog, and more importantly, reading other blogs and commenting on them, is one way I keep current.

One side effect of viewing blogging as a personal development tool is that over time it has actually become an effective marketing device. Last week I used the Online Identity Calculator to see how I ranked. It gave me a 10 out of a 10 for effectiveness!

A Google search on my name brings up nearly 5,000 hits. Amazingly, the first 3 are actually about me, with 2 links to my website and 1 to my LinkedIn profile. Fifteen of the top thirty are also about me, and each listings is about my professional career as a fundraiser. Nearly all are blog posts, either one’s I wrote or one’s other bloggers wrote about me. This makes sense. Blogs are regularly updated and contain a lot of in- and out-links, so Google loves them. Clearly, writing a blog is one of the best things you can do to manage your online identity.

Not everyone needs a blog, just as not everyone needs a website. However, if you’re going to build a website, today there is no reason it shouldn’t include a blog, or better yet, be primarily a blog. There are many online services -- such as Blogger, WordPress or Weebly -- that are free and easy to use. If you haven’t started a blog, but are tempted, my best advice would be to first become a reader of other blogs. Google Reader is a good tool to use.

Having said that, I will humbly offer two caveats. First, blogging can become a black hole on your time. Set definite time limits and structure it into your activities like any other regular weekly task.

Second, this is still a secondary marketing strategy. Like advertising or public relations, it is hard to focus. Traditional off-line networking activities -- such as keeping in touch with past clients, cultivating relationships with other consultants and joining local associations -- is still the best marketing strategy for an independent consultant like myself.

Today my blog subscriber and readership base is still relatively small. Currently I have 141 subscribers, and daily visitors are measured in the dozens. However, I feel so lucky that each one of you has taken the time away from your busy schedule to read my words. Some of you are even from the other side of the world! For example, Francesco, Ioana and Daniele are three Italian fundraisers doing great work. Our recent connection may never result in a gig, but my life is much richer for it.

In fact, the presence of each of you reading this post today is a gift. Thank you so much for all you bring into the world.

Making your case in controversial situations

2007-10-05T14:18:00.000-07:00

How should you respond to hostile or "challenging" questions when you’re representing your organization? How can you improve your “quotability” with the press? What’s the best way to take a stand when opinions differ?

For answers and other questions, please join me next Friday, October 12, noon - 1:30 p.m., for the Development Executive Roundtable (DER) monthly luncheon presentation. Our guest presenter, Melinda Henning, will offer two templates for organizing your thoughts as well as her best tips for managing stress in controversial settings. Note, this month we'll be meeting at Oakland's Preservation Park. Please visit the DER website for more information and to register online.

56 more fundraising tips just for you

2007-10-04T08:06:00.000-07:00

Following up on Friday's post, here are a few more blasts from the past for your perusal. Hope you enjoy.

6 steps for a revolution in nonprofit fundraising

10 top flaws that doom your grant request to the reject pile

10 reflections on giving and receiving

11 essential program evaluation resources

16 easy steps to implement a planned giving program

37 fundraising tips for the price of 1

2007-09-28T17:52:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite philanthropy bloggers is Rosetta Thurman of Perspectives From the Pipeline. This young woman is going places! Her post today, The Friday Four, inspired me to share with you a similar blast from the past. Below are four links from this humble little blog's first month, July 2006.

5 things to know about direct response fundraising

8 things to know about women donors

10 common mistakes in selecting donor databases

14 free (or almost free) major donor research tools

P.S. Ever wondered what I looked like? No, I didn't figure you did, but one of these links contains my photo. So click away!

Radio, podcasting and fundraising, they go good together

2007-09-24T10:20:00.000-07:00

A belated shout out of thanks to Dr. Stephen L. Goldstein and Sean Stannard-Stockton. I was interviewed on Stephen’s radio show and podcast, Fundraising Success, earlier this month. Sean asked me to pinch-hit for him when other duties called him a way at the last minute. Really enjoyed my chat with Stephen on the joy of fundraising and other topics. If you want to take a listen, my 10-minutes of fame starts at a little before 29 minutes into the cast. (Note to self, when you're excited and nervous, remember to breath.)

For those of you who have not yet discovered this podcast, I would encourage you to subscribe. This weekly, 1-hour show is professionally produced out of the studios of WXEL, south Florida’s public radio station. Stephen has smartly put together pool of regular experts and special guests, many of whom are among today’s leading bloggers. In addition to Sean from Tactical Philanthropy, other regulars include Beth Kanter of Beth’s Blog and Peter Panepento of Give and Take. The show I was on also featured Michael Weinholtz and Jennifer Mayhew of CompHealth, Stephen Rockwell of Management Consulting Services and show regular Jesse Carter from ProfitQuests.

Peace, one day at a time

2007-09-21T07:26:00.000-07:00

Please join with me, and millions of others around the world today, in dedicating this 1 day out of 365 to peace. Sound a little overwhelming? Perhaps you can find inspiration in these commitments your neighbors have made?

Bryony, 13, United Kingdom. I will say sorry to everyone I have ever hurt.
Allyssia Atkinson, 23, Canada. I will forgive myself for everything.
Roberto, 20, Brazil. I will not let fear beat love.
Kelly, 18, United States. I will write a letter to an old friend to show I love them.
David Deslauriers 30, Canada. I will surprise my wife for being great.
Omar Hisham Taha, 13, Egypt. I will help a lot of poor people.
Thomas Lewis, 23, Canada. I will show younger children right from wrong.
Brittney Gibbons, 21. United States. I will smile at everyone all day.
Micah Sewell, 23. United States. I will plant a tree for the world to make a fresh start.
Rupert Sutton, 60, Greece. I will paint a picture today that symbolizes peace.
John, 17, United States. I will not make fun of somebody because of the way they are.
Ed, 17, United States. I will say "I love you" to my father because I should.
Amin, 41, Iran. I will not invade any country for peace.

Then there are times when fundraise is all that bad, and then some

2007-09-20T13:34:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned earlier this week, when "done well," fundraising has the power to inspire transformative change. But when done badly, well, things like this happen:

"Federal prosecutors in New York today unveiled criminal charges against Democratic fundraiser Norman Hsu for allegedly operating a massive Ponzi scheme that defrauded victims across the country out of more than $60 million... Hsu is accused of pressuring investors to contribute ten of thousands of dollars to various candidates in presidential and congressional races in an effort to raise his public profile and thus encourage more victims to invest in his scheme."

Though specifically a political scandal, don't think for a moment that the backlash of this, and other fundraising scandals, isn't going to impact the nonprofit sector. Increased regulation is part of our future. Have I told you that here in California I'm already legally prohibited from soliciting on behalf of my clients? I'm restricted to only training others how to make the ask themselves. This came about not because it is the right thing to do (it is), but because of unethical fundraisers, who in the past have not passed any of their collected donations along to the good cause that hired them.

Ethical fundraising must be at the core of our daily practice. Because if we don't function ethically the entire sector is in danger of collapse -- just like Hsu's ponzi scheme -- for ours is a sector built on the building blocks of trust and good will.

This is just one more reason professional training is so critical. For one of the best blog post related to this topic, please check out Lilya Wagner's article today on onPhilanthropy. Includes over 50 links to fundraising career articles and resources. What a gift, thank you Lilya!

10 reasons fundraising ain't all that bad

2007-09-17T09:14:00.000-07:00

Jeff Brooks at Donor Power Blog this week hosts the Carnival of Nonprofit Consultants. He conducted a "highly scientific" poll on the question Is fundraising good or bad? As Jeff reports, the results were "shocking and amazing."

60% said bad.
20% said good.
20% said other.

If I read the poll results correctly, that 20% good figure was almost represented entirely by yours truly with my submission to this new Carnival.

Like Jeff, I to came a similar conclusion after hosting the recent Giving Carnival here on this blog. While many people took the challenge seriously, I was frankly unprepared for the amount of pessimistic, cynical, and well, darn-right snarky responses – this from people working in our field.

Clearly, our profession has not only a public image problem, but a large self-esteem challenge. Whether this is based in practice or perception, I'm not about to argue now. But if people think of a fundraiser akin to the stereotype of a used car salesperson, than we have much work to do.

Done well, effective fundraising can help gift recipients break free of the cycle of poverty, violence and oppression they might face in life. For this reason alone, our profession is an honorable one worthy of high praise. Yet I would argue that there are many other benefits, particularly for donors, that are too often not appreciated. Fundraising can help individuals:

Express personal values and feel less powerless in the face of all the world’s needs.
Eliminate isolation by connecting with a community of people who share similar values.
Reduce the perceived differences between those with means and those with needs, helping people moving from fear toward love of others.
Generate a sense of personal abundance and generosity, through understanding one has enough time, talent and treasure to share.
Leave a legacy for their children and the world.
Connect with the cycle of giving and receiving at the core of most spiritual traditions.
Build support for projects that have strong community need, but little or no market value.
Organize communities to effectively advocate for changes in public policy.
Develop a sustainable gift economy as a viable alternative to capital markets.
Provide opportunities for volunteers to become more engaged with causes and communities that they care about.

Perhaps I am naive to think that effective fundraising can help move us as a society from “fear to love.” Yet in today’s world, why would I want to believe anything else?

September Giving Carnival: Your roadmap to the future of fundraising

2007-09-07T09:43:00.000-07:00

If predicting the future were only as simple as drawing a line across a map, being prepared for the next 10 years would be easy. But as the 22 generous contributors to this month's Giving Carnival demonstrate, we each see the world in our own way. From pessimistic to hopeful, the guides below offer you many possible paths to follow. Know that which you choose will impact the rest of your individual life, but also remember, all paths lead to our same shared future.

Tom of The $5 Philanthropist laments that The Year 2017 is a Letdown
Online fundraising risks becoming a victim of it's own success...

Paul of Cause Related Marketing shares several Fearless Predictions on the Future of Cause-Related Marketing
Cause-related marketing will continue to grow in North America, if modestly, while rapidly growing in places like India...

Here on Fundraising for Nonprofits I humbly offer you 8 Predictions on the Future of Fundraising
The changes in regulation, donors, markets, leadership, technology, fundraisers and even volunteers will result in a greater demand for ongoing training for both donors and fundraisers...

An anonymous reader of this blog also contributed a comment.
Fundraisers will deploy scanning devices that identify the best ways to appeal to the donor’s big ego and small primate brain...

Nancy of Getting Attention looks out 10 Years Down the Line
Issue-oriented giving, with donors having the option to specify organizational recipients by percentage of the total gift...

Phil of Gift Hub writes on Philanthropic Advisors to a Field of Interest
The leading solicitors of major gifts and planned gifts will bill themselves as Philanthropic Advisors...

Elie of Give Well offers a roadmap with Two Futures
Fundraising today is all about the pitch; 10 years from now, I hope it will be about the product...

Britt of Have Fun – Do Good brings her passion to Mobilizing Donors and Activists in an Overwhelmed World
Keeping campaigns simple, social, personal, creative and tangible might transform feeling overwhelmed into empowerment...

Dori of Inspired Annual Giving ask us all Where Will You Be?
We'll be using technology beyond our wildest dreams to reach our audience...

Trista of New Voices of Philanthropy keeps it real with You Think Fundraising is Hard Now?
The only role of an executive director will be to raise the money needed to keep the doors of their respective nonprofit open...

Ken of The Nonprofit Consultant Blog reports back from Stardate: September 2017
President Clinton declares foundations could do more for the public good by keeping their endowments "working for America" by staying invested in the stock market, lowering yearly payout to 1-1/2% of their endowment...

Kelly of The Nonprofiteer joins in with And They Call Her a Carnival Clown
Fundraisers and agencies soliciting donations will rethink the current stance holding unethical the practice of having fundraisers compensated by a percentage of the what they raise...

