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Six strategies for
the rest of the year and beyond…
By
"Change or die." Although somewhat
dramatic, this was the bottom line sentiment expressed by one participant at an
AFP workshop about fundraising in times of economic uncertainty. Nonprofits
that don’t step up their game in this economy are likely to get lost in the
shuffle. To strengthen your organization, consider these six strategies
as shared by 25 senior development professionals who participated in AFP Oregon
& SW Washington’s April 2009 Senior Salon, hosted by the OSU Foundation and facilitated by
1.
Capitalize on your board's desire for more
information and involvement.
The recession is motivating board members to ask
more questions about financials, fundraising plans and strategies. Many feel a
heightened sense of responsibility and want to be sure they are pulling their
weight. Younger members are often leading the charge, raising the bar for veteran
members. Take this opportunity to talk with your board about current fundraising
challenges. Remain calm, confident and transparent. Engage members in
discussions about how they can help. Provide them with additional training in
areas such as donor cultivation and solicitation, and board development. The
latter can be especially helpful if you need to trim some “dead wood”.
2.
Strengthen relations with your donors.
Staying connected with donors should be a top
priority for all development professionals right now. With many donors reducing
the number of nonprofits they support, you want to be sure yours remains on
their list of “keepers”. Accountability breeds trust so be sure to let donors
know the impact of their last gift before asking for the next gift.
Engage board members and other leadership volunteers in regular “thank you’s”
and “check-in’s” with your major donors. Negotiate extended pledges as necessary.
And remember, board members are donors too.
3.
Adjust your messaging to fit the times and better
connect with your donors.
If you aren’t talking about why your organization’s
work is more critical now than ever before, you are missing out. Today’s donors
want to help address the challenges in their community so provide them
with clear opportunities to do so. For example, “in tough economic times,
education costs rise and thousands more aspiring students can’t afford college.
By investing $______ in a scholarship today you can make a significant and
lasting impact in the life of a young adult in our community.”
4.
Streamline operations to reduce costs and better
serve your constituents.
Many nonprofits are re-packaging their programs,
partnering or merging with friendly competitors to become more efficient and
better serve their constituents. Others are cleaning house by eliminating
"weak" staff and cutting activities with low ROI. This is an
especially opportune time to get rid of sacred cows (did someone say auction?)
that influential staff or volunteers have been holding onto forever,
even though they hit their peak years ago.
5.
Assess and prepare your development program for
action.
With campaigns on hold and development programs in
flux, now is an excellent time to conduct a development audit to clearly
identify what strategies
and methods work well and what needs
improvement. The results of such an assessment can be used to fine-tune
or create a campaign plan or action-oriented development plan (with “pipeline
projections”) so you are ready to jump into action when the economy bounces
back.
6.
Use technology to more effectively communicate with
your constituents.
With the drive to reduce costs and be more “green,”
development professionals are increasing their use of technology to enhance donor
communications. E-newsletters and on-line appeals are replacing or supplementing
print newsletters and mailings. Facebook, Twitter, weblogs and other social
media tools are providing excellent forums for nonprofits to extend their reach
and engage in valuable discussions with donors, alumni and friends.
Now is the
time to take extra steps to connect with your donors, equip and motivate your
board, and prepare your organization for the future. We live in a cyclical
economy so better days are around the corner. Make sure your organization is prepared
to succeed!
Kevin Johnson, CFRE*, CSPG**
Retriever Development Counsel, LLC
3559 NE Webster Street, Portland, OR 97211
503-736-1102
On the road: 503-341-3451
E-Mail: Kevin@RetrieverDevelopment.com
Web: www.RetrieverDevelopment.com
*Certified Fundraising Executive and member of the international
Association of Fundraising Professionals.
** Certified Specialist in Planned Giving is a professional designation awarded
by the American Institute for Philanthropic Studies,
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