Attend a few gatherings of fundraisers or nonprofit executives and you’ll soon tap into what’s on the minds of people working in this sector. One of the most common topics of discussion is how to create a giving environment, a.k.a. culture of philanthropy (another example of bad language in fundraising). I spend a lot of time helping others communicate better within organizations, and I have always been a strong advocate of what I call inside-out communications.

At yesterday’s presentation to the Association of Fundraising Professionals in Winnipeg by Tom Ahern and Simone Joyaux on Keeping Your Donors (based on their recent book Keep Your Donors –buy it!),the unavoidable and ever present link to the level of support and understanding within the organization for fundraising came up more a few times. Lucky for me as I will be speaking on this topic to the same group in a few weeks.

So here’s my spin on this: If you are lamenting that no one understands you, that fundraising doesn’t get the support it deserves, etc., convincing others how important fundraising is to your organization is not going to work. The same way you can’t argue a prospective donor who is not interested in your cause into making a donation, assaulting other staff with facts and figures is not likely to help you much.

A culture of philanthropy is not something you grow in a petri dish or in a series of statistic heavy, carefully crafted debates — it’s gained through shared experiences, rowing in the same direction and those little "emotional aha" moments when someone has realized on a personal level, how they have contributed to something that makes a difference. And they want to do more of it!

Of course, there is more that you can do, and it doesn’t happen overnight. However, it bears remembering that in fact, accountants are only human and not the mutants they are called in Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium — although they might like numbers more than the average person, they have feelings too! (p.s. I am married to one).

Just like consumers in the marketplace, donors can be at any point in the psychology of buying process at any given time. This is through no fault of your own; the fact is, you have no control over if or when a prospective donor is going to make a contribution to your organization.
All that you can do is encourage them to walk with you down the path of the possible. This is not without its challenges: in many cases you are selling the invisible. Unlike a product you can touch, see, feel or hear, your organization is selling a cause and a chance to invest in it. This isn’t new. What is? Today more people make decisions based on their peers and aided by social media using internet, popular tools like Facebook, YouTube and others. So in addition to being able to identify and market to the right prospects, organizations and businesses are also wise to recognize the power of word of mouth.So what can you do to encourage a contribution, and ultimately, a relationship? Read the rest here.

The secret of popular writing is never to put more on a given page than the common reader can lap off it with no strain whatsoever on his habitually slack attention.

  - Ezra Pound

The next time you’re seeking perfection, resist the urge to edit yourself to death. One of the best lessons I’ve ever learned was early in my career when a high ranking vice-president of communications took one look at something I had painstakingly laboured over and said, "you realize no one cares and no one will read this whole thing." As you can imagine, this was not the reaction I had wished for nor anticipated. However, like most parental advice that you don’t agree with at the time, subsequent experience showed me that he was right.

It is easy to justify the holy grail of perfection when writing something that will be seen or heard by your very important audiences. However, the truth is, simpler really is better (note - simpler doesn’t always mean shorter, but if you can say the same thing clearly in less words, go for it). In the nonprofit world, this can be a challenge as most every project is done through a committee process, and multiple people shape and have input into the final product. Too much of this is not a good thing, and will erode and weaken your message. If you find that you are beyond a few drafts of a fundraising appeal or other item, and are at the stage where the comments are focused on specific words - namely changing them for other words of the same meaning - rather than improving the overall content, you may have crossed the tweak line!

Writing for marketing purposes always has an objective, an audience and a specific action in mind. More time spent on agreeing to these up front will make your end result better. Then when it comes to review, the measure of the approval or disapproval should be based on the end goal. This is not to say that well chosen words are less important — but it bears remembering that with more than 171,000 words in the english language, there is always another way to say something. Perfection is entirely subjective. With today’s information top-heavy environment, and my personal lesson in mind, do yourself and your audience a favour, and simplify!

Normally professional, highly functioning individuals can quickly turn to hesitant, nervous wallflowers when thrust beyond their comfort zone. However being pushed slightly past what’s safe and familiar usually has amazing results! If you are passionate and knowledgeable about something, it’s difficult to keep it contained.

When it comes to fundraising, marketing, dealing with media, or making a presentation, there is no one right way to do it. Many people are so afraid of not doing these kinds of things the "right" way that they do nothing at all. That will only lead to nothing! And think of the opportunities that are missed in spreading your message.

The best approach is to arm yourself with basic knowledge, and be yourself. Most people would rather listen to, and respond to, one heartfelt, inspiring story in a speech, media interview or appeal, than a slick, precisely choreographed presentation.