Susan of Philanthromedia builds on years of experience to predict The Future of Fundraising
Money to social impact will continue to grow but name brands will become less important than value and vision...

Mark of Open Hands offers several predictions for The Future of Fundraising
Witness a growing trend of charities who see the value and synergy in fundraising together...

Maya of The New Jew: Blogging Jewish Philanthropy shares her thoughts Predicting the Future of Nonprofit Fundraising
Lowered barriers to technological access, especially in computer hardware and web media, will attract more smaller foundations to the field...

Christopher of Non-profit Leadership, Innovation and Change has three insights into Fundraising in 2017
As the younger generation gets older the internet is going to play a very important role in fundraising...

Laura of PhilanthroFlash sees in her crystal ball 3 Futures of Fundraising
The tooth fairy will leave "$5 was given to your favorite charity" cards beneath children’s pillows...

Arlene of Seeking Grant Money Today asks We're On Our Way, But Who's At the Helm?
Grant donors bolster government giving by uniquely supporting seed money, pilot programs, and most importantly, the nonprofit sector's strength...

Phil of Strategic Governance, Philanthropy and Planning looks back to look forward for The Next 10 Years-Some Promethean Predictions
Increasingly distrust the organizations which manage philanthropy and deliver social services...

Sean of Tactical Philanthropy explores Fundraising in the Philanthropic Capital Markets
A future where fundraisers are less focused on direct to donor appeals and more focused on what Lucy Bernholz calls the Philanthropic Capital Markets...

Rachel of Vampituity goes farther into the future than all others with Where Fundraising Will Be in 2020
Philanthropy will be much more integrated into life and less on the fringe...

Albert of White Courtesy Telephone muses on Online Giving in 2017
Ten years from now, sensors surgically implanted in your brain by the Department of Homeland Security will automatically register your intention to give and send radio signals to your government-monitored bank account...

8 predictions on the future of fundraising

2007-09-05T18:07:00.000-07:00

You expect when a host throws a party that she'd at least have the decency to show up. So with no further ado, here's my submission for this month's Giving Carnival on the theme of "Predicting the Future of Fundraising."

Increased Regulation
Donor demands for accountability, transparency and professionalism, will lead to greater industry self-regulation and government oversight. The tax code will be expanded to include several new types of tax benefit corporations with different levels of “public support test.” The requirements to start-up a traditional nonprofit will be increased, while some formerly for-profit businesses will be provided new, partial tax credits. The trend toward requiring fundraisers to be licensed, regulated and insured will become ubiquitous.
Donor Networks
Issue-based, collaborative donor funding networks will become the norm. Larger funders view them as a way to reduce risk and exposure, while smaller donors view them as a way to leverage funding and access to evaluation tools. Traditional community foundations will be one of the casualties as donors shift their assets. These “giving circles on steroids” will increasingly function as their own operating foundation. While empowering individual donors, these internally transparent networks will become increasingly impenetrable to outside fundraisers.
Diversified Markets
New revenue streams will be developed from non-traditional markets, including capital markets to fund mission-based investments. For-profit financial service organizations will lead this development. Many formally successful fundraisers will become personal philanthropic investment advisors. Planned giving vehicles become more commonplace for mid- and lower-level donors. While corporate foundations are a thing of the past, business marketing departments have been expanded to include “community ambassadors,” who raise cause-related donations directly for business sponsored events.
New Leadership
The much heralded leadership crisis will result in new opportunities for youth, people of color and those from outside the sector to play an increasingly important role. The strong CEO and small board will become the idealized nonprofit leaderships model. While this team will hold agencies to higher outcomes, most have no formal fundraising training and will outsource this function. In less than ten years there will be more fundraisers working as independent contractors than in permanent staff positions. Association of Fundraising Professional membership benefits will now include health care and retirement options.
Changing Technology
While social networks are attracting a lot of public attention today, the most significant strides in fundraising technology over the next decade will be made in data mining and donor tracking. Online fundraising is no longer just for acquisitions and annual fund campaigns; Major donor prospecting, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship have become the norm. A new job title, Director of IT Fund Development, is now commonplace.
Celebrity Fundraisers
Money is like water; it flows to the place of least resistance and pools with other assets. Deregulation has resulted an even greater gap between the rich and the poor, with money pooled in different parts of the globe. To move in this international world, fundraisers will increasingly have to rely on or develop their own celebrity status to gain access. Bono and Lynne Twist are just two different examples of this growing trend.
Community Volunteers
While some things change, others will not. Ten years from now a successful fundraising campaign is still built on turning strangers into friends, friends into donors, and donors into advocates. While managed by professionals, critical fundraising activities are still carried out by volunteers. The Professional fundraiser, who cultivates an active pool of volunteers, will be the one who succeeds in meeting her budget targets.
Professional Training
The ever-rapid changes in regulation, donors, markets, leadership, technology, fundraisers and even volunteers will result in a greater demand for ongoing training for both donors and fundraisers. Philanthropic training programs will become commonplace within universities, colleges and K-12 schools. Entrepreneurial organizations and individuals, sensing a business opportunity, will start their own fundraising training institutions.

EXTENDED DEADLINE: Haven't yet gotten in your submission to this month's Giving Carnival? Have no fear. The deadline has been extended to midnight Thursday, pacific standard time. Get your submission in by than and I'll be sure to include it in Friday's full Carnival post.

Help wanted: Good pay and benefits

2007-08-31T22:40:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the land of fundraising, we need you! Look around. It’s a complex world where people feel isolated, powerless and fearful. From threats of global terrorism to global warming, today’s challenges seem overwhelming. Like you, my heart breaks when I see someone forced to live on the streets or go without health care. There must be a better way, but what is it?

What if we lived in a world were we cared for our neighbors? What if instead of being fearful of differences we embraced them? What if instead of feeling helpless, we lived a life of abundance? That is the gift you give to others when you become a fundraiser. By connecting donors with the gentle joy of giving, you help them discover what it means to be human. In joining with others and giving to those in need, donors recognize they already have everything they need.

You are the Johnny Appleseed of generosity. Years from now you will look back and see all the young children you helped graduate from college, the local park that was once an toxic landfill, and the community center built in the middle of former gang turf and know your life was one well lived.

Here’s my recommended steps for entering the field.

VOLUNTEER: What good cause do you care about? Development offices are always looking for volunteers to stuff envelopes and help out at events. My first fundraising gig was volunteering to write grants for a small arts group. Join a nonprofit board. Even without experience, if you are willing to support fundraising efforts, you’ll be snapped up.
LEARN: Take classes, read books and subscribe to blogs. Research your city to find free or low cost training. The Foundation Center offers free classes in five major U.S. cities. In the San Francisco Bay Area CompassPoint, The CBO Center and USF are great resources. I’m a huge fan of the writing of Kim Klein, Hank Rosso and Kay Sprinkel Grace. Today’s thought leaders are bloggers. If you have time to read only one, make it the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s Give and Take, which summarizes all the rest. Start developing your expertise now.
NETWORK: Find the nonprofit trade associations in your town. If you're a regular reader of this blog you know I’m a big fan of Development Executives Roundtable, in fact I'm on the board. Five years ago when I decided to change my career I walked into my first DER meeting, stood up and announced I wanted to become a fundraiser. At that meeting I met people who would become my professional colleagues, career mentors and good friends. Other resource include local branches of the Association of Fundraising Professionals or the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network.
START: We all must begin at the beginning. My first paid job was part-time telefunding. A horrible job really, but learning how to ask for money 30 times a day is a good skill to develop if you wish to build a career in fundraising. Now I’m a successful freelance Fundraising Counsel. Last week I turned down an interview to lead up a $45,000,000 capital campaign. I can tell you most certainly that there are always more development jobs available, and the pay scale is higher, than found in other nonprofit departments. If you can learn to raise money, you will never be without work.

Giving Man

2007-08-29T16:43:00.000-07:00

Not going to make it to Burning Man this year? Don't worry, you can still make it to the Giving Carnival. This month's theme is "Predicting the Future of Fundraising." Everyone, bloggers and readers a like, is encouraged to participate. But there's only 6 days left until the September 4th deadline, so don't wait too long to submit your contribution.

For more information on how to participate, or to leave a comment, please see my previous post.

Getting to know LinkedIn

2007-08-22T11:31:00.000-07:00

Turned down an interview last week to lead up a $45 million capital campaign for one of San Francisco’s leading nonprofits. The inquiry came because of my profile on LinkedIn, the Internet's leading professional business networking website. Figuring that 12 million users couldn’t be wrong, I had only created my free account on the service less than a month ago.

Though LinkedIn has a reputation for being dominated by the tech industry, I think perhaps those of us working in nonprofit fundraising can also benefit from its use. One of the core principles of successful fundraising is “you already know everybody you need to know to raise money.” Amongst my colleagues the common joke is you know your campaign is headed for trouble when your Board President suggests soliciting Bill Gates, but hasn’t yet asked any of her friends for support.

But the truth is, if you are a skilled networker, you can actually reach Bill Gates -- or anybody else you want to -- because network theory states that we are all only six degrees of separation from anyone on the planet. The trick is to start from where you are and with whom you know and, and then work you’re way out. Used wisely, LinkedIn can be a practical tool for building these connections. For example, in less than one month, I now have 202 first degree connections, over 4,000 second degree connections, and over 250,000 third degree connections on LinkedIn.

To use LinkedIn to build your own business network, here are a couple of recommended first steps:

Be proactive: Sign up for a free account
Paid accounts allow subscribers to ask for introductions and send emails to users more widely throughout the LinkedIn community. Yet with a free subscription you have access to the vast majority of the sites networking tools, and is what I recommend. You can always upgrade at a later date.
Invest in learning: Take the tour
LinkedIn has a lot of depth and features, which can be intimidating at first. Review the site FAQs. A quick Google search for LinkedIn tips can be helpful too; one of my favorites is this short video.
Promote yourself: Keep an up to date profile
I can’t stress this enough. The more detail you provide the greater number of ways you can be discovered, linked to and receive recommendations. Include not only current and past employment, but also your volunteer and education history. Be sure to include company or personal website or blog URL. Update the provided public profile URL to include your full name to increase search results. Stress your accomplishments and skills in the summary description. Expand your interest area to include searchable key words. Don’t forget to add a formal or informal group affiliations, honors and awards. Think of your LinkedIn page as your online, dynamic resume. My listing now comes up as the third result under a Google search of my name.
Build your network: Invite your friends to join LinkedIn
The site offers several easy tools for importing your current address book into their system. Basic networking theory would suggest you invite everyone you’ve ever come in contact with, but in a world of increasing email spam, a little grace goes a long way. So my advice would be to certainly extend an invitation to all current users of the system whom you know. Then segment the rest of your address book, sending invitations to join to those to whom you are close or who have demonstrated an interested in business networking. After you’ve built up your personal network and have something more to offer, then send out personalized invitations to others describing the benefits of joining the service.
Spread the love: Give it all away
Every successful networker knows that if you want to succeed in life, the best way to go about that is by helping others succeed first. Like fundraising, it should be a practice of giving without keeping score. On LinkedIn one of the easiest ways to get started is to recommend your connections. No one wants to receive insincere flattery, but being the recipient of honest, specific praise makes life worth living. For more such tips, read Tim Sanders' Love is the Killer App.
Keep connected: Tell me what you think
If you’ve been on LinkedIn for a while, I’d love to get your feedback in the comments below; and if you’re a reader of this blog, I’d love to keep connected to you. You can send me an invitation through LinkedIn at gayle[at]gayleroberts[dot]com.

