Dr. Benjamin Franklin & Major Gifts Fundraisers…What They Have In Common is Jim Eskin’s insights on a celebrated founding father and the successful work of development officers. Here’s what Jim has to share:
The iconic Dr. Benjamin Franklin is remembered for so many revered roles: Founder, prolific writer, scientist, printer and publisher. Less known is the pioneering role he played in ushering in an American style of philanthropy. Elements of this legacy include the matching gift, endowments, estate planning and generous sharing of his time, talent and treasure paving the way for numerous libraries, hospitals, mutual aid societies and essential components of the common good.
A simple statement of his stands out for its profound meaning throughout history: “The world is run by the people who show up.”
Nowhere is this more pertinent than in the world of fundraising. Successful fundraising hinges on showing up in every conceivable way — in body, mind and spirit — to be a productive player in the discovery, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of donor prospects. It is the culmination of working hard and working smart in a relentless application of sound principles, strategies and best practices.
Dr. Benjamin Franklin & Major Gifts Fundraisers
Let’s dig deeper and consider 10 highly effective ways professional and volunteer non-profit leaders show up to champion the noble missions of their non-profits that touch, improve and save more lives, especially helping those who are struggling.
No. 1: Showing up in visioning a better world. Great fundraisers dream big dreams. They see possibilities that the rest of us don’t. This is the basis of huge strides forward in education, healthcare, economic development, arts and culture, animal welfare, a host of human services and social justice. They all started with bold, if not audacious, ideas. A potent combination of compassion and optimism fuels awesome results. Successful fundraisers are true believers. They believe in the righteousness of their causes, the potential of their comrades in good works, and the goodness of the American people to extend helping hands.
No. 2: Showing up in work ethic. Dreams can’t turn into reality without commitment to persevering, overcoming temporary setbacks and sticking with it when others quit. There is a thin line between persist and pester, and boundaries are different for every donor. By truly getting to know donors, that boundary comes into focus.
No. 3: Showing up in self-improvement. Fundraising is the ultimate continuous process improvement discipline. You learn something during every interaction with the donor prospect whether the response is yes, no or we need more time. The world around us is changing at a dizzying pace. The experience of the recent pandemic was a vivid reminder. In fundraising, best practices had to pivot. Face-to-face interactions were replaced by screen-to-screen communication, and we discovered it worked.
No 4: Showing up in curiosity. There are a host of characteristics necessary to become a good solicitor. At the top of the list is cultivating an ever-growing range of interests. This places us in a stronger position to interact with donor prospects and enter their worlds. This empowers the solicitor to rise above transactional relationships (I once heard relationships defined as something you have until something better comes along) and forge genuine friendships that meet the tests of time.
No. 5: Showing up in collaboration. No single person — no matter how experienced, skilled and confident — produces resource development dollars by themselves. It takes an entire non-profit village spanning a wide range of devoted professionals and volunteers to perpetuate an organization that people will invest in.
No. 6: Showing up in accountability. If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. To earn and keep donor support, non-profits must demonstrate the investment of gift dollars are moving the needle in fulfilling respective missions. Benchmarks or key performance indicators typically fall into two categories. Leading indicators are the action steps taken toward an end result, while lagging indicators are the end result desired by doing the action steps. Both are essential.
No. 7: Showing up in storytelling. While there will always be a rightful place for facts and figures, there is a tendency to overdo it. There is an abundance of evidence showing that presenting the personal testimonials of beneficiaries in their own words and images is more impactful.
No. 8: Showing up in giving credit to others. When a donor makes precious contributions of time, talent and treasure it is never the sole result of the solicitation, no matter how expertly it is executed. The donor has concluded alignment between their personal values, priorities and needs with those of the non-profit. Numerous individuals are responsible for shaping the non-profit’s vision, story and capacity to deliver on its mission. Everyone must understand and be recognized for their roles.
No. 9: Showing up in celebrating victories. This is a prudent investment in raising more money and motivating the non-profit to continue its hard but fulfilling work. A core component is stewardship and appropriately acknowledging and expressing gratitude to donors for their past gifts as the first step in maintaining and even increasing their level of support in the future.
No. 10: Showing up in knowing yourself. We all have our own special sets of strengths and weaknesses. Some members of the non-profit family may be adept at reaching out and breaking the ice to those who aren’t currently donors. Others may be gifted at telling the story. And then there are those who welcome opportunities to solicit gifts in person. The point is that there is a role for everyone who is passionate about the impact of non-profit.
We owe so much to Dr. Franklin, who incidentally also excelled at enjoying life. In so many different and crucial ways he influenced the making of the greatest nation in the history of the world. This includes forging a culture that embraces the notion of sharing and caring for others and that more is always possible. He taught us by example that leadership demands that we be visible, present and be inspired in pursuit of our personal visions of a brighter, more equitable and socially just future.
Dr. Benjamin Franklin & Major Gifts Fundraisers…What They Have In Common was first posted at MAJOR GIFTS RAMP-UP
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
After a successful career leading advancement for three institutions of higher education, Jim Eskin’s consulting practice, Eskin Fundraising Training launched in 2018, builds on the success of his more than 250 fundraising workshops, webinars, webcasts, podcasts and board sessions, and provides the training, coaching and support services to equip non-profit leaders to replace fear of fundraising with comfort and confidence. He has authored more than 150 guest columns that have appeared in daily newspapers, business journals and blogs across the country, and publishes Stratagems, a monthly e-newsletter exploring timely issues and trends in philanthropy. Sign up here for a free subscription and invitations to free learning community activities. He is author of 10 Simple Fundraising Lessons, a 82-page common sense guide to understanding the art and science of fundraising, and How To Score Your First or Next Million-Dollar Gift, 104 pages are filled with strategies, best practices and homework assignments. Both are available in both print and digital formats through Pathway, the book distributor, and Amazon. Quantity discounts are available to non-profits who want to share books with teams of management, development staff, board, and volunteers. He is also available for customized virtual training for boards, staff, and fundraising committees. His newest customized service, Fundraising Urgent Care, offers 48-hour turnaround in addressing general strategy and tactical challenges that require immediate responses.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Eskin Fundraising Training
10410 Pelican Oak Drive
San Antonio, TX 78254-6727
Cell: 210.415.3748
E-Mail: [email protected]
eskinfundraisingtraining.com
