Change or DIE

To continue with our thinking about change, here's an insightful look at how one funder sees it.

Doug Stamm, CEO of the Meyer Memorial Trust challenges us to view change as an opportunity to be seized. His not-for-the-faint-of-heart themes are: Disruption. Impact. Empathy. Or DIE.

Here's just a bit of his advice on how not to die:

Face the disruption. Embrace technology.  Form innovative partnerships.  Lean in to diversity, complexity and interconnectedness.

Understand the demand for impact.  Continually ask questions. Show evidence of success.  Be candid about failure. Build a movement, not a franchise.

Make it your job to marry outcomes and empathy. Care. Connect people to a common community, purpose and cause. Inspire action that makes our ever-changing world a better place.

The full version of his encouraging and thoughtful ideas can be found here.

Good read: Great by Choice

Jim Collins, author of the much-celebrated business book Good to Great, spent nine years with his partner, Morten Hansen, rigorously researching the ideas set forth in Great by Choice. Last week, Collins spoke about his discoveries with such enthusiasm that he took a dramatic tumble off the stage, which of course, demanded a full reading of this new work.  

The premise is that we live in an incredibly complex, rapidly changing and unpredictable world that's impossible to control.  Some organizations thrive in this environment, while others fail. Through an analysis of empirical data, the book sets forth concrete techniques and strategies we can implement to help our organizations and ourselves be more successful.

It all comes down to the choices you make to be 1) empirically creative, 2) fanatically disciplined, and 3) productively paranoid. To illustrate their theories, real-world business cases are punctuated with stories of people in extreme adventure conditions. It's an engaging and readable journey that shows us how to gain control, focus on the things that matter, and ultimately, find success for the cause you work for.

Here are just a few things they uncovered, many of which ran counter to their intuition. For the most part, great leaders aren't born to it. They aren't off-the-charts innovators. They don't risk it all on one big bet. They don't have special predictive or visionary abilities. And they aren't perfect. Great news!

But they learn. They quickly correct their mistakes. They make consistent progress. And they deliver.

We love the provocative questions at the end of each chapter that will help you make these theories real, expand your capacity, and be better prepared for what you cannot possibly predict.

Highly recommended.

Mailbox challenges

 

They're going green... their mailbox is full... they want less mail.  

There's an app for that.  

Snap a quick photo of the offending mail and the folks at PaperKarma send your organization a request to remove them from your list. Your heart sinks just a bit because you've lost the ability to communicate with someone.

But all is not lost.

More and more, people expect control over the communication they receive.  It's our responsibility to be prepared, responsive and respectful of their wishes.

To get started, make sure you have clear codes set up in your database.  Some people don't want phone calls. Some want renewal reminders, but not additional appeals during the year. Some only want emails. They expect you to know what they want.

To take it a step further, turn these interactions into a conversation.  Ask the person how they would like to hear from you.  Ask for an email address. Let them know how to find you on facebook or how to get to your blog or e-newsletter so they can stay connected.

And better yet, turn your interaction into an opportunity to encourage them to become a sustainer, or ongoing monthly donor.  Then everyone wins. Your organization thrives and your donors stay involved and green. 

That's the kind of karma we can all get behind.

Graduation inspired

Last night on Glee, the seniors sang about having "dreamer's disease" as they said their teary goodbyes and tossed their crimson caps in the air.  

In the real world, the great masses of college graduates are being ceremoniously unleashed to turn their dreams into reality.

 

What better time to relish what you still dream about... to celebrate the things you care about... to remember why you do the work you do... and let that passion infuse your day with new energy.

Here's a fabulous graduation-inspired moment to get you started. Jane Lynch speaks with humor of perseverance, failure, and life's surprises, as she encourages the women of Smith College to approach life with a "yes, and..." attitude. 

Dream on!

Find your focus

You know what you need. Attention. Connection. Action. People to read your newsletter, open your brochure, watch your video, buy tickets, contribute. It's how you keep your mission alive.

But the deadline looms. So you start typing.  A new variation of your standard ideas. It seems safe.  But your message is at risk of becoming scattered or stale and not particularly creative or effective.

