Ask Without Fear! Executive Coaching
Too many nonprofit leaders feel stuck in the middle:
- CEOs and Executive Directors feel stuck between the Board that hired them and the staff that looks to them for all the answers.
- Board members feel stuck between great causes they serve but systems that just expect them to “get” all that being a good board member means.
- And Development Directors feel stuck between trying to meet the incredible expectations of the CEO and Board and still treat donors like the generous people they are.
Oddly, as a person serving a nonprofit you can feel completely alone. The demands are relentless and the encouragement is scarce. Worse, it can feel like you’re being forced into someone else’s expectation of what you’re supposed to be.
Wrong Expectations
Unfortunately, in the vast majority of nonprofits, those expectations are ill-informed. Despite being required to raise money as part of their nonprofit revenue, most people involved in nonprofits – board members, nonprofit CEOs, and nonprofit staff – don’t know how to do fundraising.
Too often they think fundraising is like invoicing donors, or getting a billboard, or launching a crowdfunding campaign. Too often, they think fundraising “just happens” and that “anybody can do it.”
We know better. We keep up with the latest research so you don’t have too. And we help you with the proven systems and real-life strategies that work.
We help you put them into practice in ways that are best suited to helping you get to be yourself.
Not Just Cheerleaders
Clients who come to us often say they are grateful for their past coaches who were cheerleaders. But they’re coming to us because they’re ready for more.
We are positive and encouraging. In fact, we believe in you so much, we’ll push you to reach your goals.
And we’ll help you explain to the people who have expectations of you what you’re doing, and why.
Learn to raise money your way
Executive coaching can transform that. Our clients say they get reconnected with why they got into their nonprofit space in the first place. And it helps them grow into the unique leader they were created to be. Even if people don’t understand it at first.
The Ask Without Fear!® coaching system uses the proven techniques in Marc’s book Ask Without Fear!® to help you raise more money. He will work through researching your cause, researching your prospects, engaging your donors, asking them for money, handling objections, and successfully stewarding them to grow life long donors.
But it’s about more than money
Ever since it was first published, people have been telling us that Ask Without Fear! goes beyond just fundraising. They say the system helps them live their life and lead their organization on their own terms. They love having a safe, confidential place to think through ideas. An experienced sounding board outside their chain of command. Which means someone that can’t hire or fire them. They create strategies for leading and fundraising that fit their talents and the needs of their cause. And they do it in a way that grows them as individuals.
You’re doing good things. But doing good shouldn’t burn you out or use you up. Let’s see if coaching can help you get unstuck!
“Marc has provided valuable guidance in our efforts to ramp up a more mature advancement shop. From personnel issues to solicit strategies, he brings a fresh perspective that has enhanced our entire operation. He is a great resource for us.”
Bill Pieczynski, Vice President for Advancement
Nichols College
Dudley, MA
What is executive coaching?
Having an executive coach is like having a personal trainer. But rather than training for your body, this is personal training for your life.
Ask Without Fear! coaching programs are like an executive-level development conference that comes to your office. At conferences you get lots of great information and techniques, but it’s easy to forget them when you get back to work. With coaching, you get to create strategies in your real day-to-day life and keeping working at them until they work for you!
Board members like that Marc shows them how to do the fundraising part of their board role in harmony with their natural gifts and talents. CEO’s and Executive Directors like Marc’s gentle but no-nonsense approach and his attention to the bottom line. And development staff love Marc’s understanding of all the steps necessary to hitting the bottom line sustainably year after year!
“Thank you sooooooooooooo much for your time, patience, and support. The peace of mind and clarity that I feel when I hang up after our calls are worth more than the sum of the practical techniques and suggestions you share.”
Miriam Worch, Director of Development
Tov V’Chesed
Monsey, NY
Some prospective clients ask what “the plan” is. They want to know if they will work through Creating Donor Evangelists and then Ask Without Fear!®? Or if they will start with Ask Without Fear!® and then move on to nonprofit storytelling.
Marc can definitely do that. If you and he decide coaching is a good fit, you are in the driver’s seat. You determine the direction for each call. Marc only allows a few coaching clients at any given time to be able to offer special attention to his clients. This allows you to handle situations as they come up, in real-time.
Your nonprofit is unique. So is your leadership style. So:
- First, you and Marc will start out by outlining your expectations and goals.
- Next, you will work together to create a road map to accomplishing those goals.
- Then Marc will help you accomplish those goals. Each week, you both deal with challenges as they come up, real-time. And he helps you create strategies for each new goal that needs to be accomplished.
When you contract with Marc, you’re getting personal attention. Not “personalized” attention but the real thing. Coaching clients find the results of coaching so helpful, they often hire Marc to come and train their board or staff.
“Marc is a skillful and knowledgable coach, and a true expert on fundraising. He provided very helpful fundraising advice to a nonprofit where I serve on the board. If you need someone to assist with any area of fundraising, Marc is your guy!”
C.J. Hayden
Author, Get Clients Now! and Get Hired Now!
Wings Business Coaching LLC
San Francisco, CA
What you get as a Fundraising Coach coaching client
Our coaching packages are normally rendered in 6- or 12-months. You get:
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Regularly scheduled calls
These are weekly or bi-weekly depending on your package. The 45-minute scheduled calls help us keep you moving forward toward completion of your goals. At the end of each call, you’ll agree on your “homework”- the tasks you’ll complete before the next call.
These calls are yours. You have complete choice over what you focus on each week. Past clients have focused on everything from fundraising, goal setting, management issues, personal or corporate branding, job searches and career transitions, and work-life management.
These are generally exclusively with you and Marc, but you can choose to have some of your team join you for the calls.
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Support between calls
The scheduled calls are powerful, but life happens between the calls. We limit the number of our coaching clients to make sure you have virtually unlimited email and phone support. If something comes up, you can shoot Marc an email without having to worry if the “meter is running.” It’s included. And even encouraged!
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Fundraising writing edits
As a coaching client, you also get to run your fundraising letters and emails by Marc for his edits and suggestions. He keeps up with the best of fundraising strategies and brings these to your appeals. He even makes the edits in a way that allows you to decide if you agree or not. This service comes at no additional charge.
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Ask Without Fear! Newsletter
Every other Tuesday, Marc write about some aspect of fundraising. You’ll get his thoughts and tool suggestions delivered right to your inbox.
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Fundraising Kick Coaching Emails
You’ll also get a complimentary subscription to our Fundraising Kick weekly coaching emails. At the beginning of every week, Marc shares specific tactics to get you out meeting with 5-10 major gift prospects. These often contain the exact scripts to use on the phone or wording for your notes.
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Online Courses
As if all that weren’t enough, you also get lifetime access to the online courses Ask Without Fear! and Fundraising 101. Both were designed for busy leaders and are constructed to get you and your board grounded in setting up fundraising and in making the ask.
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The Nonprofit Academy
Private coaching clients are now also given 24/7 access to the more than 100 trainings, tools, and templates housed in The Nonprofit Academy along with access to the monthly live trainings, calls, and members-only forum.
If coaching sounds like a good fit for you, click the button to set up a free exploratory call.
To see what other people are saying, go over to https://fundraisingcoach.com/testimonials/.
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