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How to create a quick and easy fundraising plan to help you reach your goals

So, maybe you have been operating without a plan up until now.  And, that is ok, but it is not strategic, and to meet your goals, you need to have a plan that you follow, monitor, and correct if needed.

Here are some simple instructions on how you can quickly create a development plan if you have been operating without one.

  1.  Develop a gift table.  A gift table outlines the number of gifts needed for you to reach your fundraising goals.  And, yes, even small fundraising goals should have a gift table created.  So, for instance, if you have a goal of $50,000, you would need a top gift of $12,500.  I have another article on how to use a gift chart to guide your fundraising effort.
  2. Once you have your gift chart created, it will guide your strategies.  Take that gift table and think about how you are going to raise your top gifts.
  3. Then break out all the possible fundraising strategies into key categories.  Those key categories may be major donors, individual donors, Board giving, special events, corporation and businesses, private grants, government grants, and earned revenue.
  4. Plan on how many you are going to solicit from each category and how i.e. individual donors you may send out a lapsed donor appeal, an annual renewal appeal, and perhaps a prospective donors appeal using direct mail appeal and maybe phone follow-up.  Your complete mail out will be close to 1,000.  You can even go a step further and calculate the average gift amount if you are able.
  5. From the numbers that you will be soliciting and the calculated average gift amount determine what your estimated income will be.  Know or have any expenses, calculate those and subtract them from your expected income, and you have a net income number.
  6. Then the last key element of this plan is to determine when you will complete each strategy by and who is responsible for the strategy i.e. development staff, executive direct, Board of Directors, etc.
  7. Then implement your plan. But, most importantly use this plan as a monthly monitoring tool.  Share it at your Management Staff meetings and with your Development Committee or the Board of Directors.  If it appears as if you are “off” on projections, make mid-course corrections and adjust your budget.
  8. But, don’t let this sit on a shelf.  Get it in action.

You may want to consider putting all of the key plan information in a spreadsheet to have it all in one place.  Or you can use a Word document table.  Whatever format you use, start with the gift table, develop the plan, keep this plan in a prominent place, share it and monitor it, and make mid-course corrections.

You can’t operate successfully without a plan in place to drive and focus your effort

Then you will be on your way to reaching your yearly fundraising goals.

And, if you need help creating this development plan, let us help you!  Email me today to schedule an hour to get your development plan in shape!

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How your direct mail appeal letter typesetting can help your letter raise more money

One may think that the content or copy of a direct mail appeal letter is King (or Queen), but studies have found that there is something else as equally or maybe even more important than what the letter says.

What is that one thing?

Typesetting.  And, typesetting does matter when it comes to direct mail appeal letters.

Typesetting refers to how one presents information on a page.  Eye-motion studies have found that readers don’t read word for word all that is on the page.  Reader’s eyes are drawn and attracted to what is on the page through the strategic use of photos and captions, liberal uses of white space, and formatting emphasis such as bolding, underlining, and italicizing.  Today, this is becoming more of the case as we rely on social media such as Facebook and Twitter for 140 characters and snippets of information.

Here are some of my top tips to help your direct mail appeal be the best that it can be.

  1. Readers skim. So, photos with captions (and a caption that points out how the donor is making a difference), and underlined and bolded text all help to keep the reader skimming and highlighting the key points you would like them to learn. Ensure that photos are of high quality and show faces, especially emotive eyes. People connect to one another, even on paper, with eyes.
  2. A two-page letter does test better than a one-page letter. Since donors are skimmers, repetition is essential. It may seem redundant to keep repeating things over and over, but, donors do not read all that your write. So, keep repeating your core message and “ask” throughout the body of the letter with again using formatting for emphasis.
  3. Keep letter format consistent regarding type size, font usage, etc. Anything that makes it difficult or confusing for the donor to read, decreases readability.
  4. Keep your paragraphs short and concise. The reader may lose their place, focus, and tend not to finish a story that they are in the process of reading if there is too large of a block of text.  And, you certainly do not want to have the reader miss important stories and other critical letter components.
  5. Make sure it is as easy as possible for the donor to give to you. Odds are they will not go too far out of their way should they wish to donate. Include the direct link to donate or make it as streamlined as possible.
  6. Lastly, don’t forget a P.S., invite the donor to speak with you directly, remind them that you are available for questions, or welcome their suggestions. Direct them to give online here. Just make it compelling with a direct ask, a deadline, and a call to action. Research shows that no matter what is in the body of the letter, the P.S. draws one’s eyes in.

