At the end of the day Giving Tuesday is about philanthropy – a time for each of us to reflect on our abundance and share our resources with others. We can give on this one day, or we can take time to build giving into our everyday lives. We can reflect on how giving changes our relationship to ourselves and the world. We can diminish feelings of alienation and restore our feelings of connection… We are changed as we give. Often for the better.
Keep your giving joyous! Know who and what you want to support, and make your decisions accordingly. You are under no obligation to give to any organization, even if you gave before…These are voluntary decisions. Take a moment to evaluate emotional appeals – especially online requests – to see if the actual work of the organization is in line with your priorities. Multiple small impulsive gifts add up over time: you may find you’re “over budget” or that your giving is not in-line with what’s important to you
As the year comes to a close nonprofits look to board members, volunteers and donors to ask their friends, family members and colleagues to consider making a meaningful gift. You may have the internal fortitude to overcome your fear of asking (read, fear of rejection), but what exactly do you say and do?
Don’t be self conscious, there is no such thing as “making” people give. Ask for a specific amount for a specific purpose, be quiet and wait for their response. Asking in person is always important, but social media and email is another way to engage potential donors, especially if you are part of an active network.
If you don’t want to fundraise, don’t make it a priority, and don’t invest time and money in fundraising, chances are you don’t have the will to fundraise. Will and willingness are related, but not the same. Willingness is an attitude: will is the application of willingness. It is evident in the actions you take and don’t take. You can’t go on auto-pilot.
You can’t see what you can’t see. There may be some challenges facing your nonprofit that you’re not be aware of. They are insidious and sometimes deadly. Taking a close look at “what’s really going on” may refocus your energy and resources, and rescue your fundraising.
The Fooling Yourself Theory can get in the way of successful fundraising. If last year’s fundraising strategy did not yield the required results, thinking it will work this year may be an example of the “theory” in action. If board members did not solicit those they agreed to solicit last year, you may want a different strategy – or different volunteers – this year.
The giving season is upon us. For many nonprofits, hospitals, schools, and colleges the next three months are all about fundraising… Some of us have the ability to be most generous. For most, giving is more constrained, focused on a few organizations we believe in. Here’s something to think about: extend your gift by giving more than money. Consider these five ideas.
Loyalty to the leader reaches its highest peak when the follower has personally grown through the mentorship of the leader. Why? Because you win people’s heart by helping them grow personally. The impact of Beverly Robertson, outgoing president of the National Civil Rights Museum.
