The Extreme Fundraising Blog

Just read a news brief from the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s daily entitled Small Colleges Say Board Members Have Been Poor Fund Raisers.

In the article, Wesley Wilmer is quoted as saying:

“If college presidents and development staffs are unhappy with board members’ understanding of fund raising, they should take the initiative to get them trained,” he said.

Music to my ears!

Remember that oft quoted definition of insanity? Insanity is keeping on doing the same thing you’ve been doing but expecting different results.

[Shameless plug alert] Board members need training but so many nonprofits are unable (or unwilling) to pay for it. That’s what led me to write Ask Without Fear! and price it at inexpensive $14.95.

Hopefully this book will be a cost-effective way to help remove some of the tension that seems to exist with college presidents and their board of trustees.

For the entire article, go to The Chronicle of Philanthropy.

Just read this in MaineBiz:

Report: Maine philanthropy has grown
Maine philanthropy has increased dramatically in recent years, according to a new report from the Maine Community Foundation and the Maine Philanthropy Center.

“Giving in Maine: A Report on Philanthropy 2008″ found that individual giving has grown sevenfold over the last 22 years, from $67 million to $482 million. The report also says 27% of Maine estates over $1.5 million donate to philanthropic causes, versus 20% nationally, and total giving and average giving by individual Mainers has increased 25% over the last five years.

The state’s charitable foundations are strong, according to the report, with assets almost doubling over the last five years, to $1.5 billion, and giving increasing by 74%.

The economy hasn’t been great here in Maine. But our residents are growing in generousity!

I hope that’s encouraging as we navigate our current economic waters.

Another episode of Oprah’s Big Give.

I’ve watched all three episodes in three different ways:

1. via recording on my DVR
2. on TV like I did in the 1990’s
3. on abc.com!

Who knew TV shows could be so adaptable to technology?

This week’s program brought out two interesting themes: creative engagement of donors and the dangers of self-absorption. I’m going to assume you’ve seen the episode. If you haven’t, you can see the full show at Oprah’s Big Give.

Team Field of Dreams had no team work but an incredibly engaged volunteer: Andre Agassi. He was professional, entreprenurial, and a complete gentleman. And a darn good fundraiser. I’m not sure if he sensed the disorganization of the team or not, but he came in with ideas, connections, and a plan. And he got the job done.

I left this episode hoping to be like him when I grow up.

Team Forgotten Christmas had a great team. They worked really well together.

But they hardly engaged Tony Hawks. Granted, a skating crowd is probably a very different demographic and socio-economic background than a tennis crowd. But still, they didn’t seem to suggest ways he could help.

Here’s one of the longest running extreme sport celebrities. He’s got to have connections. It’s not really his job to think, “who do I know?” It’s the job of the fundraiser to ask things like:

• “Who do you know?”
• “What connections might you have to make this an amazing project?”
• “How might the people you know be able to make this blessing last beyond a one day event?”

But noone in the team seemed interested in finding out.

Perhaps both results stemmed from the same problem: self-absorption.

Both teams seemed so consumed with trying to do an amazing deed to be able to stay in this challenge that they neglected to get to know the schools or the celebrities.

The way the show was edited, neither team came up with the idea of getting a tour of the schools they were helping. They seem to quickly figure out the problems and then hastily start “fixing” them.

But you can’t really do that without spending some time getting to know the people you’re working with and for.

Agassi apparently knew this. When he came, he got a tour. And in getting a tour of the school, he found out that the kids needed more than just a playground, they needed new computers and other equipment. Engaging the school helped him get a better understanding of how he could help.

As fundraisers, we must be interested in other people: donor prospects and the people we’re helping. The people we’re helping can’t simply be “a cause” or “a group we’re helping.” They’re individuals with stories that deserve to be heard.

And donors and donor prospects, even celebrity donors, don’t know us well enough to know exactly how they can help. That’s why fundraisers need to get out from behind our desks. We need to walk around and see the mission that our organizations are accomplishing. And we need to engage our donors so that we get to know them.

