Nonprofit Fundraising 101 - Heyman Darian Rodriguez

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of the natural world, and reallocate resources toward our highest commitments, allowing them to nourish our lives, and the health and well being of all humanity. Fundraising is how we can, and are, doing this. Every time you raise money for a cause you care about; every time you cultivate or steward a donor; and every time you make an ask, you’re taking a stand for the just, equitable, and sustainable world we all dream of.

      As fundraisers, when we ask someone for money, whether it’s online, in person, or through a letter or phone call, what we’re actually doing is saying to that person: “I see you. I see your heart and your generosity. I see that you have a vision, and that you care about the world. That is why I am asking you to help.” You aren’t trying to manipulate people – you are affirming them. You’re inviting them to leave our planet in a better state than we found it. As fundraisers, our job is to listen to who people really are and then to reconnect them to their courage, and to their heart. Is your cause a match for what they really care about? It’s been my experience that if an ask is done with respect and love, regardless of that person’s capacity to give, the encounter ennobles both parties and inspires us to step into our best selves.

      In my workshops, I talk about the three rules of fundraising. The first rule is ask for the money. You can’t be afraid to ask. It’s critical that you are willing, eager, and completely comfortable asking people for money. You need to ask clearly and unapologetically. Be proud to invite support for a cause both you and they care about.

      Rule number two is ask people who are committed and want to make a difference. Find people who want to leave this planet better than they found it. In fact, they’re all around you, every day you go about your good work. People care, and they want to be part of the solution. Your cause or organization can represent that solution.

      That leads us to rule number three, which is ask everyone, because everyone is committed at some level and wants to make a difference with their lives. Your role as a fundraiser is to help people see their commitment, and then to show them a way to make a difference.

      One of the most important lessons to learn as a fundraiser, is that it’s OK to ask people and have them say no. If done with respect and love, and acknowledgment and the affirmation that people want to make a difference with their lives, every fundraising ask can open the heart and is a win for humanity. Fundraising encounters will not always create money for your cause, but regardless they can unlock something in people and help their generosity to flow in the direction that’s right for them. Often when people say no, you’ve helped them realize that they actually want to give to something else that they care more about. We’re all in this together, so it’s important you still see this as a win.

      One of the other most important fundraising lessons I’ve learned is that coming from a place of need is not sustainable. In Chapter 9, Kay Sprinkel Grace shares that people don’t give to you because you have needs; they give to you because you meet needs. Crisis fundraising – especially in the aftermath of things like natural disasters – has its place, but it’s not a strategy that can lead to long-term success. Effective asks don’t come from a place of crisis or scarcity. To be successful, fundraising must be expressed as an opportunity to partner with a nonprofit to make a difference. Rather than “we can’t do this without you” or “our work depends on your support,” aim instead for the sentiment: “Who’s with us?” This way, there is dignity and respect in the relationship, and you create a partnership where everyone is pulling together to make a difference, whether it’s saving the rainforest or ending world hunger.

      Another lesson I like to pass on to fundraisers is what I call the truth of sufficiency. We live in a very intense global consumer culture that constantly tells us that we don’t have enough; that we need more. Fundraising interrupts this toxic notion, allowing us to rest in the “enough-ness” of bounty and bear witness to the blessing of our lives. Fundraising helps people realize that they are sufficient, whole, and have what they need to live fulfilling lives. After all, generosity is a demonstration of abundance, both to the recipient and the donor.

      Even those of us struggling to pay rent or get out of debt can have these realizations when we stop comparing ourselves to others who have more. By realizing the fullness of our lives, we can truly experience gratefulness – of the friends we have, the rich tapestry of love in which we dwell, the people who care about us, our families, the work we get to do, the health we enjoy, and more. And once we dwell in this realization, the fullness of our lives grows. I like to say, “What we appreciate, appreciates.” For me, fundraising is the opportunity to help people appreciate the bounty that they live in and share that with others. Of course, this saying also relates to stewarding relationships after the gift, since expressing gratitude and demonstrating the impact someone’s generosity enables is the surest way to secure additional support.

      Notwithstanding the name of this book, thinking of yourself as a “nonprofit” fundraiser is actually a bit of a misnomer. The social sector actually generates an enormous profit – a long-term social profit for humanity, the environment, and all future life. Think about the great leaders of history: Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King, Jr., Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Nelson Mandela, and Susan B. Anthony, to name a few. The work they did is still yielding a profit today and will continue to do so for many future generations. And they were all fundraisers. Had they not been successful in raising the financial resources that were required to do their work, we would not know their names nor benefit from their movements. These leaders are your colleagues. You are following their example and working to change history. You are creating a permanent profit for society, not the kind of profit that can be spent, or wasted. This is the work you are here to do, and the world needs it.

      As a fundraiser, you are not only creating profits, P-R-O-F-I-T-S, but in fact you are a social prophet, P-R-O-P-H-E-T. In other words, whatever your cause, your work aims to achieve a beautiful prophesy of the future, where things are better than they are today. This takes courage, grace, and heart. That is who you are as a fundraiser. You have the guts to garner the resources needed to shift the direction of history. And so I bow to you – and to all fundraisers – for using your courage and heart to make our world a better place in which to live. Thank you.

       About Lynne Twist

      For more than 40 years, Lynne Twist has been a recognized global visionary committed to alleviating poverty and hunger, supporting social justice, and promoting environmental sustainability. From working with Mother Teresa in Calcutta, to serving in the refugee camps in Ethiopia, and helping save the threatened rainforests of the Amazon, Twist’s on-the-ground work has brought her a deep understanding of the social tapestry of the world and the historical landscape of the times we live in. Her best-selling book, The Soul of Money: Reclaiming the Wealth of Our Inner Resources (W.W. Norton & Co.), shows us that examining our attitudes toward money – earning it, spending it, and giving it away – can offer surprising insight into our lives, our values, and the essence of prosperity.

      Part I

      Planning for Success and Preparing Your Team

      Chapter 1

      Creating a Fundraising Plan

      “A goal without a plan is just a wish.”

– Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Introduction

      Your organization has a mission, and to accomplish it you need to raise money. But where do you start? That’s simple: with a plan. You need a clear set of objectives, and a map of how you aim to get there. Your fundraising plan will be unique to your nonprofit. Every organization has different needs, goals, strengths, and priorities, and your fundraising plan will address and incorporate these in a written document.

      Being strategic about fundraising in this way generates better results, creates efficiency, and ensures everyone involved is on the same page and accountable. It will also allow you to evaluate progress and assess the effectiveness of different fundraising channels, facilitating strategic shifts when necessary.

      The

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