More often than not, fear is rooted in your own thoughts and doubts, rather than the actual situation. Many people who make themselves sick over making a speech or conducting an interview, are the same people others admire for doing it so well.

So rather than dispense with some communications advice, today I’m offering an interesting take on how to self-coach yourself, courtesy of my friend Pamela Slim and originating from her friend, Brooke Castillo. Both of these women are professional coaches who are associated with Martha Beck.

The bottom line of the formula is like so:

CIRCUMSTANCES

can trigger

THOUGHTS

cause

FEELINGS

cause

ACTIONS

cause

RESULTS

Here’s how it could play out:

Negative Feeling : I feel discouraged and I’m not getting anywhere on my fundraising plan for the year. 

Circumstance : The fundraising goal is not on schedule.

Thought : Fundraising is pushy and people don’t want to hear from me.

Feeling : I feel discouraged and I’m not getting anywhere. I’m not good at this and people won’t like me.

Action : Awkward, weak discussions with prospects and procrastinating follow up.

Result : No progress on fundraising goal.

See what happens when the thought changes:

Circumstance : The fundraising goal is not on schedule.

Thought : Fundraising is important and I am giving people who are interested in our work the opportunity to make a difference. This is rewarding for both of us.

Feeling : I feel motivated, confident and open and alert to opportunities that fit.

Action : Sincere and passionate discussions with qualified prospects; take advantage of every opportunity to spread the word.

Result : Positive relationships and profile leading to donations.

Of course, it takes more work than a simple cut and paste of your thoughts. But being aware of the origin of your discomfort, and having the courage to realize when it is having a negative affect on your actions is a constructive effort you can make to achieve greater results, personally and professionally.

If you are a reader of many popular nonprofit marketing blogs, you’ll soon find that several common themes emerge. The reason? Because these are the issues that are most common for nonprofit organizations. Communications and marketing, especially for fundraising purposes, is so vitally important and also difficult. If it were easier, everyone would be doing it so much better! People like me who work in this field hear the same challenges and issues from so many organizations - it’s hard, we don’t have the resources, people don’t seem to be responding to our message, there’s too much competition, and so on.

This is all true, and it will always be true. Yet there are many organizations that sustain themselves, and even thrive, while facing these same challenges. What is the answer?

In my view, it comes down to one simple answer - they know who they are! The minute you start to stretch your organization to fit the criteria of a new grant, or tweak your message to appeal to a new group that’s beyond your usual audience, is the moment you start to dilute your image, and therefore weaken it. All the money and time in the world will not improve the results for your organization if you do not start off with a clear image and goal in mind. This is why the smallest and most grassroots driven organization can succeed above others, without the bells and whistles, if it has a clear goal and message. 

I’ll let you in on a little personal secret. When I’m working on a project for a nonprofit, I look for the secret ingredient that makes its flavour unique. I read all of the material, like annual reports, newsletters, fundraising applications and appeals and the like. But most of the time, that’s not where I find it. These have often been added to and convoluted over time, that they rarely reflect what the organization is actually doing today.  To get the true sense of the organization, I talk to the volunteers and donors to find out what motivates them to give their time and money above all of the other options out there. And I talk to someone who has benefitted as a result.

So the next time you are stumped by writing a message or just feel discouraged, get out of your office and get back to the very basics of what makes your organization tick day after day.

Perhaps because I have been vacationing of late, stories like this have caught my eye. These participants of Executive on a Mission with the Salvation Army shared their time in an overseas development project in Tanzania through the power of the internet and blog software.

Now it is possible not only to combine your values with the experience of travel, but to share it with the world while doing so. Coincidentally, my Winnipeg friend Cheryl has recently touched ground in Africa where she has been posted through the Volunteer Services Organization. What possesses an independent single woman who grew up in small town Manitoba to leave her household and fund development and communications career behind to help people living with HIV in Soweto, South Africa? We’ll find out as I invite her to share her experiences.

Meanwhile, she’s asked for some help. The organization she’s working with runs the Footprints Hospice and community projects that assist people living with HIV. They have created a Food Garden project to provide good nutrition and medicinal herbs for existing and discharged patients of their hospice. They are also hoping to train families how to grow their own foods. They are looking for copies of a book called Jekka’s Complete Herb Book - Revised Edition by Jekka McVicar, and would also love any others about herbs and their medicinal properties. Since their internet service is limited at best, she’s also asked for any help in researching foundations that have an interest in assisting people with AIDS/HIV in Africa.

Their address is  Footprints Hospice, PO Box 5, Diepkloof, 1804, Soweto, South Africa or email cherylherda@gmail.com