Not every donor says "yes," and not every banquet is a smashing success. Do enough fundraising and eventually you will face failure of some kind. It's what you do about it that matters. Learn the three critical steps to take when faced with a fundraising flop.
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Are you irritating your donors? Find out the five things most organizations are doing every day that could be driving donors away. Learn what donors really think about you and how you communicate with them. Pick up some great, easy tips for keeping more donors longer and growing income.
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Jesus asks great questions. To the woman about to be stoned, he asked "Where are your accusers?" To Simon Peter, a noted questioner in his own right, Jesus asked "Who do you say that I am?" and to His disciples, in a number of ways, "Do you not yet understand?"
Good leaders also ask great questions because questions can make people think. They can bring clarity to almost any issue. They can isolate the truth or a gap in knowledge faster than just about anything else. That's why a good leader asks himself plenty of questions, especially before deciding what to do about anything truly important.
By my count, there are five critical questions a leader must ask himself or herself, pretty much on an on-going basis:
#1 What Is My Vision?
Famously, scripture says "Where there is no vision, the people perish," Proverbs 29:18. Mission, vision and values are all easily confused. For clarity, values are who you are, a mission is what you do and a vision is why you do it. Your organization is headed somewhere, even if you aren't sure of the destination. As a leader, your job is to steer the ship in a particular direction, toward a certain shore, in favor of a given destination. Without this, people lose sight of why they do what they do. When that happens they become disillusioned, unmotivated and hopeless. Your vision is the only thing that will attract new followers, like volunteers and donors, to your cause. For that reason you should always be trying to hone your vision, to learn how to more clearly articulate it and how to keep make it as bold and inspiring as possible. Its been said that people give to people, but based on experience, I would say people give to people...with vision.
#2 Is My Organization Sustainable?
Competent managers are often promoted to lead organizations. They often fail because management and leadership are very different. Leaders should not be focused on the day-to-day running of their organizations. If they are, that is all they will get done. Leaders must have an advancement agenda. They must be about promoting their vision, as well as the relationships and strategies that will advance their organization by attracting more followers, more volunteers, more friends in the community and of course, more donors. This presupposes that the organization is stable and that the leader's daily output is not needed to keep it going. If that is the case, the leader's first task it to replace himself in the structure of the organization so he is free to lead. Sadly, many leaders never get out of survival mode to a place where sustainability is a given, and true leadership can take the organization to a new level.
#3 How Can I Make Others Successful?
God's economy is very different. Jesus made it clear, to lead in a Christian organization, one must serve. For leaders, this translates to developing those around them, helping them grow and become more and more successful at what they do. Leaders do this by defining outcomes, setting goals, and making sure the organization has the resources it needs to grow. Great leaders develop more great leaders. Sharing knowledge, giving opportunity, taking risks with people and allowing them to fail and learn from their mistakes. They model servant leadership causing its pragmatic ideals to be replicated both inside the organization and all around its sphere of influence.
#4 What Must Change?
It's trite, but so true..."Change is the only thing you can ever count on." Leaders cannot fear change, they must thrive on it. Leadership built on faith in God as provider gives us boldness and assurance to make the most radical changes confidently. Leaders do not bend the mission and certainly not the vision of the organization around obstacles, even if they come in human form. There is balance between compassion, patience and long suffering with individuals and taking an organization where you know it should go as a leader. Some people believe you can never fire anyone in ministry. Nothing could be further than the truth. "Hire slowly and fire swiftly" is the best advice a leader can heed. There is a time for everything (Ecclesiastes 3). Leaders often have to winnow through their resources, separating wheat from the chaff. It is also in the leaders calling to separate the sheep from the goats. Never be afraid to change something, as long as it contributes to your mission, is in line with your values and helps propel you toward your vision.
#5 Am I Listening To God?
"Never let them see you sweat" is a motto best suited for antiperspirant commercials; it has no real place in leadership. Far from it, sometimes the best thing a leader can do is let people see how totally dependent on God they really are. This dependence must include a daily walk that is fueled by prayer and time in the scriptures. Jesus modeled this while on earth, often withdrawing from crowds and even his own disciples to commune with the Father. Look how many leaders in the Old Testament failed because they stopped listening to God. Saul comes to mind. Ground yourself in the word and let God show you the next steps to take. You will never be disappointed, and more importantly, you will never be disappointing to those in your organization.
What do you think? Are there other critical questions a leader should ask? Email me at Jerry.Grimes@Advocace.com and let me know your thoughts.
Great stories can make great things happen for your ministry. But you can't wait for them to happen or for the stories you need to advance your work with donors, volunteers and the community to just come to you. You must build a storytelling culture within your organization. Find out how to take the first right steps to making that happen.
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The Missing Ingredient
Ever forget to mix just one ingredient into a recipe only to experience disastrous results? Bread won't rise without yeast, cakes go flat without a little baking powder and eggs just don't taste right without salt. Leaving out just one, small ingredient can make all the difference.
That's true for your ministry, too, especially if the missing ingredient is a volunteer program. I am amazed that ministry people we talk to all around the country are so overworked and hampered financially, yet they almost refuse to seek out volunteers who can help them. Volunteers can breathe new life into your ministry, help you do more with less, and interestingly, dramatically improve your development program.
Ask, Seek, Knock
Volunteers can come from a variety of sources. Christian radio stations need only advertise their need for volunteers to help out in the office, make donor calls, handle the mail, run events and more just by running a few spots or "liner ...
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They said they'd give, but never did! They gave you a credit card, but it was declined! They used to give to you, but you haven't heard from them lately...or for a long time! What will you do you with lapsed, declined and disengaged donors? They can be frustrating, but they can also be the most rewarding segment in your donor file. Find out why and how to deal with them effectively.
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Get real about your major gifts fundraising effort by developing a plan, tracking it and reporting results. Get tips on doing those three things as you learn about major gifts fundraising best practices that set successful Christian organizations apart.
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Writing fundraising letters that really work and raise money isn't easy, but a dedicated writer can find success by applying a few tricks of the trade carefully.
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The last thing I ever wanted to be was a development consultant. I hated fundraising. I hated consultants even more. And now look at me, sitting here, writing this as a development consultant!
Maybe that gives me some room to address the topic of hiring people like me. In the next few minutes, I want to tell you what I have learned about development and why consultants, if they are the right ones, can actually help your organization grow. When it comes to consultants, you really have the good, the bad and the ugly.
The Good
Consultants who are worth hiring not only offer you experience, they are teachers. They love to impart knowledge and help people grow in their understanding of development. They impart truth, like best practices, proven techniques, and researched results. They also confront bad habits and speak the truth firmly, but in love. In short, a good consultant will not only fish for you, they will teach you how to fish. At the end of ...
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Are capital campaign feasibility studies always necessary? Are they worth the dollars invested, and should you consider one before undertaking your big building project or expansion? Find out why when it comes to capital campaigns, a "read, aim, aim" approach can really pay off.
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