Month: November 2012

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Four Strategies for Marketing a Grand Opening

A man creating a marketing strategy concept

Guest Author: Rich Wiseman

Low Cost Tactics to Reach Your Target Market

Anticipation is the key to a successful grand opening. Building that feeling among your target market is another story. Unfortunately I can’t tell you why people should come to your business, but I can help you with the nuts and bolts of marketing your grand opening.

All of the tactics outlined here are low cost, as most new stores don’t have much of a budget to play with. These strategies will require time, consistency and a little creativity to be successful. With that said, here are four strategies for marketing your grand opening.

Run a Traditional Sign Campaign

Developing a sign campaign is key for any local business. The people that regularly pass by your business are most likely to come in, so having a “Coming Soon” sign out front with your business’ name will spark interest among those people. Once you have a set date for the opening, you can change the sign to include the date so people know when they can come see your business.

Any sign you have should incorporate your online assets. Use a QR code or a shortened URL to let people easily visit your website, Facebook or Twitter. You can also start building your email list this way. Offer a discount to people who sign up for your newsletter, and include the URL for the sign-up page. Send them the discount coupon in their email so they have to use a valid email, and email them again a week before, the day before, and the day of your opening to remind them.

Build Your Audience with Social Media

Social media is tricky for businesses that aren’t open yet. Liking something on Facebook is equivalent to an endorsement, so if someone hasn’t yet experienced your business, they might be reluctant to endorse you. That doesn’t mean you should ignore it though.

Social media is an inexpensive way to establish your presence online. Being present on both Facebook and Yelp are a must for local businesses.

Once people reach your page, you need to encourage them to like or share your page. Running contests and promotions is one way, but something a bit more targeted is ideal. One way of getting people to like your pages is to find early adopters; people who are particularly passionate about the product or service you offer and want to try it right away. The internet offers great solutions to this.

Target Early Adopters Using Internet Ads

The internet offers incredible laser-targeting potential for your business. Facebook ads can be narrowed down to specific demographics. Yelp ads are effective in reaching your local audience and people specifically searching for businesses like yours. You can drive people to your social pages from there, and encourage them to like your page with the social media tactics we discussed earlier.

Tightening you demographic parameters in your advertising is crucial because you want to reach those people who are legitimately interested in your business to get the most out of your money. Think of your ideal customer, the one you wish all of your customers were like, and model your targeted ads towards those people.

Don’t Forget Simple Word-of-Mouth

There’s a good chance you know friends, family, and local community leaders where you’re opening your business. Invite all of these people and encourage them to bring friends. Invite any contacts you have in the press. These are the people that want you to succeed and will talk about your business. Word-of-mouth is still one of the most powerful marketing tools around.

Finally, it’s important not to get too caught up in all of this and be unprepared for Day 1 of your opening. If you market your business right, you’ll have customers, so make them want to come back!

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For more resources, see our Library topics Marketing and Social Networking.

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Guest Author: Rich Wiseman writes for Super Cheap Signs about traditional advertising and marketing small businesses on a budget.

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Naming Opportunities – The Basics

open door illustrating opportunity

Every nonprofit must have its own set of policies that cover all areas of service and operation; and, those policies must be written based on the circumstances and needs of that organization.

First, you need to have policies in place to “regulate” what your organization will do with all gifts – cash, stock, in-kind, bequests, etc. — whether all or only certain (types or percentages of) gifts will go into endowment, capital needs and/or operating expenses.

Then, for naming opportunities, you need policies for what you would be willing to name, and what you wouldn’t – and whether the namings would be permanent and/or if some/all would have terms of a specific number of years.

Organizations should also have in place policies specifying from whom the organization will/will not accept support; who you would (not) honor or memorialize; and, a statement as to how you’d decline gifts that include elements or restrictions that would conflict with your other policies.

Once the policies are in place, and there is a list of naming opportunities approved by the board, they shouldn’t need to be involved in approving each naming. Typically, the Development Committee of the Board, in conjunction with the Chief Development Officer, make the decisions as to who will be offered which “opportunity” … at what “price.”

“Namings” for support of operating expenses tend to be of the names-on-a-list or on-a-plaque variety. “Opportunities” for endowment, depending on the size of the gift, can be names-on-a-list, names-on-a-plaque, or the naming of a (part of a) program that the gift endows.

Those for capital projects range from names-on-lists, names-on-a-plaque, names on equipment to names on (parts of) buildings.

