On with the post!

When we’re young we’re taught first, to never speak with strangers. As we get older, we’re told ‘don’t talk about money, it’s rude’.  Ironically, fundraisers talk to strangers about money. And it’s not easy. It can be awkward. If we’re not careful, it can seem rude, annoying, and worse, offensive.  Or, it can be fun, beautiful, calming and enlightening. Here are my favorite words to include in just about every conversation..

1. You

Obviously the focus needs to be on them. Their philanthropic interests, how they help the community, what they’re looking for in an organization, etc.  Ask questions about them. Whether it’s in written form or interpersonal, using ‘you’ makes them a part of the conversation, and eventually, the organization.

2. Investment

I’m not 100% sure about this one but I like it so far.  Some donors see it as a ‘gift’ and (due to failures of previous organizations) don’t expect to get much in return.  It’s important to discuss what the donor expects out of the organization, both in terms of results and inclusiveness.  Using words like ‘Investment’ help them understand that they should see and expect a ROI – not necessarily for themselves, but for those being served by the dollars they give.  The entrepreneurial and savvy donor may demand to know exactly what progress will be made with their gift. Speaking in investment language can help explain short & long-term gains, increased efficiency, etc.

3. Results

Today’s donor has trouble writing a check without knowing the results they can expect.  It doesn’t always have to be exact ($1k will improve 7 children’s reading by 2.1 grade levels) but the closer you can get the better. Keep in mind, however, that while institutional funders will want assessment, most individuals (one-on-one and in mass advertising, direct mail, etc.) make emotional giving decisions, not practical fact-based decisions.  Stories of success can be just as powerful of a ‘result’ than anything.

I mustache you to remain silent.

4. *Silence*

Please don’t yell ‘silence’ at an event.  What I mean is that the lack of sound is, for some reason, one of the scariest things for a fundraiser. You believe in your cause SO much that you feel you have to share everything you know and give a million reasons for support, tell 47 success stories, thus, you’ll fill any quiet space with babbling.  In reality, once you ask the question, BE QUIET.  Let them think, process, ask their questions (don’t answer the ones you think they have) and actually respond to your question.

5. Thank you

Everyone is busy and most are busier than you. Thank them for taking time out of their day, from their work, from their family and from their priorities. Thank them for their donation. Even if they declined, thank them for their time and what they do for the community.  Have a ‘philanthropy first’ mindset.  It takes all types of people, giving in all types of ways, to all types of organizations – all to make communities great.  Hokey I know, but we’re all on the same team trying to make things better – thank them for that.

BONUS WORD (or the 5th if you felt cheated by #4)

6. Next

What’s next? You should always have a next step and understand what’s next for them.  Will you see them at your upcoming event? Should you follow up via phone next week if you haven’t received their gift commitment form?  When will you get them the additional information on the program they requested?  One of the worst things you can do is have meeting attendees not know (or not be in agreement about) what the exact next steps are.

What are your go-to words for fundraising conversations?

10.  Enjoy this hilarious clip as a warm-up

9. Set these mobile bookmarks

I’ve got the handouts, workshops, overview schedule and HUB Peep Show Schedule and the conference mobile site bookmarked on my phone & laptop for quick access.  Hey girl, bookmark these awesome AFP-inspired Ryan Gosling meme’s from Dave. Hilarious!

8. Meet Sudeshna Mukherjee

She earned her trip to Vancouver in true-fundraising-style. Check out her great story on the SOFII blog.

7. Win something

Vancouver tourism is giving away 2 75$ gift certificates just for us! And there are at least 13 iPads being given away in through contests in the marketplace!

6.  Eat from a truck

Like any big city, there are countless culinary delights.  I hear Vancouver is known for it’s Korean food. I’ll be watching this interactive map of Vancouver mobile food trucks from Roaming Hunger. Vegetarian? Here’s a list of veggie food trucks just for you from Jennifer at SweetonVeg.

5.  Follow unofficial AFP Foodspotter Jim Anderson.

After all, he and Alice Ferris found a $250 crab.

The only time Alice is ever crabby.

