Will 2015 be another year of doing the same thing and expecting different results, or will this truly be a new year? Here’s a suggestion for nonprofits who want to focus on different results: create a short-term assessment task force to review your planning processes and the people and resources available to implement your plans.
Will 2015 be another year of doing the same thing and expecting different results, or will this truly be a new year? Here’s a suggestion for nonprofits who want to focus on different results: create a short-term assessment task force to review your planning processes and the people and resources available to implement your plans.
While there is a lot of pressure this time of year to be in a relationship, that isn’t always the right thing for everybody. Healthy relationships are characterized by love and mutual respect. There’s also pressure for nonprofits to partner and collaborate, but as with people, it has to be a right fit.
Social change requires participation by all, same as it did in the past. It’s about churches, sororities and fraternities, civic and professional organizations. It’s about people of all faiths, colors and backgrounds… This is not a time for “us vs. them” In the words of the president of the United States, “It’s about closing the gap between our professed ideals and how they are applied in day-to-day situations.”
As we prepare to celebrate 10 years of writing this column we look back at its evolution and the diversity of topics we have addressed. We share them with you here to encourage you to look for past columns on our blog www.FUNdraisingGoodTimes.com. As you prepare for 2015 there may be columns you missed with content that can help you.
The issues that drove us to begin writing this column are those that sustain us in all aspects of our work. We want to help nonprofit organizations and institutions bring their visions and missions to life. We want them to succeed. And we want them to be thoughtful stewards of the resources they have access to.
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.