Here's one quick way to bring your ideas into focus and build a stronger case that packs the tight emotional punch you need to deliver results.

Ask this question: How do you want people to feel as a result of your communication? 

Brainstorm a list, then narrow it down to one key central idea. Only one. Start there. Because feelings drive our actions long before thinking does.

I feel proud.  I feel inspired.  I feel empowered. I feel passionate. I feel helpful.  I feel strong. I feel energized.  I feel hopeful.  I feel grateful.  I feel amazed. I feel generous.  I feel needed. I feel happy. I want to do something....

Your Election Day

Today is Election Day in Oregon.  For months, candidates have stated their cases, canvassed the neighborhoods, debated and done their best to convince us that they are our guy, or gal.

All of their time, money and energy have been spent toward one ultimate act – they want our vote.  Without it, their mission ends today.  Which is why at each step in the campaign, the candidates have been clear about what they’re asking us to do and what good will happen if we vote for them and what  might happen if we don’t.

For nonprofits, our fundraising and communications efforts should be just as clear and compelling.  Do we articulate our mission in every activity, do we invite prospects to participate in a meaningful way, and do we remind them of their impact and thus, our impact? 

So today, and in the days ahead, let’s remember that as fundraisers, our campaign doesn’t end on one particular day – every day is Election Day.   It’s up to us to remind our constituents at each and every opportunity that our organization is worthy of their vote.

Tentative or daring

I love to ski fast.  But I only do it when I’m fairly certain I won’t crash. 

Last weekend, while skiing with some really speedy people, all I could think about was how I couldn’t keep up. And that wasn’t very fun.

Then I thought, “why not?” maybe I can.  So I took their enthusiastic lead. And guess what? I didn’t crash. It was lots of fun. And now I’m faster and better.

Whether it's work or play, it can be a good thing to resist that urge to be tentative. Sure, you might crash.  But you also might not.  And you may do something awesome that you didn’t know you could do. 

You’ll definitely have more fun. 

So go find that leader you aspire to be (one who'll hold their ski pole out to you if you do crash), and catch up with them.

Donate for mom

"What better way to celebrate Mom than by supporting mothers in need around the world." That's what MercyCorps says in a link to their special mom-branded giving page.

Heifer International gets high marks for cleverness. "This year, don't get her goat... GIVE a goat in her honor and help a mom in need." Their fun infographic and upbeat video are worth checking out.

Even President Obama is getting in the game.

Celebration-driven giving can be engaging and effective. But it's no simple thing to manage. Here's how to find out if you're ready to test it out.

Is your year-round fundraising program solid? Basics always come before the sizzle. If you're challenged to deliver monthly renewals and acknowledgements for example, special appeals shouldn't be a priority yet.

Do you have adequate resources?  From custom online forms to graphics, print, video and more, successful campaigns require added time, effort, production and coordination.

Do you have the creative bandwidth? These initiatives demand a team that can imagine, design, and write with passion, wit and style. 

But if you are ready to put some sparkly icing on your fundraising cake, venture forth and have a ton of fun! It has the potential to get noticed and raise more money for your cause.

The challenge is on

Recently, our local public radio station offered a challenge in their on-air fund drive.  It generated excitement and the phones rang like crazy. But they fell a bit short.  So they came back on the air, thanked everyone for participating, and then announced that they’d need to offer the funds back.

This week, the lead story in the Chronicle of Philanthropy is about matching grants and challenges.  They question whether the concept is running out of steam. They examine whether we’re being up front about the terms we present to the public. And they offer some common sense advice for doing it right.

Our experience shows that challenges and matches are a powerful way to provide an extra incentive to "give right now." And we don’t think they’re out of steam yet, even as the technique becomes ever more popular.

Our advice:

Keep it simple. Be rigorously ethical and honest about what actually happens when a donor contributes. Then follow up once it’s over. Tell people how it went, and what the impact was.

Beyond connection to your mission, credibility is your number one asset.  

Would you be pleased to see a story about your campaign on the front page of your local newspaper?  As you make the most of a great opportunity to raise more money, be sure the answer is yes.