So, though you may think that what you say is key, think again, a well-typeset letter has the power to get your letter read especially in this day and age of 140 characters of less.

For your next direct mail appeal letter, why don’t you take the six items listed above and incorporate them into your writing?  Doing these six things alone has the potential to significantly increasing the response rate of your letter.  And, don’t we all want letters that speak to our donors in ways that they will read them?

Email me here to get a sample of one of my very own direct mail appeal letters!

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How you can find prospective donors for even your small nonprofit

One may think that there are only a limited number of donors to go around, but think again.

In my work, I assist small to mid-sized organizations in running their first capital campaigns. Many do not have established donor bases to tap into for an already existing pool of major donors. So, I assist. And, I am here to say that yes, you too can, even in your small nonprofit, develop a list of 25 or more possible major donors to your organization.

I am going to take you step by step on how to begin establishing that prospect list for your nonprofit organization and then share with you some next steps on how to prioritize that list.

Here are the steps you can take to develop your prospect master list:

  • Use informal organizational networks including organizational friends and family members i.e. Board members, staff, volunteers, etc. to identify prospects within their respective networks who have both wealth and affinity for the cause.
  • Ask your current donors when meeting with them if they know of anyone else who may support the cause.
  • Research prominent donors to other similar organizations who may be making small gifts to your organizations. It is helpful to obtain copies of their annual reports, newsletters, and even event programs to see the giving levels of the prospective donors. Annual reports may be found online or hard copy by request.
  • Research who has been attending your events. There are folks here who already know of your mission and may be willing to deepen their relationship with you.
  • Research others who live in your community who might give to you using voter, property (Grand), the local chamber of commerce, houses of worship, and other lists.

So now what do you do when you have all this information?

Here is what I recommend:

Cull through all these lists to create a Master List of prospects whom you think “make the cut” regarding any possibility of capacity, affinity, or connection.r

Let me define these for you.

  • Capacity – ability to give
  • Affinity – philanthropic to a similar cause or interest
  • Connection – involvement in your organization

Once you have this Master List developed then work with the fundraising/development committee, Board of Directors, or other volunteers (they should know folks in the community) to rate and rank each donor during a rating session to determine potential giving capacity, interest, and affinity.

Then, organize lists of donors into tiers of giving to decide who is approachable first, those needing further cultivation, etc.  I just happen to like this worksheet right here!

And, from there you have a Master List of the top 20-25 prospective donors to your organization.  Even the smallest of non-profit organizations should be able to come up with a Master List of at least 25 potential donors after following these steps.

And, if you need someone to help build your prospect list for your next fundraising campaign, Development Consulting Solutions is always here for YOU!

 

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How a gift range chart can help you raise more money even in your small nonprofit

One might think that gift range charts are just for large projects such as capital campaigns or for significant fundraising efforts.  And, while, yes, there is some truth to that, gift range charts can be used effectively in even the smallest of fundraising shops.

A gift range chart will tell you exactly how many gifts AND prospects you need at each giving level to reach your goal. And, it also shows you the potential to reach your fundraising goal.

So, first, how do you create one?

  • Well, you can use any online calculator to do so.  I highly recommend the simple and easy to use Blackbaud gift range calculator.  You can find that tool here.
  • A gift range chart calculator is only going to provide you with an estimate. If you want to be more accurate, you may want to create the chart on your own using the given realities of your organization.  So, how do you go about creating your own?  Well, you will want to identify the highest level gift to your fundraising efforts.  That will probably be somewhere in the area of 20% of goal.  Estimate 3-5 prospective donors per gift.  Fill in your chart downwards based on what you know about your donors and their capacity.  Gift amounts go down, and the number of donors increases.