For bequests, since an NPO doesn’t receive the gift until the donor has died, namings must be discussed/negotiated with the donor while they’re still with us !!

Those discussions/negotiations tend to be very business-like, and focus on what’s important to the donor. After all, s/he is not going to name you in his/her will unless:

  1. S/he already feels strongly about your organization (or one of it’s programs);

  2. Through the process leading to naming you in his/her will, s/he develops
      that strong feeling for your organization (or one of it’s programs); and/or,

  3. Your organization can offer him/her the (kind of) naming opportunity
      that will satisfy his/her needs.

If you’re going to “sell” a naming, just be sure that the price is commensurate with the value of the “opportunity.” Remember, the “price” of a “naming” is based on the market value of that naming – a price that has little-or-no relation to the cost of creating, building or purchasing whatever is being named.
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Have a comment or a question about starting, evaluating or expanding your fundraising program? 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. Contact me at AskHank@Major-Capital-Giving.com
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Have you seen The Fundraising Series of ebooks ??
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If you would like to comment/expand on the above, or would just like to offer your thoughts on the subject of this posting, we encourage you to “Leave a Reply” at the bottom of this page, click on the feedback link at the top of the page, or send an email to the author of this posting.

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What Are Functional Specifications

Arrow specifying forward direction

Functional Specifications (based on the Requirement Specifications) describe how something works; what the user will see, what the application will offer, what the finished product will present. The Functional Specifications are written for the manager/supervisor, describing how the application works based on the Requirements document.

The Functional Specifications (usually created after the Technical Specifications) can be simultaneously created close to the time when the product is almost ready for QA, depending on general practices. Why? Near completion time, the Technical Writer will have a detailed understanding of the finished product and be aware of all the functional changes that occurred during the project life cycle. By that time, the document will be able to describe how the product will function, operate, and behave. In essence, the Functional Specifications will show how the product now truly works.

It’s not just how it works- it describes how it flows. It will state how one function or activity will present another segment or slice of a product. The Functional Specifications are like mappings which lead you from one section to another. It illustrates or describes the logical flow during a process or procedure.

It is not a User’s Manual where you are told to click on an icon, tab, or item to be given a screen shot or image of the outcome.

The Functional Specifications have to:

  • provide if needed, a description of company policies and possibly contact information (depending on the number of company sites),
  • contain a brief introduction highlighting features,
  • include a getting started section describing the system structure, or an applications menu description (i.e., what tool bars will be presented ), and its relevant functions,
  • provide error messages,
  • detail how-to- instructions or procedures, explanations, and activities,( i.e., tabbing leading to what outcome),
  • provide instructions for accessing help , a glossary ,and an appendix with a samples section if needed,
  • indicate what activities cannot be done,
  • how sections, procedures are broken up; the logistics involved,
  • how one process leads to another,
  • describe the circumstances as to when certain events occur or not occur,
  • supply the detailed information for each section and include screen shots, images or process flows, and
  • lastly, provide an evaluation form if desired.

Functional Specifications also show the history by:

  • explaining the deviations from the original Requirements Specifications,
  • explaining the decision to include or not to include an item in the final product,
  • clarifying why certain decisions were made,
  • describing the environment, and
  • noting the SME’s, Developers, Manages involved.

Functional Specifications will be presented via:

  • videos,
  • documented instructions,
  • mappings,
  • in-person training, or
  • training tutorials.

The individual creating the Functional Specifications should be the same individual presenting the Technical Specifications because they are the most knowledgeable about the workings inside and out. In the end, the document like all documents, must speak to the target audience. For Functional Specifications, you have to write to several audiences; make sure you are familiar with all of them before writing. This way, you will know what to emphasize within the document.

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Calm Yourself Through Crisis

A-woman-stting-in-her-office-and-facing-the-camera.

It takes a healthy mind to navigate crisis management

Our brains do not operate well under stress. Have you had mundane experiences like this? It’s your turn in the hot seat during a board game, and that answer that should be so simple just won’t come to mind until time is up. Or how about the tendency most of us have to forget a few important items back at the house whenever we’re leaving in a hurry?

This only gets worse when you’re dealing with the web of communication and action that is crisis management, and that’s why it pays to dedicate some time to personal stress management, even while battling an ongoing crisis. In an About.com Health article, Elizabeth Scott, M.S., shared a list of tips on keeping ourselves in fighting shape despite the often rigorous demands of crisis management. Here’s a few samples:

Meditation and Mental Breaks
Eliminating the stress you’re experiencing might not always be possible, especially when you’re in the throes of a crisis. However, you can give yourself breaks from the stress through meditation and through simply giving yourself mental ‘time-out’s. Meditation can be helpful not only because it allows you to stop experiencing the thoughts that keep your stress response triggered, but because it allows your body to slow down and relax, and can bring on the relaxation response, which counteracts chronic stress. Long-term meditation can make you less reactive to stress, but in times of crisis, even 5-minute meditations can have a beneficial effect.