Danger, men at work

2007-08-21T11:04:00.001-07:00

Never a dull moment in my neighborhood. Fortunately, nobody was physically hurt. Just a little wounded pride I suspect.

Announcing the September Giving Carnival: Predicting the Future of Fundraising

2007-08-20T10:26:00.000-07:00

Hey kids, I’m happy to announce the Giving Carnival is coming to this little blog in September! In addition to the usual line-up of rusty midway rides, fresh-scrubbed 4H kids and queer circus freaks, I’ll be featuring a collection of links to all submitted blog posts and comments on the topic of “Predicting the Future of Fundraising.”

Building off one of this blog’s most popular past articles, I invite you to take a trip with me 10 years into the future. How will the fundraising profession look like a decade from now? How have some of today’s biggest trends such as Internet technology, social entrepreneurialism and globalization changed our jobs? From the tax code to global warming, how has the environment in which we operate changed? Has the much predicted pending leadership crisis occurred, and if so, what has been the impact?

I’ll make sure the popcorn is fresh, but if you can forward this announcement to your friends or post an announcement on your blog, I’d be very grateful. When it comes to the Carnival, the more the merrier. This is a great way for us to build a little community between all the various fundraising and giving blogs and individuals online.

To participate, simply post your predictions to your blog and send me link at gayle[at]gayleroberts[dot]com. If you don’t have a blog, please add your forecast to the comment field below. All submissions will be featured in the September Giving Carnival round-up.

Deadline for submission is Tuesday, September 4th.

Fundraising is ...

2007-08-19T13:13:00.001-07:00

What ever writer needs: a room with a view

2007-08-16T18:06:00.001-07:00

It may look like this is the second time in five months this small strip of concrete outside my window has been replaced, but that wouldn't really be the correct answer. More accurate to say it's been four times in the last three years.

Now if you find the above snap a little boring -- particularly on a blog that is supposed to be about fundraising -- perhaps you will find the view from my front door of the distant San Francisco Bay more inspiring?

Giving mindfully

2007-08-14T22:37:00.000-07:00

Spent Sunday sitting on my pillow meditating with my fundraising friends again. During the Dharma talk, my mentor shared with us a famous parable about washing dishes by Thich Nhat Hanh. As I sat listening, I found myself wondering what the story would have sounded like if it were about the act of giving? Perhaps it would have gone a little something like this:

There are two ways to give. The first is to give in order to change the world, while the second is give in order to give. If while giving, we think only of the new world which awaits us, thus hurrying get the giving out of the way as if it were a nuisance, then we are not truly “giving.” What’s more, we are not alive during the time we are giving. In fact we are completely incapable of realizing the miracle of life while giving away our time, talent and treasure. If we can’t give mindfully, the chances are we won’t be able to recieve the joys of life either. While living we will only be thinking of other things, barely aware of the abundance present in our lives. Thus we are sucked away into the future—and we are incapable of actually living one minute of life.

Try a spin on the giving carnvial

2007-08-07T21:32:00.000-07:00

I get nauseated just thinking about riding a roller coaster, but I enjoyed my ride this week on the Giving Carnival.

Five-year-old fundraising superstar

2007-08-06T09:15:00.001-07:00

My five-year-old niece Rylee lives in Marin Country, the home of Guide Dogs for the Blind. Last year, she decided on her own to become a donor to this good cause. Looking under sofa cushions and saving up change given to her Mom, she made her first donation to a nonprofit at the ripe old age of four. Last weekend she took it a step further by becoming a Guide Dogs fundraiser by setting up her own lemonade stand. She raised over a $100 in one afternooon. Words can't express how proud I am of her!

If you would like to offer a few words of encouragement to a budding young fundraiser, please add it to the comments below and I'll make sure she gets a copy. It would mean a lot to both her and me. Thanks.

Oh my gosh, I forgot my birthday!

2007-08-05T06:54:00.000-07:00

(CC) - Flickr Photo

So it was just one year ago this past July that I started this humble little blog. Big hugs and kisses you who stop by to occasionally read, subscribe or post a comment to these pages! I found this cake just for you, cause your love makes the world go around.

Thought you might be curious to find out which posts have received the most attention over the past year. Here's a top 10 list:

See a common theme among these posts? No, me neither. But if you'd like to comment on what you like about this blog, and what can be done better, I'd love to hear from you as we move into year two together.

Why do we (I) give?

2007-08-04T10:43:00.000-07:00

Big thanks to Holden at GiveWell for the personal invitation to join this week’s Giving Carnival, which is focused on the topic of “What charitable cause are you personally most passionate about?” He wrote, “I've seen the interest you've taken in what motivates others (including me) to give; I'd love to see something about what motivates you.” Well, how could I say “no” to that?

A few years ago, I had the pleasure of hearing Tracy Gary of Changemakers speak on the topic of creating a personal giving plan. After her presentation I stood in a long line to buy a copy of her book, Inspired Philanthropy: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Giving Plan. She autographed my book writing, “Be focused and audacious. Give strategically.”

With my trusty highlighter in hand, I finished reading my new book in one weekend. Soon I ordered the companion workbook, which with simple forms and easy exercises provides a good roadmap for creating your own personal giving plan.

I’d like to tell you I finished that plan, but my mia culpa is that have not. Here we have another example of the old truism, “those who give advice would be best served by following it themselves.” So don’t listen to me, listen to Tracy. I know I should.

But if I were to become more focused, audacious and strategic about my giving, the first step would be to ask myself how I currently give of my time, talent and treasure. After a bit of reflection, I find it falls into four levels—from outside to inside—they are friends/family, work, self and spirit.

Friends/Family
As a professional fundraiser, I really appreciate it when my friends and family get involved in supporting causes that they care about. Honestly, I love it when they ask me for help, and I’m always willing to contribute a few dollars. The cause may or may not motivate me, but by giving I know I’m honoring our relationship. The size of the gift is usually small, but this past year it includes the most generous single financial gift I’ve given. They range from contributing to my friend Anna’s bike trip to donating money to a fellow fundraiser undergoing chemotherapy treatments. Later this month I’m looking forward to attending a fundraiser for the Square Peg Foundation, organized by my talented 15 year-old-cousin Natalia. Though I’m happy to give financially to these groups or offer advice when asked, I find I rarely donate my time to these causes.

Work
Given the huge demand for professional fundraising support and because there are only so many hours in the day, I find I’m in the enviable position of turning away jobs on a regular basis. This allows me the freedom to partner with organizations whose values reflect my own. Look at my project list and you can get a good sense of what I care about. One of the practices I’ve made regular habit since consulting is to financially donate to these nonprofits, usually before I start any work. In this way, I try to model one of our core teachings, “we can’t ask others until we give first of ourselves.”

Self
As someone who identifies as queer, it is probably not surprising to learn that the majority of my personal giving is within the LGBTQ community. In particular, I donate and volunteer with organizations at the vanguard of the struggle for gender equality and personal liberty, such as the National Center for Lesbian Rights or the Transgender Law Center. I’m a former Board member and current legacy circle member of New Leaf, San Francisco’s mental health and outpatient center for LGBTQ individuals and families. Last year I helped lead a volunteer effort to remember the 40th Anniversary of the Compton’s Cafeteria Riot , San Francisco’s version of the Stonewall Riots, but which happened three years earlier. Internationally, I support the Global Fund for Women, which makes grants to women's groups that work to gain freedom from poverty, violence and discrimination. (Whom I should mention, has most savvy direct mail materials I've ever seen. I'd donated just to be on their mailing list.)

Spirit
Like many people, I moved to San Francisco over a decade ago looking for a dream, a dream that has unfortunately died in the hearts of many people. One place that I found that it still lives is Glide Memorial Church, a non-denominational, multi-cultural, social justice community rooted in the values of the civil rights movement. For many years they received my largest donation, and over the years I’m sure I’ve given them more money than I have any other group.

But I left Glide a few years ago, looking for a more personal spiritual practice not rooted in Christianity. I’m drawn to the ethics of Buddhism, but as I like to joke with my mentor, my meditation practice is not to meditate. So though I occasionally sit with half-a-dozen various groups in town, I have yet to commit to a particular sangha—a group of people with whom to cultivate wisdom, mindfulness and compassion—that I would call home.

What I am slowly coming to believe is I don’t need to go to a church, temple or any building to practice the precepts in my life. Rather my life, and particularly my work as a fundraiser, is becoming my spiritual practice. For are not those of us working in development called to help people remember the joy of giving, build connections with their neighbors, act on their values and help those in need? From this vantage point, fundraising becomes a sacred activity, one I am grateful to practice in my daily life.

So in fact I do have a sangha, the Development Executives Roundtable (DER). If how we spend our time and money is any indication of what our values are in the world, than DER is at the center of my life right now. Formed over 30 years ago by Hank Rosso, the godfather of professional fundraising, DER is dedicated to growing and enhancing the community of development professionals by providing low cost, accessible learning and networking opportunities directed towards fundraisers at every stage of their careers. The impact of our work, though hard to measure, is quite large. We are a small group of volunteers serving hundreds of nonprofits reaching tens of thousands of clients. So it is not too surprising to discover that last year they received my largest combined donation of time, talent and treasure.

How to ask for a gift: Successful face-to-face solicitation workshop

2007-08-03T12:36:00.000-07:00

Let's face it, many fundraisers, board members and volunteers love to do everything in fundraising except ask for money. Usually it is because they have simply never learned how to actually make an ask. The fear of asking for a gift from a complete stranger--or worse from a close friend--is legitimate. After all, if not handled properly it can put those involved in an uncomfortable position.

If you've ever had fears asking for money--and I know I have--please join me next Friday for what maybe the most important training you'll attend all year. How to Ask for a Gift: Successful Face-to-Face Solicitation is co-sponsored by the Development Executive Roundtable (DER) and will feature national Fundraising Consultant Philip Byrdsong. This luncheon event will be held August 10, noon - 1:30 pm at the San Francisco Foundation Center.

Learn how to prepare for the donor visit, anticipate and meet donor objections. Overcome your own fears, and learn how to ask a potential donor for money. Build your confidence by learning techniques that work. This is one session you'll want to invite your board chair, campaign chair and volunteers to attend with you.

Philip is probably the most value-based Fund Development Consultant I know. With over a decade of experience in the field, he is an active member of the Association for Fundraising Professionals, Northern California Planned Giving Council, National Center for Black Philanthropy and DER, as well as Disabled American Veterans. He has raised funds for United Way, California Peace Action, Central American Resource Center, A Better Chance, NAACP, East Bay Conversion and Reinvestment Committee, International Association of Machinist and Aerospace Workers, and others.

If you've been a good boy or girl this year, don't wait for X-mas to be rewarded. Learn how to ask for gifts all year around. For more information and to register, simply visit the DER website.

Partnering with board members in the end of year push

2007-07-27T14:45:00.000-07:00

Successful fundraising requires engaged leadership at both the staff and board level. Are you looking for strategies to create a more effective partnership between these two groups at your nonprofit? If so, join me for a free Development Executives Roundtable Fundraisers Anxiety Buster (FAB!) workshop entitled Partering with Board Members in the End of the Year Push, which I'll be facilitating at the San Francisco Foundation Center on Aug 8, 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Together we’ll clarify expectations, address obstacles, identify resources and discuss effective strategies that you can use in creating successful partnerships between staff and boards. Learn what you need to have in place to inspire your these two critical groups, and insure a successful end of the year fundraising campaign. Strengthen your own network with others doing similar work.

FAB is a free, peer support network for intermediate and seasoned fundraisers, and nonprofit staff and volunteers with development responsibilities (3 or more years experience requested), to share fundraising strategies and tactics, meet challenges, and solve problems. Peer leaders with expertise in each session's topic will help address issues identified by the group. Light refreshments will be served.

