tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-97936522024-03-05T10:45:25.720-08:00"The Fundraising Guru"Nonprofit fundraising, marketing, public relations, trends analysis, communications
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www.recaudaciondefondos.blogspot.comUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger120125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9793652.post-76512163871565808842012-04-30T11:02:00.001-07:002012-04-30T11:02:34.868-07:00#1 Fundraising Success Tip: Find donors willing to GIVE the most, not just who HAVE the mostfrom <em>30 Days to Successful Fundraising</em> by Dr. Stephen L. Goldstein, the perfect way to get your board members, staff (newbies & pros), & volunteers "on the same page"--RAISING ALL THE MONEY YOU NEED. Use it as your "corporate" fundraising manual! Order it today in paperback or on Kindle. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_21?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=30+days+to+successful+fundraising&sprefix=30+days+to+successful%2Caps%2C257">http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_21?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=30+days+to+successful+fundraising&sprefix=30+days+to+successful%2Caps%2C257</a><br />
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"Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek and ye shall</div>
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find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."</div>
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--Matthew VI:7</div>
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1. There is NO END of money to be had for worthwhile purposes. The challenge is SIMPlY to find the right match between donor and recipient. The BEST fundraising is the ART of making that connection.</div>
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2. The SECRET to successful fundraising is to know where the money is BEFORE you ask for it--not just how much there is. You need to find the people who are willing to GIVE the most, not who HAVE the most.</div>
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3. Fundraising is not a science. At a time when people are becoming increasingly dependent upon computers and software to do their work, it is crucial to remember that NO amount of technology will EVER be able to fundraise. It is a human process that takes place between people--people who want something and others who have something. When done successfully, it can be exhilarating and highly rewarding--for both donors and fundraisers.</div>
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Follow the 30 days of <em>30 Days to Successful Fundraising</em> and, before you know it, you'll have board members, staff, and volunteers working together to support your worthy goals--and "on the same page."</div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9793652.post-59318172710336836092011-09-02T17:53:00.000-07:002011-09-02T18:05:38.865-07:00National Bestselling Fundraising book/ebookNow available--as a book & an ebook: <strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">30 Days to Successful Fundraising</span></strong> can improve every nonprofit's fundraising strategies. Increase your effectiveness. Get ALL your board members and staff literally "on the same page." More than a book, 30 Days to Successful Fundraising is every nonprofit's fundraising training manual.
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9793652.post-45082933152060149672011-07-15T10:27:00.000-07:002011-07-15T10:28:29.601-07:00Nonprofits: When to tell donors to go to hellNonprofits: Don't get shafted!<br />Sometimes a gift ain't worth the grief<br />by Stephen L. Goldstein, email: trendsman@aol.com<br /><br />Forewarned is forearmed: Fundraisers are in the business of raising money. But you should never put yourself or your nonprofit at risk of being taken in by a donor. Everyone salivates at the prospect of any contribution. There's nothing like the thrill of telling your boss that you've landed a major contribution--or announcing one at a board meeting. So naturally, you never want to say No to a gift or discourage a potential donor--except when you have to.<br /><br />Here are some tips to follow so you don't wind up with the short end of the stick:<br /><br />1. Never take a verbal promise for any gift, especially if an amount is pledged over time. You must have legally binding documents to support your claims to a funder's contribution. If an amount is to be paid after a donor's death, you will be in major trouble if you haven't dotted ever i and crossed every t in your favor.<br /><br />2. Never publicize a gift until you have received it in full or until you have an unshakable agreement for it's being paid--and I mean UNSHAKABLE. Resist the temptation to talk about or formally publicize a gift until it has been signed, sealed, and delivered. It is only natural for you to want to shout about receiving a gift--particularly a major one. But don't make the potentially fatal mistake of rushing into publicity.<br /><br />3. Never accept a gift that costs your nonprofit more than its worth. For example, the restrictions that a donor may place on a contribution or the liabilities that may come with it may make it necessary for you to incur expenses that you would not have had otherwise. A gift of a collection of ancient coins to a historical museum may be interesting but impractial to receive because of prohibitive insurance costs. Sometimes, you must say No.<br /><br />4. When a donation clearly benefits the donor more than your nonprofit, sometimes a simple NO isn't the answer. If someone tries to pressure you, someone higher up in your organization, or a board member, sometimes, you've got to tell them to go to hell. People who would try to use a nonprofit for their financial advantage don't deserve better.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9793652.post-88806250315320920712011-07-14T05:39:00.000-07:002011-07-14T05:40:36.880-07:00Fundraising is hell! Donors can be DEVILS!Put "donors from hell" through hell<br />by Stephen L. Goldstein<br /><br />It was December, the time of year when “donors from hell” look around for every piece of junk they can find to dump on nonprofits and turn into tax deductions solely for their benefit. They are officially called gifts-in-kind and may really be anything—even good stuff from truly generous and caring people, a far cry from junk. But too often, they are the philanthropic equivalent of road-kill and a rip-off on the IRS.<br /><br />The phone call, one of several in an unusually busy year for end-of-year garbage donations, came from a long-time friend and supporter of the university for which I was working. The prominent entrepreneur told me that his company could no longer use one of its computers and he wanted to donate it to us.<br /><br />I immediately knew what he was up to, of course, and I wasn’t in the mood to indulge him or anybody else. We needed all the help we could get and I was offended that he was playing us for suckers.<br /><br />So, I decided to jerk him around. I asked him if we were talking about giving us a relatively new, usable piece of equipment. He replied euphemistically that it was “vintage.” “Oh, well then, does it have historic value?” I continued, tightening the noose around his tight-wad neck. “Not really,” he answered, sheepishly.<br /><br />I then told him that the only way we could accept an old (forget vintage) computer was if it had historic value—one of the first PCs, for example. But even then, I added, we didn’t have a technology museum and, from the sound of it, even if we did, it didn’t have exhibit value.<br /><br />Then, like a bullfighter leveling a mortal blow, I said, “Old equipment is of no value to an educational institution. We need state-of-the-art computers on which to teach students.” But then I told him that if he were willing to write a check so that we could buy at least one new computer for our computer lab, I would be happy to take his old one. As I expected, he said that he wasn’t interested.<br /><br />I handled this dumper ad hoc. But nonprofit boards need to have clear policies on the acceptance of gifts, especially gifts-in-kind. They need to make abundantly clear that they are not in the garbage business—unless they are—and that the only gifts they will accept are those that are legitimate. Unless they do, they are party to a fraud—no less culpable than self-serving donors.<br />Labels: board policies, donor fraud, gifts-in-kindUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9793652.post-42982571896796507422011-01-21T08:13:00.000-08:002011-01-21T08:30:00.342-08:00Most board members fail nonprofits as fundraisers!<p align="left"></p><p align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfPHbTEy44wlN2cvtVk5aH0v3pyGGmRCFdnXf0tuzp-ozXw4sePgPDEzvT62bCowxtBryuJ7OizIruCOE4N7znkGZAMU9Xj2bMuI7vIN7BsokPTL8vYBJ30WkP9NNPvFtdqMeIoQ/s1600/fred%2527s+invite+015.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564673410968887410" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfPHbTEy44wlN2cvtVk5aH0v3pyGGmRCFdnXf0tuzp-ozXw4sePgPDEzvT62bCowxtBryuJ7OizIruCOE4N7znkGZAMU9Xj2bMuI7vIN7BsokPTL8vYBJ30WkP9NNPvFtdqMeIoQ/s200/fred%2527s+invite+015.jpg" /></a></p><p>Train your board members in how to be successful fundraisers. Don't fall into the trap of letting your board members off the hook when it comes to supporting your nonprofit. The need to Give and GET the moneys you need to accomplish your mission. </p><p>Do your board members a favor and TRAIN them in fundraising. Get them ALL on the SAME page by ordering a copy of the nationwide bestseller <em>30 Days to Successful Fundraising </em>for each of them: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=30+days+to+successful+fundraising">http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=30+days+to+successful+fundraising</a>. </p><p>Then, proceed through the program TOGETHER to increase your fundraising success! Order right now!