Month: April 2015

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The Last Step In The Development Process !!

Businesswoman going down a stairs

Back in February, I posted a piece “Development As A Profession Vs. Development As An Activity,” in which I noted that the Development process includes the establishment of relationships with potential donors (individuals, foundations, corporations), with the purpose of learning their needs and how the satisfaction of those needs can/will correspond with the satisfaction of the needs of the nonprofit organization – specifically, financial support of the nonprofit.

The Development process involves the education of the prospective donors as to the mission, programs, successes and needs of the nonprofit organization and the people it serves. The term “donor cultivation” refers to the “getting to know you” process – the donor getting to know the NPO and the appropriate people at the NPO getting to know the (prospective) donor.

Cultivation is also preparing the prospective donor for the solicitation. After all, once the “cultivation” process begins, most folks will know that they are going to be “Asked” at some point. Cultivation is not, and should not be, a “secret” process. It is not something you’re doing to the prospect, but is something you’re both doing together.

It is only after the relationship has been formed, the parties have gotten to know each other, and how the needs of both could be satisfied, that the “solicitation” of the donor can proceed. “Fundraising,” asking for the gift, is the next-to-the-last-step in the development process.

The next steps, part of creating/maintaining/enhancing the relationship between the organization and the donor, include how and how often you thank the donor, how you maintain ongoing contact with the donor (personal visits, phone calls, notes … by email and/or snail mail, depending on the generation/age of the donor, newsletters … electronic and/or snail mail), and how you recognize/honor the donor.

It is often said, “The thank-you is the first step in the cultivation in preparation for the next solicitation.”

That is the “stewardship” process. It is what happens after the gift has been made. It is ongoing, and many people may be involved — more on that in a later posting.

But, whether it’s called “cultivation” or “stewardship,” it is all about the “relationship.”

So, bottom line, because it is an ongoing process, there is, in practice, no “last step” in the Development process.

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Crisis Management Quicky – ‘Net Presence

a-man-working-with-his-laptop-and-pressing-his-phone

Playing ostrich is not a reputation management strategy

Seeing the mistakes of their peers in nationwide headlines has many scared to engage in public Internet use at all. Problem is, avoiding that altogether is just another way to create issues for yourself.

Ahh, we can hear you now…“But if I don’t create social media profiles or publish anything under my name, then how can I run into trouble?”

Simple really. If you’re not proactive in securing your online presence – creating profiles, publishing information about yourself, and generally making the info you put out easy to find – someone else will do it for you. This ranges from the automatic, ie. search bots pulling up anything with your name in it (old arrests or since-dismissed accusations are some of the most common we see), to the malicious, like someone purposely creating false social media accounts to post derogatory messages, and everything in between.

Although we caution you to take your time and please, please understand that everything you put out there may as well be permanent, having a full online presence that you own is an absolute must for crisis management today.

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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 vice president for the firm, and also editor of its newsletter, Crisis Manager]

– See more at: https://staging.management.org/blogs/crisis-management/2015/03/31/bored-snapchats-cost-rbs-chairman-a-job/#sthash.cPPgP12A.dpuf

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How to be Sure Your Listeners are “Getting it”

listening to a man presenting at a meeting

a+Whether you are training, leading a meeting, or giving a formal presentation, effective speaking is more than just “telling.” It is also about making sure your listeners get the message you intend.

To be sure your listeners understand and remember what you have said, select from these strategies, depending on the situation and your comfort level:

  1. Ask rhetorical questions. This is attention-getting, often easy and non-threatening, and makes them think. You also have the advantage of being able to read the room.
  2. Ask for a show of hands. Again, easy to do, easy to get involved, and gives you immediate feedback. There is also a certain power in seeing hands go up all around you in a room.
  3. Ask open ended questions. These questions are designed to elicit discussion. Plan them ahead of time. Start with easy-to-answer questions before asking challenging ones.
  4. Ask them to team up and summarize what they heard. Teams of two or tables of ten can use this technique. You could ask them to make a flipchart and present it to the rest of the listeners.
  5. Begin a discussion. Ask them to tell their seat partner what they heard or what they think about what you just said. Quick and easy, this is also an energizer.
  6. Walk and talk. Before a break, assign teams to take a walk during the break and discuss a question or problem you have posted by the door or on a slide. They can all work on the same issue, or you can assign them different discussion questions, then when they return, ask them to summarize their discussions.
  7. Ask them a question or pose a problem that requires them to apply what you just said. This is particularly helpful when the subject matter is applied to their worlds, such as “What would you do if…..”
  8. Ask them to solve a problem. Again, be sure it applies to their situation or their work. This is great when they are learning a new process, or when you want to keep them engaged.
  9. Ask them to guess what happened, or what the solution was. This turns your example into a case study and is a great way to engage listeners in real learning. You can also find out if and where they get stuck, and then walk them through the solution.
  10. Ask them to provide an example as a case study. Be specific about what you are asking so that you get an example that is illustrative of your content. Be sure to get the whole group brainstorming solutions.
  11. Ask them to teach part of the content. Toward the end of a meeting or training session, assign parts of the content and have people teach it back or review it for the rest of the listeners. Again you will have a chance to correct misinformation or fill in any blanks as needed.
  12. Give them a quick quiz or test. Letting listeners know there will be a quiz at the end is generally a great motivator for them to listen well. In addition, it is a chance to see how well they have learned the content, and can act as a review and reinforcement.
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Some Thoughts on Budgeting for A New Nonprofit

A budgeting chart

This is a follow up to last week’s post on “special event income.”

The person who asked the question that engendered that posting didn’t provide enough information for me to be able to address her specific circumstances.

So, I got another note, expressing disappointment … and maybe a little annoyance.

This time my correspondent wrote: “I was asked to develop a budget for a small project ($30,000 a year). We have designed and embarked upon a campaign of grant writing and solicitation of yearly pledges (from individuals and organizations) to fund the program. I believed that part of our campaign should also include fundraisers and special events because our clients are teenagers and we hope to involve them in such endeavors to teach them leadership skills, and to help them become materially involved in the maintenance of the project.”

I’ve already responded to that additional information – an edited version follows.

I do and will always object to “fundraisers,” but I’ll come back to that later.

The most important issue/concept noted above is that the purpose of the activities that will involve teenagers is to involve teenagers. If you call those activities “fundraisers” or “special events,” that’s of little importance.

Getting the kids involved in an activity supporting the organization’s mission is major. If the activity raises money, all the better, but that shouldn’t be the main objective … and you shouldn’t count on the income from that activity.

If you budget for the activity, you budget it as an expense, with no anticipated income … ’cause you haven’t done it before and you cannot put guesswork into a budget.

You cannot, in fact, include anything in a budget for which you don’t have firm evidence … specifically, income figures. And, before you can develop a budget that lists specific expenses and a total expense figure, you have to know if you’re going to have the money to engage in those activities that you’ve listed in the budget.

Reliance on “fundraisers” is dangerous, as there is rarely any assurance they will generate the same (or more, or any) income every year.

If a nonprofit organization is to survive beyond the first few years, there must be a solid plan — what you want to do and how you’re (actually) going to get the money to do that, but not wishful thinking.

A published budget (and everything a nonprofit does, except for client information) is or will become public knowledge. You can’t put a budget out there, then fail to do what you said you were going to do and/or fail to raise the funds needed to do it.

If that happens, the NPO loses all credibility and a great percentage of their supporters/donors, especially from foundations and wealthy individuals.

So, I have to add, again, there is no percentage of a nonprofit’s budget that should be based on income from “fundraisers” and/or untested “special events.”

And, if you are thinking about grants, I suggest you take a look at Lynn deLearie’s ebook on Grants & Grantsmanship. It’ll save you much time and effort, and probably some money.

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Have a comment or a question about starting, evaluating or expanding your fundraising program? AskHank
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Want to learn more about the basics of Special Events?
Take a look at the ebook, Special Events
Looking for some fundraising Guidance for the New Nonprofit ,
take a look at that ebook.
They are part of
The Fundraising Series of ebooks.
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