The Christmas Team did great things for so many kids. But I wonder what “money” they left on the table because they didn’t explore with Tony.

Would I have done any better? I have no idea.

Some may argue that they did the best they could given the time constraints. But all of our nonprofits work daily under the type of time pressure these Big Give teams work under. We have an extremely limited time to get our mission funded. And it’s often “do or die.”

So let’s not get distracted by that pressure. Let’s remember to see individuals as people that can help in special and unique ways.

Who can you get to know better today? Perhaps they have talents, relationships, or passions that are a perfect match for your group!

This is the third blog post in a series related to Oprah’s Big Give.

Last week, I blogged about what I like about Oprah’s show “The Big Give” and about my concerns.

I still like it. I loved the way the guys teamed up for the Denver orphanage. The shock and gratitude on the directors face moved me to tears.

Another person got voted off. His “kindness” was considered weak and not benefitting the “neediest” person.

While I understand the criticism, I wonder if the judge’s criteria (which are really Oprah’s criteria) are ones our donors are rating us on as well.

Right or wrong, perceptions reign.

And The Big Give way be a way for us in nonprofits to learn to tell our stories and evaluate our work in ways that resonate with donors.

I’d love to know what you think. Am I on to something? Or am I selling out?

Use the comment link right under the blog title to tell me what you think!

I just watched the premier of The Big Give. (Thank God for a DVR! )

I really liked it.

I was really touched by the examples of people bringing community together. Like the woman who’s husband was shot. Wow. They all pulled together. And the balloons. How cool that the family will forever have a way to validate the place Dad has in their lives.

And I loved that the fashion show got panned. Particularly because it had nothing to do with the person. No connection whatsoever. Maybe we’ll hear less of that type of suggestion from our well meaning volunteers.

As a full-time fundraiser, it was a bit annoying to see how “easy” some of them made fundraising look. I’m sure dropping Oprah’s name was a HUGE motivator. While I’m glad for the success they had, I dread the backlash that it may have to my job. “Hey, just watched Oprah last night. When are you going to actually raise some money like that?” Ouch.

I’d probably answer, “As soon as Oprah allows me to use her name and the exposure of a national TV show.”

And I did find myself worrying for the people helped. What are the long-term impacts? Sure they gave folks housing for 6 months, but what then? These guys are going to screw up, that’s just life. We all make mistakes. But now they’ll be screwing up with someone’s lives. What are the implications?

Sure, the four judgement areas seem a bit corny. But it is a “reality” show after all. And America watches reality shows.

Oprah certainly knows how to communicate to America!

So this can go a long way in inspiring people to make a difference in their own communities, with their own neighbors. And it can show them that “just raising money” isn’t enough.

And for the nay-sayers that say, “C’mon, they’re just competing for $1 million.” Please. Let it rest. The show is quite clear that they don’t even know what they’re competing for.

I wouldn’t call this “philanthropy.” Perhaps I’m splitting hairs. But it is cool to see the difference a motivated team can do in someone’s life. It can be really addicting!

I like Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. But The Big Give seems to “make it real.” You don’t need to be Ty or have a huge show to change a family’s life. You can just be a couple of regular joes with a little seed cash.

And you probably don’t even need the seed cash.

Check this article out from the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s daily email:

A Charity Levy for Britain’s Wealthy?
Affluent British people who do not give at least 10 percent of their incomes to charity should pay an equivalent surcharge in taxes, said Frank Field, former welfare reform minister for Britain’s Labour party, according to The Financial Times.

Mr. Field wants to levy a 10-percent surcharge on British taxpayers’ earnings or investment income of more than $294,095 per year. The British government should create a national endowment fund to distribute the money if the taxpayer does not designate charities to receive his or her money, he added.

Mr. Field’s idea would “encourage richer taxpayers to embrace the responsibilities of wealth,” he said, and raise an estimated $7-billion annually.

I’ve heard it said that we’ll all be philanthropists at death. We can either choose who gets our estate by doing some planning or the government will choose for us.