Self Care
When experiencing a crisis, stress management can fall by the wayside, and so can self care. However, when we’re tired, hungry (or sustained by a poor diet), and sedentary, we can also be more reactive to stress. That’s why taking care of our own basic physical needs during a crisis is so important for stress management. In times of everyday stress, it’s good to treat your body well; during a crisis, it’s essential to focus on healthy eating, getting at least some exercise, and getting quality sleep.

Journaling
Writing about your feelings of stress can be a good way to release them. Writing about things you can do to affect your situation can help you maintain feelings of hope and greater control in a crisis. Writing about three things for which you can feel grateful at the end of each day can help you stay optimistic, maintain gratitude, and relieve stress during a crisis. Crisis stress management can mean utilizing these specific focused techniques while journaling.

It really is amazing what a difference taking a little break to recoup and recover can make in your mental clarity and energy levels. If you’re a larger organization, consider sharing tips like those above with your employees during crises as well. They’re undoubtedly stressed too, and the last thing you want from anyone during a difficult situation is reduced performance.

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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, 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]

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Why Participate in the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC)

a businessman convincing a client to participate in CFC

I’d like to share with you why, from my perspective, the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) is the most donor friendly means for a Federal public servant to contribute to the charities they care about. Most of us play multiple roles, and this applies to our charitable donation world as well.

In a CFC campaign, each Federal employee gets a pledge card with space for five charities on it, and many designate more than one charity. Most of the donations are by designation, and the vast majorities are made through payroll deduction. CFC campaigns are conducted each fall; payroll deductions begin in January; and at the end of the year, the Federal employee’s year-end payroll statement lists how much he or she has donated to charity.

The Federal public servant donor, with one pledge card and one transaction:

● Can donate to multiple charities with just one pledge.
● Gives money to the non-profit before it ever hits their checkbook.
● Accrues no interest charges from credit card donations.
● Feels secure—their personal information is never on the Web, and government payroll
systems are secure.
● May remain anonymous if they wish. Anonymous donors are some of a non-profit’s
best supporters, because they already know what the non-profit is doing and do not
want the charity to waste money telling them what they already know.

So those are some of the benefits to Federal donors, for using the CFC as the mechanism to fund their favorite non-profits. What are some of the benefits for non-profits to become one of their revenue generation vehicles? Here’s one:

What’s the True Value of an Unrestricted Dollar? — Three Dollars!
Another fact about CFC funds (and workplace giving in general) is that the funds are unrestricted. When I talk to non-profit leaders, I’ll ask them how much more valuable is an unrestricted dollar than a restricted dollar, and the answer I get most often is “Three times as valuable.”

Using that multiplier, one could make the case that the impact that the CFC gifts generate is more than $800,000,000 million dollars annually; but I think it’s better to stick with the reportable numbers.

As interesting as these numbers are, the question that all non-profits in the CFC want to know is “How much can we generate through the CFC?” and while the honest answer is anywhere from zero to $5.5 million, that’s not usually what they want to hear.

When I ask executive directors who do participate in the CFC, “What’s the biggest benefit they get from being in the CFC?”, the answer I often get is “It keeps our doors open.” For non-profits that have done the work to develop a significant CFC revenue stream, it is reliable and the fact that the monies are unrestricted is a huge benefit.

Campaign Application Periods Coming Up Fast
For non-profits that want to enroll in the CFC, the CFC application periods come up quickly after the end of the calendar year. National and International charities have a January deadline, as do some of the larger regional CFCs. Most of the regional CFC applications are due between February and March. If you’re not sure which regional CFC office is the one that your non-profit would apply to, please send me an e-mail at Bill Huddleston @ Verizon.net and I’ll be glad to help you out.
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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
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Have you seen The Fundraising Series of ebooks ??
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If you’re reading this on-line and you would like to comment/expand on the above, or would just like to offer your thoughts on the subject of this posting, we encourage you to “Leave a Reply” at the bottom of this page, click on the feedback link at the top of the page, or send an email to the author of this posting. If you’ve received this posting as an email, click on the email link (above) to communicate with the author.