4. The OFFICIAL #afpmeet Tweetup!

Sponsored by the great folks at Achieve and Forte Interactive, it’s Sunday night, April 1, 5:30-7:00 PM at Moose’s Down Under at 830 Pender St. West (map). It’s a 5 minute walk from the convention center and they’ve got appetizers and drinks with your name on it! (More)

3. AFP After-Dark (yes, you read that right)

What happens when you put a bunch of fun-raisers in a room with drinks and music? Find out Monday night, April 2, Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, Pacific Ballroom from 9-11 p.m.

2. Hear Claire Diaz Ortiz

She leads social innovation at Twitter, wrote Twitter for Good: Change the World One Tweet at a Time and is a freaggin’ rockstar!  Don’t miss her Tuesday, April 3, 8:00AM – 9:00AM and 9:15AM – 10:15AM and her book signing from 10:15AM – 11:00AM. (More)

1.  Meet the AFPeeps & enjoy the Peep Shows!

It’s not as dirty as it sounds. At the HUB in the middle of the marketplace enjoy cornucopia of social media training sessions led by your peers (follow this Twitter list). Whether you’re brand new to social media and need Twitter Bootcamp (Sunday from 12-1pm and 4-5pm) or want intermediate stuff Monday or advanced tactics on Tuesday, over 20 official AFP social media mavens will be tweeting their way through the conference, answering questions and teaching 25+ mini-sessions!

What are you looking forward too!?!?

1. Family matters

The CEO (Ben Kessey) is married to the HR Director (Tiffany Kessey).  The only other questionable/close business dealings I could find is that the organization did business with ‘Progressive Copier Systems”, a copier, toner and office supply company owned by board member Scott Wolfe.

2. Mission Mix-up

In 2008, the mission of Invisible Children according to the 990 is “Media based awareness and advocacy programs in the U.S.”.  In 2010, it’s been changed to “Invisible Children uses film, creativity and social action to end the use of child soldiers in Joseph Kony’s rebel war to restore LRA-affected communities in central Africa to peace and prosperity.”

3. They spent 80% on “programs” in 2010

According to the 990, in 2010 they spent 80% of expenditures on “programs”. The next point is the interesting one.

4. ‘Programs’ are mostly film-making, not providing service to kids in Uganda.

When outlining the majority of their program expenditures, it’s filming and production costs that make up the lion’s share.

• 8.9M spent
• 2.8M to Uganda
• 1.7M in U.S. salaries
• 357k in film costs
• 850k in production costs
• 244k in professional services
• 1.07M in travel
• 400k in office rent
• 16k in entertainment

They did make a $2,355,873 wire-transfer grant to ‘sub-saharan africa’ for the purpose of ‘education’.  When the leadership has been pushed on this issue in several media interviews, they consistently say that unless donations are specifically restricted, they are split approximately in 3 equal ways.

• The creation of film, documentation of the atrocities and the digital media used to display it
• The movement – the mobilization of national and international community, advocacy and nationwide tours of the film
• The work on the ground in Uganda

6. The salaries aren’t that high

All staff made less than $90k in 2010 which is quite a bit less than leaders of most organizations over $10M in revenue, or really good filmmakers.

7. Drop in Charity Navigator rating

This year Charity Navigator dropped their rating from 4 (out of 4) stars to 2, likely because they do not have 5 independent board members and were missing a whistle-blower and records retention policy until recently.

8. Over 80 Million people have seen the video

Like it or not, agree with it or not and believe them or not, they’ve caused quite a stir.  There are TONS of news, blogs and conversations about the campaign. The one I’d suggest you read is this round up from African writers.

As anyone in the nonprofit world knows, there are TONS of well-intentioned and good-hearted people out there who are trying to do fun and innovative things to help causes and nonprofits.  Problem is, they don’t always do their homework and their efforts don’t always help.

Less than a year ago, three guys got together and wondered how to connect people’s interest in sports, basketball and the fascination with filling out their brackets in March – with good causes.  The result?  A new, innovative web-based fundraising competition called Brackets for Good. $1 = 1 pt. Eight charities paired in three 1-week rounds, all organizations keep the funds they raise but the winner gets $5,000. As if that’s not enough, here are 6 reasons  it rocks.

