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Growing up rather impoverished as a refugee child, one of the many deprivations I experienced was a lack of children’s books.  I read whatever was handy, but mostly these were adult books, and often in several different languages.

Imagine my delight in catching up with my missing childhood experiences when I was asked to teach “Literature for Children and Youth” at the higher education level.  I reveled with the forest creatures of The Wind in the Willows, shared anxieties with the characters of The Black Stallion, and laughed at the shenanigans of Little Women.  One of my favorite books, however, was Where the Wild Things Are.  Despite its fanged monsters, drawn with such vivid detail by Maurice Sendak, the story is ultimately a reassuring one.  Max returns from his imaginary adventures in the forest to find supper waiting for him, after all.

I have since reflected, as I made fundraising my career, that professional fundraisers often come across their own fanged monsters.  And unlike dear Max, we cannot just wish them away.  The challenge, then, is to confront and defeat them as gracefully as possible.

Because practical experience is the best teacher, PSI’s monthly Director’s Message will publish columns on “Fundraiser Nightmares and How to Wake Up From Them,” that will share with readers a real-world fundraising problem.  The situations presented in the columns will be drawn from personal experience, with only slight modifications to keep the content objective and not situation-specific.  Challenges can range from the trivial (a boss who insists on picking the color of the napkins at the spring gala) to the detrimental (a boss who won’t allow you to speak with your board) and everything in between (e.g.,founder’s syndrome, an inactive board chair, the silo mentality, and more).

Fundraising is a noble profession.  It offers great opportunities for career excitement and chances to intervene positively in the lives of people.  It also presents significant challenges, not always disguised as opportunities!  The goal of this column,* “Fundraiser Nightmares and How to Wake Up From Them,” is to alleviate the stress that so many of us feel and to provide suggestions on how to defeat the fundraising monsters that keep us up at night.

Dr. Lilya Wagner, CFRE

Director

*Versions of these columns originally appeared on an e-newsletter site, onPhilanthropy, and have been revised and adapted for PSI constituents.

What does it REALLY mean when we say we’re accountable as fundraisers? And to whom are we accountable? As fundraisers for 501c3 nonprofit organizations, we are accountable to all members of the public because we use public funds to operate. And increasingly, donors demand full transparency before committing their money: 6 out of 10 top reasons donors give directly link to the organization’s capability in accountability and stewardship.

When a donor asks to see our IRS 990 filing, I say “Absolutely, I’d love to send that to you.” It’s a great opportunity for me to share about my hospital. If you haven’t read yours, take a look at especially Schedule O (“program service accomplishments),” and work with your accountant to ensure your organization is well-represented. Most 990’s can be found for free on www.guidestar.org. The good thing about accountability is that donors have more and more information so they can make good decisions about where they will give their money!

As fundraisers, we are accountable to:

1. Ensure systems are in place: to provide good accountability of monies received, and to utilize monies as the donor intended.
   Accountability is a promise to the donor that goes far beyond just saying “thank you.” If your organization wants monies to be restricted for a specific purpose, you must state that restriction in writing at the time of the solicitation. Monies designated by the donor for an intended purpose must be used for that purpose, or returned to the donor (unless the donor re-designates it in writing for a different purpose). Accountability also means metrics and measurements to ensure your donor’s gift has created the intended impact! This is part of the fundraiser’s stewardship.
2. Make your own gift first.
   This is a principle of accountability, not just good fundraising. Do your own due diligence: is this project worthy of your volunteers’ efforts and your donor’s investment? If not, work with your leadership to help make it into a worthwhile fundraising project, or find another project.
3. Protect your organization’s reputation, as well as your own.
   Our PSI professionals provide great education on ethical and accepted best practices in our profession. For example, events should net at least 50% of gross. Events not producing this much revenue should be re-vamped or discontinued. PSI staff can help in setting appropriate internal benchmarks that ensure accountability!
4. Protect your donor and your organization.
   As professionals we are accountable for knowing legal rules and ethical regulations, and policies and procedures. For example, if a donor provides an in-kind gift of $5,000 or more, the organization must file an IRS 8283 with an appraisal. Securing your CFRE is a good first step to ensuring you have the knowledge required to be a stellar and accountable fundraiser!
   Call PSI with any questions you have about accountability. They are here to help us!