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BoardSource 2012 Nonprofit Governance Index Overview

businesspeople-working-as-team-with-laptop.

Every 2 – 3 years Board Source conducts an in depth survey and publishes The Nonprofit Governance Index. This important report helps us understand how nonprofits govern, benchmark our organizations and Board to others, and provide updates in trends and recommendations by BoardSource. My articles about the Nonprofit Governance Index are always popular – and enduring long after they are published. As always I mix in my commentary along with the objective results – so please don’t blame BoardSource which has diligently reported the data objectively.

Today I am publishing two articles on Data Report #1 from BoardSource. This article covers:

  • Organizational Characteristics
  • CEO Characteristics
  • Board Composition and Structure

The companion piece at my blog, MarionConway.com covers

  • Board Policies and Practices
  • Board Performance

1341 nonprofit CEOs from across the country completed a detailed questionnaire with multiple choice and open ended questions – 66 questions in total. Large, medium and small sized organizations are fairly represented across all nonprofit sectors. The median budget size was in the $1 – $5 Million range.

Organizational Characteristics

There is good news in many of the indicators that recovery from the downturn in the economy is underway. Here are some of the indicators:

Strategic Planning – When asked if they completed a strategic plan within the last two years, 52% said they did versus 45% in 2010.

Salaries – 23% reported freezing or cutting salaries versus 41% in 2010. This is the most striking data indicating recovery but it is still a concern that 23% of nonprofits are in this mode.

Operations – 19% reduced services or operations versus 26% in 2010. I think that some of this is the new normal as many of the reduced services are due to reduced government funding.

Endowment – In 2010 28% of nonprofits reported dipping into their endowments and in 2012 it is 25%. Many endowments are meant to be for a “rainy day” but too much endowment dipping can have permanent damage if overused. Be careful if you are balancing your budget by endowment dipping rather than making operational changes.

Profile of Today’s Nonprofit CEO:

Amazingly, the race profile of nonprofit CEOs went in the direction away from being more diverse in the last two years. In 2010 it was 88% white and in 2012 it is 93% white. Gender and age profiles remain fairly constant being 2/3 female and 80% in the 40-64 age bracket.

57% of the CEOs have been on the job for 2 – 10 years and 21% say they plan to leave their job within the next 2 years. An amazing 94% said they were very or somewhat satisfied with their job.

Board Composition and Structure

The average size Board remains at 16-17 Board members. Similar to the CEOs many Boards are overwhelmingly dominated by men and women who are white – 82%. Only 8% of board members are Black and 3% are Hispanic. In fact, an astonishing 30% of all nonprofit boards report that 100% of their members are white. Unfortunately, I am not surprised at these statistics. I have been a proponent of recruiting minority Board members and have seen it been done successfully when there is commitment to diversity and I do hope this changes in the future. There really are benefits to having diversity on Boards. And Board members from diverse populations introduce new people to the organization. When a Board is 100% white you have to make a deliberate effort to recruit non white Board members but it is definitely attainable – go for more than one new member. If there are more people of color at your board recruitment event there is a better chance of success in recruiting people of color.

71% of Board members are in the 40-64 age group and 15% are over 64 while only 12% are in their 30s and 2 % in the 20s. Folks – if your Board has this type of profile – you are missing out on having people in the most energetic and capable part of their lives on your Board. When recruiting – think younger!

Board Staff Relationship

BoardSource rec­ommends that the chief executive serve as an ex officio, non-voting member of the board. 40% percent of respondents are in this category and the CEO is not a member of the Board in 46% of the nonprofits responding to the survey.

There is quite a big range in how much time CEOs spend on Board work as shown in this chart:

Board Committees

The average number of board committees is 5.5 and I was surprised to see that 77% of CEOs reported that the committees have written charters. This chart shows what percent of boards have various kinds of committees:

BoardSource has questioned the need for an executive com­mittee for most boards and speculates that boards have one essentially because of tradition. However, as a Board President, I have found that having a small group to consult with informally very helpful. As a Board President, I sometimes email other officers for their opinion and copy them on communication so others can see that officers are involved and on board. The executive committee does not vote on anything independently but acts in an informal consultative role for the President.

I am surprised that only 26% of Boards have a standalone audit committee as this is a best practice and provides the check and balance for financial accountability.

Since fundraising is a basic responsibility of the Board I am surprised to see that only 56% of board have such a committee.

There is certainly room for growth on most Boards with having more and better organized committees.