So, here is what a $100,000 fundraising goal would look like: https://www.blackbaud.com/nonprofit-resources/gift-range-calculator

How do you now use this information to inform your strategy?

  1. I would first look at the top gifts needed.  Here in this example, you would need 1 – $10K, 1 – 7.5K, 2 – $5K, and 3 – $3.5K for a total of $38K.  There are several options, right? You could write several grants.  In this case, you would need 28 grant possibilities, or you could approach a few major donors.
  2. Then if you look at your next tier of gifts, you would need $34K in gifts.  Perhaps you have a fundraising event, or maybe a direct mail campaign or a series of direct mail campaigns.  Or perhaps you continue to ask for gifts at this level.
  3. Maybe you look even further down and realize that you have a series of direct mail appeals, or that one appeal will do it for the remainder of the $28K or so.

The fact of the matter is that any possibility of a strategy will work, as long as it is realistic and fits for your organization. The key thing to remember is that you want to secure the top gifts first.  If you don’t raise those, then you need to readjust all the lower levels of the gift range chart below to “make up” for the difference.

Then, you can use this gift range chart as a monitoring and reporting tool. Let’s say that you are not hitting your “lead” gift targets.  Well, you can certainly adjust this gift range chart mid-course and make the necessary adjustments to your strategy BEFORE your fundraising efforts get too far off track.  And, this would be a great tool to share with your Board of Directors to educate them on the process of raising money and how your particular efforts are progressing towards projections.

So, though you may think that gift range charts are for the “big shops,” think again, a gift range chart can provide even the smallest campaign with focus and goals based on actualities and realities.

So, this next fiscal year why don’t you first start by creating a realistic gift range chart for your annual fund campaign and develop strategies to get you to your goal.

 

 

 

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Oh, the woes of a nonprofit fundraising database!

So, let’s talk database.

What? That seems like something so mundane. Well, it may be, but it is so critical to fundraising.

Throughout my professional career, I have been victim to bad databases, and I have been asked to work with bad databases.

One thing is for sure, without an initial thought out structure, problems are inevitable. I often come into organizations that have no rhyme or reason as to what they call their Campaigns, Funds, and Approaches. You know, one year it is called Spring Appeal 2016, and the next it is labeled the Mother’s Day Appeal.

Consistency is key. I see so much inconsistency that why bother having a database, to begin with at all. The way names are entered i.e. Mr. and Mrs. Smith or Bob and Laura or even Robin and Smitty or Robin & Smitty.

It drives me mad.

Having a database procedural manual developed with consistent data entry standards specified is critical. How do you pass this institutional information along when staff transition or do you? Do you let them sink or swim?

Hey, garbage in is only garbage out.

The most important thing is the question of who has access to this database? Who does the main gift entry? Moreover, I pray that your answer is a development staff person. Please, do not say that it is a member of the finance department, or even worse, a volunteer or an intern.

Provide those using the database with training in the software itself and budget for it every year. Moreover, don’t think that a cost saving is ignoring software updates and the resulting costs.

I cannot stress enough how important the database is to your fundraising efforts. It will allow you to be donor-centered in your work regarding recognizing donors and their giving the exact way that they want to be recognized. It lets you accurately report on giving and make comparisons that will affect the future of your fundraising efforts, and it will allow you to become more strategic in your endeavors through segmentation and greater personalization.In all of my career if I had to answer the question of “What impacts the success of fundraising THE most, besides the Board, of course,” I would have to answer, the database.

Moreover, folks EXCEL is not a database; it is a spreadsheet tool used by those in the finance department. Please don’t say that you cannot afford a database. Some great databases are available for a very fair and affordable price.

Pay close attention to your database – this is the brain behind your efforts.

 

 

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New “DCS” interim development services

Development Consulting Solutions is announcing NEW interim and project-based service offerings:

Who is “DCS”?
There are limited Certified Fund-Raising Executives (CFRE) providing outsourced fund development services and serving as interim fund development staffing. What most organizations need is someone who can do the work for them!