1. They did their homework

For a year now they’ve been playing with the model, the idea, the back-end of the system and every part of things to make sure it would actually help organizations and not be a hindrance to them.  In speaking with them months ago, you could tell they were dotting their I’s and crossing their T’s.

2. Design, Design, Design

In today’s cluttered marketplace, to get noticed you need a solid design. Not just of the concept but the aesthetics including the logo, site, SWAG and more.  The concept is easy to understand, easy to engage with and doesn’t distract the user with any unnecessary offers, suggested purchases, etc. You login through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Google and you donate.

3. Their motivations are pure

The reason there aren’t any distractions in the user experience is because the primary and sole purpose of the entire program is to benefit organizations.  From its early days, through today, they’re focused on being helpful. Not selling anything. Not collecting info for their own purposes. No disguised motives, just pure philanthropic awesomeness.

4. They put their talents (and those of their friends) to work

These guys are self-proclaimed nerds. They love basketball and they work for a great tech company, Bluefish Wireless (who supported the project with a $5k cash donation to the winning org!). They brought some friends together for web design and the finance side (they started their own nonprofit to pass funds through) and they went all ‘Captain Planet’ on the project. They combined their powers for good.

5. They’re piloting small

They built this entirely outside their normal day-jobs but if you push ‘em, they’d love for it to eventually help a ton of people connect with the causes that need them.  But they also knew how important it was to start small. This first tournament will help work out some kinks and improve things for the next go ’round. Keeping it manageable keeps it great at every level along the way.

6. AND 1! – The analogy works

Read through their site and follow their Twitter stream to see that they take the basketball connection to the house! Get off the bench, recruit your team, manage your playbook, and more. The language makes the concept sticky and brings out the competition in everyone.

So, before you fill out your own brackets, check out Brackets for Good and ask your friends to do the same. While you’re there, score some points for a team you like and follow the tournament action on Twitter.  No matter what happens, some great causes win.

“I don’t care about sustainability. If the organization isn’t here in 10 years, then it wasn’t important enough.”

While I believe in and understand Darwinian tendencies, when it comes to organizations, I’m not so sure it’s that easy. Instead of sitting back passively and waiting for organizations to fail, why not seek out those that show true results and invest in measures that help them become sustainable so they continue to serve the community in the most efficient and effective ways? If they don’t have proper assessment measures, invest in that before letting what could be the best solution to a social problem go down in flames.

“We’re not going to fund you because you’re not a sinking ship.”

The first person wants organizations to die and this person wants to save them. They’re set on either perpetuating failing organizations or they like to be the savior. Unfortunately, it shouldn’t be about either. Basing funding decisions solely on cash flow management or calls of desperation don’t help anyone. Instead, save those that show plans for true change and improvement.

“I can’t support you because my boss makes me give to United Way.”

I’ve heard this more times than I care to count. I know it’s unintentional but United Way is slowly killing philanthropy. Every time this is said, I’m pretty sure a Unicorn dies. It’s peer-to-peer fundraising gone horribly wrong, inserting arm-twisting corporate power and authority into what should be a beautiful giving experience. In most cases, their boss, boss’s boss or boss’s friend is chairing the campaign and IT. CAN’T. FAIL. Instead of encouraging philanthropy first and letting people support organizations they feel compelled to, campaign captains leverage their authority and often literally stand over underlings until they write a check. It makes me sick. If they don’t give, or don’t give the right amount, they’re called in for a (bad) chat with their supervisor and it even shows up on performance reviews. Really? If ‘Living United’ is really ‘Forced Giving’ – count me out.

“I want all of my donation to go directly to the cause.”

Usually what they mean is that they want to support programs and don’t value or understand the importance of administrative and fundraising costs. This is an elementary approach to philanthropy. I’ve jumped on this soap box enough. Read why here, here and here. Instead, think of it as multiplication philanthropy. ‘Nuff said.

“We’re not going to support you because our friend doesn’t work there anymore.”