The British government doesn’t appear to be content waiting ’til death!

I’m a big proponent of giving at least 10% away. But I’m not sure I want the government forcing it…

Check out this Reuters story : Frugal librarian amassed $8 million art trove.

With a The Millionaire Next Door feel, librarian Jean Preston ate frozen meals and took the bus.

But she’d collected art work worth more around $8 million.

The lesson I get from this? Any fundraiser that had visited her would’ve noticed the quantity of art in this little home.

But I bet none visited her.

All these treasures were left in her house when she died. I bet she’d have loved to donate some to museums or other groups, if she’d only been asked.

Don’t neglect even modest donors. (If you’re not convinced, look at my “$100 donor or millionaire” blog post from last week.)

Quite often, the donors that “look” rich are in debt up to their eyeballs. And quite often, the modest, unassuming people have hidden treasures that they’d love to share with your nonprofit: memories & stories, art, antiques, or even estate gifts.

This year, why not committing to visiting ten of your more-modest-but-consistent donors?

You may want to start with your local librarian!

Just read this in the daily update from the Chronicle of Philanthropy:

Large Bequest Surprises Diabetes Charity
An 86-year-old Annapolis woman who died in a house fire last March shocked a diabetes group by bequeathing it the largest donation in the organization’s history — $7.3-million, reports The Washington Post.

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, which had known Helene Whitlock Alley primarily as a $100 donor, became the beneficiary of most of her estimated $8.5-million estate. The source of Mrs. Alley’s money remains unclear, although her deceased father was an accomplished businessman, and she owned Merck stock that she might have purchased before 1949, while she was a secretary with the company.

Mrs. Alley’s donation was motivated by her late brother’s battle with Type I diabetes. In her will, she described her brother’s struggle with the disease as “heart rending, frightening, and inspiring.” Mrs. Alley intended her donation “to further the research to help find a cure for diabetes that at no time requires a diabetic patient to take an organ-rejection agent” after a transplant of pancreatic cells.

(Free registration is required to view this article.)

Two take aways:

1. You need to treat all donors well. Whatever this group did, they certainly kept her feeling like she was part of their “family.”
2. You never know what other forces are compelling people to make gifts. This woman had a sibling struggle with diabetes.

   Let me rephrase that: If you don’t engage your donors, you’ll never know what forced are compelling them to make gifts.

This is too odd a tale to be made up. Robbing a nonprofit? An employee of World Relief shooting someone? Especially when World Relief is part of the National Association of Evangelicals?

Here’s the entire blurb as seen in today’s daily by the Chronicle of Philanthropy:

“Nonprofit Employee Kills Robber at Office”

A nonprofit worker in Atlanta shot and killed a would-be robber after the man demanded money from a safe, reports The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Two men at World Relief, a group that helps resettle immigrants and refugees, were closing up the charity’s offices at the end of the day when two men armed with handguns sneaked in through the back door, reports the newspaper. One of the robbers took the men’s wallets, pointed a gun at one of the worker’s heads, and told him to open the safe.

When the robber turned his back, the other charity employee pulled a gun from his desk and shot the robber several times, according to a police spokesman. The name of shooter was not released.

World Relief is a division of the National Association of Evangelicals.

Hey, have you heard of BookCrossing.com?

It’s based on the premise that books yearn to be free. So we get to “release” them into the wild. With the special BookCrosing.com ID (or “BCID” for those in the know), others that find can have it for free and it can log in and give reviews. And you get to see where this book goes.

Sort of fun concept, isn’t it?

I’m also intrigued by the idea of the BookCrossing Zones. It gives you an idea where the gathering spots are in a community.

I rediscovered this site thanks to Hildy Gottlieb. It turns out I’d signed up in 2004 but had done nothing with it yet!

Now I’ve freed my first book. Check it out at:
http://bookcrossing.com/referral/GoalGuy

And if you’re a BookCrossing person, I’d love to be added to your friends!