Strategic & Development Planning: Love and Marriage

persons trying to set attainable goals in a strategic meeting

Strategic Planning

Every nonprofit must periodically assess its success in pursuing its mission, and must evaluate its progress toward achieving its long-term goals and objectives.

Those assessments and evaluations can only proceed if an organization has clearly established (and periodically) confirms its reason for being, and has established benchmarks by which it can judge its success and achievements.

On an annual basis, part of the strategic planning process is the analysis of income and expenses for the year ending, and the creation of a budget for the coming year. Budget creation must be based on “real” numbers, numbers that are based on need and the likelihood of income being at levels that will satisfy the need.

It directly follows that a budget cannot (should not) be adopted unless there will be sufficient income to fund all planned/desired activities.

Strategic Planning, therefore, cannot proceed without a parallel process of Development Planning that indicates/reveals what an organization’s (realistic) fundraising potential is for the coming year.

Development Planning

So many (immature) nonprofits set their fundraising goals based on what they’d like to raise, as opposed to what they can raise.

Goal setting is not the arbitrary choice of a dollar target. Goal Setting must be based on an organization’s knowledge of their past fundraising achievements and what they know, from that experience and their fundraising expertise, that they will be able to raise for the coming year.

An NPO cannot risk setting a fundraising goal that they don’t reach. Failure to reach a fundraising goal sends the wrong messages to the community, to the constituency and to (potential) donors. It says that the NPO doesn’t plan well, isn’t broadly supported by the community, and doesn’t have the dollar support they need for the activities in their budget.
 
 
So, when an organization is doing its Strategic Planning, it must take the results of the Development Planning process into consideration when setting short- and long-term goals and objectives. You can’t include activities/expenses in the Strategic Plan that projected income won’t support, and income projections must be based on reality, not wishful thinking.

The Development Plan is the large dose of reality that places limits on the Strategic Plan, and the Strategic Plan is the “justification” for setting fundraising goals. It’s like love and marriage, you can’t have one without the other !!

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Have a comment or a question about starting, evaluating or expanding your fundraising program? Contact me at Hank@Major-Capital-Giving.com With over 30 years of counseling in major gifts, capital campaigns, bequest programs and the planning studies to precede these three, I’ll be pleased to answer your questions.

D is for Dynamic

A young lady smiling and moving her hands

We have been exploring the qualities of great presenters, starting with A and on our way to Z. Each week we list one or several attributes of great presenters and communicators, and suggest some ways you can build that characteristic in your own speaking.

If you want to play along, suggest your own great words starting with that letter of the week. Better yet, help me out by suggesting a word for the next letter of the alphabet! And let me know how you are using these ideas to build your own habits and characteristics for great speaking.

Dynamic: having life, energy, passion about your topic. Nothing can replace this! If you are worried about remembering your lines, this can rob all your energy and leave you flat. Audiences today have very little tolerance for a speaker just reading the slides. Break away. Tell a story. Talk about the problem, or your solution, or your audience. Breathe life into your presentation. Ahhhh! Much better!

Daring: if everyone else just reads through the boring bullets, are you really going to do the same thing? You could, of course. But why not be a little bit daring? Hide some of your slides. Edit out some of the detail. Add in a few great graphics. Photos of the team or the customer’s plant. Hit the “B” key while presenting a get a black screen, turning the attention off the slides and onto you. Now that’s daring.

Distinctive. What is your unique presentation strength? What makes you special? If it is your expressive voice, play that up. If it is your ability to tell stories, weave them in. If you are really good at humor—and you might want to ask someone to validate this—sprinkle some in. If you are great at facilitating a lively discussion, feature that in your presentations. No one can be you, so find what makes you distinctively different, and run with it.

How have your embodied these attributes in your speaking? What results or outcomes have you enjoyed? What cautionary tales would you add to those willing to be daring, distinctive and dynamic?

What other words come to mind for the letter D?

Public Administration and the Impact Economy

Two-administrative-teams-discussing-outside-a-building.

The following blog was written by guest blogger Cyndi Laurenti:

The economic struggle the U.S. is facing today isn’t simply a matter of a few bad business decisions; for too long business practices have marginalized and preyed on their market base. The quest for corporate profits has caused similar degradation of social systems and the environment, creating a weakened infrastructure that has difficulty recovering from major catastrophes like the subprime mortgage crisis.

Continue reading “Public Administration and the Impact Economy”

Social Media Preparedness

Crisis-team-in-a-company-discussing-the-need-of-social-media-preparedness

Still not ready??