Mary Anne Chern, FAHP, ACFRE, is President of the White Memorial Medical Center Charitable Foundation, Los Angeles, California.

I was researching several books and articles to help me write a strategic fundraising plan when I came across an article that began with this bold statement:

“Richard and I believe that if your organization does not embrace a healthy culture of philanthropy, your organization will not survive beyond the next decade.”¹

After I read this article and several others I began to study my organization’s culture of philanthropy. I listened better to how the various constituents – board, staff, customers, volunteers, and donors – were talking about the fundraising functions of the organization. Here are a few things I heard:

• We’ve been talking about this new building for years. Why can’t we get it done? Has the development office tried selling the idea to donors?
• I barely have time to teach, grade, prepare, do research, and sit on academic committees. I don’t have time to join a campaign committee.
• Why is the development department asking me to help connect them with my former students? Doesn’t the department have these names already in its database?
• I’d be happy to write an email or make a phone call introduction but I don’t feel comfortable with donor visits. Asking people for money isn’t really my thing.
• My wife and I have been giving to the music program for years but we’ve yet to receive a schedule of the concerts for the year.

These comments gave me insight into the real sense of dread and shame associated with soliciting gifts from others. There was little ownership for the role each person in the organization played in fundraising. The thinking was that it was only the development office’s job to manage all fundraising functions. I began to see how not fostering a healthy culture of philanthropy was a great detriment to a non profit organization.

So what is a culture of philanthropy? And why is it so important?

In their research study Bell and Cornelius (2013) define a culture of philanthropy this way:

“Most people in the organization (across positions) act as ambassadors and engage in relationship building. Everyone promotes philanthropy and can articulate a case for giving. Fund development is viewed and valued as a mission-aligned program of the organization. Organizational systems are established to support donors. The executive director is committed and personally involved in fundraising.”²

Several things in this definition stand out:

1. Philanthropy and fundraising should be an integral part of the organization and is valued by all.
2. Everyone in the organization should understand the mission, vision, and case for giving and can speak to it.
3. Everyone in the organization, led by the executive director, should have a role to play in philanthropy.
4. Respecting and engaging donors should be an organizational priority.

Why is it so important that everyone in the organization engage in building a healthy culture of philanthropy? Because a culture of philanthropy is pervasive. It involves every part of the organization’s functions – programming and program delivery, messaging, marketing, communications, priorities, roles. Simone Joyaux explains that “Each volunteer and every employee feels it [a culture of philanthropy]” and “Clients and donors recognize it whenever they connect with the organization.”³

Every member of the organization is a representative of the organization. When every member of the organization does their job well, when they serve clients to the best of their abilities, when they keep up their professional development to improve the service they provide, they enhance the organizational culture.

Additionally, everyone, “from the janitor to the chair of the board”3 has a role to play in philanthropic support for the organization. It simply cannot be done by one person or by one department. Let’s say your development office has three or four full-time frontline fundraisers not including your advancement services staff. A frontline fundraiser typically has a portfolio of 100-150 donors. That means your organization is reaching a maximum of 450 donors. Now imagine that your executive director, your board, your staff, your volunteers, and your clients are working TOGETHER on identifying and cultivating relationships with donors and helping with visits and solicitations.  You’ve just  doubled or maybe even tripled your organization’s reach!

So what kind of responsibilities are we talking about? We are all very busy and stretched to our limits!

Everyone can do something to enhance the culture of philanthropy in the organization. Some can write thank you notes, some can make thank you phone calls, others can introduce prospective donors to development staff, still others can sit on fundraising or campaign committees. Everyone should donate to the organization as they are able. How powerful would it be if an organization can approach donors and tell them that 100% of the board and staff are giving!

So the question is how can we embrace a healthy culture of philanthropy? I can’t say it any better than Simone Joyaux: “Everyone is an ambassador for the organization’s service, and for philanthropy and fund development. Being an ambassador means doing one’s own job well, understanding how all the various jobs in the organization create one integrated system, and—most especially—treating all of the organization’s customers (clients, donors, volunteers, community people, etc.) with care and respect.”3

I hope that all of us who are passionate about the work our organizations do will embrace a healthy culture of philanthropy so we can do the work entrusted to us even better.