<br /><br /><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9793652.post-45009323663856536132010-12-29T07:55:00.000-08:002011-01-11T07:59:59.815-08:00Fundraising is hell! Donors can be DEVILS!<strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;">Put "donors from hell" through hell</span></strong><br />by Stephen L. Goldstein<br /><br />It was December, the time of year when “donors from hell” look around for every piece of junk they can find to dump on nonprofits and turn into tax deductions solely for their benefit. They are officially called gifts-in-kind and may really be anything—even good stuff from truly generous and caring people, a far cry from junk. But too often, they are the philanthropic equivalent of road-kill and a rip-off on the IRS.<br /><br />The phone call, one of several in an unusually busy year for end-of-year garbage donations, came from a long-time friend and supporter of the university for which I was working. The prominent entrepreneur told me that his company could no longer use one of its computers and he wanted to donate it to us.<br /><br />I immediately knew what he was up to, of course, and I wasn’t in the mood to indulge him or anybody else. We needed all the help we could get and I was offended that he was playing us for suckers.<br /><br />So, I decided to jerk him around. I asked him if we were talking about giving us a relatively new, usable piece of equipment. He replied euphemistically that it was “vintage.” “Oh, well then, does it have historic value?” I continued, tightening the noose around his tight-wad neck. “Not really,” he answered, sheepishly.<br /><br />I then told him that the <em>only</em> way we could accept an old (forget vintage) computer was if it had historic value—one of the first PCs, for example. But even then, I added, we didn’t have a technology museum and, from the sound of it, even if we did, it didn’t have exhibit value.<br /><br />Then, like a bullfighter leveling a mortal blow, I said, “Old equipment is of no value to an educational institution. We need state-of-the-art computers on which to teach students.” <strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">But then I told him that if he were willing to write a check so that we could buy at least one new computer for our computer lab, I would be happy to take his old one. As I expected, he said that he wasn’t interested.<br /></span></strong><br />I handled this dumper ad hoc. But nonprofit boards need to have clear policies on the acceptance of gifts, especially gifts-in-kind. They need to make abundantly clear that they are not in the garbage business—unless they are—and that the only gifts they will accept are those that are legitimate. Unless they do, they are party to a fraud—no less culpable than self-serving donors.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9793652.post-59386168091023641392010-11-17T05:43:00.000-08:002010-11-17T06:11:02.059-08:00Nonprofits: When to tell donors to go to hell<span style="font-size:130%;">Nonprofits: Don't get shafted!</span><br />Sometimes a gift ain't worth the grief<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">by Stephen L. Goldstein, email: <a href="mailto:trendsman@aol.com">trendsman@aol.com</a></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br />Forewarned is forearmed: Fundraisers are in the business of raising money. But you should never put yourself or your nonprofit at risk of being taken in by a donor. Everyone salivates at the prospect of any contribution. There's nothing like the thrill of telling your boss that you've landed a major contribution--or announcing one at a board meeting. So naturally, you never want to say No to a gift or discourage a potential donor--except when you have to.<br /><br />Here are some tips to follow so you don't wind up with the short end of the stick:<br /><br />1. Never take a verbal promise for any gift, especially if an amount is pledged over time. You must have legally binding documents to support your claims to a funder's contribution. If an amount is to be paid after a donor's death, you will be in major trouble if you haven't dotted ever i and crossed every t in your favor.<br /><br />2. Never publicize a gift until you have received it in full or until you have an unshakable agreement for it's being paid--and I mean UNSHAKABLE. Resist the temptation to talk about or formally publicize a gift until it has been signed, sealed, and delivered. It is only natural for you to want to shout about receiving a gift--particularly a major one. But don't make the potentially fatal mistake of rushing into publicity.<br /><br />3. Never accept a gift that costs your nonprofit more than its worth. For example, the restrictions that a donor may place on a contribution or the liabilities that may come with it may make it necessary for you to incur expenses that you would not have had otherwise. A gift of a collection of ancient coins to a historical museum may be interesting but impractial to receive because of prohibitive insurance costs. Sometimes, you must say No.<br /><br />4. When a donation clearly benefits the donor more than your nonprofit, sometimes a simple NO isn't the answer. If someone tries to pressure you, someone higher up in your organization, or a board member, sometimes, you've got to tell them to go to hell. People who would try to use a nonprofit for their financial advantage don't deserve better.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9793652.post-5448126563183744102010-10-24T15:26:00.000-07:002010-10-24T15:47:02.987-07:00Fundraising without Words<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUHgjNi5WJ1oQLAdCzJWDosk6IHNa2_W_Fl3QtTcr6JL9DXXNOgv4yDJtzgo0cyUdClZUlG2zCD8hmbXWZLsXeBcDAeVmyIQ4snP8BzQoYA9ycuEz8yTIkGuln9Okx8npFMgwmfw/s1600/00422771.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531745685968881506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUHgjNi5WJ1oQLAdCzJWDosk6IHNa2_W_Fl3QtTcr6JL9DXXNOgv4yDJtzgo0cyUdClZUlG2zCD8hmbXWZLsXeBcDAeVmyIQ4snP8BzQoYA9ycuEz8yTIkGuln9Okx8npFMgwmfw/s200/00422771.jpg" /></a> Who could say No to a face like this?<br /><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6oPoSPpOaSiDPvsz7OGhRlruBzz4qYQXz19iUi2iwAyIh90Q-ujypnC8DFlB2mVNDZnCNf2yp51mQUZOwPdJNpeIeDcxKeBBwDY01e_yTPgrmx3v_2w1oJ5KmKGTG6OYvbUePhg/s1600/j0433057.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 215px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 160px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531743934274381490" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6oPoSPpOaSiDPvsz7OGhRlruBzz4qYQXz19iUi2iwAyIh90Q-ujypnC8DFlB2mVNDZnCNf2yp51mQUZOwPdJNpeIeDcxKeBBwDY01e_yTPgrmx3v_2w1oJ5KmKGTG6OYvbUePhg/s200/j0433057.jpg" /></a> <strong><span style="font-size:180%;">It's your visuals, stupid!</span></strong><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">by Stephen L. Goldstein</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;">1. The biggest mistake fundraisers make is to depend upon words to get their message across.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;">2. Do you want to inspire, intrigue, and motivate your donors? Say it in pictures!</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span> </div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;">3. Try this exercise. Find 3 visuals that sum up your fundraising message.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span> </div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;">4. Next, ask 5 different people what they "say" to them.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span> </div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;">5. If their perceptions of the visuals match what you're trying to "say," put their, and your, thoughts into words to go with the visuals.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span> </div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;">6. If they don't, find other visuals and repeat the process until the visuals suggest what you want them to.</span></div><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9793652.post-45858202811401765032010-10-05T04:58:00.000-07:002010-10-05T05:11:03.743-07:00Self-Taught/Fundraising™<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">The 5 Formulas<br />for Fundraising Success</span></strong><br /><br />Level I-1<br /><br />A “patented,” self-paced program<br />specially designed for<br />nonprofit board members,<br />fundraising staff,<br />& volunteers<br /><br />by Dr. Stephen L. Goldstein<br />The Nonprofit Fundraising Institute<br />Educational Marketing Services, Inc.<br /><br />Copyright, 2008, Dr. Stephen L. Goldstein<br />All rights reserved. No portion of this material may be reproduced<br />in any form without the written consent of the copyright holder.<br /><br />e-mail: trendsman@aol.com<br /><br /><br />Self-Taught/Fundraising™:<br />The Concept<br /><br /><br />I.1 Self-Taught/Fundraising™ meets the unique needs of nonprofit fundraisers.<br /><br />I.2 It saves you time and money. Your board, staff, and volunteers get “on the same page” cost-effectively.