Learn more about the 2012 Nonprofit Governance index:

My blog article at MarionConway.com on Board Policies, Practices and Performance

And

Download the 2012 Nonprofit Governance Index at BoardSource.org

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For more resources, see our Library topic Nonprofit Capacity Building.

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How to manage excessive demands on time (from a powerful person)? – a dilemma

Alarm desk clock in a workspace

Can you advise Stuart?

Stuart is a well-respected professional company director who has developed a prominent profile in his industry. He is president of the industry association and has recently been appointed to chair the board of a government owned organisation that is a highly important part of the industry ecosystem.

He has been pleasantly surprised by the diligence and contribution of his directors and the professional expertise of the CEO and management team. He also loves being able to contribute to the strategic development of the industry even though the Chairmanship pays less than his other industrial roles as a NED.

The Minister clearly appreciates his expertise and has taken to asking Stuart to speak at functions which the Minister either cannot attend or is not confident to address. He also drops by the office for coffee and advice as well inviting Stuart to attend a lot of official functions and conferences. He has also planned an overseas study trip which Stuart is concerned will take him away from his other boards (and this one) for a length of time that will be harmful to the companies.

The workload is spinning out of control and Stuart, who usually sees himself as highly organised and capable, is starting to feel that he isn’t coping and that something is going to be missed. He has tried turning down the requests from the Minister’s office citing workload and pre-existing commitments but these polite refusals are rejected and he is told that he ‘must’ attend as part of his role.

Stuart is happy that his expertise is recognised but can’t spread himself this thin. He doesn’t want to resign any of his board seats as the workload should be easily manageable were it not for the constant time demands from his Minister.

How should Stuart handle this issue?

Many readers of this blog will be familiar with my newsletter The Director’s Dilemma. This newsletter features a real life case study with expert responses containing advice for the protagonist. Many readers of this blog are practicing experts and have valuable advice to offer so, again, we are posting an unpublished case study and inviting YOU to respond.

If you would like to publish your advice on this topic in a global company directors’ newsletter please respond to the dilemma above with approximately 250 words of advice for Peter. Back issues of the newsletter are available at http://www.mclellan.com.au/newsletter.html where you can check out the format and quality.

The newsletters will be compiled into a book. If your advice relates to a legal jurisdiction, the readers will be sophisticated enough to extract the underlying principles and seek detailed legal advice in their own jurisdiction. The first volume of newsletters is published and available at http://www.amazon.com/Dilemmas-Practical-Studies-Company-Directors/dp/1449921965/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321912637&sr=8-1

What would you advise?

Julie Garland-McLellan has been internationally acclaimed as a leading expert on board governance. See her website atwww.mclellan.com.au or visit her author page athttp://www.amazon.com/Julie-Garland-McLellan/e/B003A3KPUO

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Staffing: 20 Great Interviewing Questions

A woman interviewed by a staff

Asking questions prompts answers. Asking great questions can result in great information about a potential job seeker’s qualifications.

Here are a list of questions to ask to find out more about the person and to determine how good a match there is between the individual and the job.

Warm-Up Questions

  1. Tell me about yourself.
  2. What made you apply for this position?
  3. What do you know about this company?

Work History

4. What parts of your work experience has prepared you for this job?
5. Can you describe one or two of your most important accomplishments?
6. Which job did you find the most satisfying and which job the least satisfying?
7. What kinds of people do you find it easy to work with? Difficult to work with?
8. In your previous jobs what kinds of pressures did you encounter? How did you deal with them?

Job Performance

9. How did your supervisor, on your most recent job, evaluate your job performance? What were some of the good and bad points of that rating?
10. When you have been told or discovered a problem in your job performance, what have you typically done? Can you give me an example?
11. What are some of the things on your job you feel you have done particularly well or in which you have achieved the greatest success?
12. What are some of the problems you encounter in doing your job? Which ones frustrate you the most? What do you usually do about it?
13. If I were to ask your present (most recent) employer about your ability to do____________ what would he/she say?

Self-Assessment

14. What kind of things do you feel most confident in doing?
15. What things frustrate you the most? How do you usually cope?
16. What do you think are the most important characteristics and abilities a person must possess to become a successful? How do you rate yourself in these areas?

Leadership

17. What specifically do you do to set an example for your employees?
18. What approach do you take in getting your people to accept your ideas or department goals?
19. Can you describe your basic leadership style? Give specific examples of how you practice it.
20. What would you most like to accomplish if you had this job? What might make you leave this job?