This is a classic case of misdirected giving. It was clear they weren’t giving for the cause, but only as a favor. Sure, we all support our friends in their walks, runs and efforts to help causes that are close to them. This rarely turns you into a life-long supporter of charity X. It’s important that the organization staff build relationships between supporters and the organization, not between supporters and themselves. The latter is not sustainable and will do damage when/if there’s ever a change in staff. If there’s a transition, discuss the implications of departure on organization communication and donor relationships. As a supporter, we do want to support and do business with those we care about but do your best to give for the cause’s sake. All will be better off.

“I’m not going to specifically fund or sponsor any particular program. I’m going to trust you do what is best for the organization and those you serve.”

The stronger your relationships and conversations, the more this will start to happen. Similar to this lady, this person fully trusts the organization and the people that run it. Once you’ve done your homework and believe in an organization, give them your dollars and time, but more importantly, trust them to do what they need with it. Don’t create arbitrary rules and recognition for them to follow.

What have you heard or said? Do you agree with my concerns and reactions? Let me know in the comments.

How do you know when your organization is ready for a capital campaign?

Here are my top ‘absolutes’…

1. Strong base of sustainable, annual support
2. Strong volunteer engagement in fundraising at the leadership levels
3. A clearly defined and compelling need

Ian shared…

“I think an organization’s knows when it is time to expand when programs and facility space have reached their capacity and other alternatives like remodeling and renovations have been exhausted. “

How should organizations prepare?

You need a strong case statement for support. See these downloadable examples from Tom Ahern.  Feasibility studies are also crucially important. Here are 5 Questions a Feasibility Study should answer and Ian’s 7 goals of a feasibility study.

Where/how do you recruit volunteer help?

Once you have a strong case study and confidence from a feasibility study, you need to recruit your campaign chair. As Ian shared “The feasibility study really sets you up for how the campaign is going to be run and by whom. The chair needs to be some that most cannot not say “no” to. A real influencer in the community who can open doors for others on the committee to make an ask.”

He/she should must have…

1. Ability to make a significant gift
2. Well known/respected in the community (ask around first!)
3. The interest in your mission to engage their closest friends/colleagues
4. Experience fundraising (other campaigns, other boards, etc.)
5. Accessibility
6. The understanding that they will be making asks and recruiting a campaign committee – who will be making asks

For more, learn from the Boy Scouts – who conduct capital campaigns regularly.

When/how do you go public?

Conventional wisdom is that you must have at least 50% committed prior to going public. In a difficult economy, the later the better. You should be confident that the campaign will succeed before even starting, let alone going public.  Ian shared that many foundations won’t consider a proposal until 50%+ is committed and “others, like matching foundation grants, like to be the ones that cross the finish line for you. So if you open up to the public and gets some real head way, once you reach that level where you are almost done a foundation can get you to the finish.”

When you go public, make supporters proud of their help – give them buttons, pins and swag to brag. It builds excitement, interest and ambassadors sharing about the need with other community members.

For the rest of the conversation including how to get a derailed campaign back on track, post-campaign stewardship and major pitfalls to avoid, replay the conversation and follow Fundchat on Twitter.

Tonight at 7:30 PM EST I’ll be joining Ian Adair to chat about capital campaigns LIVE! It’ll be hosted on the fundchat blog (scroll down) and you can watch/comment there. You can also comment via twitter using #fundchat.  There are some GREAT things in store – see you then!

Nathan

The good

Legacy Project

Every year the NFL gives the host city 1 million dollars to be matched locally to renovate a community center, revitalize a school or make some sort of ‘lasting legacy’ of community impact for hosting the game.  It’s like taking a bottle of wine as a hostess gift. A $1 million bottle of wine.  Indy thought bigger and the Legacy Project was touted as one of the leading reasons the city was awarded the big game.  Today over $154 million has been invested in the Near Eastside including 21, that’s right 21 neighborhoods. It’s the shining gem of the event and it’s simply incredible.

First & Green

It’s a web-based program where participants log environmentally friendly activities, like carpooling and taking shorter showers. Together they offset 1.4M pounds of carbon and saved 2.5M gallons of water…oh, and planted 2012 trees.