<br /><br />I.3 The program pinpoints proven formulas, strategies, and tactics for nonprofit success.<br /><br />I.4 You will find down-to-earth, practical advice.<br /><br />I.5 Self-Taught/Fundraising™ is 100% interactive.<br /><br />I.6 You master the material at your own pace.<br /><br />I.7 To ensure your success, you benchmark yourself and your nonprofit through constructive self-assessments.<br /><br />I.8 Self-Taught/Fundraising™ consists of guided experiences intended to lead to concrete action-plans—specifically to benefit you and your nonprofit.<br /><br />I.9 You can tailor the material to your unique situation and needs.<br /><br />I.10 Self-Taught/Fundraising™ is designed to help nonprofits implement positive change—on their terms.<br /><br />II. Introduction:<br />Use the 5 formulas to power<br />your fundraising success<br /><br />II.1 Don’t let anybody kid you. Fundraising is an art, but it is also a “science.” The most successful fundraisers follow powerful formulas—consciously or unconsciously.<br /><br />II.2 People who aren’t “clued in” think of fundraising primarily as activities. They fall into 3 categories: “scribes,” “orchestrators,” and “friend-makers.” Mistakenly, all of them just DO fundraising. They make their jobs harder by not consciously using the 5 formulas to make their “doing” wildly successful.<br /><br />II.3 For example, “scribe” fundraisers “do” fundraising by looking for “the right” words.<br /><br />II.4 “Scribes” spend countless hours racking their brains for the phrase or phrases to convince others to make contributions to their favored cause.<br /><br />II.5 At other times, they believe their “open sesame,” magic phrase, visited them in a moment of inspired illumination.<br /><br />II.6 Either way, once they find their words, they test them out on others.<br /><br />II.7 You know the process. Together, everyone involved drafts and redrafts “the” message.<br /><br />II.8 “Orchestrator” fundraisers look for the perfect event.<br /><br />II.9 Orchestrators spend their time debating whether a golf tournament or a tennis match will raise the most money.<br /><br />II.10 Other orchestrators opt to hold ambitious galas. For them, doing/finding the right combination of hotel, invitation, honoree, and food is the key to raising the most money.<br /><br />II.11 “Friend-maker” fundraisers insist that fundraising is about relationships.<br /><br />II.12 Friend-makers spend their time getting to know as many people as they can personally, building a network of potential contributors—one by one.<br /><br />II.13 Scribes, orchestrators, and friend-makers are all correct: At the secondary level, successful fundraising is based upon activities: words, events, and personal relationships.<br /><br />II.14 But at the primary, or “foundational” level, 5 powerful formulas make it easier to find the right words, events, and personal relationships.<br /><br />II.15 Just as there is a formula for calculating the circumference of a circle and another for gravitational pull, there are numerical formulas for successful fundraising.<br /><br />II.16 Master the 5 power formulas and your words, events, and personal relationships will achieve the greatest power.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><strong>Power Formula 1: B x 10 = FT</strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br />“Never be involved in a cause that has weak leaders.”<br />--Dr. David Salten<br /><br />“A nonprofit will only be as successful as its board.”<br />--Dr. Stephen L. Goldstein<br /><br />Question: “What are the 5 traits of effective nonprofit leaders?”<br />1________________________________________________________<br /><br />2________________________________________________________<br /><br />3________________________________________________________<br /><br />4________________________________________________________<br /><br />5________________________________________________________<br /><br />Power Formula 1: B x 10 = FT<br />Create a board that “tens”!<br /><br />1.1 Ask (too) many people associated with (too) many nonprofits how much money they think they can raise in a fundraising cycle and usually they’ll smile and answer, “As much as we can.” How silly!<br /><br />1.2 Typically, nonprofits operate on a wing-and-a-prayer and live out of hope—that “the money will somehow come.” After all, they think, “we’re doing good so somehow good things should happen to us.” Right!<br /><br />1.3 In addition, my guess is that even if they know better, most nonprofit boards resist anything to do with establishing realistic goals for fear of under-motivating paid staff—or boxing themselves in.<br /><br />1.4 Even worse, too often, when boards put a number on how much they need or want to raise, they set an unrealistic, “stretch” goal.<br /><br />1.5 Then, having set pie-in-the-sky parameters for their success, they give marching orders to paid staff to meet it. And staff are afraid to challenge their board’s unrealistic expectations.<br /><br />1.6 In other words, fundraising is typically based upon unrealistic assumptions and expectations. No one thinks that there may actually be a formula to apply to answer the question, “How much money CAN we raise?”<br />.7 So here is a standard against which every nonprofit can set a realistic yearly fundraising goal: An organization’s “Fundraising Threshold” (FT) is equal to the amount of money its board personally donates annually times 10.<br /><br />1.8 In other words, if the board of nonprofit X collectively contributes $100,000, it is reasonable to expect that it can raise $1.1 million yearly.<br /><br />1.9 Of course, in some years, an organization may have a windfall—a major gift from an estate, for example. That’s always good, just not predictable. By contrast, an organization’s FT establishes the parameters of its ongoing activities, putting it on a reliable, solid footing.<br /><br />1.10 The FT formula is based upon two important assumptions.<br /><br />1.11 First, the board of every nonprofit must understand that IT is the key to the organization’s successful fundraising. The buck and the bucks start and stop with them.<br /><br />1.12 As fiduciaries, board members are responsible for their nonprofit’s financial health and well-being. They are its prime fundraisers. Paid staff guide and assist them in their fundraising role; they cannot and should not replace board members as prime fundraisers.<br /><br />1.13 Second, board members “worth” anything should be able to get at least 10 others to donate as much as they do.<br /><br />1.14 Of course, they may have to approach many more than 10 people to reach their goal, so they have to be willing to pull out the stops. They agreed to be on the board presumably because they were committed to the mission and goals of the organization. So what’s the big deal?<br /><br />1.15 Before even considering making a major gift, potential donors should ask the board member asking them how much he or she gives, how much the board donates as a whole, and at what levels board members give, without naming names.<br /><br />1.16 Before approaching a major gift prospect, representatives of a nonprofit should be armed with the giving history of the board.<br /><br />1.17 The reason is simple: Why should a potential donor bankroll an organization if the people who are supposed to be committed enough to it to be on the board don’t ante up?<br /><br />1.18 Effective board members exhibit five traits that are gauges of their ability to multiply themselves by 10: (1) knowledge of their nonprofit’s purpose, (2) commitment to that purpose, (3) willingness to make financial contributions, (4) willingness to get others to contribute, (5) willingness to be held accountable.<br /><br />1.19 So, to increase your fundraising goal, determine your current FT, motivate your board to give more—then score a perfect 10!<br /><br />1.20 Formula 1: Fundraiser’s Self-Assessment<br />From 0 (Not at all) to 10 (I’m gung-ho!), how willing are you to use Formula 1:<br /><br />1.21 I am willing to determine board members’ knowledge of my nonprofit’s purpose…………………...……..0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10<br />1.21.a What would it take to improve your score? _______________________________<br />1.21.b How willing are you to improve it?..........................................0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10<br /><br />1.22 I am willing to determine their commitment to that purpose…………………………………….…0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10<br />1.22.a What would it take to improve your score? _______________________________<br />1.22.b How willing are you to improve it?..........................................0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10<br /><br />1.23 I am willing to get them to commit in writing to their personal “contract” for support<br />of my organization…………………………. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10<br />1.23.a What would it take to improve your score? _______________________________<br />1.23.b How willing are you to improve it?..........................................0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10<br /><br />1.24 I am willing to determine their willingness to get others to make similar commitments…………......…0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10<br />1.24.a What would it take to improve your score? _______________________________<br />1.24.b How willing are you to improve it?.........................................0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10<br /><br />1.25 I am willing to hold board members accountable for their leadership of my nonprofit…………..