Fundraising: "We do good" is not enough.

As a grant writer and fundraiser, I spend a lot of time coaching nonprofit leaders and program staff  on the fund development process. More often than not, I am confronted by individuals who believe that simply because they are "doing good" prospective donors and grantmakers should willing give to support their work. But since there are countless individuals and nonprofits doing good, "doing good" is not enough to make donors want to give to any cause. This is particularly true among grantmakers who constantly receive requests from individuals and nonprofits who do good.

To make your donation request standout among the countless do-gooders submitting grant proposals or soliciting major donors, keep these tips in mind:

• Cultivate a relationship with the prospective donor. People give people money. If the prospective donor doesn't know you (your organization), your chances of you securing a donation are greatly reduced -- particularly if you are competing with causes with they know well.  

• Use data to prove a need exists. Your personal opinion is not enough to demonstrate a need.  For example, just because you think there are "a lot" of pregnant teenagers doesn't make it so. Seek out third party data sources to support your hypothesis. You may find that there is teen pregnancy epidemic among a particular group in or in particular geographic area. You may also find that teen pregnancy isn't an major issue after all. Use the data to develop an effective and efficient program by targeting it to meet the actual need.

• Establish clearly defined goals and measurable objectives. Activity alone does not equate to impact or success. You should know in advance what success looks like. Develop monitoring and data gathering systems to be used for ongoing and post-grant performance evaluation. 

Are you thinking of starting a nonprofit? Is your nonprofit seeking new funding? Do you have questions or need some general advice? If you answered yes to any of these questions, schedule a FREE 30 minute consultation by clicking this link and completing the form at the bottom of our Contact Us page.

Can a Do-Gooder Keep It Real? Yes She Can!

As someone who loves all things nonprofits, I read a lot of nonprofit news. I come across many profile pieces on nonprofit leaders. Despite the intent to provide the reader an opportunity to get to know the leader, most pieces fall short. That is why I was so impressed and pleasantly surprised when one of my Google Alerts delivered a wonderful article profiling Ms. Kathleen Spears, president and CEO of Cancer Support Community Central Indiana. 

In the piece, you get a true sense of who Ms. Spears is, not only as a nonprofit leader but as a woman. I loved the fact that she didn't sugar coat her experience by suggesting that running a community center where a crisis can strike at anytime of the day or night is an easy job or one that always leaves her smiling. 

Her comment about nights feeling so sad and so drained that she pours a glass of wine and sits at home and cries brought back similar nights I've had over my nonprofit career. Doing good isn't easy. If it were, any and everybody would be doing it. She goes on to speak candidly about the fact that some people take issue with the salaries nonprofit executives earn, and she's even transparent about her fears regarding not being available for love. 

As women, we can sometimes allow concerns about what others might think to prevent us from being our authentic selves -- especially when we'll be featured in an article that hundreds, thousands or even millions of people may read. I'm so appreciative of and so impressed with Ms. Spears for being authentic in the piece. In doing so, she makes it possible for more of us to be our true selves.

Photo: Kelly Wilkinson / The Star

My Blog's new name and new attitude -- Do Good.

As a nonprofit consultant, I wanted to start a blog to share my experience as a consultant and to provide useful information and tips to others who want to change the world (whether in their community or around the globe) by doing good. I wanted to blog "well" so before I got started, I invested time reading blogs of other consulants and like-minded people. Then I wrote my first post. It was ok, so I wrote another. It was good, so I wrote a few more. They were better than the first. Each post (I hope) did what I had set out to do: share my experience and provide useful information and tips. But each time I would sit down to write a post, it felt like a chore. I spent a lot of time and effort worrying if the post read like those of other bloggers. Eventually, weeks and sometimes months went by between my posts. Then I realized the problem... My blog posts weren't flowing because I had made myself a puppet and the bloggers I follow ventriloquists! How did this happen? My words but not my voice. I was shocked and disappointed. Then I made a change. As of today, the blog formerly known as "The Word Woman at Work" is now "Change the world. Do Good." This title better defines my philosophy on life and the things I desire to write about. So brace yourself, my fellow Do-Gooder! I'm no longer operating in a box, so expect my future posts to be informative but fun, engaging, and occassionally a bit shocking. Isn't changing the world fun, engaging, and occassionally a bit shocking? Until my next post....Keep doing good!