While social media continues to grow and users welcome it into most every aspect of modern life, few businesses are truly prepared to launch a social media crisis management campaign. Check out these telling figures, from a recent SmartBlog on Social Media survey:

If a social media public relations crisis were to hit your brand tomorrow, do you think you would be prepared to respond effectively? The results:

  • We have the capacity to respond, but there’s no formal plan in place: 63.81%
  • We wouldn’t know it was happening until we read about it in the media: 15.24%
  • Yes, we have a well-documented social media crisis-control strategy: 15.24%
  • We’re monitoring social channels but lack the capacity for a response: 5.71%

It was shocking to see only 15.24% reporting a well-documented social media strategy, especially given the fact that this poll was directed towards those that use social media for business, as well as the monumental amount of coverage received by both positive and negative social media situations over the past year. Of those 63.81% that claim the “capacity to respond, but there’s no formal plan in place,” it would be a solid bet that the majority of those have absolutely nothing except a dead Twitter stream and a sporadically updated Facebook.

A 2011 Burston-Marsteller survey found that 79% of business decision makers believe they are only 12 months from a potential crisis, and a full 43% of those expected the crisis to revolve around social media. We aren’t saying that getting involved with social media isn’t a big step, but we are saying that you’ve GOT to take the plunge, invest the money, and get involved.

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For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
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[Jonathan Bernstein is president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc. , an international crisis management consultancy, and author of Manager’s Guide to Crisis Management and Keeping the Wolves at Bay – Media Training. Erik Bernstein is Social Media Manager for the firm, and also editor of its newsletter, Crisis Manager]

Meaningful Work is Worth Creating

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Too many people today spend their waking hours doing work they hate, or at least barely tolerate. What a waste of human potential. At a time when we need more people to contribute solutions to our pressing problems, to bring energy to help businesses succeed, to find new paths for a better world, we can no longer afford to work in ways that are numbing, draining, or demoralizing. We can’t afford it at a human personal level and we can’t afford it at a global economic level.

While many companies say their employees are their greatest assets, few executives are working tireless to create work environments that renew and replenish their workforce.

Creating Companies with Heart

Organizations are social institutions. We create them, we can change them. Here are a few websites that are helping organizations shift how they see themselves. Self-awareness and self-reflection are the first steps to self-improvement.

Glassdoor.com is a website to help you rate your workplace. The Employee’s Choice award goes to those companies whose employees give high approval for their company. Some forward-thinking executives are using this website to gauge their employee satisfaction and engagement.

The Good Company Index provides ratings of Fortune 100 companies based on various social responsibility categories and human capital criteria. This index can also be used to support your efforts to have a workplace that cares about its people. The research of McBassi and Co. has shown that companies high on their index outperform S&P 500 companies.

The Great Place to Work website offers ratings and ideas on best practices for employee engagement. For over 25 years this organization has helped set benchmarks for firms from a human capital perspective.

Engagement is at the heart of any successful firm, quite literally. Companies that spark the creativity and hearts of their staff succeed over the long haul.

Creating Meaningful Work

Finding and creating meaningful work, work that speaks to your heart and soul, work that allows you to share your gifts, passion and purpose, are the ones worth creating. Focus on what you can do differently so that your talents don’t go untapped, parked at the front door of your office.

No employer wants to see good talent go to waste. Talk with your boss or co-workers about ways you can enliven your workplace. For more ideas for working with passion and purpose, read my book, Path for Greatness: Work as Spiritual Service, now out in the 10th anniversary edition.

  • Click this link to order Linda’s 10th Anniversary edition of “Path for Greatness: Work as Spiritual Service”.

Bright Blessings as you bring your gifts, passion, and purpose to work in meaningful ways.

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For more resources, see our Library topic Spirituality in the Workplace.

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Dr. Linda J. Ferguson is an author, speaker, consultant and seminar leader. Visit her website- www.lindajferguson.com for more information about her transformative work. Linda has a Facebook Fan Page – https://www.facebook.com/LindaJFerguson “Like” this page if you want to get notices of these blog posts and other updates of Linda’s work.


Can You Fix My Employees With Training?