“DCS” recognizes this need and has provided this service to a variety of small to mid-sized nonprofits throughout the New England region. Some of these nonprofits have included Malta House of Norwalk, CT, Friends of Buttonwood Park of New Bedford, MA, and United Methodist Elder Care of East Providence, RI.

“DCS’s mission”
“DCS” does not engage with everyone! We have a rigorous eligibility requirement and screening process and only work with four select clients at a time.

What are our requirements? We only work with small to mid-sized organizations that are ready, receptive, and willing to take their development program to the next level through outsourced assistance. These organizations have an engaged Board of Directors, an open-minded and willing staff, and leadership ready to support the organization.

We only work with organizations that are willing to invest in their development function, value established service costs, heed professional advice, and strategy, and act respectfully in the client and consultant relationship.

By selecting those clients most ready to embark on taking their organization to the next level, “DCS” provides you with the tools and staffing to raise more money in support of mission!

Why “DCS?”

  • To provide outsourced development expertise to organizations that do not want to hire someone in-house.
  • To assist busy executive directors with taking a few things off their plates.
  • To reassure donors during a transition or vacancy in your development office that your fundraising efforts will continue
  • If time is needed to do a search for a permanent development director, and you do not want to be rushed to make a selection
  • When you are seeking a new executive director and you want to be sure that this leader has an opportunity to select the permanent development director
  • Because as interim development director, I can have more candid conversations with the executive director, board, and other leaders about why there are problems with keeping development staff or staff is underperforming
  • When your organization has never had a development director and needs an experienced professional with a proven track record to start up the development office and pave the way for a more junior development officer to be successful.

Here is what “DCS” can do for you:

  • Assess current fundraising activities and make recommendations to improve strategy
  • Improve your fundraising efforts
  • Model what a good development officer does
  • Enhance systems and processes within the development office
  • Troubleshoot development problems
  • Coach the Executive Director and Board in fundraising to boost confidence and skill
  • Help with the hire of a permanent development director

“DCS” helps with:

  • Major Gifts
  • Direct Mail Appeals
  • Development print publications – your newsletter, annual report, brochures, etc.
  • E-Appeals and E-Newsletters
  • Grants
  • Cultivation and Stewardship Events
  • Special Events
  • Capital Campaigns

For “DCS” pricing, please check out our menu of packages here!

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Do not take Fund Development best practices at face value!

Best practices. We hear that phrase often. This week, I even read a question asking if “best practices were misleading?”

Are we throwing that phrase around to legitimize our field? Our do we have best practices and what are they?Fundraising best practices

Well, I contend that the only true best practice is one that is grounded in research. Those are harder to find that than the other so-called “best practices.”

While studying for my Masters Degree in Philanthropy and Fund Development, I learned that philanthropic research has many gaps. However, there are people now making a study of philanthropy and conducting research. Folks like Adrian Sargeant and Jen Shang. More research is needed in our field to support our work.

I can tell you that when research is grounded in actual studies, it works. Eye motion studies, philanthropic psychology, etc., etc.

Recently, I have been working on many appeal letters. And, each time I craft one for the client, I get pushback. Why do you indent paragraphs? Why do you repeat yourself often? Why is there bold and underline? Do we need to include a P.S.? And, can’t the letter just fit on one page? Must we send more than one appeal?

Pushback that is unfounded. And, I push back with research. When the client allows me to use those best practices, the results speak for themselves.

When those results speak for themselves, it is magic. Campaigns get funded, new projects begin, and donors have the opportunity to make a greater impact.

We forget that the fact (and it is a fact) that we are not beggars. Donors want to give. And, to give, they must be asked. Asked in a way that moves them to feel connected to their core beliefs through your organization’s mission.

Know the difference between unfounded best practices and best practices backed by scientific research. Read blogs, stay current with trends, and keep furthering your informal and formal education. When you do, and you practice it, your results will show all the difference.

Fund development does have a researched body of knowledge. Don’t allow anyone to convince you that it does not.