…….…0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10<br />1.25.a What would it take to improve your score? _______________________________<br />1.25.b How willing are you to improve it?..........................................0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10<br /><br />Your TOTAL Score: _______ out of 100<br />1.26 Formula 1: Board Member’s Self-Assessment<br />From 0 (Not at all) to 10 (I’m gung-ho!), how willing are you to use Formula 1:<br /><br />1.27 This is how I would assess my knowledge of my nonprofit’s purpose…………………...…………………..0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10<br />1.27.a What would it take to improve your score? _______________________________<br />1.27.b How willing are you to improve it?..........................................0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10<br /><br />1.28 This is how I would assess my commitment to that purpose…………………………………….…0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10<br />1.28.a What would it take to improve your score? _______________________________<br />1.28.b How willing are you to improve it?..........................................0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10<br /><br />1.29 I am willing to put in writing my commitment for my personal support of my organization………. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10<br />1.29.a What would it take to improve your score? _______________________________<br />1.29.b How willing are you to improve it?..........................................0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10<br /><br />1.30 I am willing to determine the willingness of others to make similar commitments……………….........…0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10<br />1.30.a What would it take to improve your score? _______________________________<br />1.30.b How willing are you to improve it?.........................................0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10<br /><br />1.31 I am willing to hold other board members accountable for their leadership of our profit……………....…0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10<br />1.31.a What would it take to improve your score? _______________________________<br />1.31.b How willing are you to improve it?..........................................0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10<br /><br />Your TOTAL Score: _______ out of 100Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9793652.post-9577232656087613552010-09-22T09:31:00.000-07:002010-09-22T09:33:25.354-07:00Swift-kick your nonprofit board into action--or fail!“The Fundraising Guru”<br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;">Nonprofit Board x 10 = “Your Fundraising Threshold”<br /></span></strong>by Stephen L. Goldstein<br /><br />Ask (too) many people associated with (too) many nonprofits how much money they think they can raise in a fundraising cycle and usually they’ll smile and answer, “As much as we can.” How silly!<br /><br />Typically, nonprofits operate on a wing-and-a-prayer and live out of hope—that “the money will somehow come.” After all, they think, “we’re doing good so somehow good things should happen to us.” Right!<br /><br />In addition, my guess is that even if they know better, most nonprofit boards resist anything to do with establishing realistic goals for fear of under-motivating paid staff. Even worse, too often, when boards put a number on how much they need or want to raise, they set an unrealistic, “stretch” goal. Then, having set pie-in-the-sky parameters for their success, they give marching orders to paid staff to meet it. And staff are afraid to challenge their board’s unrealistic expectations.<br /><br />In other words, fundraising is typically based upon unrealistic assumptions and expectations. No one thinks that there may actually be a formula to apply to answer the question, “How much money can we raise?”<br /><br />So here is a standard against which every nonprofit can set a realistic yearly fundraising goal. An organization’s “Fundraising Threshold” (FT) is equal to the amount of money its board personally donates annually times 10. In other words, if the board of nonprofit X collectively contributes $100,000, it is reasonable to expect that it can raise $1 million yearly.<br />Of course, in some years, an organization may have a windfall—a major gift from an estate, for example. That’s always good, just not predictable. By contrast, an organization’s FT establishes the parameters of its ongoing activities, putting it on a reliable, solid footing.<br /><br />The FT formula is based upon two important assumptions. First, the board of every nonprofit must understand that it is the key the organization’s successful fundraising. The bucks begin and end with them. As fiduciaries, board members are responsible for their nonprofit’s financial health and well-being. They are its prime fundraisers. Paid staff guide and assist them in their fundraising role; they cannot and should not replace board members as prime fundraisers.<br /><br />Second, board members “worth” anything should be able to get at least 10 others to donate as much as they do. Of course, they may have to approach many more than 10 people to reach their goal, so they have to be willing to pull out the stops. They agreed to be on the board presumably because they were committed to the mission and goals of the organization. So what’s the big deal?<br /><br />Before even considering making a major gift, potential donors should ask the board member asking them how much he or she gives, how much the board donates as a whole, and at what levels board members give, without naming names. The reason is simple: Why should a potential donor bankroll an organization, when the people who are supposed to be committed enough to it to be on the board don’t ante up?<br /><br />So, to increase your fundraising goal, determine your current FT, motivate your board to give more—then score a perfect 10!<br /><br />E-mail your questions and comments to Stephen Goldstein at trendsman@aol.com. Buy your copy of his national bestseller, <em>30 Days to Successful Fundraising</em>, at <a href="http://www.amazon/">www.amazon</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9793652.post-56542590565635509702010-03-25T08:13:00.000-07:002010-03-25T08:24:06.856-07:00Find Your Burning Desire--to fundraise successfully<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEICZ3JTVg-xWib2YsUfRqHUd2PghcDo0ngz1jH5UOvhjgx_U32yJEFUHo9bhyphenhyphenM9Vo22xOUaxSg4sPn7sKn_aov7UfngSVF1Lwfm1uPB9YUT_1VWBHyQcKe3tQftmBJol4-Skyrw/s1600/fred's+invite+015.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452590374114444818" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEICZ3JTVg-xWib2YsUfRqHUd2PghcDo0ngz1jH5UOvhjgx_U32yJEFUHo9bhyphenhyphenM9Vo22xOUaxSg4sPn7sKn_aov7UfngSVF1Lwfm1uPB9YUT_1VWBHyQcKe3tQftmBJol4-Skyrw/s200/fred's+invite+015.jpg" /></a> <em>highlights from</em> Find Your Burning Desire--Day 1<br /><div>from <span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>bestseller</strong></span> <em><strong>30 Days to Successful Fundraising</strong></em></div>Order full text from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Successful-Fundraising-Research-Success-Library/dp/1555716369/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1269530458&sr=8-1">http://www.amazon.com/Successful-Fundraising-Research-Success-Library/dp/1555716369/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1269530458&sr=8-1</a><br /><div>by Dr. Stephen L. Goldstein</div><div></div><div>You cannot succeed in life or in fundraising if you have an anemic goal, mission, or vision statement.</div><div></div><div>Successful fundraising is NOT about asking for money; it's about MUCH MORE than that.</div><div>Thought rules the world. </div><div></div><div>Too often, in the process of anticipating the search for funds, fundraisers forget or take for granted the underlying idea that inspired their purpose or porject, focusing only on the acquisition of dollars.</div><div></div><div>In fundraising, as in business, money follows great ideas.</div><div></div><div>Sometimes, an idea that started as a burning desire burns out over time and needs to be rekindled. </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9793652.post-62490743232686748262010-03-17T21:39:00.000-07:002010-03-17T21:43:02.880-07:00Free Webinar for Nonprofit Fundraisers: How to turn Twitter into dollars!<strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;">For NONPROFIT Fundraisers: How to turn Twitter into dollars!<br /></span></strong>Join us for a Webinar on March 24<br /><a title="https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/388164328" href="https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/388164328" target="_blank"></a><br />Space is limited.Reserve your Webinar seat now at:<a title="https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/388164328" href="https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/388164328" target="_blank">https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/388164328</a><br /><br />Do you have Twitter-jitters? Are you afraid to use it because you haven't a clue about how it can expand your fundraising universe? <br /><br />Are you a Twitter-fritter? Do you waste your words on Twitter because you don't know how to use it to dynamize your fundraising? <br /><br />Are you a Twitter-quitter? Have you already given up on it because you never figured out how to maximize its power for fundraising? <br /><br />Well, this webinar is designed for YOU! It takes ALL of the mystery out of Twitter. It will show you how to "fire up" your Twitter account. It will explore powerful strategies you can use to find potential donors and lead them to your "Selling Space." <br /><br />Recommended for Twitter virgins, novices, and everyone else. Presenters: Dr. Stephen L. Goldstein & Brian Ross Lee<br /><br />Title:<br /><strong><span style="color:#3333ff;">For NONPROFIT Fundraisers: How to turn Twitter into dollars!