Can-You-Fix-My-Employees-With-Training

“Continual learning is essential for survival in the workplace-instruction in the form of training is not. For workers who are already able to do what is expected of them, but are not performing to expectations, training is not the answer.” Robert F Mager as quoted in the ASTD Handbook for Workplace Learning Professionals p. 173

How often we suppose that the lack of performance is related to training. It is this very assumption that continues to breed frustration in many organizations and certainly fails to result in improved performance despite the fact that is exactly what most parties involved want. Instead what happens looks something like this:

Manager– “My employees just don’t get it. They need to be trained on how to…..”

HR Pro– “I can set up the training, but if manager doesn’t support it back on the job, it will be a waste of time.”

Employee- “Training on this again. Don’t they know I already know this. I could teach this stuff.”

Trainer/Facilitator-“I don’t know why I am up here wasting my time. This people clearly don’t want to be here.”

So how do you prevent this in your organization? According to the quoted author above, a proper analysis is required to ensure the performance intervention will be successful. That is a simple enough step. So where is the breakdown in the above scenario?

Simple, responsibility. Who’s responsibility is it to conduct the analysis? The manager blames the trainer, the trainer blames the trainees and/the manager, HR blames the manager, and the employee blames everyone! Blame gets you in this scenario.

If this is common in your organization, you can change it. Take responsibility to start the analysis and involve the others in the process.

For more resources, See the Human Resources library.

Sheri Mazurek is a training and human resource professional with over 16 years of management experience, and is skilled in all areas of employee management and human resource functions, with a specialty in learning and development. She is available to help you with your Human Resources and Training needs on a contract basis. For more information send an email to smazurek0615@gmail.com or visit www.sherimazurek.com. Follow me on twitter @Sherimaz.

First: How to Train People to Communicate Well, Not to Act

a-medical-doctor-with-a-patient
The doctors were straightforward and honest to answer fully whatever question I asked.

I was approached recently to train medical staff how to give patients and family members bad news. I asked why this consortium of trainers thought I was a good choice for this. The answer: because I was an actor. I knew how to be someone else. Did I leave my body and my feelings behind? I probably would have accepted the training job under other circumstances, but I was under several doctors’ care for a serious matter myself coincidentally at the same time, and how those doctors related to me mattered.

In these types of cases, it’s not a matter of action or inaction. It’s not a matter of saying the right words, nor is it a matter of say words a certain way–like acting… Uh-oh. When training acting takes the place of empathy and more…saying something important or serious the politically correct way isn’t always best. There are serious times when it is imperative to understand the definition of acting is not pretending, not being someone else. It’s more than that.

Acting is about truth, honor, trust and integrity. What it is not about is “faking it” or “pretending;” that does no one any good. From an actor’s perspective, doing those things rarely end up in acting accolades; those that make acting about reality and true feelings do get the accolades, and they get them for honesty of portrayal.

So what has this to do with “empathy?” Empathy is truth–the way we like to hear it. Hear any bad news lately. I have, and I know some others who have. The doctors were straightforward and honest to answer fully whatever question I asked. But what about those questions, I was afraid to ask? You see I appreciate honesty; it get’s it over, but then I am left with burning questions that I’m afraid to ask, which may do more harm than good, and cause more pain in the long run.

The doctors need to see the questions I’m concerned about but not asking. Don’t worry, it’s not a mind reading trick, but a matter of perspective. Knowing your audience. Reading your audience. Look up from the clipboard. Another thing to learn besides acting.

I’m not sure if what I thought was right for me at the time was the right way to go; these doctors have the experience of other patients who may have wanted the same “truth” I did, but they would have to dig a little to find the alternative that was right for me. It’s not always what I want, nor is it what your patient wants. It’s what they need for treatment to be best affected.

A genuinely concerned and passionate doctor and an trainer to help achieve those aims, it is possible to achieve miracles.

We know treatment depends on mental state and the ability to tell our bodies to help even more. What if we can. A genuinely concerned and passionate doctor and an trainer to help achieve those aims, it is possible to achieve miracles.

But we have to be careful: trainers and clients alike.

Training is all the rage these days as the economy inches forward. I have always been a bit unusual in that I strike from a different place with the Cave Man. In an odd way, he is my muse. Inasmuch as I love theatre for various reasons to numerous to go through now, I still think it is essential in a job that conveys, not only information, but other traits that come from ourselves.

I am the guy who thinks “acting” is one way to help people get through to others, and believe it or not, in a most genuine fashion. There are different ways to teach “acting” and different definitions in the layman world, which I have argued. Also, acting has been, for the first time in its history, a sort of buzz word for helping others say the right things at the right time. Imagine, actors being politically correct.