***************************

¹ Perry, Richard and Schreifels, Jeff. “Don’t Give Up — Building a Culture of Philanthropy Takes Time and Effort.” Blog article. Veritus Group Blog. Veritus Group, 4 Dec. 2013. Web. 25 Oct. 2015.

² Bell, Jeanne and Marla Cornelius, UnderDeveloped: A National Study of Challenges Facing Nonprofit Fundraising (San Francisco, CA: CompassPoint Nonprofit Services and the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, 2013)

³ Joyaux, Simone. “Building a Culture of Philanthropy in Your Organization.” Blog article. Nonprofit Quarterly Philanthropy. Nonprofit Quarterly, 27 Mar. 2015. Web. 26 Oct.  2015.

Rhanda Bonet-Graham is a fundraising professional who resides in Central Alberta, Canada. She is passionate about the non-profit sector and has dedicated her career to the arts and higher education for the past 15 years. She is currently looking for her next great adventure in philanthropy and fund development. She can be reached at rhandabg@gmail.com.

In today’s philanthropic world managing CHANGE has become a part of our daily norm as leaders. We are each affected by numerous events outside of our control―economic, political, environmental, and human capital are all aspects impacting our ability to achieve our organization’s goals and objectives.

It was 2009 when personal circumstances allowed me to look for a new opportunity in my career path. At that time God opened unexpected doors bringing me from an international non-religious and non-political organization to serve at Southern Adventist University. Little did I know that the day I was planning to resign from my then current job, I would be greeted with a decision the board had taken a few weeks before to terminate my role and restructure the division in which I served.  CHANGE! I was already planning on leaving, but this change had a profound impact in my life, my leadership, and my trust in our God.

As leaders, how we cope with change speaks volumes to those around us. In my six years of service at Southern there has been plenty of change and even more change ahead. I have never been a big fan of change, so through my 15 years in the labor force I’ve developed some nuggets of wisdom for myself on what to be mindful of when change begins to show its face.

Cooperation is needed. Realizing that change doesn’t only affect you, but rather the entire team of the organization, try to find ways to be influential with your supervisors so as the changes happen you can be part of the conversation through a cooperative environment.  Another important lesson in cooperation is that you need to bring those downstream from you up through motivation and communications. Remember, “people help to support the things they create,” so as a leader seek ways to share with those downstream inviting them to be a part of the inner circle.

Hands-on vs. reactiveness. As President Kennedy once said, “ask not what your country can do for you ― ask what you can do for your country.” So when change appears I tend to grab my entrepreneurial hat and evaluate what I can do differently to assist in the change process. I evaluate expectations for myself and my team through the transition. I seek to provide solutions to our leaders to assist within my sphere of influence, thus allowing me to be proactive and not reactive.

Acceptance is not passiveness. There always comes a time for leaders like us when we need to accept the change ahead. The truth is that at many times we may want to fight the change ahead and it’s only through God’s grace that we can find the peace to let it drop. I invite you to read Mark 11:22-25. Once we are able to accept that changes ahead, we are able to move forward in ways that can uplift the kingdom matters.

Never give up. The work we are called to be a part of as those who invite others into the joy of philanthropy requires much of our energy and emotion. At times it can feel overwhelming and uncertain, but when this occurs I invite you to seek God and ask him to help you “get reappointed”. Joyce Meyer in her book New Day, New You states, “When you get disappointed, you can always make the decision to get reappointed!” When we seek the Holy Spirit in our daily work, He provides us with our mission, new path, and renewed spirits to overcome our disappointments. 2 Corinthians 4:7-12 helps us to remember that it’s not all about us but about what Jesus can do through us.

Growth is inevitable. When we give our life, our work, and our praise to God; He will grow us ― for nothing given to Him will remain the same.  He provides daily growth and change. I realize that with every change I face and overcome, I will grow stronger in trust, faith, and wisdom through God’s grace.

Expectations need to be reviewed. The last nugget I think about when change comes up is what are the expectations of me and my expectations of others.  Expectations need to be realistic, tangible, and measurable. Change affects our emotions so we must put them through the filter of the Holy Spirit to ensure they are in line with God’s character.