<br /></span></strong>Date:<br /><strong><span style="color:#3333ff;">Wednesday, March 24, 2010<br /></span></strong>Time:<br /><strong><span style="color:#3333ff;">11:00 AM - 11:30 AM EDT<br /></span></strong>After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.<br />System RequirementsPC-based attendeesRequired: Windows® 7, Vista, XP, 2003 Server or 2000<br />Macintosh®-based attendeesRequired: Mac OS® X 10.4.11 (Tiger®) or newerUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9793652.post-81258112912493436152010-03-15T10:14:00.000-07:002010-03-15T10:15:40.247-07:00FREE WEBINAR 3/17: Social media/fundraising: Doesn't have to take FOREVER<strong><span style="font-size:180%;color:#3333ff;">Raise More Money with Social Media NOW! You Don't Have to Cultivate Donors Forever<br />Join us for a Webinar on March 17<br /></span></strong><a title="https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/911628680" href="https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/911628680" target="_blank"></a><br />Space is limited.Reserve your Webinar seat now at:<a title="https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/911628680" href="https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/911628680" target="_blank">https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/911628680</a><br /><br />The buzz about using social media for fundraising is WAIT and be patient. Sometime in the future, ask for a donation. But the same people who tell you to wait can't tell you exactly when the time will be right. In the meantime, you could be out of business. The fact is: You DON'T have to wait forever to approach potential donors to support your cause. You just need to use 7 powerful strategies to maximize your online communication and MONETIZE your "selling space." Presenters: Dr. Stephen L. Goldstein and Brian Ross Lee identify and discuss the 7 strategies so you can put them to work for you TODAY!<br />Title:<br /><br />Raise More Money with Social Media NOW! You Don't Have to Cultivate Donors Forever<br />Date:<br />Wednesday, March 17, 2010<br />Time:<br />11:00 AM - 11:30 AM EDT<br />After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.<br />System RequirementsPC-based attendeesRequired: Windows® 7, Vista, XP, 2003 Server or 2000<br />Macintosh®-based attendeesRequired: Mac OS® X 10.4.11 (Tiger®) or newerUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9793652.post-39866521946788945612010-03-07T10:18:00.000-08:002010-03-15T18:22:59.779-07:00Fundraising is selling!“The Fundraising Guru”<br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Fundraising only gels if you sell well</span><br /></span></strong>By Dr. Stephen L. Goldstein<br /><br />I know that people who work on behalf of nonprofits like to think of themselves as doing something for the common good. I know that because, whenever I hold workshops, the first question I ask participants is, “What is a nonprofit?” And invariably, their answers accentuate an altruistic angle. “It’s an organization that serves society,” they say, or one “that helps the needy,” or it’s “a group of individuals who hold events to raise money for worthy purposes.”<br /><br /><br /><br />The last thing in the world that supporters of nonprofits like to think they are is salespeople; they consider themselves a cut above schnooks selling shoes or used cars. I know that because when I ask my second question—“What is fundraising?”—no one ever answers “sales.” Instead predictably, the answers have a mushy quality equal to the definition of a nonprofit. Fundraising is the “ability to raise capital for an entity,” “stewardship, relationship-building in order to raise funds for an agency,” “an effort to generate funds for a good cause.”<br /><br /><br />So, it’s time for a major reality check for everyone who works on behalf of nonprofits. From doctors and plumbers to entrepreneurs and artists, successful people know how to sell--well. Fundraising is “nonprofit sales,” pure and simple. If you don’t know how to sell, you’ll never be an effective fundraiser. And if your first reaction to the idea of “nonprofit fundraising as selling” is to hold your nose, you’re probably holding back whatever cause(s) you support. So, here are some basic tips to help you increase your effectiveness in fundraising sales:<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">1. Selling is the quintessential skill.</span></strong> It’s not about getting others to do something they don’t want to or to buy something they don’t need. At its best, selling is the highest form of communication: It’s about making the perfect match between what you have to offer and what someone else wants. It’s an art.<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">2. Rejection isn’t rejection.</span></strong> So what if someone says no to you. It’s not the end of your life nor should you punish them on your voodoo doll. Think of how many times you may have said no to someone without meaning any ill towards them—and move on to someone else.<br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>3. Fundraising is not about “the ask,” but about “the listen.” </strong></span>Remember the lyric, “fools rush in where angels fear to tread.” Consider your customers before you chew their ears off about your cause. Too many do-gooder fundraisers have a “prima facie, ipso facto attitude.” They think that all they have to do is blurt out the basics of their case and their prey will open their wallet. Ain’t so! Do your homework: Find out about people you approach. Take an interest in them. You’ll be amazed at how interested they’ll become in you.<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">4. Commit to selling 24/7.</span></strong> The best/most successful fundraisers even dream about raising money. Fundraising is a frame of mind, an all-consuming passion, not a 9-to-5 job. From a check-out line in Publix to a tuxedo-filled ballroom, fundraiser-salespeople know that there are six degrees of separation—or less--between them and the next contribution they receive.<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">5. Multiply your donors’ gifts.</span></strong> Donors who are treated well beget other donors. The most successful fundraiser-salespeople know that fundraising only gels if you sell well.<br />Dr. Stephen Goldstein if the author of <em>30 Days to Successful Fundraising and</em> the host of the broadcast radio program, “The Forum for Nonprofits,” which is also available 24/7 from anywhere in the world.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9793652.post-81254025794628910142010-03-05T12:19:00.000-08:002010-03-05T12:22:28.900-08:00Another surprise philanthropist story<span style="font-size:85%;">South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com</span><br /><span style="font-size:180%;color:#3333ff;"><strong>Amazing Grace: </strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;"><strong>Lake Forest secret millionaire donates fortune to college<br />Woman who lived frugally donates $7 million to alma mater<br /></strong></span>By John Keilman, Tribune reporter<br />11:25 AM EST, March 4, 2010<br />Like many people who lived through the Great Depression, Grace Groner was exceptionally restrained with her money.<br /><br />She got her clothes from rummage sales. She walked everywhere rather than buy a car. And her one-bedroom house in Lake Forest held little more than a few plain pieces of furniture, some mismatched dishes and a hulking TV set that appeared left over from the Johnson administration.<br /><br />Her one splurge was a small scholarship program she had created for Lake Forest College, her alma mater. She planned to contribute more upon her death, and when she passed away in January, at the age of 100, her attorney informed the college president what that gift added up to.<br /><br />"Oh, my God," the president said.<br /><br />Groner's estate, which stemmed from a $180 stock purchase she made in 1935, was worth $7 million.<br /><br />The money is going into a foundation that will enable many of Lake Forest's 1,300 students to pursue internships and study-abroad programs they otherwise might have had to forgo. It will be an appropriate memorial to a woman whose life was a testament to the higher possibilities of wealth.<br /><br />"She did not have the (material) needs that other people have," said William Marlatt, her attorney and longtime friend. "She could have lived in any house in Lake Forest but she chose not to. … She enjoyed other people, and every friend she had was a friend for who she was. They weren't friends for what she had."<br /><br />Groner was born in a small Lake County farming community, but by the time she was 12 both of her parents had died. She was taken in by George Anderson, a member of one of Lake Forest's leading families and an apparent friend to Groner's parents.