Peer Leaders
Julie M. Ver Steeg, CFRE is Associate Managing Director of Brakeley Briscoe, one of the San Francisco Bay Area’s leading specialists in fundraising consulting and nonprofit management. She has over 25 years experience in nonprofit fundraising and management, including significant experience in capital campaigns, development assessment studies, major gift strategies, annual fund development, membership programs and volunteer and staff training.

George Clark is the Chief Development Officer of the Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, which promotes the independence, equality and self-reliance of people who are blind or visually impaired. George is also the current President of the Development Executives Roundtable. Like Julie, he has several decades of experience in the field.

To Register
Please email fab[at]dersf[dot]org. Attendance is limited to 25 participants, so please register soon!

Giving: The key to long-life and prosperity

2007-07-27T10:21:00.001-07:00

I'm off to have lunch soon with my friend Regina , but first wanted to share with you an article she emailed me yesterday from the Christian Science Monitor. For it is now a proven fact, "researchers say giving leads to a healthier, happier life."

This according CSM and Dr. Stephen Post, who has recently written a book titled, Why Good Things Happen to Good People. For the past five years, he has been funding research projects that test how altruism, compassion and giving affect people's lives and well-being. As head of the Institute for Research on Unlimited Love (you gotta "love" that name) at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, he has sponsored more than 50 studies by scientists from 54 major universities.

His studies have clearly demonstrated that love and caring expressed in doing good for others lead people to have healthier, happier, and even longer lives. According to Dr. Post, "Giving is the most potent force on the planet (it) will protect you your whole life."

Having a hard time cultivating an attitude of gratitude in your life? It's not easy surrounded in a world populated by Eeyores. One practice is to start a gratitude journal. Another is to start paying attention the synchronicitic elements of your life. You know, when details start to line up without the effort of you or others. There as many opinions as to why this happens as there are bloggers, but finding the cause isn't the point. What is important is that you simply say "thank you." With these two simple words we begin to acknowledge that we aren't on this mortal coil alone. Don't know about you, but knowing that makes my life a lot easier.

Ever wanted to tell a foundation what you really think?

2007-07-26T11:13:00.000-07:00

As many of you are aware, there’s been a lot of discussion in the blogosphere lately around the issue of “foundation transparency.” Today the NY Times joins the conversation with an article, Foundations are Facing Up to Failures, which leads with the Carnegie Foundation’s mea culpa on its own failures in Zimbabwe.

The Times article references a podcast my friend Sean over at The Tactical Philanthropy did recently with Jim Canales, CEO of the Irvine Foundation. In the follow-up comments, Jim asks for additional feedback from the field about how they can improve foundation transparency. So if you’ve ever wanted to tell a foundation what to do -- particularly one of the large “gorillas in the room” -- here’s a great opportunity to voice your opinion.

Since starting his blog less than a year ago, Tactical Philanthropy has fast become one of the most important places online fostering dialogue around emerging trends in philanthropy. In my opinion, Sean's one of the few bloggers who's making a concerted effort to bring all voices to the table, not just his own. You can support him in this good cause by joining in the conversation today.

Fundraisers like you

2007-07-15T12:40:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned before I'm a big Kay Sprinkel Grace fan. She's the high priestess of value-based fundraising, and we should all be her acolytes. If you don't have a dog-eared copy of Beyond Fundraising within arms reach of your desk, I just don't know how you can call yourself a fundraiser.

Now for the last few years Kay's been helping the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's revise its entire funding strategy. For as our dear federal government continues to reduce funding for open discourse, public television is increasingly turning to "viewers like you" for support. Traditional telethons soliciting millions of individuals for small donations can no longer fill this gap. So like other agencies that have traditionally relied on large membership bases -- the YMCA comes to mind -- CPB is shifting its focus to major donors and planned giving.

Fortunately for you and me, they've published all of their campaign tools on two public websites, Major Giving Now and Planned Giving Now. I doubt there are two more comprehensive, comparable resources available online. From planning, prospecting, cultivating, soliciting and stewardship, its all here with detailed case studies and worksheets for you to use, whether you are fundraising for public television, a community college or an animal shelter. If you are familiar with Kay's work, it doesn't take long to see her hand at work in all of these materials.

If you like what you find, why not consider making a donation to your local public television station today?

Getting the greatest possible impact from your annual report

2007-07-07T15:49:00.000-07:00

An important fundraising tool is the annual report. Does your organization produce one? If so, has it been effective effective in leveraging larger gifts? If you'd like to work with your organization to produce its first annual report, or improve on last year's efforts, please join me this Friday, July 13, noon -1:30 pm, for DER's monthly San Francisco luncheon.

Mission Minded founding partners Jennie Winton and Zach Hochstadt will lead a discussion about creating annual reports that get results. Learn more about how to select and work with consultants, important design basics and critical questions to ask before you begin. Whether you’re doing it yourself or hiring professional designers and writers, Jennie and Zach will help you determine what’s important in creating an annual report that builds your reputation, drives donations and reports on what’s most important inside your organization.

For more information and to register, simply visit the DER website.

Fundraising for Nonprofit's festive and fiery fourth of july fireworks (and a poem)

2007-07-04T00:05:00.000-07:00

Seven Advice of Mevlana
In generosity and helping others, be like a river
In compassion and grace, be like the sun
In concealing other's faults, be like the night
In anger and fury, be like dead
In modesty and humility, be like the earth
In tolerance, be like the sea
Either appear as you are, or be as you appear.

-- Rumi

Shift happens: Have you joined the conversation?

2007-06-25T22:17:00.000-07:00

In praise of Indian giving

2007-06-24T20:39:00.000-07:00

I suspect it is only me -- for there is little discussion regarding this topic elsewhere -- but I am rather fascinated by the cultural roots of generosity. The following excerpt is from a wonderfully titled book, The Gift: Imagination and the Erotic Life of Property, by Lewis Hyde.

"When the Puritans first landed in Massachusetts, they discovered a thing so curious about the Indians' feeling for property that they felt called upon to give it a name. In 1764, when Thomas Hutchinson wrote his history of the colony, the term was already an old saying: 'An Indian gift,' he told his readers, 'is a proverbial expression signifying a present for which an equivalent return is expected.' We still use this, of course, and in an even broader sense, calling that friend an Indian giver who is so uncivilized as to ask us to return a gift he has given.

Imagine a scene. An Englishman comes into an Indian lodge, and his hosts, wishing to make their guest feel welcome, ask him to share a pipe of tobacco. Carved from a soft red stone, the pipe itself is a peace offering that has traditionally circulated among the local tribes, staying in each lodge for a time but always given away sooner or later. And so the Indians, as is only polite among their people, give the pipe to their guest when he leaves. The Englishman is tickled pink. What a nice thing to send back to the British Museum! He takes it home and sets it on the mantelpiece.

A time passes and the leaders of a neighboring tribe come to visit the colonist home. To his surprise he finds his guests have some expectations in regard to his pipe, and his translator finally explains to him that if he wishes to show his goodwill he should offer them a smoke and give them the pipe. In consternation, the Englishman invents a phrase to describe these people with such a limited sense of private property. The opposite of "Indian giver" would be something like "white man keeper" (or maybe "capitalist"), that is a, a person whose instinct is to remove property from circulate, to put it in a warehouse or museum (or, more to the point for capitalism, to lay it aside to be used in production.)

The Indian giver (or the original one, at any rate) understood a cardinal property of the gift: what we have been given is supposed to be given away again, not kept. Or, if it is kept, something of similar value should move on in its stead, the way a billiard ball may stop when it sends another scurry across the felt, its momentum transferred. You may keep your Christmas present, but it ceases to be a gift in the true sense unless you have given something else away. As it is passed along, the gift my be given back to the original donor, but this is not essential. In fact, it is better if the gift is not returned but is given instead to some new, third party. The only essential is this: the gift must always move. There are other forms of property that stands still, that mark a boundary or resit momentum, but the gift keeps going."

According to Hyde, "Tribal peoples usually distinguish between gifts and capital."

Do you?

10 reflections on giving and receiving

2007-06-22T15:00:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted much lately, but this homework assignment should be up in time for you to complete this weekend. I'll expect your written essays in my inbox by 10am Monday morning for grading.

When you have been involved in an act of generosity--large or small--what have you noticed happened in yourself?
What makes it difficult for you to follow your generous impulses?
Who was a role model of generosity in your life? Tell that person's story.
How where you taught about giving?
What changes in relationships when people are generous with one another?
Describe a time when you felt that your giving was natural and spontaneous?
Describe what is both hardest and easiest for you to share: Time? Money? Love? Possessions? Your company? Why?
How do you receive the generosity of others?
How do you give without placing yourselves in control or above those you seek to help?
What steps can you take to liberate your natural generosity and the generosity of those around you?

For these and other questions with no wrong answers, please visit Learning to Give, a project of the Fetzer Institute.

Urban gorilla army lets loose on San Francisco

2007-06-10T18:47:00.001-07:00

I thought getting men to march against rape in high heels was quite a sight. But that was nothing compared to today's spectacle of four-hundred people who, dressed as gorillas, ran in the first-annual San Francisco Great Gorilla Run to raise funds for mountain and low land gorillas threatened in the Congo, Uganda and Rwanda. Give that man a big banana!

How can we foster generosity of spirit?

2007-06-08T17:25:00.000-07:00

As I've written before, storytelling is an essential tool of the successful fundraiser. This one made me cry today, which is always a good sign. It's another lesson from Wayne Muller, founder of Bread for the Journey.

"David is a junior high school teacher. He told me that when he was a boy, he was fond of throwing stones. One afternoon, he discovered that if he tossed stones over his neighbor's fence, he could create a crashing sound, the sound of breaking glass. So he would heave a stone, and wait for the crash. Heave, crash. It was great fun. It felt a little dangerous -- he might get caught, after all -- but that, to a small boy, was part of the excitement.

As it happened, he did get caught. The man who lived next door came to his house and told his parents about the boy and the stones. 'I would like David to co me to my home, so I can show him a few things,' the man said, in a tone David took to be quite ominous. His parents, ashamed of and disappointed by their son's behavior, readily sent their son to the neighbor's house.

David sheepishly followed the man into his house, through the back door and out into the yard. There, next to the fence David was so fond of throwing rocks over, was a greenhouse. The stones had shattered many panes of glass. Once whole, the greenhouse now looked wounded, defeated. As the man led David into the greenhouse, David, imagining all manner of punishments, felt he was going straight to hell. What was the man going to do to him?

Slowly, as he led David down the rows of plants, the man began talking about flowers. He took David slowly, showing him each one and explaining what he loved about them. These, he said, are my gladiolas. They can get quite large, and bloom in many colors. These are violets; they were my wife's favorite. When I see them, I remember her, and I miss her. In the deep purple, she lives in my eyes. And these orchids, right here, are very difficult to grow. But when they bloom, they create the most exquisite shape and texture. You cannot believe until you see with your own eyes how a flower can be so beautiful.

David was shocked. There was no lecture, no beating, no punishment at all. After about an hour of showing David everything he loved about his flowers, and the greenhouse that helped him to grow them, he thanked David for coming, and told him he was free to go. As he walked home, David strangely felt as if he had been in heaven.

'At that moment,' David told me, 'I knew I would grow up and be a teacher. This man had done a very small thing -- he showed me what he loved. He could have yelled about the glass, punished me for being cruel, but instead he took a few thoughtful minutes to share with me the fragrances and colors that meant so much to him. In a single hour, that man changed the course of my entire life.'

What if the healing of the world utterly depends on the ten thousand invisible kindnesses we offer simply and quietly throughout the pilgrimage of each human life?"

Fundraising in the 21st Century: Bananas, popsicles and cookies, oh my!