In closing, my prayer for each of us privileged to work in this field is that we will seek God first in all we do. Change, we can count on just like taxes and death, but it’s what we do with that change and how we coop with it that will speak volumes of our character and journey with Jesus. Please don’t let change control your life in an unhealthy manner. Rather take time to self-evaluate and to bring it all to Him.

Geovanny Ragsdale
Southern Adventist University
Associate Vice President, Development

The world of fundraising, like everything else, is moving forward with “new” ideas and techniques that allow it to grow and improve. The perspective changes as different generations take the helm and in the world of philanthropy it is very important that we keep up with these changes in what really interests and motivates the people of today.

The Case for Support has typically been defined as “An expression of the cause, or a clear compelling statement of all of the reasons why anyone should consider making a contribution in support of or to advance the cause.” While this is very true and clear, it has become, with the passing of the “Silent Generation” even more clearly that, as fundraisers, we must go deeper into this definition and break out the details of the “Story of the Organization”. No longer can we just talk about the “need” and the “programs” that we are seeking money for, but we must find a way to touch the heart of the potential donor in a very compelling, story-telling manner.

No longer can we talk about the “need” for a new building on our campus, or the growth of the endowment and expect people to respond favorably with a gift, believing that we will “put it to good use.” Now, we have to “show” that what happens with their money has and will make a great impact on someone. It is not about giving money to help the homeless, but rather it is about what your money has done and will do for someone specifically.

Answering the questions of “Who, What Why Where and How” we are going to impact the lives of people, students, patients, families, etc. is what makes the Case for Support compelling in today’s world.

This was shown to me recently by my Alma Mater, Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska, when I received a “Stewardship Report” for 2014 from them with the title “You Helped Change Lives.” They had recently completed construction on a new building on the campus. In the report they told about the difference the building had made in the lives of 60% of Union College’s majors. This story was told with pictures and information that showed how vital this facility is to the campus.

Specific stories of people who have benefited and been touched by the money that is raised for a cause will almost always touch the heart of a potential donor and cause them to want to make a difference in someone’s life as the story they just heard.

To view an example of a “compelling” story that caused philanthropy to grow significantly for a medical mission project, click below and view my PowerPoint Presentation on “Preparing a Case that Empowers and Motivates”. The story of Maria demonstrates the difference that was made in her life because of the generosity of people who wanted to make that difference.

Click to view:

Preparing a Case that Empowers and Motivates

By Karen J Johnson, Ed.D., CFRE

The sight of a brightly-dressed woman walking along a sidewalk with a sewing machine balanced on her head might seem unusual.  In fact, I didn’t think much of it after some months in West Africa.  Culture is like that; seeping in and changing perspectives, our norms.

Having just changed from working in higher education to healthcare philanthropy, thoughts of country culture made me ponder organization culture.  New eyes at a nonprofit bring new perspectives that you don’t want to lose to the “sewing machine phenomenon” where everything eventually becomes your new normal.  So how do you retain valuable insights when joining a new team?  And how do you hit the ground running with so much to learn?  Here are 5 things I’ve found helpful.

1. Ask

You’re only new once!  Take advantage of it.  Your what, when, where, who and especially why questions are welcome and expected your first weeks and months, and others’ responses build rapport while giving you information to be powerfully productive.  Personally, I’ve found that on month 4 or 5 there actually are dumb questions, so embrace your newbie-ness on day 1.

2. Take notes

Take notes of everything that strikes you as different, needing change, or that you like.  These first impressions will prove useful as you revisit your notes in the coming months as part of setting direction.  It will also help you process, cope and thrive at your new organization.

3. Engage

Meet everyone as soon as possible.  Again, you’re only new once!  I love that at my organization as part of my onboarding requires meeting individually with a slew of key staff and volunteers.  Be sure to go to their office or wherever is convenient for them.  Make it your goal to become better acquainted (I ask questions about family, kids, and where from) and be genuinely interested about what they do and how they connect to mission.

