Some of the work Ann and I do is to help organizations based outside of the United States assess and act on their opportunity to raise money inside the US.
Often we have to temper expectations. Many organizations think the American streets are filled with gold, just waiting to fund their cause.
Some succeed and get established, but more often than not, they have to try (and fail) a couple of times before they hit on the right formula.
Those that have succeeded have adapted. They have accepted that to be successful, there is a need to make the cause relevant and authentic in the American market.
There’s also a need to give up a certain level of control in order to allow forces here to shape the organization’s culture and networks.
It strikes me that this critical issue for international fundraising is also applicable to the way fundraising is evolving, even for the most domestic of organizations.
The very best initiatives are not generally born from strict, analytical control of message, channel, and donors. The most innovative and successful fundraising initiatives are generally born outside of an organizational structure by people who are (often suddenly and out of nowhere) inspired to make something happen.
You can’t force the public to embrace your cause and advocate for it. As Ann always says, fundraisers are not in the business of evangelizing.
But you can create an environment of receptivity and support for things that just might…happen and happen BIG. Like fundraising lightning bolts out of the sky (and yes, like the ice bucket challenge).
Here are a few ideas:
Keep your board close: As someone who has been a board member for several organizations, I think boards are generally misused and under utilized. Sure, they have to do certain things to fulfill their governance responsibilities, but board members can be your closest allies, your eyes and ears, and your constant megaphone if you let them. They may not form the development committee of your dreams, they may not sell the number of gala tickets you want them to, but if you tap into how they want to connect and support your organization, you might not only have more revenue, you might also identify your next big thing on the horizon.
Get your donors talking to you: Like your board, your donors have great ideas. Some of them are whacky and a waste of time, but try to resist the urge (the urge I used to have), to build walls to keep these out. You don’t have to run with these ideas, but keep the door open. Ask your donors what they think and collect their ideas through informal focus groups and surveys. Use your development committee to generate ideas and keep committee members informed enough to actually vet them – and interested enough to bring you the best.
Take risks and accept the learning: One of the most challenging things about nonprofit work today is that it is so focused on short-term returns. It’s all about meeting this year’s budgets or this quarter’s forecast. There is very little time for innovation and very little wiggle room for risk-taking. See if you can write your next development plan to include some specific risk-taking. Nothing too big, but something you can learn from. Report the results back to your board and be sure to be explicit about the next step in your learning.
Create the financial space for innovation: Some larger organizations have innovation funds, where they set aside pockets of money to inspire fundraising staff to come up with good ideas by providing seed money. That’s not something that many mid-sized or smaller organizations can do on any scale, but even if you just proposed a few hundred dollars to set aside in your budget for innovation or for opportunities that just happen, you start to build a culture where risks are accepted and encouraged (just as they are in the business world).
Here’s the thing: fundraising is only transformational when it’s authentic and authenticity is not engineered and controlled. It’s cultivated with a combination of openness, risk, and the desire to learn.
So take a deep breath, let go a bit, and see what happens!
p.s. Beth Kanter gave a great interview to Movie Monday about failing and risk-taking. Check it out for more inspiration.