Out of work actors can teach acting to non-actors. Be careful you don’t just get an actor, but someone who knows about real life and psychology. Perhaps there should be a certificate out there at least. I still think acting can be the trainer’s tool. It has it’s places, but it can’t be just about teaching acting or teaching others to act. Although it can be entertaining.

I say it myself and I mean it that it is a great way to find you. I still believe in know your audience, know your subject and know yourself.

This may be such a good thing if you can envision a bunch of insincere people giving you bad news. Think of the worst situation that may occur and a doctor is able to deliver that information with aplomb; he or she makes you feel good despite the bad. I came upon a class of Teaching Lawyers to Act and decided with the help of a colleague who actually sold the idea to to some lawyers and was able to give themselves help in talking with a jury, delivering depositions, negotiating contracts. Her methods are different than some of mine; I still think as a team we’d be terrific, but we’ve had trouble coordinating schedules, etc.

Helping people communicate better, however we do, is a good thing, and these groups that can do it are helping those who can’t for the most part. Nothing is better than saying the truth and saying it with caring. Actors are generally pretty good at portraying that, and believing it. Of sometimes they put on what is expected of them, but if they are good at their trade they are able to reach the actor within–the one that counts.

Theatre can be about games that loosen up the inner you–finding the client’s real you; however, there are different ways to do that. And that depends on the client and personalities of others involved. When I say, audience comes first, I mean it. The people who come into contact with you, who depend on you, are not there to be sold by you. They want the real you.

My way of working with non-actors is different. I don’t want them to change who they are and pretend to be someone else–even for a minute. I don’t want them to act. I work with them in such a way as the best of who they are to come out. We let them be who they are with honesty thrown in, and it works pretty well. Remember, the true cowboy never takes off his hat. Who really cares if he’s wearing the politically correct business suit if he makes you believe in him, in his company and his mission, which is you.

Along with empathy, let’s consider character, personality and we can help professionals achieve more than they dreamed, saying to a patient or a client, not only what they need to hear, but hear it in a way that sets them on the right track.

Knowing your subject is always best. Don’t try to fake it either, and remember, honesty in checking facts and getting more of the right information goes a long way toward credibility. As for yourself, discover what makes you passionate. You wouldn’t be where you are if you weren’t that person–and if you are, think about another approach. Convey that passion to others and they will see you for what you are: a caring and compassionate individual.

All that reality is there, along with the positive character traits. You will share your reality with them, and by doing so, will be genuine and real, and their personality with come through as well. They will deal with you as a person, and you will appreciate the honesty and care that is given. It still is all about communication done well. Let’s get it done right as well.

A short blog burning inside. I received a phone call that made me think about training doctors to act or training acting to doctors. As always that sets me to writing. Along with empathy, let’s consider character, personality and we can help professionals achieve more than they dreamed, saying to a patient or a client, not only what they need to hear, but hear it in a way that sets them on the right mental track that cures them or helps them accept the news they didn’t want to hear at all.

Well, that’s my post to help put trainers who wish to do this sort of training on the right track or consider again if it isn’t you. It’s too important to screw up. People’s lives may be at stake.

Unusual also for me to write a blog on a Saturday, but I like to catch ’em while their hot on my mind. Just my usual disclaimer that these ideas are my own, seldom half baked but always in need of your comments and additions either on my website or here. The Cave Man Guide to Training and Development is out, and I am planning a couple more in the series. My novel, Harry’s Reality, is out and available wherever digital books are sold and is also available all downloads through Smashwords. It’s about what happens when we stop talking to each other on our own and let the machines tell us who we should talk to and what’s best for us. Not a totally cheery idea, although the novel is full of action and thought-provoking ideas.

One last thought just in case you wondering. I’m still happy to train actors, but I have become fascinated with the fact that others who don’t act need us, too. Happy Training.

For more resources about training, see the Training library.

How to Avoid “Toxic” Coaching

A superior showing his subordinate what to do on a document

This is a guest post from coach and consultant, Dean Middlebrook of Management Development & Marketing at Canon Europe Ltd.

(Although the following blog post mentions therapists and clnicians, the guidelines are useful to anyone who is interested in using coaching for themselves, even if they aren’t interested in seeking professional levels of competence in coaching.)

In a clinical setting the terms ‘shadow of the therapist’ and ‘wounded healer’ are often used synonymously to describe an unhelpful and un-therapeutic relationship where the clinician misuses the client relationship to work through his/her their own healing needs. The focus moves away from the client’s needs and towards the helper’s emotionally unhealthy and potentially harmful agenda.

