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Take Responsibility
Impacting change through your nonprofit is a daunting task. There is so much to do, and so many lives are affected. Where do we start?
As nonprofit staff or volunteer fundraisers, it is our responsibility to connect those who can make a difference with opportunities to do just that.
Here are a few tips to get started, so you can make change happen through extraordinary philanthropic gifts:
Listen
Start with listening to what the prospect cares about. Maybe they already know what they are hoping to achieve. What are the changes they passionately seek to make? How do those passions align with the mission of the organization you serve? It is your job to listen for the opportunity and make those connections.
Cultivate
Once the dream is understood (both by you and the prospect), build the relationship before you ask for a gift. Think creatively. Could the prospect’s involvement with the organization advance the goals each of you have in mind? One of the best ways to build the relationship around the mission is to show the impact of giving through a unique plan to present programs, photos or videos, and other “hands on” demonstrations.
Ask for the gift
A request for support of any kind requires strategic planning and a genuine understanding of how your prospect’s gift will align with their interests and the organization’s mission. Once you have made a strong connection between the two, it is time to ask for a gift that reflects their ability to give and their interest in doing so.
Because lives are changed when donors give with a targeted purpose to advance the organization’s mission, fundraisers cannot afford to wait for donors to come to them. It is imperative that donors are sought out, identified and pursued. Never wait for someone else to take responsibility for the life-changing gift you should be cultivating right now.
Geoff Burns, Vice President (Columbus, Ohio) gburns@kineticfundraising.com
Join Us on the Growing Philanthropy Tour
Next stops on the road to achieving Kinetic’s mission of growing philanthropy by 25 percent in the next 20 years:
Dallas
May 23-25, 2018
Boy Scouts of America Annual Meeting
Roanoke, Va.
June 6-7, 2018
LeadingAge Virginia Annual Conference
Exhibitor: Hartsook
Bergen, Norway
June 18-19, 2018
NHH – Norwegian School of Economics
John List
Taipei, Taiwan
June 21-22, 2018
National Taiwan University
John List
Canberra, Australia
June 25-26, 2018
BX2018, Australian Government
Keynote: John List
Richmond, Va.
July 18-19, 2018
2018 Virginia Fund Raising Institute Conference
Successful Campaigns: Raising Million-Dollar Gifts
Karin Cox
John Warren
Lead Sponsor: Hartsook
London
July 2018
Iof Convention 2018
Adrian Sargeant
Jen Shang
Clayton, Australia
August 13-24, 2018
Monash University
John List
Washington, D.C.
August 29-31, 2018
Boy Scouts of America Top Hands
Chicago
September 19-20, 2018
Science of Philanthropy Institute Conference 2018
John List
Boston, Mass.
October 5-6, 2018
Boston University
Advances with Field Experiments
John List
Basel, Switzerland
October 16-18, 2018
University of Basel
8th Bernoulli Lecture for the Behavioral Sciences
John List
Resources for Smart Fundraising Available on Kindle
Keep up to date on the latest fundraising trends with the Kindle ASR Media collection:
- Fundraising Leadership – The definitive source for empowering board members to become pro-active fundraising leaders by Karin L. Cox
- Performance-Driven Fundraising – Handy, yet entertaining reference tool for new and seasoned fundraisers by Matthew J. Beem
Book Deal of the Month
Kinetic President and CEO Matthew J. Beem’s book Performance-Driven Fundraising: Taking Control of Your Success shares decades of fundraising insights and features campaign success stories. Performance-Driven Fundraising will help accelerate anyone’s learning curve and serve as a valuable reference tool for new and seasoned fundraisers. Go here for a special price of $10 (plus shipping and handling).
On the Web
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Timely Tips and Tweets! Follow us on Twitter At KineticTips for tips and giveaways. |
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Facebook: Become a Fan and a Friend. Fundraising tips, event photos, news and updates – see what’s new At Kinetic by becoming a fan of us on Facebook. Friend Kinetic CEO Matthew J. Beem, and Chief Creative Officer Karin Cox for even more updates! |
Visit the Kinetic website for:
– Educational opportunities
– Books/reference articles
– Conference/workshop speakers
Strategies for Success explores smart ideas, connecting with thousands of fundraising professionals. We welcome your best practices contributions or comments. Send to Strategies for Success editor Karin Cox, kcox@kineticfundraising.com. If you’d like a free subscription to Strategies for Success or its monthly companion, Philanthropy Success, contact info@kineticfundraising.com.