2007-06-05T17:06:00.000-07:00

Permission marketing guru Seth Godin is fond of saying that when it comes to succeeding at marketing, we must all learn to "flip the funnel." Traditional advertisers, according to Godin, spend all their efforts creating a big funnel to draw in people, which results in a constant need to spend more money to attract more people. But what if we gave our fans the power to speak up on our behalf? What if we gave our donors the tools needed to solicit new donors? In his recent ebook of the same name Godin reduces it to this simple equation:

Turn strangers into friends;
Turn friends into donors;
And then ... do the most important job:
Turn your donors into fundraisers.

Internet evangelists will tell you that this is the revolutionary idea behind Philanthropy 2.0. But don't believe it for a second. There is nothing revolutionary about this. Any experienced fundraiser knows that volunteers have always been, and always will be, the key to any successful fundraising effort. While new technologies may allow us to scale in ways not imaginable in the past, the fundamentals haven't changed.

But if you haven't started leveraging the new technologies available, now maybe the time to consider it, for the earlier adopters have already established successful beachheads. Take for an example my friend Anna's AIDS/LifeCycle 6 web page. She's currently half way through a 545 mile bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles, raising money on behalf of those infected and affected with HIV/AIDS.

On her customized web page you will find her own personal story, along with photos, about why she supports this nonprofit and why you should too. There are multiple links to where you can learn more about this cause, or with a click of a button, make a secure donation online. Her page displays a running total of the amount she has raised so far. You can also leave Anna a public message, or listen to a podcasts she has recorded from the road. (Be sure to listen to episode #1 to understand the title of this post).

AIDS/LifeCycle provided Anna the tools to construct this page, and she did the rest. So far she has raised over $5,800 on her own. Anna, like the record 2,300 volunteers from 10 countries and 43 states who are currently riding down the coast of California, is not a professional fundraiser. But collectively they have raised a record $11 million this year -- surpassing last year's total by nearly $3 million.

For their part, AIDS/LifeCycle simply contracted with one of the many web-based fundraising application service providers, and let their riders do the rest. The May/June issue of Advancing Philanthropy special section on Fundraising Technology listed nearly 100 from which to choose.

So has your nonprofit taken this step yet? Perhaps you are waiting for your group to grow to a certain size or develop a signature event? But while you're waiting, life, and your donors, will pass you by. Think of it like dating. If you pause first to loose that 25 pounds, you'll find yourself languishing a long time for Mr. or Ms. Right. You need to just jump in and start dating. Next year, the two of you can join AIDS/LifeCycle 7 and work off those pounds together.

Similarly, by giving your donors the tools they need today to advocate on your behalf, you'll find your nonprofit becoming healthier and stronger in the years to come.

Sharing good people and good ideas

2007-06-02T11:45:00.001-07:00

Am happy to let you know I recently become an Affiliate Consultant with the East Bay CBO Center. The Center is dedicated to building the professional capacity of nonprofit organization's serving the counties of Contra Costa and Alameda counties.

I will continue to operate as an independent Fundraising Counsel, but this arrangement will provide my business with additional outreach and referrals. But what makes me most excited is that I now have direct access to a hand-picked network of over 30 of the San Francisco Bay Area's top nonprofit consultants.

So if you need help finding a nonprofit organizational development, human resources, evaluation or technology expert, give me a call and I can now pass you forward to a consultant with a proven track record.

The manifesto of abundance

2007-06-01T11:47:00.000-07:00

Hung out last night with my friend Maritza and her friends from the Abundance League. Special guests included two gentleman from Oaxaca Mexico, who shared with us how their families have come together to recover the traditional craft of tapestry making using local plant materials and sustainable practices. The resulting rugs and other items are worthy of hanging in museums.

So who is the Abundance League you may ask? Thank you for asking.

"We believe that abundance flows from helping each other. That mutual cooperation, collaboration, and interdependence lead to health, happiness, beauty, freedom, love, peace and truth.

That scarcity is created by anything that keeps us from helping each other. That anything blocking increasing levels of cooperation, collaboration, and interdependence cheats humanity of its full potential. That emotions, beliefs, behaviors, and social divisions that keep us from helping each other lead to poverty.

That the purpose of our lives is to be of service to each other. That it is our responsibility as individuals to understand our unique abilities and passions, design a life of service that uses these to the best advantage of others, and find like-minded collaborators to advance our service projects. That it is not only our responsibility, but a powerful source of purpose, meaning, and joy to do the work we were meant to do.

That it is our responsibility to improve the quality of our lives and others. That we should not expect someone else to do this for us. A better world is our responsibility and counts on our every action. That creating a better world is actually easy, counts on many little actions in our daily lives, and is something we can do now starting with those in our local community.

That we have everything we need to create a better life and better world within and around us. That if we act on our most deeply held dreams for humanity with humility, inclusiveness, determination, faith, generosity, honesty, and good intention, the universe will aid you in your quest. That simple actions added up will not only result in a better life for ourselves, but a positive shift in world affairs. That this is not only our responsibility, but a powerful source of pleasure, satisfaction, and belonging."

What to get on the Peace Train with me?

Avoiding the flaws that doom your grant proposals to the reject pile

2007-05-30T17:10:00.000-07:00

Bay Area readers who missed Susan Fox and Cheryl Clark's excellent presentation this past April on the top 10 flaws that doom your grant request to the reject pile now have another chance hear them live. Please join them Friday June 8, noon - 1:30 p.m., at Oakland's Preservation Park for the Development Executives Roundtable monthly luncheon. Learn proven techniques for transforming ugly duckling proposals into beautiful swans.

This event is co-sponsored with the CBO Center. For more information and to register, simply visit the DER website.

Steady but slow, slow, slow

2007-05-29T09:44:00.001-07:00

Just a little update to my post of two months ago. Thought you might be interested in seeing how far construction has progressed in my neighborhood since then.

During this time the major freeway bridge to Oakland collapsed (in two places) and was rebuilt, all in just 25 days.

What is my gift to the family of the earth?

2007-05-28T16:46:00.000-07:00

I'll be forever grateful to Marianna Cacciatore, Executive Director of Bread for the Journey, for introducing me to Wayne Muller's book How, Then, Shall We Live? Muller founded Bread for Journey some years ago to nurture neighborhood philanthropy. Today they have 20 growing chapters across the United States.

Through all his writing Muller shows how we can experience a greater sense of inner wholeness and guidance, living a life of meaning, purpose and grace. In this book he asks us to consider four simple questions:

Who am I?
What do I love?
How shall I live, knowing I will die?
What is my gift to the family of the earth?

Knowing me, I jumped forward and read the last chapters first, in which he writes:

"Some of us wish to wait until our gift is potent and comprehensive enough to solve all the world's problems. Seeing that our gift is does not stop all the suffering, we decide it is inadequate. But every gift is a drop of water on a stone; ever kindness, every flash of color or melody helps us remain hopeful and in balance. Each of us knows some part of the secret, and each of us holds our portion of the light. We can thrive on the earth only if we each bring what we have and offer it at the family table...

A gift is like a seed; it is not an impressive thing. It is what can grow from the seed that is impressive. Clearly, we do not always know our real gift. One way to name our gift is to pay close attention to what we love. Many are becoming aware that the that the clarity and courage born of their own healing can also be made available for the healing of those in need...

Many of us believe that giving somehow means we must stop receiving. When I am trying to protect my position as the 'giver,' this marginalizes (those who receive as a) client rather than a human being whom I spent time with, who now wants to give back to me. When I also become a receiver, the walls between us soften, the boundaries disappear, and I am simply one of the family...

Real joy is to be found in the balance between giving and taking. Like breathing, we must both inhale and exhale. Inhaling is not superior to exhaling; one is no more noble or good than the other. They are both necessary. To name our gift is to also to name our need...

So the question 'What is my gift?' is not about coercing us into giving more and more, but rather about becoming more mindful of how we already intimately connected with everything and everyone..."

I know what you won't be watching next fall

2007-05-19T21:46:00.000-07:00

She's not quite Xena or Buffy, but Veronica Mars still gets high marks from me in the kick-ass television heroine category. The show went up another notch in my book by turning this week's episode into an hour-long fundraiser for Invisible Children, an international NGO dedicated to improving the quality of life for war-affected children by providing access to quality education, enhanced learning environments and innovate economic opportunities.

This week found Veronica trying to prove whether or not an African student at her college, whose recently published memoir recounted his time as a child soldier in Uganda's rebel army, is the son of a man who moved from to this country prior to the war. As the story unfolds we learn there is war still happening in Northern Uganda. Children are continuing to be kidnapped and forced to fight as child soldiers, and that in the displacement camps 1000 people die every week due to the horrific conditions.

The episode ends with an epilogue by actress Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars) urging her viewers to "please go to invisiblechildren.com and use your time, talent and money to become a part of this story's end."

You can watch the entire episode, I Know What You'll Do Next Summer, online at CW Video.

Unfortunately, two days after this episode was aired, CW officially canceled this series. It is set to be replaced by a show called the Reaper, about a 21-year-old slacker who ends up becoming Satan’s bounty hunter, retrieving souls lost from Hell. Which I guess is why I don't watch very much television anymore.

Remembering the past, recovering the future, and living for today

2007-05-18T16:44:00.000-07:00

"What does giving mean? Who is the giver and who is the receiver? How can giving become a spiritual practices? How do we take care of all beings?" These are the questions that opened up Tuesday's excellent panel presentation Caring for Community And Self: Giving as Spiritual Practice, sponsored by San Francisco's Horizons Foundation.

Inside Wells Fargo's Penthouse suite, far above the San Francisco skyline, those in attendance were treated not only to lunch, but words and wisdom from Zen Buddhist Priest H. Ryumon Gutierrez Bladoquin, Episcopal Minister David Norgard, Jewish Rabbi Camille Shira Angel, and Muslim Community Leader Urusa Fahim. I was happy to learn the workshop was organized by my friend Rajat Dutta, and moderated by my mentor Lisa Hoffman.

The common theme throughout the day's discussion is the fact generosity is seen by many spiritual traditions as how we nurture our community and ourselves. Acts of giving create compassion, connection, and have the power to change people, relationships and cultures. Those who give and those who receive are transformed, whether the gift involves food, service or money. Hearts open and lives expand when the welfare of others is valued. Key teachings include:

Buddhism
Generosity is the heart of the Buddha's teachings. It is more than a kind gesture: it is an embodiment of wisdom. It liberates the mind and heart. Dana is a Pali word meaning "generosity" or "the act of giving." Dana is the first of the ten paramitas, or qualities of character to be cultivated in our lifetime (or lifetimes). The Buddha emphasized dana because it is a gateway to compassion and wisdom.
Christianity
The earliest disciples of Jesus recall him saying that "Happiness lies more in giving than in receiving" and this insight has resonated with his followers ever since then. Believing that all that we have is a gift from God, Christians understand that their own spiritual growth is partly a function of their stewardship of what they have been given -- responding with gratitude and generosity being the ideal.
Islam
Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam and is compulsory for every Muslim. It is necessary to give Zakat in order to fulfill the basic obligations of being a Muslim. Zakat is a tax of 2.5% paid on the savings and capital for the year.
Judaism
For many, tzedakah is considered the highest moral obligation of the Jewish people. Tzedakah sets a "just base" for giving since you're given the opportunity to help provide for the poor. Tzedakah can also be understood as a more broad "philanthropic" mission -- to make the world a better place/repair the world/help people in need.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Can you imagine contemporary philanthropy practices based on the above principles? What would it look like? As social entrepreneurs, philanthropists and fundraisers alike call for the "end of charity," urging market-based solutions and measurable outcomes in return for their financial investments, is there any hope that the principles of generosity and compassion that have been at the core of giving for many millennia have any chance of surviving?