<br /><br />The Andersons raised her and her twin sister, Gladys, and paid for them to attend Lake Forest College. After Groner graduated in 1931, she took a job at nearby Abbott Laboratories, where she would work as a secretary for 43 years.<br /><br />It was early in her time there that she made a decision that would secure her financial future.<br />In 1935, she bought three $60 shares of specially issued Abbott stock and never sold them. The shares split many times over the next seven decades, Marlatt said, and Groner reinvested the dividends. Long before she died, her initial outlay had become a fortune.<br /><br />Marlatt was one of the few who knew about it. Lake Forest is one of America's richest towns, filled with grand estates and teeming with luxury cars, yet Groner felt no urge to keep up with the neighbors.<br /><br />She lived in an apartment for many years before a friend willed her a tiny house in a part of town once reserved for the servants. Its single bedroom could barely accommodate a twin bed and dresser; its living room was undoubtedly smaller than many Lake Forest closets.<br /><br />Though Groner was frugal, she was no miser. She traveled widely upon her retirement from Abbott, volunteered for decades at the First Presbyterian Church and occasionally funneled anonymous gifts through Marlatt to needy local residents.<br /><br />"She was very sensitive to people not having a whole lot," said Pastor Kent Kinney of First Presbyterian. "Grace would see those people, would know them, and she would make gifts."<br />Groner never wed or had children — the sister of one prospective groom blocked the marriage, Marlatt said — but with her gregarious personality she had plenty of friends. She remained connected to Lake Forest College, too, attending football games and cultural events on campus and donating $180,000 for a scholarship program.<br /><br />That allowed a few students a year to study internationally, including Erin McGinley, 34, a junior from Lake Zurich. She traveled to Falmouth, Jamaica, to help document and preserve historic buildings in the former slave port. The experience was so satisfying that she is trying to get Lake Forest to create a similar architectural preservation program.<br /><br />"It affected my (career ambitions) in a way I didn't expect," she said.<br /><br />But Groner was interested in doing more, so two years ago she set up a foundation to receive her estate. Stephen Schutt, Lake Forest's president, knew of the plan for the past year, but had no idea how large the gift would be until after Groner passed away Jan. 19.<br /><br />The foundation's millions should generate more than $300,000 a year for the college, enabling dozens more students to travel and pursue internships. Many probably wouldn't be able to pursue those opportunities without a scholarship: 75 percent of the student body receives financial aid, Schutt said.<br /><br />But the study and internship program is not the end of Groner's legacy. She left that small house to the college, too. It will be turned into living quarters for women who receive foundation scholarships, and perhaps something more: an enduring symbol that money can buy far more than mansions.<br /><br />It will be called, with fitting simplicity, "Grace's Cottage."<br />jkeilman@tribune.com<br />Copyright © 2010, <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/" target="_blank">Chicago Tribune</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9793652.post-4297534213100446022010-03-01T07:24:00.001-08:002010-03-01T10:19:48.416-08:00Announcing! FREE Webinars on Fundraising with "Social Media"<strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;">FREE Webinars will reveal the <span style="color:#ff0000;">7 Steps</span> all nonprofits can take to turn "social media" into successful fundraising</span></strong><br /><span style="font-size:85%;color:#000000;">by Dr. Stephen L. Goldstein</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">There's a lot of mystery, fear, confusion surrounding what are now called "social media"--inhibiting people from using them. In addition, they got a "bad" name early on: Facebook began by being used mostly by college kids; Twitter started with people posting daily trivia--I'm stuck in the airport, Just got home from the gym.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Eventually, they rose in status by being branded "social media." In fact, I'm sure that whoever coined the phrase thought him/herself very clever, indeed. I can just hear the cry of eureka! What a compelling way to label so disparate a bunch of Internet venues as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.! Problem is: It's meaningless; every form of communication--from the telephone to TV--is "social" at some level, fosters relationship(s). And it's also a misleading designation, especially as these platforms have evolved into some of the most powerful ways to reach and influence people--and FREE at that!</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">For nonprofit fundraisers, the "social" in the term puts the emPHASIS on the wrong SYLlable; they are all very aware of the need to build bridges to potential donors; but they also have bottom lines to deliver. How long, they justifiably ask, before I can convert my friends on Facebook and my followers on Twitter into donors to my cause--and how do I do it? </span><span style="font-size:85%;color:#ff0000;"><strong>The answers to those and other questions about turn "social media" into successful fundraising platform will be discussed in an ongoing series of webinars. To participate int he webinars, email Dr. Stephen L. Goldstein at <a href="mailto:trendsman@aol.com">trendsman@aol.com</a>. Put webinars in the subject and provide your name, title, organization, address, and phone number.</strong></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9793652.post-709040733764048182010-02-10T23:51:00.000-08:002010-02-10T23:54:23.165-08:00The best fundraising is selling, pure and simple“The Fundraising Guru”<br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;color:#3333ff;">Fundraising only gels if you sell well</span></strong><br />By Stephen L. Goldstein<br /><br /> I know that people who work on behalf of nonprofits like to think of themselves as doing something for the common good. I know that because, whenever I hold workshops, the first question I ask participants is, “What is a nonprofit?” And invariably, their answers accentuate an altruistic angle. “It’s an organization that serves society,” they say, or one “that helps the needy,” or it’s “a group of individuals who hold events to raise money for worthy purposes.”<br /><br /> The last thing in the world that supporters of nonprofits like to think they are is salespeople; they consider themselves a cut above schnooks selling shoes or used cars. I know that because when I ask my second question—“What is fundraising?”—no one ever answers “sales.” Instead predictably, the answers have a mushy quality equal to the definition of a nonprofit. Fundraising is the “ability to raise capital for an entity,” “stewardship, relationship-building in order to raise funds for an agency,” “an effort to generate funds for a good cause.”<br /><br /> So, it’s time for a major reality check for everyone who works on behalf of nonprofits. From doctors and plumbers to entrepreneurs and artists, successful people know how to sell--well. Fundraising is “nonprofit sales,” pure and simple. If you don’t know how to sell, you’ll never be an effective fundraiser. And if your first reaction to the idea of “nonprofit fundraising as selling” is to hold your nose, you’re probably holding back whatever cause(s) you support. So, here are some basic tips to help you increase your effectiveness in fundraising sales:<br /><br /> 1. Selling is the quintessential skill. It’s not about getting others to do something they don’t want to or to buy something they don’t need. At its best, selling is the highest form of communication: It’s about making the perfect match between what you have to offer and what someone else wants. It’s an art.<br /><br /> 2. Rejection isn’t rejection. So what if someone says no to you. It’s not the end of your life nor should you punish them on your voodoo doll. Think of how many times you may have said no to someone without meaning any ill towards them—and move on to someone else.<br /><br /> 3. Fundraising is not about “the ask,” but about “the listen.” Remember the lyric, “fools rush in where angels fear to tread.” Consider your customers before you chew their ears off about your cause. Too many do-gooder fundraisers have a “prima facie, ipso facto attitude.” They think that all they have to do is blurt out the basics of their case and their prey will open their wallet. Ain’t so! Do your homework: Find out about people you approach. Take an interest in them. You’ll be amazed at how interested they’ll become in you.<br /><br /> 4. Commit to selling 24/7. The best/most successful fundraisers even dream about raising money. Fundraising is a frame of mind, an all-consuming passion, not a 9-to-5 job. From a check-out line in Publix to a tuxedo-filled ballroom, fundraiser-salespeople know that there are six degrees of separation—or less--between them and the next contribution they receive.<br /><br /> 5. Multiply your donors’ gifts. Donors who are treated well beget other donors. The most successful fundraiser-salespeople know that fundraising only gels if you sell well. <br />Dr. Stephen Goldstein if the author of <em>30 Days to Successful Fundraising</em> and <a href="http://www.fundraisingguru.blogspot.com/">www.fundraisingguru.blogspot.com</a>. He is the host of the broadcast radio program, “The Forum for Nonprofits” (<a href="http://www.forumfornonprofits.com/">www.forumfornonprofits.com</a>), which is also available 24/7 from anywhere in the world.