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OORAH – What the Marines taught me about fundraising

This weekend I took a little vacation of sorts.  I ran a marathon.  The Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC.  Running a marathon is exhausting, but also, reflective.  For you see, you run for 26 miles.  That is a long time on your feet – sometimes, three, four, five, six, or even more hours.

Over the course over the weekend, there were approximately 3,000 marines – some of our countries finest armed service men and women.  And, as I reflected on my experience, I was reminded of how important it is to take care of our donors.  You see, the Marines took care of me while I was runMarine Corps Marathon and Fundraisingning.

They were there to welcome me when I arrived – how often do we welcome donors for their first gifts to us or even their second or third?

They directed me through the maze of marathon logistics – how often do we try to make our experience of being a donor easy for our donors?  Do we point them in the right direction?  Do we connect them with aspects of the charity that they care deeply?

And, then when I was running, those Marines were out there cheering me on as if I were the hero – how often do we cheer on our donors in their act of giving?  How often do we make them feel like the superheroes that they are?

When the going got tough, they were there for me, telling me that I could do – when things get tough for our donors, are we still behind them cheering for them?  Perhaps they can’t give us as much, do we abandon them as people?  Or do we still treat them the same, cultivating the relationship?

And, at the end of it all – they placed the medal on me and made me feel accomplished – “Congratulations, Maam” – do we treat our donors like they are the real heroes, even though we are doing the actual work?

Interesting questions.  I was awed and inspired by this display of honor at the marathon.  The Marine’s know how to put on a good race.  And, they also know a lot more about how to treat people.  There are lessons learned here on how we should go about treating our donors.

Giving is MORE like a marathon than a sprint.  It is about cultivating relationships with our donors over weeks, months, years – just like a marathon is about training for days, weeks, months, and years.

So, go out and run the race.  And, even though it is your organization that is doing the hard work, take some lessons from the Marines and treat your donors like the superheroes that they are.  After all, the Marines are making this sacrifice for our country, just as our donors are making another kind of sacrifice for our organizations.

OORAH!  Now get out there and train.

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“Am I asking my donors too much?” Well, Virginia let me tell you the answer.

So, here it is. I am laying this question and answer right out on the line. Especially now that we are coming to the year-end giving season.

I am asked time and time again, “Didn’t we just mail to them, won’t we be bothering them?”

No, no, and no. You can never ask enough.

Yes, Virginia, you can ask multiple times

Let’s face it. The decision isn’t ours to make. It isn’t. It is the donor’s decision to make. Only they are going to tell you, how much is too much. In most cases, if you are only asking once or twice a year, aren’t you telling them that you don’t need the donations to make a go of it? Donors aren’t naive. They know that you are a non-profit, and they know that you need donations to run your organization. Why do we believe that we must lightly tread when it comes to asking?Direct Mail YES

Donors are busy people. Just because they didn’t respond to your initial mailing, doesn’t mean that they don’t want to give to support you. In major gift work, if we don’t get the gift right away during our meeting – and in most cases, we don’t – we explore with the donor the reason for hesitation. Was it the program we were asking for a contribution? Was it the ask amount itself? Was it the timing of the ask? Why do we think that this is any different for the number of times we should mail to a donor? Perhaps the reason that they didn’t respond to your initial mailing is that it wasn’t an ask for the right project or the right amount, or it wasn’t the right timing. Maybe they had a big bill just come in that they needed to tend to or perhaps they were on vacation when the letter arrived in your mailbox. But, we won’t know this if we only mail to them once and then assume the donor will never give again.

And, I often hear clients question whether or not they should include a reply envelope in their newsletter because they just sent out an “ask.” Of course, you put an envelope in your newsletter. This envelope is a “soft” ask. Donors may feel so inspired to give after reading about your good works in your newsletter that they may want to give to support your work. How else will you capture this? And, a “soft” ask is exactly that, “soft.” We are not commanding, directing, or cajoling a donor into giving. If they choose to give using this method, then it is their choice.

Case in point, I asked a client to send out a second direct mail ask to follow up on all those who did not give to the first. And, lo and behold, the response has been tremendous. So enormous, in fact, that the client wrote back and said, “The results have been pretty unbelievable for us, believe me!