A gift consists not in what is done or given, but in the intention of the giver or doer

2007-05-06T08:12:00.000-07:00

"Among the numerous faults of those who pass their lives recklessly and without due reflection, my good friend Liberalis, I should say that there is hardly any one, so hurtful to society as this, that we neither know how to bestow or how to receive a benefit. It follows from this that benefits are badly invested, and become bad debts: in these cases it is too late to complain of their not being returned, for they were thrown away when we bestowed them.

Nor need we wonder that while the greatest vices are common, none is more common than ingratitude: for this I see is brought about by various causes. The first of these is, that we do not choose worthy persons upon whom to bestow our bounty, but although when we are about to lend money we first make a careful enquiry into the means and habits of life of our debtor, and avoid sowing seed in a worn-out or unfruitful soil, yet without any discrimination we scatter our benefits at random rather than bestow them.

It is hard to say whether it is more dishonorable for the receiver to disown a benefit, or for the giver to demand a return of it: for a benefit is a loan, the repayment of which depends merely upon the good feeling of the debtor. To misuse a benefit like a spendthrift is most shameful, because we do not need our wealth but only our intention to set us free from the obligation of it; for a benefit is repaid by being acknowledged.

Yet while they are to blame who do not even show so much gratitude as to acknowledge their debt, we ourselves are to blame no less. We find many men ungrateful, yet we make more men so, because at one time we harshly and reproachfully demand some return for our bounty, at another we are fickle and regret what we have given, at another we are peevish and apt to find fault with trifles. By acting thus we destroy all sense of gratitude, not only after we have given anything, but while we are in the act of giving it.

Who has ever thought it enough to be asked for anything in an off-hand manner, or to be asked only once? Who, when he suspected that he was going to be asked for any thing, has not frowned, turned away his face, pretended to be busy, or purposely talked without ceasing, in order not to give his suitor a chance of preferring his request, and avoided by various tricks having to help his friend in his pressing need? and when driven into a corner, has not either put the matter off, that is, given a cowardly refusal, or promised his help ungraciously, with a wry face, and with unkind words, of which he seemed to grudge the utterance.

Yet no one is glad to owe what he has not so much received from his benefactor, as wrung out of him. Who can be grateful for what has been disdainfully flung to him, or angrily cast at him, or been given him out of weariness, to avoid further trouble? No one need expect any return from those whom he has tired out with delays, or sickened with expectation. A benefit is received in the same temper in which it is given, and ought not, therefore, to be given carelessly, for a man thanks himself for that which he receives without the knowledge of giver.

Neither ought we to give after long delay, because in all good offices the will of the giver counts for much, and he who gives tardily must long have been unwilling to give at all. Nor, assuredly, ought we to give in an offensive manner, because human nature is so constituted that insults sink deeper than kindnesses; the remembrance of the latter soon passes away, while that of the former is treasured in the memory; so what can a man expect who insults while he obliges? All the gratitude he deserves is to be forgiven for helping us.

On the other hand, the number of the ungrateful ought not to deter us from earning men’s gratitude; for, in the first place, their number is increased by our own acts. Secondly, the sacrilege and indifference to religion of some men does not prevent even the immortal gods from continuing to shower benefits upon us: for they act according to their divine nature and help all alike, among them even those who so ill appreciate their bounty. Let us take them for our guides as far as the weakness of our mortal nature permits; let us bestow benefits, not put them out at interest. The man who while he gives thinks of what he will get in return, deserves to be deceived.

But what if the benefit turns out ill? Why, our wives and our children often disappoint our hopes, yet we marry and bring up children, and are so obstinate in the face of experience that we fight after we have been beaten, and put to sea after we have been shipwrecked. How much more constancy ought we to show in bestowing benefits! If a man does not bestow benefits because he has not received any, he must have bestowed them in order to receive them in return, and he justifies ingratitude, whose disgrace lies in not returning benefits when able to do so.

How many are there who are unworthy of the light of day? and nevertheless the sun rises. How many complain because they have been born? yet Nature is ever renewing our race, and even suffers men to live who wish that they had never lived. It is the property of a great and good mind to covet, not the fruit of good deeds, but good deeds themselves, and to seek for a good man even after having met with bad men. If there were no rogues, what glory would there be in doing good to many?

As it is, virtue consists in bestowing benefits for which we are not certain of meeting with any return, but whose fruit is at once enjoyed by noble minds. So little influence ought this to have in restraining us from doing good actions, that even though I were denied the hope of meeting with a grateful man, yet the fear of not having my benefits returned would not prevent my bestowing them, because he who does not give, forestalls the vice of him who is ungrateful. I will explain what I mean. He who does not repay a benefit, sins more, but he who does not bestow one, sins earlier."

From On Benefits by Lucius Annaeus Seneca, 4 BC–AD 65, a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist and humorist of the Silver Age of Latin literature.

Creating dialogue fearlessly: Media relations overview

2007-05-05T07:44:00.000-07:00

Tickets are still available for next Friday's DER luncheon, featuring nonprofit public relations expert David Perry. I'll be at the front door assisting with registration. Would be great to see you there.

David is one of the first people whom I met when I moved to San Francisco nearly 10 years ago, and I'm grateful to call him a friend. He's is a firm believer in the philosophy that there are only two forces in the world -- fear and open communication. He mirrors this concept by fostering dialogue between his clients, the media and the community at large. For his efforts, his firm was named the Exceptional For-Profit Arts Related Business by the Business Arts Council in 2006 for its stellar work with nonprofit arts clients including the San Francisco Girls Chorus, the Museum of Craft and Folk Art, Asian American Theater Company and others.

David's presentation will provide you a guide to basic public relations, including examples and instruction in the use of standard tools (news release and pitch writing, database management, media relationship building) and how to set up a basic campaign for your organization that will get the attention you need.

Friday, May 11, 2007
12:00-1:30 p.m.
Location: Lighthouse for the Blind
214 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco
Cost/Registration: DER members = $12, non-members = $20
Reserving your space by Wednesday at the DER website.
Lunch is included in your fee.

Walk a mile in her shoes

2007-04-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the 6th annual Walk a Mile in Her Shoes Men's March in Sherman Oaks, California. According to LAist, "from Sepulveda to Vesper and back (one mile total), men marched Ventura Blvd. chanting 'stop rape now' and getting onlookers caught in the traffic to honk their horns."

The event raised money for the Valley Trauma Center, a program of the College of Education at California State University. The center's mission is the elimination of sexual and interpersonal violence through healing, empowerment and increased public awareness of prevention strategies.

What used to be a single event back in 2007 has now spread into 35 marches total around the country this year. "Violence against women does not just affect women," March Founder Frank Baird said. "Men are hurt and angered when women they care about are raped."

Men coming together to marching against rape. Yes Virginia, the world is changing, and I like it.

Side benefits of being a fundraiser

2007-04-25T10:21:00.000-07:00

One of the side benefits of being a fundraiser is the opportunity to attend many gala events. Never one to turn down free food and drinks (even if these days I stick to veggies and sparkling water), in the past few weeks I've attended the Goldman Awards, New Leaf Services for our Community Annual Gala and Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation Cabaret with the cast of the Jersey Boys. Coming soon, me and 2,500 of my closest friends will be dancing the night away at National Center for Lesbian Rights 30th anniversary celebration.

Now, I don't usually like photos of myself, but this one that my friend Maya snapped at the recent San Francisco LGBT Community Center 5th birthday party is actually quite nice. That's me with my good friend Chris, the founder and former CEO of Network for Good and Netaid.

One question though, what is he doing with his hand?

Getting from no to yes: Top 10 flaws that doom your grant request to the reject pile

2007-04-25T07:20:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I went to the Commonwealth Club to listen to my friends Cheryl Clarke and Susan Fox give an AFP-GGC luncheon presentation based on their new Jossey-Bass published book Grant Proposal Makeover. If you're like me, you've been to enough presentations before to know the difference between when the guest experts talk at you versus talk with you. Cheryl and Susan know how to do it right.

During the course of an hour they shared with us antidotes and tips they gleaned from surveying over 70 foundation executives, including the following list of 10 most common grant proposal flaws:

Does not address funder's priorities.
Does not follow logical order.
Does not show the need.
Overwhelms with too many statistics.
Relies too much on client stories or testimonials instead of just giving the facts.
Uses poor objectives and/or evaluation.
Includes a bad budget.
Is written "by committee."
Uses overblown, florid language.
Uses vague, abstract language.

For those of you who have experience writing grants, this list may seem rather obvious. But as they talked about each of these points in more detail, I had to admit to myself that I've been guilty of most of these errors at one time or another. It reminded me, that like a professional musician who practices her scales every morning, how important it is for us fundraisers to regularly review the basics, however much experience we may have.

Now if you'd like to start by reviewing the above points in more detail, Cheryl and Susan have graciously offered to shared with you their presentation handout.

Mastering Major Gifts: Putting Donors First

2007-04-24T10:59:00.000-07:00

As a successful nonprofit fundraiser, you know that major gifts are the result of successful partnerships within your organization and within the community. Nonprofits with successful major donor efforts have developed a truly donor-centric culture. Organizational leadership plays a key role in establishing and maintaining these partnerships and culture.

But getting to this point is easier said than done. So if you are located in the San Francisco Bay Area, I'd like to invite you to join me for a free Development Executives Roundtable Fundraisers Anxiety Buster (FAB!) workshop entitled Mastering Major Gifts: Putting Donors First, which I'll be facilitating at the San Francisco Foundation Center on May 16, 3:00 p.m. - 5: 00 p.m.

As a group, we'll discuss issues such as how to build a unified major donor campaign team, craft appropriate policies and develop a donor portfolio. Together we'll review successful strategies for leveraging existing major donors and additional natural partners. Get the help you need in identifying the critical elements to develop, sustain and grow your base of contributed support. Strengthen your own network with others doing similar work.

FAB! is a peer support forum for intermediate and seasoned fundraisers, and nonprofit staff and volunteers with development responsibilities (3 or more years experience requested), to share fundraising strategies and tactics, meet challenges, and solve problems. Light refreshments will be served. Guests with expertise in each session's topic will help address issues identified by the group. Our guest experts will be:

Mark Lachman, Senior Major Gifts Officer, California Pacific Medical Center Foundation
Mark is Senior Major Gifts Officer at California Pacific Medical Center Foundation and has over 15 years Development experience in both small organizations with few systems to support fundraising as well as in larger institutions. Mark is responsible for three different funding priorities at CPMC with a total philanthropic need of $6 million. He carries a personal portfolio of 150 donors and coordinates the Board of Trustee’s year-long solicitation process. In 2005 Mark implemented a portfolio system for the CPMC Foundation Trustees after piloting this process in a subcommittee. Last year the 44 Trustees approached 675 prospects and raised over $4 million.

Melanie Hamburger, Associate Director of Philanthropy, The Nature Conservancy
Melanie brings over 15 years experience in major gifts, special events and volunteer management for nonprofits, and a prior career in corporate finance and marketing. Her major gift experience covers a broad range: at The Nature Conservancy, she cultivates and solicits 50 donors for gifts of $100,000 over 3-years and is personally responsible for raising nearly $2M this year; as development director of the California Historical Society, she started a new program for $1,000+ major donors, increasing the number of donors at that level by 77% and resulting revenue by over 400% in six months. Using the Moves Management approach to major gifts, Melanie works with senior managers and business leaders to tap "natural partners" in major donor access and cultivation. Currently, Melanie sits on the Board of the Development Executive Roundtable.

To Register
Please email fab[at]dersf[dot]org. Attendance is limited to 25 participants, so please register soon!