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9793652.post-15316332197449398652010-02-09T06:26:00.000-08:002010-02-09T06:28:19.782-08:00Nonprofit Boards Fail "The Fundraising Test"“The Fundraising Guru”<br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;color:#3333ff;">Nonprofit Board x 10 = “Your Fundraising Threshold”<br /></span></strong>by Stephen L. Goldstein<br /> <br /> Ask (too) many people associated with (too) many nonprofits how much money they think they can raise in a fundraising cycle and usually they’ll smile and answer, “As much as we can.” How silly!<br /><br /> Typically, nonprofits operate on a wing-and-a-prayer and live out of hope—that “the money will somehow come.” After all, they think, “we’re doing good so somehow good things should happen to us.” Right!<br /><br /> In addition, my guess is that even if they know better, most nonprofit boards resist anything to do with establishing realistic goals for fear of under-motivating paid staff. Even worse, too often, when boards put a number on how much they need or want to raise, they set an unrealistic, “stretch” goal. Then, having set pie-in-the-sky parameters for their success, they give marching orders to paid staff to meet it. And staff are afraid to challenge their board’s unrealistic expectations.<br /><br /> In other words, fundraising is typically based upon unrealistic assumptions and expectations. No one thinks that there may actually be a formula to apply to answer the question, “How much money can we raise?”<br /><br /> So here is a standard against which every nonprofit can set a realistic yearly fundraising goal. An organization’s “Fundraising Threshold” (FT) is equal to the amount of money its board personally donates annually times 10. In other words, if the board of nonprofit X collectively contributes $100,000, it is reasonable to expect that it can raise $1 million yearly.<br /><br /> Of course, in some years, an organization may have a windfall—a major gift from an estate, for example. That’s always good, just not predictable. By contrast, an organization’s FT establishes the parameters of its ongoing activities, putting it on a reliable, solid footing.<br /><br /> The FT formula is based upon two important assumptions. First, the board of every nonprofit must understand that it is the key the organization’s successful fundraising. The bucks begin and end with them. As fiduciaries, board members are responsible for their nonprofit’s financial health and well-being. They are its prime fundraisers. Paid staff guide and assist them in their fundraising role; they cannot and should not replace board members as prime fundraisers.<br /><br /> Second, board members “worth” anything should be able to get at least 10 others to donate as much as they do. Of course, they may have to approach many more than 10 people to reach their goal, so they have to be willing to pull out the stops. They agreed to be on the board presumably because they were committed to the mission and goals of the organization. So what’s the big deal?<br /><br /> Before even considering making a major gift, potential donors should ask the board member asking them how much he or she gives, how much the board donates as a whole, and at what levels board members give, without naming names. The reason is simple: Why should a potential donor bankroll an organization, when the people who are supposed to be committed enough to it to be on the board don’t ante up?<br /><br /> So, to increase your fundraising goal, determine your current FT, motivate your board to give more—then score a perfect 10!<br /> E-mail your questions and comments to Stephen Goldstein at <a href="mailto:trendsman@aol.com">trendsman@aol.com</a>. He’s the author of 30 Days to Successful Fundraising and the blog <a href="http://www.fundraisingguru.com/">www.fundraisingguru.com</a>. You can listen to the radio program he hosts, “The Forum for Nonprofits” 24/7 at www.forumfornonprofits.com.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9793652.post-10564537284022952682010-02-03T07:17:00.000-08:002010-02-03T07:20:17.716-08:00For Nonprofits: Fundraising with social mediaFor immediate release<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;color:#3333ff;">For Nonprofits Only!<br />2010 Florida Fundraising Conference:<br />How to raise more money with Facebook,<br />Twitter, YouTube & other social media<br /></span></strong><br />Contact:<br />Dr. Stephen L. Goldstein<br />Educational Marketing Services<br />1448 NE 55th Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33334<br />954-772-7868 Email: <a href="mailto:trendsman@aol.com">trendsman@aol.com</a><br /><br />(Fort Lauderdale, FL)—The 2010 Florida Fundraising Conference: “How to raise more money with Facebook, Twitter, YouTube & other social media” will be held February 19, 2010 at the Sheraton Suites Cypress Creek, 555 N.W. 62nd Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309. Program details, including nationally recognized presenters and registration information, are available at the conference website, <a href="http://www.socialmediafundraising.org/">http://www.socialmediafundraising.org/</a>.<br /><br />“The full day program is designed to take all the mystery out of using social media for fundraising success,” says Dr. Stephen L. Goldstein, one of the event organizers. “So many people in nonprofits hear all the buzz about using social media, and they genuinely want to get on board. But they don’t know where to start. And while they’re waiting on the sidelines and missing opportunities, others are actually raising money. We’ve designed the conference to give every participant a solid grounding—from the basics to more sophisticated uses of social media.”<br /><br />Katya Andresen of Network for Good (Washington, D.C.) lays the groundwork for the program. She opens the conference presenting “What to do before you even think of tweeting: The 11 steps to success with social networking and the six most miserable mistakes of social marketing.” Skip Kimpel, author of the forthcoming Social Networking for Nonprofits: Making it work and making it matter, will take participants through a “social networking boot camp”—giving the nuts and bolts of venues from Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to others. After that, he’ll reveal his formulas for creating a social networking fundraising strategy. Peter Panepento of The Chronicle of Philanthropy will discuss a number of case studies, proving that nonprofits are using social media for fundraising—with success. Social media consultant Brian Ross Lee will reveal ways to take the guesswork out of using social media by showing how to monitor nonprofits’ success with social media through Google analytics and other programs. And finally, Dr. Stephen L. Goldstein, consultant and author of 30 Days to Successful Fundraising and <a href="http://www.fundraisingguru.blogspot.com/">http://www.fundraisingguru.blogspot.com/</a>, will present “Social media and high tech fail without high touch: How to turn the 7 expectations of social media users into dollars!”<br /><br />For further information, visit <a href="http://www.socialmediafundraising.org/">http://www.socialmediafundraising.org/</a> or call 954-772-7868.#Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9793652.post-79453458704950259342010-02-01T09:57:00.000-08:002010-02-01T10:02:21.225-08:00Peter Panepento The Chronicle of Philanthropy, to speak at Feb. 19 conference on using social media for nonprofit fundraising Feb. 19, Ft. Lauderdale<strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;">Peter Panepento presents case studies of successful social media fundraising Feb. 19 in Fort Lauderdale</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;"></span></strong><br />Feb. 19 Fundraising with Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.)<br /><br />Attention NONPROFITS: At the Feb. 19 day-long conference in Fort Lauderdale, FL on how to fundraise using social media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.), Peter Panepento of <em>The Chronicle of Philanthropy</em> (Washington, D.C.) will present one part of the program--giving case studies of nonprofits' successful use of social... media for fundraising. He's one of five experts on the program who'll be covering ALL aspects of fundraising with social media. Visit <a href="http://www.socialmediafundraising.org/">www.socialmediafundraising.org</a> for details--and to register online or by mail.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9793652.post-76177325640228393682010-01-31T03:54:00.000-08:002010-01-31T04:02:33.963-08:00Feb. 19 Social media fundraising conference will show you the in's and out's of using Google Analytics and similar tracking programs<strong><span style="font-size:180%;color:#3333ff;">You're flying blind on the Internet--unless you're tracking visits to your website with Google Analytics, Piwik, or something like them</span></strong><br /><span style="font-size:180%;color:#3333ff;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">At the Feb. 19 Fundraising with Social Media Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Brian Ross Lee will discuss the in's and out's of monitoring the effectiveness of your fundraising with social media by using Google Analytics and Piwik, for example. Visit <a href="http://www.socialmediafundraising.org/">www.socialmediafundraising.org</a> for conference details--and to register online or by mail.