I once had a phrase that I would use quite often, “You must A S K to G E T!” And, that is true.

As we move forward into the upcoming holiday giving season, think about your strategy. You will be competing with every other nonprofit group who is sending out their calendar year-end direct mail piece at the same time. The competition will be stiff. How are you going to stand out? How are you going to assure that your donors will read your letter among all of the other letters? And, what is your strategy for follow-up? Will you ask more than once? What forms will that “ask” take? How will you leverage the December 31 tax deadline as an incentive to give?

I know one thing is for sure, this calendar year-end, if you only ask once, you are doing your donors an injustice. They want to give, and they want to give to you. But, your ask must be heard and, that it is the right ask, for the right project, at the right time.

Now, craft a plan that includes multiple year-end asks!

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Holy cow, fifty shades of fundraising consulting, which do you prefer?

Lately, I have been doing a lot of driving.  And, as a result, a lot of thinking.  I have clients all throughout the Northeast.  And, sometimes, yes, the driving does get “old.”  But, then I sit back and reflect.

You see, there are many different types of fundraising consultants.  And, lately, I have been hearing a great deal about “remote,” “outsourced” development professionals as opposed to the strategic “tell me what to do” consultants that produce a plan and then move onto to the next client.  I do consider myself one of these, in fact, all of these.

But, perhaps I am old-fashioned.  Or maybe I just have been working in the field too long.  I remember, long ago, when there were resident consultants who upped and moved to different parts of the country to live and work at a nonprofit and become immersed in their community.

And, while I don’t up and move, I do spend lots of time on the move.  I think – no, wait, I believe it is critical to the success of my client’s efforts.  Yes, many of the things that I do while sitting in their organization can be done quite easily from home.  But, it is not the same.

Two weeks ago on my blog, I noted how “culture of place” is such an important part of our work.  How can you get to know and understand that “culture of place” if you are working remotely?  Or for that measure, how can you understand the mission and culture of the nonprofit that you are working for if you never sit at a desk and be a part of all that happens on a day to day basis.  What does this have to do with fundraising?  A lot!

It makes a big difference to the quality of work.  When I am onsite, I am a strong reminder to the client that we need to focus and get work done.  So, a lot of work gets done.  When I am not directly onsite, and I work remotely, it seems like work moves at a snail’s pace.  Emails are not answered with urgency, and meetings are postponed.  I get it.  I fall to the bottom of the list.  Very different than having a living, breathing person taking up precious space/rent or whatever you call it in your office as a good reminder.

And, the kinds of things that I do go far beyond just providing advice. I do the work. I craft appeal letters; write newsletter content, solicit donors, write Case for Supports, write grants, work on board development, manage capital campaigns, conduct feasibility studies and audits, on and on and on.

So, when you are thinking about consultants – yes, personality is important – yes, credentials and experience are important, but, don’t overlook the consultant’s personal philosophy of service provision.  Will they go the distance, sometimes hundreds of miles at a time, to live in hotels, to get your work done and to understand the context, both internally and externally, in which your work happens?

We don’t expect our staff development professionals to be in the office behind their desks, so why would you expect the same of a fund development consultant?  They need to be building relationships with organizations to create impact – just as fundraising professionals must be with donors.  It is just another extension of this donor-centered relationship – creating results and positive outcomes for a mission.

While the old models of “in-residence, uproot you and your family” are not so available today, I believe that my unique model of in-residence consulting of a set number of days per week/month onsite is an excellent compromise.  And, hey while I toot my own horn, my model makes a huge difference to my clients and sets me apart from the rest of the bunch.

See you on I95 or maybe I89 or maybe Rt 66.  But, you can be sure of one thing, you won’t see me sitting at my desk at home.

P.S. – Yes, these are photos from my travel.  When I say I get immersed in a community that I am working in, I do.  On a recent stay in a client’s town, I did go to the “Cow Barn” for milk for breakfast.  And, that stretch of road is I91 heading into a client’s town in Vermont from another client located in the Stamford area of CT.