Philanthropy: Taking care of yourself and your community

2007-04-22T11:03:00.000-07:00

San Francisco's Horizons Foundation has announced a series of free workshops around the Bay Area to help philanthropically minded individuals, couples, and families give to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community more effectively and strategically. These sessions are promoted as "donor networking opportunities in a solicitation-free space," though there really can be no doubt they are part of the foundation's larger endowment building cultivation strategy.

That said, I think they've come up with an interesting set of presentations. Have already sent in my reservation for the May 15 workshop entitled, Caring for Community and Self: Giving as Spiritual Practice. According to the program description, "Generosity is seen by many world religions as how we nurture our community and ourselves. Those who give and those who receive are both transformed, whether the gift involves food, service or money. This panel discussion will explore spiritual insights on giving and transformation from leaders of various faiths."

Other workshops include:

Leave Your Story in Trust: Writing an Ethical Will - April 30
Socially Responsive Investing for the LGBT Community - June 13
Life Income and Testamentary Giving with Charitable Trusts - September 9
How to Evaluate Nonprofit Organizations - October 25
2007 Legislative, Electoral, and Judicial Update - November 9

No one is going to check to see if you are a card-carrying pink triangle member at the door, so would encourage anyone who lives in the area and is interested in attending to do so. If you sign-up, drop me an email and we can go together.

Do something outrageous every day

2007-04-18T12:31:00.000-07:00

I have to admit to a bias that rock 'n roll is best delivered by testosterone-fueled, under-aged young boys. Spectacles like this just prove my point. Yet this rebellious cover by the Zimmers of the Who's classic "My Generation" brings home the message as good as the best of them. Their lead singer is 90-years-old and he's not the oldest -- there are even 99 and 100-year-olds in the band! Must be watched all the way through to truly appreciate.

In 2000, there were 600 million people aged 60 and over; there will be 1.2 billion by 2025 and 2 billion by 2050.
Today, about two thirds of all older people are living in the developing world; by 2025, it will be 75%.
In the developed world, the very old (age 80+) is the fastest growing population group.
Women outlive men in virtually all societies; consequently in very old age, the ratio of women/men is 2:1.

Ciao bellissima!

2007-04-18T11:44:00.000-07:00

Un benvenuto grande a tutti i miei nuovi lettori Italiani! Le mie scuse se il mio Italiano è poco un di massima, ma essere un anglofono monolingue, ho usato un servizio di traduzione per scrivere queste parole.

Giusto ha desiderato lasciarli tutti sapere eccitato sono che quelli che noi di chi si commettono ad aumentare la raccolta di fondi stiamo cominciando insieme alla rete, non appena all'interno dei nostri diversi paesi, ma anche intorno al globo. Per soltanto vicino il funzionamento insieme possiamo cominciamo a rispondere ai bisogni aumentanti che stanno interessandoli come cittadini globali. Non importa se la sfida è guerra, riscaldamento globale, povertà o il traffico umano; Credo che siamo tutta la parte della soluzione.

No more country life for me

2007-04-17T15:59:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update to my recent post on the Casa Roberts street repairs. The good news is the sewer lines have all been finally replaced, and the boys in orange are now starting to work on the sidewalks -- next week I'm even getting a new driveway! Soon they'll have the stairs to the park at the top of the hill finished. Can't wait till they turn on the new retro streetlamps.

Not as noisy this week, but I gotta tell you, this all is wrecking havoc on my billable hours. Ugh.

The end of journalism (as you know it) and the future of fundraising

2007-04-11T09:32:00.000-07:00

The net has been a buzz with violin virtuoso Joshua Bell's Washington Post staged busking performance in a Washington D.C. metro station. Joshua played 6 songs on his $3.5 million violin handcrafted in 1713 by Antonio Stradivari. After 43 minutes and 1,097 walk-bys, he received 27 donations totaling $32.17 (plus one $20 bill from the only person who recognized him.) For all you direct mail junkies and social entrepreneur types, that would be a 2.5% response rate at a cost of $125,000 per donation with an ROI of 0.00015%.

So is doubtful Joshua's performance is going to have much effect on future of professional fundraising (though it should remind you how poor events are as effective strategies to raise money). But just watch this video, is this the future of professional journalism? I'm afraid so.

The science and art of fundraising

2007-04-11T07:31:00.000-07:00

I’d like to direct you to a juicy post on Dollar Philanthropy by guest blogger Michele Martin writing on scarcity versus abundance, and why this distinction is important to those of you who raise money for nonprofits. Her post reminds me that one of the reasons I love fundraising is because it utilizes both my left- and right-brain, the linear and creative parts of my psyche.

As you probably known, your left-brain is home to your linear and mathematical side. Here lives the part of you that enjoys systematic planning and outcome measurements. Many commonplace fundraising tools such as gift charts, research databases and long check-off lists, rely on the strengths of your left-brain.

But the successful fundraiser knows these tools alone aren't enough. In fact, your goal should be to learn and forget them. Not forget as in deny or ignore, but forget as in letting them becoming second nature. It’s the Taoist approach, for the successful fundraiser knows that her job is both a science and an art.

So while the science of fundraising is very left-brained, the art of fundraising is primarily right-brained. The later is home to your holistic and abstract side. Here lives the part of you that enjoys cultivating relationships and inspiring others. Perhaps your most important right-brain fundraising tool is your ability to listen to and tell stories.

Why is this distinction important? Because by understanding both the science and art of fundraising, you can help somebody reframe their life, moving from scarcity to abundance. A gift truly given -- whether $10 or $100,000 -- has the potential to transform not only the recipient, but the donor as well. For in this act of generosity she may recognize -- perhaps for the first time in her life -- that she simply has "enough." Enough that she can even share with others, others whom she may begin to see aren't all that different from herself. This is how we begin to heal the world.

Globe-trekking fundraiser and author Lynne Twist has written a lot about this. "In a world where huge proportions of financial resources are moving toward consumption, destruction, depletion and violence, (our mission as fundraisers) should be to to inspire, educate and empower people to realign the acquisition and allocation of their financial resources with their most deeply held values -- to move from an economy based on fear, consumption and scarcity, to an economy of love, sustainability and generosity."

All this takes is a little planning, a good ear and a powerful story. Are you ready to give it a try?

Every day is a good day

2007-04-10T18:21:00.000-07:00

In case you every wondered what a group of fundraisers looks like after a morning of meditation in the Redwood Forests of Northern California, here's a photo.

That's me, third from the right.

Imagine the headlines of the future

2007-04-06T10:41:00.000-07:00

Via the onPhilanthropy Buzz, this just in from the Skoll Forum. Proves once again that a picture is worth a thousand words (and then some).

POP QUIZ: Ten points to whoever can first spot the embedded sponsorship.

Partnering and the joy of giving

2007-04-04T14:26:00.000-07:00

Want to give a shout out to Katrya for highlighting a recent dialogue I had on her blog with Holden of Give Well. Glad I could help move along the conversation in some small way.

Now it's your turn to chime in with comments.

Your potential. Our passion. Their money.

2007-04-04T10:23:00.000-07:00

Remember Lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who is serving six years in prison on a criminal case where he pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy, fraud and tax evasion? Apparently Microsoft was one of the biggest employers of Team Abramoff, who were successful in increasing the number of H-1B visas in 1996, 1998 and 2000. With Jack now locked up, Guffett Jr. has taken to hoofing Capital Hill himself urging high tech worker immigration reform, though no word yet if he supports open borders for the rest of us.

“Can Guffett Sr. buy his way into Heaven with his charitable donation?" asks Mike Bower, Pastor of Adult Ministries, Woodland Park Baptist Church. "I come from a biblical world view. I can give you several scriptures where the word of God says that’s not the case. Mathew Six, one through four, says beware practicing your righteousness before men. Giving is not something we flaunt or publicize."

Though Guffett Sr. has agreed conditions in Sudan are deplorable, he believes divesting related holding would not help. "So it's hard to see how Buffett is a social investor," writes to Liz Umlas, Sr. Research Analyst at KLD, an independent investment research firm. "It seems that what he thinks is 'right' is maximizing returns regardless of the social consequences, whether that means investing in tobacco, or in companies that do business with the government of Sudan."

"Like a very wealthy but self-indulgent family, we peeled off a bit of what we owned in order to consume more than we produced," writes Guffett Sr. in his recent letter to shareholders. "The U.S. can do a lot of this because we are an extraordinarily rich country that has behaved responsibly in the past .... at some point in the future (there) will be a severe political backlash."

DEAL OR NO DEAL: Is it just me who takes perverse enjoyment in the philanthropy paparazzi effect? Since these Guffett posts get so few comments, I fear so. So unless there are any requests to continue, I think this shall be the last we hear of Melinda, Bill and Warren's most excellent adventures on this humble blog for the time being.

Green Acres, we are there!

2007-04-03T16:29:00.000-07:00

If behind every great man is a great woman, apparently behind Guffett Sr. is another man. If "Charlie Munger hadn’t been around, Buffett arguably would not have gained an appreciation of buying great businesses rather than cigar butts."

Speaking of great women, I learned today that Ms. Guffett is from Dallas. She and her husband recently visited Vietnam on a two-fer, promoting better children's health and the Windows operating system. No word on if they are also selling Microsoft's new Swiss army knife.

Educational advocate and Harvard drop out Guffett Jr. will finally be presented his diploma from his Alma Mata on June 7. None too soon, as he is scheduled to give this year's University commencement speech. Looking for the perfect graduation gift? Consider picking out something in the catalog of billionaires.

Guffett the Elder has been seen recently hanging around the basketball court with NBA star LeBron James, who wants to be the first sports star billionaire. Says Guffett Sr., "He tells me what socks to buy and I tell him what stocks to pick." Elsewhere it is reported Vanity Fair Guest Editor and U2 Frontman Bono has taken a fancy to the younger Guffett.

Am so sorry to report, the Guffett Jr. for President bandwagon has called it quits. Doubt anybody is going to nominate Carlos Slim, the third richest man in the world. Last month he scoffed at Guffett for playing Santa Claus to cure poverty's ills. According to Slim, "wealth must be seen a responsibility, not as a privilege. The responsibility is to create more wealth."

Speaking of Slim, he and Guffett now control more money than the poorest 48 nations combined. According to Peter Schwartz, Chairman of the Ayn Rand Institute, in a free, capitalist system, this income inequality represents something very good. What do you think?

How can the guard change if you won't open the gate?

2007-03-31T21:49:00.000-07:00

A post on Netsquared about the intergenerational transfer of leadership reminded me of the following story:

My last staff fundraising job was at LYRIC, a community center serving lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning youth ages 14-23. When I started, I had just turned 40 and was the oldest person on staff by nearly a decade.

One of LYRIC's services was a job training program, which included paid internships for young people. Before placed on site or with a partnering organization, interns received 50 hours of training, including interview skills, financial management, and how to handle workplace discrimination and safety issues.

The first intern I was assigned was just 14 years old. I told the Program Coordinator, "don't you think I could get somebody who is at least 18? I need to have them be able to operate a computer and work independently." His response was to give her a try, and if it didn't work out, to let him know and somebody else could be assigned to me.

The day came for my new intern to start. Barely pubescent, she couldn't have weighed over 90 pounds and looked younger than her 14 years. We sat down and my first question was, "so tell me about yourself."

She looked at me, paused, and said, "I'm a long-time activist and I'm going to end homophobia."

My life changed that day.

She became one of my greatest teacher. For not only was she a long-time activist, having been raised by a straight mother in an progressive household, but she was going to end homophobia, because she held no shame in who she was, and would happily and calmly dialogue with anyone around the issues.

I had her meet with the Mayor.

She called all city's Board of Supervisors.

We talked about her 100-plus Barbie doll collection.