4. Find Mission

It’s easy to get caught up in learning 23 new acronyms , what the name is of the person in HR or a major donor you just met.  Important stuff!  Nonetheless, make sure you schedule time to connect with mission; memorize it, learn the stories, know the history, meet those whom you serve.

5. Read

Taking advantage of an early morning gives me time to read archived material in physical files or on computer.  I find it helps me better sculpt questions.  Take advantage of the very reason why we record information as it ensures stability, prevents making the same mistakes, provides basis for future decisions and more.  Try focusing attention first on top volunteer/fundraising committee minutes and notes from meetings with major donors.

Hey, you’re only new once!  Yes, already said, but worth repeating.  Embrace it, work it, love it and you’ll quickly become a person of impact.

Christopher Carey, MS, CFRE

President
Rocky Mountain Adventist Healthcare Foundation, Centura Health

Long gone are the days when donors simply trust a nonprofit organization to do what it says it is going to do. Today, donors are increasingly demanding evidence that their contributive dollars are having the favorable and intended impact on the mission of the nonprofit—whether a church, hospital, symphony or other nonprofit. Organizations that are open and honest in their communications and that speak frankly about their operations will discover donors will not only trust them more, but will continue to give consistently to their organizations.

Transparency does not necessarily mean providing lengthy information in tremendous detail. While a board member may require a financial statement and supporting documents each time it meets, the average donor might find this information overwhelming and very difficult to comprehend. The secret to being transparent is to provide sufficient information that reflects the overall health, operations and accomplishments of the organization in a manner that can be easily understood by the donor.  Transparency is about communicating critical pieces of information to donors that inspire trust and confidence.

Why does or should transparency in fundraising matter?  Today, donors want to see the description of your organization’s mission in compelling language they can understand. They want donor-friendly explanations of your organization’s programs. They want specific, measurable information about your accomplishments. They want to know about your organization’s goals and objectives. They want to know how your organization measures and evaluates success.

Donors generally identify emotionally with nonprofits they support. The more information available about the organization’s mission, programs, activities and accomplishments, the more opportunities a donor has to connect with pulse of your nonprofit and understand the difference it is making. Providing this information can bond a donor to your organization by helping align his or her values with those values of your organization.

Perhaps, the most important reason transparency matters in fundraising is that it helps confirm an organization’s trustworthiness. When a donor is provided factual information in an unsolicited fashion, it helps affirm why their gifts should go to your organization rather than some other worthy nonprofit.  Providing accurate information—particularly as it relates to moneys raised, fundraising costs, acknowledgements, use of funds, accomplishment achieved, etc.—helps to fortify, in the donor’s mind, that his or her moneys are being used wisely.

Accountability and transparency are inextricably linked. While transparency promotes openness, frankness, honesty and communication, accountability requires compliance and the ability to explain or justify why actions were taken—or not taken. Because of the favored tax status, nonprofit organizations have an obligation to be answerable for the money it receives from the public. They must explain how the charity functions and how the moneys are used.

There are a number of ways a nonprofit organization can bolster its accountability and transparency with its stakeholders. A few approaches are listed below.

• Scheduled regular communications with donors to apprise them of accomplishments to date

• Share testimonials of those receiving direct benefit from the donor’s contribution

• Accurately account for all gifts received

• Promptly acknowledge all gifts (within 48 hours of receipt)

• Timely file the IRS 990 documents, if required

• Publish an annual report (include breakdown of expenses, programs funded, acknowledge contributors, etc.)

• Post independent audit information, if required

• Develop and adhere to gift and stewardship policies and procedures (internal)

• Use the website to post information about board, staff, contact information, financial and donor appropriate information for public consumption

• Adopt and adherence to the AFP Code of Ethics and the Donor Bill of Rights (insert link)

It has often been suggested that a fundraiser’s currency is transparency and accountability.  Every nonprofit benefits when it engages in practices that promote culpability and heighten donor confidence. When nonprofit organizations strive to become more strategic and effective, their impact and influence will grow – as will the curiosity, praise, criticism, and scrutiny they attract. Essentially, as nonprofits trade isolation for communication, openness and accountability, it will strengthen their ability to attract and keep their valued donors.

Written by Alphonce J. Brown, Jr., ACFRE

President, Docere Consulting, Inc.