Management Success Tip:

Avoid these popular but meaningless questions: What animal would you like to be? what’s your favorite movie? What book would you want to have if you were stranded on a desert island? Although you may get interesting answers, it doesn’t tell you what you need – is this candidate the most qualified and the right person for the job. Rather focus on specific questions to get specific answers. Also see The Top Five Hiring Mistakes and Behavioral Interviewing.

Do you want to develop your Management Smarts?

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Engagement Strategies: Rotating Flipchart Review

A-business-work-chart-on-a-laptop-screen.

Facilitators often use breakout groups to increase involvement and get more done in a short amount of time. However, following breakout groups, there is typically a report-back process. During the report-back, each team presents its results to the other teams. Yet, one of the challenges with the standard report-back process is that people generally are not as attentive to what other teams are saying: some people may be still preparing their own report-back; while others may feel little obligation to give quality feedback, given the number of other people in the room.

Over the years, I have adopted a different process for report-back that I call rotating review. I believe the process is quite effective for achieving quality feedback on the work of breakout groups.

During a rotating review, each team has three-to-five minutes to review another team’s work. Using a colored pen assigned specifically to that reviewing team, the team places a check mark on each item to indicate agreement. They indicate disagreement by placing an “X” and posting a comment on how to improve. After the time limit is reached, teams then rotate to the next chart and perform the same review, while also reviewing the comments of all past reviewers of that chart.

When the teams rotate back to their own flip charts, they will see multiple check marks in different colors to indicate those teams that agree with each item in their report. They will also see where disagreement resulted and the number of teams that concurred with that disagreement. The teams now review all the disagreements and indicate whether they agree (YES) or disagree (NO) with the written comment. At this point, all NOs are reviewed by the entire group and final decisions made.

The rotating review process allows each team to receive focused review from each of the other teams. This process also increases the participation and ownership of the entire work by all members. And surprisingly, the rotating review process takes about the same amount of time as the standard report-back process!

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For more resources, see the Library topic Facilitation.

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Michael Wilkinson is the CEO and Managing Director of Leadership Strategies, Inc., “The Facilitation Company” and author of the brand new “The Secrets of Facilitation 2nd Edition”, “The Secrets to Masterful Meetings”, and the brand new “The Executive Guide to Facilitating Strategy.” Leadership Strategies is a global leader in facilitation services, providing companies with dynamic professional facilitators who lead executive teams and task forces in areas like strategic planning, issue resolution, process improvement and others. They are also a leading provider of facilitation training in the United States.

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Hiding Major Donors’ Names From Funders

Business funder going through the donor's list

The other day I came across yet another instance of a non-profit’s leadership huffing and puffing about a potential funder’s request for the names of their top ten individual donors to support the organization’s contribution request proposal. “Our policy,” the non-profit said, “is that we do not share such information.”

It seems to me that attitude is an invitation for the potential grantor to respond, “Okay, if that’s how you feel, we won’t “share” our money with you.”

It is not clear to me how any non-profit organization could have an intractable policy against releasing names of individual donors in situations such as this. It seems to me that more often than not, such an attitude is reflective less of guarding the privacy of donors, than it is of poorly thought-out policy. Basically, the organization is saying potential grant makers cannot be told what is usually treated as public information.

Surely, the organization must have published an Annual Report. If so, such donor listings are printed there. Even if the donors are grouped in contribution ranges (e.g. $10,000 to $14,999), you can see who the top ten are likely to be. (If no annual report is produced, the organization is missing a good donor relations and communications opportunity.)

But let’s work from the assumption that donors and amounts are listed in the annual report. The only instance in which a non-profit may be unable to supply the name of a particular donor is when that donor has requested anonymity.

My experience, however, has been that even then, most are talking about the avoidance of public recognition through press releases, wall plaques, listing in annual reports, etc. With those relative few exceptions, it’s easy enough to ask for permission to include their names in contribution request proposals when the funding entity requests such evidence of existing support.

I did so for 20 years at one organization with no problem at all—ever. But even if the donor still says no, you can still cite their gifts as coming from “anonymous” if you choose. Most grantors will accept this.

Come to think of it, often when I called and asked anonymous donors if we could provide their names in the guarded atmosphere of a contribution request proposal, they were more than willing. They felt that their good example could very well influence additional support. And they were right.
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If you have a question or comment for Tony, he can be reached at Tony@raise-funds.com. There is also a lot of good fundraising information on his website:
Raise-Funds.com
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Have you seen The Fundraising Series of ebooks ??
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