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9793652.post-36070496673587266672010-01-25T09:47:00.001-08:002010-01-25T09:52:19.549-08:00Attention Nonprofits: Do you retweet--or even tweet? Register for the social media fundraising conferenceAre you now, or have you ever been, tweeting, let alone retweeting? That's the question you need to be answering! It's another of the powerful ways that you can harness social media to increase the success of your nonprofit fundraising. Register for The 2010 Florida Fundraising with Social Media Conference: How you can raise (more) money using Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other social media. Visit <a href="http://www.socialmediafundraising.org/">www.socialmediafundraising.org</a> for details--and to register online or by mail.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9793652.post-67846338088266115422010-01-21T12:35:00.000-08:002010-01-21T14:04:08.670-08:00Dr. Stephen L. Goldstein will be featured speaker at 2010 Florida Conference on Fundraising with Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other social media<strong><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Dr. Stephen L. Goldstein will speak at the 2010 Florida Fundraising Conference: How to raise more money with Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other social</span><span style="color:#3333ff;"> media. Visit <a href="http://www.socialmediafundraising.org/">www.socialmediafundraising.org</a> for details and to register online or by mail.</span></span></strong><br /><br /><br /><p>Goldstein's presentation: "Social media and high tech fail without high touch: How to turn the 7 expectations of socia-media users into dollars!" </p><p>"My presentation closes the workshop to bring participants back to terra firma," Goldstein says. "I'm as excited about social media as anyone else, but I also know that people make sales not computer mouses. Social media venues are means to an end--engaging people to close 'the sale'--not ends in themselves. When web sites first became "the thing," people rushed to get online--and mistakenly thought that was all they had to do to create a successful effort. The same giddiness has accompanied social media venues, with the same discouraging results. It takes time, creativity, and commitment to use social media effectively. I share my take on the 7 ways to do that."</p>Columnist, author, consultant, TV and radio personality, and workshop leader--Dr. Stephen L. Goldstein is a nationally recognized marketing, communications, and fundraising executive, as well as a trends analyst and forecaster. For more than 30 years, he has developed strategies for nonprofit success.<br /><br />Dr. Goldstein is now the co-producer and host of “The Forum for Nonprofits,” which airs and may be heard 24/7 at <a href="http://www.forumfornonprofits.com/">http://www.forumfornonprofits.com/</a>. He was the producer and host of “Fundraising Success,” a weekly radio program on WXEL, 90.7FM/National Public Radio.<br /><br />Dr. Goldstein's "Fundraising Guru" columns have appeared in The South Florida <em>Sun-Sentinel</em> and have been a regular feature of the Scripps papers on Florida’s Treasure Coast. He is the author of <em>You Can't Go Wrong by Doing It Right: 50 Principles for Running a Successful Business</em> and the bestseller, <em>30 Days to Successful Fundraising</em> (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/">http://www.amazon.com/</a>).<br /><br />His Self-Taught/Fundraising Success System is the basis for the workshops he offers around the country. Stephen Goldstein has also contributed fundraising advice segments for nonprofits on Wealth and Wisdom on WXEL-TV, Public Television. Dr. Goldstein works with individual nonprofits all across America to increase their fundraising success. His website is <a href="http://www.fundraisershotline.com/">http://www.fundraisershotline.com/</a>, and he is the author of the blog <a href="http://www.fundraisingguru.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://www.fundraisingguru.blogspot.com/</a> which is now available in Spanish at <a href="http://www.recaudaciondefondos.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://www.recaudaciondefondos.blogspot.com/</a>. Dr. Goldstein earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. from Columbia University.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9793652.post-78146785279340392452010-01-19T13:01:00.000-08:002010-01-19T13:07:35.244-08:00Chronicle of Philanthropy's Peter Panepento featured speaker at 2010 Florida Social Media Fundraising Conference<span style="font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;"><strong>Peter Panepento of <em>The Chronicle of Philanthropy . . . </em>featured speaker at 2010 Florida Fundraising Conference on using Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other social media to increase contributions</strong></span><br /><br />Peter Panepento is Web editor for <em>The Chronicle of Philanthropy</em> in Washington, D.C., the leading source of news and views for the nonprofit sector. In that role, he manages<em> The Chronicle's</em> Web-site, philanthropy.com and its active presence in social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.<br /><br />He also follows the use of social networks by nonprofit groups and foundations and is a frequent speaker on how cutting-edge organizations are using these tools to advance their missions.<br /><br />Panepento is the creator and manager of several Chronicle blogs, including Prospecting, its popular blog about nonprofit fundraising, and Give & Take, which chronicles the nonprofit blogosphere. He is also the publisher of GlobalErie.com, a blog network that includes commentary and news centered around Erie, PA.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9793652.post-62379064787260372902010-01-13T11:49:00.000-08:002010-01-13T14:49:20.925-08:002010 Florida Fundraising with Social Media Conference<strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;">For Nonprofits Only!<br />2010 Florida Fundraising Conference:<br />How to raise more money with Facebook,<br />Twitter, YouTube & other social media<br /></span></strong><br />Contact:<br />Dr. Stephen L. Goldstein<br />Educational Marketing Services<br />1448 NE 55th Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33334<br />954-772-7868 Email: <a href="mailto:trendsman@aol.com">trendsman@aol.com</a><br /><br />(Fort Lauderdale, FL)—The 2010 Florida Fundraising Conference: “How to raise more money with Facebook, Twitter, YouTube & other social media” will be held <strong><span style="color:#3333ff;">February 19, 2010</span></strong> at the Sheraton Suites Cypress Creek, 555 N.W. 62nd Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309. Program details, including nationally recognized presenters and registration information, are available at the conference website, <a href="http://www.socialmediafundraising.org/">http://www.socialmediafundraising.org/</a>.<br /><br />“The full day program is designed to take all the mystery out of using social media for fundraising success,” says Dr. Stephen L. Goldstein, one of the event organizers. <strong><span style="color:#3333ff;">“So many people in nonprofits hear all the buzz about using social media, and they genuinely want to get on board. But they don’t know where to start. And while they’re waiting on the sidelines and missing opportunities, others are actually raising money. We’ve designed the conference to give every participant a solid grounding—from the basics to more sophisticated uses of social media.”<br /></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Katya Andresen of Network for Good (Washington, D.C.)</span></strong> lays the groundwork for the program. She opens the conference presenting “What to do before you even think of tweeting: The 11 stops to success with social networking and the six most miserable mistakes of social marketing.” <strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Skip Kimpel, author of the forthcoming <em>Social Networking for Nonprofits: Making it work and making it matter</em>,</span></strong> will take participants through a “social networking boot camp”—giving the nuts and bolts of venues from Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, to others. After that, he’ll reveal his formulas for creating a social networking fundraising strategy. <span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>Peter Panepento of </strong></span><em><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>The Chronicle of Philanthropy</strong></span> </em>will discuss a number of case studies, proving that nonprofits are using social media for fundraising—with success. <span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>Social media consultant Brian Ross Lee </strong></span>will reveal ways to take the guesswork out of using social media by showing how to monitor nonprofits’ success with social media through Google analytics and other programs. And finally, <span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>Dr. Stephen L. Goldstein, consultant and author of <em>30 Days to Successful Fundraising</em> and </strong></span><a href="http://www.fundraisingguru.blogspot.com/">http://www.fundraisingguru.blogspot.com/</a>, will present “Social media and high tech fail without high touch: How to turn the 7 expectations of social media users into dollars!”#Unknownnoreply@blogger.com