 

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Culture of place and how it impacts fundraising campaigns

There is so much science behind fund development. You can study it, take courses in it, and read books on it. Campaigns have become honed regarding best practices; there are easy steps to put into place, materials to be created, and people to be engaged.

The one thing that I have come to realize, though, is that one part of fundraising is science and the other is art. And, what is that other? Well as a regional consultant, one thing that I notice that makes a tremendous difference is the culture of place. That is why I firmly believe that consultants need to adopt the old “in residence” model. They need to live and breathe a community and get to know and vermontunderstand its nuances. Then and only then will a campaign be successful.

Currently, I have three different clients from three distinct geographic areas. One is for the Stamford area of Connecticut, one is from the Greater Providence area, and the other is from a rural village in Vermont. I could not stress the dichotomy between these clients and it all has to do with the culture of place.

In Connecticut, life is fast-paced and hectic. Projects move quickly. And, the population is so very significant that one tends to blend in with the community without being noticed. In Rhode Island, everyone knows everyone; it is the smallest state in the Union. There is a high degree of competition for funding from a limited donor pool, and people treat each other like family. It is all about who you know. In Vermont, very different. Life in a village is remote. The nearest store is 45 minutes away, sometimes up and over the mountain, you rely on and bond with your neighbor, and it is not about who you know, it is about what you know about those that you know.

Culture of place. If you don’t begin to understand it, you will not be successful. The culture of place is how fundraising art meets science, and the magic of campaign success happens. Ignore it and try to forge ahead without addressing or understanding, and your campaign is doomed to fail.

For those nonprofit organizations wanting to hire someone who works from a remote location and who will not commit to finding someone who can spend time “in residence” then think again. While all the degrees in the world, equate to know how it does equate to campaign success. An understanding of the culture of place does.

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Meetings – are you positioned right?

Meetings, meetings, meetings. We all know them, and we all attend them.here are three types of meetings and the way that you position yourself physically within the meeting could make a world of difference.  Including meeting with our donors.

But, did you know there are three types of meetings, and the way that you position yourself physically within the meeting could make a world of difference to the meetings outcome?  Yes!

Meetings, meetings, meetings! Are they positioned correctly?

Meetings, meetings, meetings! Are they positioned correctly?

So, what are these three essential meeting types and how can you best position yourself?

The three types of meetings are collaborative, presentation, and decision.

What is the difference between them?

A collaborative meeting is when you are engaging in an interactive meeting working as equals towards a common goal.  These might be meetings held between department managers, Board members, or any other type of peer working group.

A presentation meeting is when you or someone else is presenting to or facilitating a group.  You may be demonstrating a strategy, conducting a PowerPoint, or making a case.  In this mode, you are in front of the audience.

A decision meeting is when there is a decision to be made, and the meeting needs cooperation to make that decision.

Can you see any one of these meetings between yourself and a donor?  I sure can.  In one instance, you may work together to volunteer on a project (collaborative), or you may be presenting your case for support (presentation), or asking for a gift (decision).

So, how do you position yourself at each of these meetings to affect the result?

Well, in a collaborative meeting, you surely want to create a high level of interaction, so you must create an “equal” seating pattern.  In this case, round seating arrangements would work well.  They foster a sense of contribution, collaboration, and community.  Avoid at all cost, any seating position that places people at the “head” or in prominent positions of power.

In a presentation, the goals are to create connection and interaction.  Presenters need to move freely within the group while working one-on-one with others and connect folks through hand gestures.  The facilitator or presenter is in a spotlight, and they regularly bring others to the stage making them look good.

In a decision meeting, the power must always seem to be in the decision makers hand, even if it is not. Folks sitting at the head and foot o the table are in power positions, and those facing inside seats are more peer oriented.  One must always work in this case to keep the power dynamic at the forefront through seat positioning.

So the next time that you have a donor meeting scheduled, think about what the aim of the meeting is and how you are going to position yourself at the table.  Sometimes meetings can be much more than meets the eyes and you want to be sure to use all the tools in your potential toolbox as you can to have a successful outcome.

 

 

 

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