She changed my life, and in doing so, changed my world.

As adults, so many of us spend all our life trying to change the world around us, but if we only opened our hearts to the youth amongst us, we might find a much easier path to peace and liberation.

P.S. That's me on the left.

We do more things before 8:00 a.m. than most people do all day

2007-03-30T08:18:00.000-07:00

Really, I love my job, I do. But sometimes working out of my home has its disadvantages. Like today. Third time in three years the roads are being torn up. Been like this for nearly a month. New sewers this time. Took this blurry photo on my camera phone just minutes ago at 8:00 a.m. from my office window.

Look at the shadow, the sun is barely up! Do you think I'm going to get a lot done today?

She's wearing tight white shorts. How about yours?

2007-03-29T09:58:00.000-07:00

At 76, Guffett Sr. has announced he is looking for someone to take over his job. Maybe he'll ask George Foreman, as he does keep a photo of him on his desk. But apparently he is no rush to retire, as the elder Guffett is in excellent shape from his diet of Cherry Coke and hamburgers. I guess don't live to geek; geek to live isn't one of the enlightened sayings you'll find in the Tao of Guffett.

Guffett Sr. may have filed his first income tax at age 13, declaring his bicycle as a business expense, but he still doesn't carry a cell phone or use a computer at his desk. Perhaps he can't afford them on his $100,000 a year salary? Maybe Guffett Jr., who recently sold 20 million shares of Microsoft stock, raising about $580,000,000, could front him a loan? Or perhaps he'll take up the Learning Annex's offer of $2,000,000 to teach for 30 minutes? Though of course, Donald Trump will then want a raise, up from the $1,500,000 per hour he gets.

Just because you're a Guffett child does not mean you get to play on your computer all day long. Mr. and Mrs. Guffett Jr. have decided to set for their daughter a of total screen time limit 45 minutes a day for games, and up to 1 hour a day on weekends. I wonder if she has met her new uncle yet, the Jewish Guffett?

So how do you know you're working at the world's largest foundation? When in one week your boss breaks earth on a new 1,000-car parking garage and his newest business partner is the Canadian Prime Minister. And speaking of parking garages, according to GM officials, if they made cars like Guffett Jr. makes computers, "You'd have to press the start button to turn the engine off."

Steve Jobs continues to get all the breaks, as people consider Guffett Jr. uncool and boring. Maybe we need to call in the brand experts? Or maybe not? Boring or not, Guffett Jr.'s fortune still rose $6 billion to $56 billion last year, while Guffett Sr. garnered in an additional $10 billion to boost his net worth to $52 billion. The lack of hurricanes has been credited with helping propel the elder's record profits, a fact I'm sure the folks at Common Ground were happy to hear.

Finally, every year Guffett Sr. writes a much anticipated annual letter to shareholders, full of words of wisdom, including this short story I'd like to share with you:

"An older man who crashed his grocery cart into that of a much younger fellow while both were shopping. The elderly man explained apologetically that he had lost track of his wife and was preoccupied searching for her. His new acquaintance said that by coincidence his wife had also wandered off and suggested that it might be more efficient if they jointly looked for the two women. Agreeing, the older man asked his new companion what his wife looked like. 'She’s a gorgeous blonde,' the fellow answered, 'with a body that would cause a bishop to go through a stained glass window, and she’s wearing tight white shorts. How about yours?" The senior citizen wasted no words: 'Forget her, we’ll look for yours.'"

The changing face of philanthropy: Engaging communities of color in asking and giving

2007-03-22T20:38:00.000-07:00

I hope you can join me for the Development Executive Roundtable's April 13 luncheon, from noon - 1:30 pm, at San Francisco's Foundation Center. Though I admit, perhaps we could have come up with a better title than the above header, which in my mind implies communities of color aren't currently engaged in philanthropy -- a myth I've already dispelled -- but apparently this is going to be just one of the important topics addressed.

For according to the publicity blurb, there will be a "lively discussion with grantmakers and development professionals about changing the preconceived notions about who is engaged in the work of philanthropy, strategies for recruiting and retaining staff that are representatives of diverse constituencies, traditions of giving in ethnic communities, and strategies grantmakers are using to diversify the nonprofit and foundation fields."

Panelists announced so far include Evette Brandon, Youth UpRising’s Development Director, who has worked with a number of community-based organizations with an explicit commitment to eliminating the negative effects of economic injustice, health disparities, sexism and racism on communities of color. She has worked with the Community Health Academy, The Center for Third World Organizing, The Applied Research Center, Girls After School Academy, and the Grassroots Institute for Fundraising Training (GIFT). She has also served as a Board member with GIFT, The Todos Institute, Conciliation Forms of Oakland, and the Alumnae Association of Mills College. Ms. Brandon received her Master in Public Health from San Jose State University.

Also presenting will be Priscilla Hung, Co-Director of Grassroots Fundraising, whose programs include GIFT- Grassroots Institute for Fundraising Training, publishing the Grassroots Fundraising Journal, and hosting Raising Change, A Social Justice Fundraising Conference. Priscilla learned how to fundraise by completing a GIFT internship. She is Co-Editor of Reversing the Flow: A Practical Guide to Greater San Francisco Bay Area Corporate Giving Programs, 2001-02 Edition.

Additional speakers to be announced include guests from The California Endowment and The San Francisco Foundation.

What do Development Directors Want?

2007-03-21T10:43:00.000-07:00

According to the Association of Fundraising Professionals 1 in 2 of you won't last in your current job for even 24 months. If you weren't already concerned about the future of the fundraising profession, perhaps you are now?

So what's an Executive Director to do? Are you having difficulty searching for a new Development Director? Not finding the candidates you hoped for? Are you fortunate enough to have hired a great candidate and want to make sure he or she stays? Concerned that you might have a Development Director who is thinking of leaving?

If so, you’re not alone. Fundraising stars Ruth Herring and Barbara Pierce recently hosted a workshop at CompassPoint addressing this exact topic.

Here's a sampling of what local Development Directors said they needed to be successful in the job. Sound familiar?

Realistic, achievable goals.
Support for Development Director by Executive Director.
A leadership role in the “big picture” planning for agency as member of management team.
Priorities: Opposite of “everything is equally important” approach.
A strong, working Board and direct access to Board members.
Respect for fundraising and donors.
Opportunities for learning, access to experts.
Good employment benefits (retirement, flexibility, etc.).
Opportunity to see the results of their work.
Inspiration by and trust in the Executive Director.

My question is, what do Executive Directors want? It so easy to point our fingers at the Executive Director or at the Board when things get challenging. Yet weren't we hired to manage exactly these types of difficult situations? Would love to hear your thoughts below.

Alternatively, if you live in the San Francisco Bay Area, please join me Wednesday, May 16, 3pm - 5pm at the Foundation Center as I facilitate a free FAB workshop on, "Creating the Dream Team: Best Practices for Executive Director and Development Working Relationships."

In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, in the expert's there are few

2007-03-20T07:56:00.000-07:00

Perhaps I should take a break from blogging more often?

Last week I was offline preoccupied with completing four grant requests, including two government funding proposals. (Nothing like working through a 250-plus page RFP while trying to coordinate the needs of 5 nonprofits submitting 2 collective funding requests.) While I was away from this humble blog, its subscription stats nearly doubled!

Seems my recent post on the end of fundraising got picked up by several high profile sites, including Give and Take, Philanthropy 2173, Giving Matters and Selfish Giving. I even got a call from a reporter at the local San Francisco Business Times, because of all this attention.

So a big shout out to all of you who linked in, and for those of you who have recently subscribed, a big welcome to you! Thank you so much for your vote of support.

Like many others, I started this blog under the mistaken impression that it would be a good way for me to share what I knew, providing a marketing vehicle for my work as consultant. Soon I learned that in order to write a blog, one must read blogs. Today my feedreader contains subscriptions to nearly 100 other blogs, plus a couple of dozen podcasts and vlogs.

Soon I realized that knew nothing.

To be honest, I pretty much already knew that, for when I was thirteen I knew everything there was to know in the world. Every year since that I've taken a step closer to ignorance. I figure if I'm lucky, I'll reach a blissful state of peace with the world by the time I'm ready to die. But for now the best I can do know is to recognize life is all one big mystery.

So while other bloggers may promise you answers, I think what I can merely offer you are questions. Questions like, "how can we cultivate greater generosity and compassion in the world for ourselves and others?" Your comments and responses are always welcome.

Becoming a blogger is one of the best things that I've done for myself this past year. It feeds my curiosity about the world, and has connected me to a small, but growing world of thought leaders shaping the future of philanthropy. Like fundraising, it is also a practice that is hopefully teaching me to walk through the world greater grace and humility.

So thank you so much for your readership and support. Perhaps together we can create a world of new possibilities?

One for the road, two for the show, three to get ready, and four we fall down

2007-03-08T15:14:00.000-08:00

Just learned via Boing Boing about this new Red Cross San Francisco Bay Area earthquake preparedness campaign. For more amazing photos (CC) like this, check out Jason DeFillippo's Flickr Stream.

Don't eat lunch at your desk

2007-03-07T18:45:00.000-08:00

In addition to predicting our future, last month's superstar fundraising panel shared a few tips on how we might all survive long enough to see that future come true. Most suggestions were variations on the theme of rest, recreation and renewal. I couldn't agree more.

But my favorite tip was "don't eat lunch at your desk." Okay, let's see a show of hands out there, where did you eat lunch today? Hmm, I thought so. Am I going to have to call your mother?

Me, I had lunch today at a quaint little Thai restaurant with Sean from Tactical Philanthropy. He and his Ensemble Capital buddy Eric treated me to eggrolls and curry. Yummy.

Who knew the faces behind blogs could be both smart and cute?

The end of fundraising (as you know it) and the future of philanthropy

2007-03-05T16:27:00.000-08:00

Attended an excellent panel presentation at the San Francisco Foundation Center recently featuring fundraising superstars Cheryl Clarke, Susan Fox, Kay Sprinkel Grace, Bob Zimmerman and Lisa Hoffman. Between the five of them, I suspect they have over 80 years of experience in this field. So I asked them to pull out their crystal balls and predict the future of fundraising and philanthropy. Here's what they said.

Fundraising will leverage technology in ways we can't even imagine today.
Donor-driven calls for increased efficiency will reduce the number of nonprofits.
Greater public awareness of the sector will result in increased government oversight.
The leadership deficit crisis will continue to grow.
The need for ongoing training will increase significantly as the field continues to professionalize.
Social entrepreneurs will become the drivers of new philanthropy.
Corporate giving will disappear, to be replaced by various forms of cause marketing.
The number of operating foundations rise.
Planned giving will increase in strategic importance.
The tin cup style of fundraising will be dead.

Katannuta

2007-03-02T22:15:00.000-08:00

Spent last weekend at Spirit Rock, meditating on appreciation and gratitude. While wandering amongst the Redwoods during a break, I came across a small temple marked with the word Katannuta. Inside, away from the winter wind and cold rain was a small sanctuary filled with photos, poetry and other remembrances left in gratitude to those who have gone before us. Amongst the treasures was the following.

"Generosity brings happiness at every stage of it’s expression. We experience joy in forming the intention to be generous. We experience joy in the actual act of giving something. And we experience joy in remembering the fact that we have given."
-The Buddha

547 days and counting

2007-02-24T00:00:00.000-08:00

Bar none, my favorite vlog is Chuck Olsen's MN Stories, produced out of my hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota. While recently on the road covering the Edward's campaign, Chuck met up with this church group volunteering their time to gut flood-damaged houses in the Upper Ninth Ward of New Orleans.

Reuniting America: What unites us as Americans?

2007-02-23T15:43:00.001-08:00