Super Cure

Fun fact: Indianapolis has the world’s only breast tissue bank, so the host committee built an effort around raising funds and collecting breast tissue donations (both living and cancerous). Though I’m usually not a fan of all the pink, well done ladies, well done.

The State of the Union

A goal of the host-committee was to show that it wasn’t just Indianapolis’ game, it belonged to the whole state. Prepping for chilly weather, volunteers (including grandmas and prisoners) knitted over 13,000 scarves for visitors, kids from everywhere wrote over 36,000 welcome messages for hotel guests and Indy Car produced one-of-a-kind Indy cars of every team that are positioned around the state connecting those outside the beltway to the big game and encouraging visitors to see all the state has to offer.

The bad

Not hiding (but not helping) the homeless

Detroit, Dallas and Jacksonville all attempted to round-up, hide or displace the homeless in their cities during game week fearing a negative impression. Instead, the bad PR did much worse. Indy made the commitment, for the first time in recent memory, do what no other host-city had done. Nothing.  Wouldn’t you think, though, that will the several community efforts listed here (and there are many more) that the host committee would have first planned a major effort around the social issue that other cities had been worried about – and the one that would be most visible to visitors? Maybe not.

Anti-social media

The host committee is making this the most ‘connected’ Super Bowl yet including an incredible 2800 sq ft social media command center with 20 people working 15 hour days.  Think NASA meets Minority Report meets Twitter.  They then selected 46 social media mavens, based on a Klout perk to be social media ambassadors, promote things, etc. Problem is, some people freaked out, felt uncool and have divided the once close-knit Indy social media community. Can’t we all just be Facebook friends?

Super Baskets…of Bibles?

Baskets of ‘hope’ were collected and sent to over 7000 sick kids in the 32 NFL cities. Brilliant and touching, right? Interestingly, every one had a bible in it. Even more interesting is that the NFL and several media outlets, organizations and companies have promoted it so hard – considering the religious connection. I’m a occasional church goer – but sending sick children bibles as a sign of ‘hope’ – under the guise and logo of the Super Bowl – seems odd to me.

UPDATE: According to Jon Collins – the bibles are actually in ‘totes’ and parents have the option of accepting religious materials…

The ugly

Sex Trafficking

Sex trafficking is the eye-sore of the weekend. It’s estimated that 10,000 sex workers were sent to Miami in 2010 and Dallas made 133 prostitution arrests last year. Have no fear – the nuns are here! Some will slip through but the city is prepared and laws have been toughened just in time.

It’s easy to see that the good heavily outweighs the bad.  Congrats Indy (and more-over the host-committee), on the immediate AND long-lasting impact of your efforts on our great city, state and beyond.  Let the game begin.

1. Commit

Gates has committed to giving at least half of his net worth during his lifetime.  That may be a stretch for you, but instead, grow your philanthropy budget. It’s not as hard as you think.  Learn to live with less and share more. It’s thriftiness meets kindergarten, try it.

2. Engage your network

Gates has successfully challenged his rich friends to make a similar commitment.  Similarly, challenge your friends to give more, match what you do, run a 5k together, join an event committee together, give up your own birthday (and everyone’s) for charity, put your volunteer roles on your LinkedIn page and more.  You’ll give more, have more fun and create stronger relationships.

3. Fix a problem from both ends … and in the middle

In addressing malaria, Gates gives to research, makes distribution easier and invested to dramatically reduce the cost of the vaccine (by 99%).  Pick your issue and find 3 ways to comprehensively approach it.  Increase your financial commitment to invest in each and/or find two friends, determine your strategy and attack.  Want to help the local zoo? Donate to bring a new exhibit, buy gift memberships and host your kid’s (or your own) birthday party there to expose more people to what you love.  Want to help the homeless?  For one week buy an extra to-go meal each time you eat out downtown and hand it to someone on the street, donate stuff to a shelter (but do it right) and volunteer to tutor homeless children (prevention).

I leave you with this beautiful infographic on Gates and giving from Frugal Dad.

Source: frugaldad.com