Now, of course, the coaching relationship isn’t generally a therapy; however, the idea of the ‘shadow of the coach’ and the ‘wounded coach’ are compelling topics that I think need to be raised in coaching development programmes. And upon reflection, I’ve observed toxic coaching is the following forms:

1) Need to control the agenda within the client relationship
2) Need to create an unequal balance of power within the coaching relationship
3) Need to take responsibility for the solutions to a client’s difficulties
4) Need to create a relationship of dependency between the coach & client
5) Need to take on the role of ‘saviour’ and ‘rescuer’
6) Need for client to praise, respect, adore, and flatter the coach
7) Need to instruct, sermonize, direct, and give advice
8) Need to feel superior
9) Relishes in the power of the coaching role without sufficient training and supervision
10) Over indulges in too much self-disclosure
11) Expects gratitude on the part of the client
12) Becomes defensive, resentful or aggressive when challenged by clients
13) Takes coaching relationship into the therapeutic realm
14) Probes without clear ethical boundaries
15) Pathologizes a client’s problem
16) Always blames the client when the coaching relationship breaksdown or when the relationship fails to show meaningful outcomes (refuses to take any responsibility for the failure to achieve meaningful outcomes)
17) Misuses knowledge to assert authority
18) Intellectualizes issues as way of asserting credibility and respect (i.e. “I’m smarter than you, so you had better listen to me”…or, “I know you better than you know yourself”)

What do you think? Can you add anything to the list?

For many related, free online resources, see the following Free Management Library’s topics:

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Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD – Authenticity Consulting, LLC – 800-971-2250
Read my blogs: Boards, Consulting and OD, and Strategic Planning.

Leadership Pyramid

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I recently read an article on personal health that included the Mayo Clinic food pyramid. Hummm, do you suppose that a leadership pyramid impacts organizational health?

The two foundational sections (fruits and veggies for those of you who are interested in personal health as well) for leaders wanting to positively impact organizational health and well being are, I would argue (drum roll): Creating Reality and Coaching (Figure 1.)

Creating reality, establishing the contextual landscape, is the concept that leaders set the stage, create the container, and generally help the organization frame how it perceives the world. Call it organizational culture, the emotional system, or leadership presence, how you show up, interpret events and react to them sets the tone for the group you lead. It is very difficult for an organization to operate outside of the “reality” perceived by its leadership.

Remember “leadership by walking around”? Well, one thing leaders can do when they walked around is coach those they encounter. For leaders to intentionally create reality, they have to get out and talk to people. After hello and some small talk, what better than to have a coaching conversation? This is not a 30-second elevator speech. A coaching conversation at the base of the leadership pyramid needs three or four good questions that establish common ground, explore the landscape, course correct if needed, and create the reality you desire. For example:

  • What are you curious about these days?
  • What keeps you up at night?
  • What about our company excites you the most?
  • Who else I should be talking to?

If you have time, make up your own questions based on what you are curious about, what keeps you up at night, and what excites you the most about your company.

Moving up the leadership pyramid, we’ll come back to the circle at the end, we enter the zone of carbohydrates – leadership that provides the organization with energy. Purpose. Vision. Goals. I lump these three together to take advantage of their synergy.

  • Purpose (why we are here) needs direction (Vision) and just enough structure (Goals) to keep people aligned. When your Purpose Mojo is working organization wellbeing is high, people are jazzed, and the energy is palpable.
  • Vision supports all levels of the leadership pyramid – go west is the only direction needed when core principles are in place (Purpose) and people know where they are relative to each other and “west” (Goals).
  • Goals allow us to measure our progress as we undertake intentional change, i.e. achieving our Vision. In today’s VUCA world (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous) goals have a much shorter life span. For example, if the budget is going to change, and whose isn’t, goals have to realign and adapt to the reality that exists.

Protein is the next layer, the nutritional element that builds new structures – from enzymes to bones and muscles. In the leadership pyramid this layer is where innovation drives change and builds the future. It takes a while to see the effects of this layer, but without enough high quality protein (innovation and change) the whole organization becomes malnourished, unthrifty, and susceptible to dis-ease. As you fuel your organization with innovation and change, pay attention to the structures you are building and how they impact function – a runner would be slowed down by the muscles of a weight lifter and a ballerina would not get off the ground with an additional 20# of fat.

Which brings us to the next layer of the pyramid – energy dense fats. These are fuels that pack a whollop and, in excess, can topple our diet. In the leadership pyramid, this layer is the executive team. Building your executive team (or your key colleagues and advisors) is about finding the healthy ones and weeding out those that clog the organizational arteries. Think a light dipping oil verses Crisco. The “Mediterranean” Diet of this level establishes a team that is positive, has complimentary strengths, and integrity.

Sweets are at the top. They tempt us while reeking metabolic havoc on our blood sugar. A good sweet is a delight, savored, the experience drawn out, eaten a bite at a time. The top of the leadership pyramid is strategy; well made it goes a long way and is enjoyed by everyone. Leaders who spend an appropriate amount of time on the rest of the pyramid create the right sweet (strategy) for the meal (from creating reality to building their team).

So what is that strange circle in the middle of the Mayo Clinic Food Pyramid? The wise folks in Rochester, MN realized that a food pyramid is incomplete without exercise, which they placed in the base to indicate its value. For the leadership pyramid the circle is Self Care – the work you do to keep yourself strong, healthy, happy, energized, and rejuvenated. If you as leader don’t take care of your self, your organization will be on a yo-yo diet – chasing you from heroic feats to complete exhaustion. The leadership pyramid is complete when you replenish and are focused, present, and fulfilled.

The CFC: Leadership Development & Charity Fairs

Staff members involved in CFC campaign

In this and the next several CFC posts, we’ll examine some of the steps that you and your organization can take to benefit from participation in the CFC, in addition to those activities that generate revenue.

One challenge that many non-profits face is how to provide real opportunities for their staff members to develop their professional skills in a meaningful manner. And one of the huge benefits of participating in workplace giving campaigns is that they can be an integral part of your non-profit’s leadership development program.

These are just some of the skills that can be developed by participating in CFC campaigns:

Oral Communication/public speaking skills – you can practice your “elevator speech” dozens of times in the course of a campaign.

Team Building – the non-profit program officer can get practical experience in creating and leading a team, whether they are paid staff or volunteers.

Listening Skills – your team will have the opportunity to listen to hundreds of people in your community – what are they saying, what’s most important to them, etc. These are your potential donors and supporters – does your mission resonate with them, are they aware of your organization?

Written Communication – there are many opportunities to develop one’s writing ability, from simple memos to analyses (of the comments from community members) prepared for the nonprofit’s leadership.

Where sports teams have team meetings, playbooks, exercise regimens, etc, they also have a place where they practice what they’ve learned. For CFC charities that use workplace giving as a means of leadership development, a particular type of CFC special event, the Charity Fair, is that “practice field or rehearsal hall.”

Charity Fairs are held by a sponsoring Federal agency, and most will have between ten and twenty charities set up in a large room (like a cafeteria or auditorium), and will last from two to four hours (similar to a Job Fair, but without resumes).

By having your staff members and/or volunteers participate in charity fairs at the different Federal agencies, you give them the opportunity to do three things:

Tell your story.

Meet and listen to potential donors.

Distribute literature and other promotional items with your message/URL on them.

Early each year, you can assign a staff person to determine which promotional items would make the most sense for your organization, and what the costs would be for each item.

Here are a few key points, regarding promotional items, from a presentation by Jeff Brown, of America’s Charities, given at a workshop he and I presented at the Foundation Center last September:

Size Matters: They don’t need to be gigantic. Some of the more effective items are as small as pens or tubes of lip balm.

Be Visible: Put your organization’s logo/name on the item, and include a website URL to make it easy for potential donors to further research your organization.

Quality is Important: Don’t use items that appear to be cheaply made. They will not only reflect on your name and reputation, but they tend to break easily and reduce the time span of your brand promotion. And, handing out pens that work once before running out of ink doesn’t say good things about your organization.

It can be important that your promotional items, in some way, tie to your non-profit’s mission. For example, for years the Community Health Charities handed out a small band-aid box, designed to be kept at one’s desk. It had their name, the CFC code number, their URL and phone number, and people never threw it away! Compare that to your typical paper brochure!

Assign/tackle this project now, so you will have enough time to select and obtain the items well before you need them for a charity fair.

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During his 25-year career in the Federal sector, Bill Huddleston, The CFC Coach, served in many CFC roles. If you want to participate in the Combined Federal Campaign, maximize your nonprofit’s CFC revenues, or just ask a few questions, contact … Bill Huddleston