J.Paul Fridenmaker’s Post

#MajorGiftsExternalReadiness Post 4 of 4 (You can search hashtag MajorGiftsExternalReadiness to see the intro and previous posts) Are you externally ready to invest in a person to do major gift fundraising for your charity?  Here’s my fourth “external readiness” suggestion before you make a hire: 🧾Specific goals and metrics will define the fundraiser's success🏁 Clear, measurable goals and success metrics should be established. This includes fundraising targets, the number of new major givers to be identified, and the level of engagement with existing supporters. Having these benchmarks helps in evaluating performance and aligning team efforts with the organization's overall strategy. You should be prepared to manage by activity rather than results - especially in the first two years.  Doing this well almost ensures that you will beat the odds on that nasty high turnover rate of fundraising staff. #majorgifts #leadership #vision #mission #preparation #readiness #networking #fundraising 💫 I💖sharing about major gift fundraising. If that's what you do for your favorite cause, you may find it helpful to: 👉Follow me on LinkedIn for daily posts (click the🔔on the top right of my profile to be notified of new posts) 👉Subscribe to my weekly newsletter for free pro tips and reflections on major gift fundraising (you'll get free weekly pro tips and reflections on major gift fundraising directly to your email): https://lnkd.in/dfyNe9Xz

However your organization defines a Major Gift ($1,000+, $10,000+, etc.), every nonprofit organization must adopt a consistent system for pursuing and procuring them. We must do more than sit back and wait or hope that a donor will repeat a gift or that someone will see how awesome our social enterprise programming is and make a grant. We must strategically and deliberately secure them. Here are my top 5 components of every Major Gift Program. 1. Personnel! We need people power on top of this system and someone in charge. Ideally, your organization holds a Major Gifts Director or Officer position. At the very least, the Executive Director should be engaged in the process (but they need someone to help them stay organized). 2. Strong existing donor base! Most major gifts come from existing, regular donors. Pull the reports, crunch the data, and get to know them. 3. A user-friendly CRM! And someone who understands how to upkeep it and use its fun, helpful features. 4. A strong Case for Support! Be prepared to physically share "why" someone should put five zeros after that first number in their contribution amount. 5. Consistency! Have a trackable, accountable moves management system and ensure that both John Doe and Jane Applegate receive the attention they deserve, even if Jane's gift is 10x John's gift. My colleague Gudrun Hofmeister at Philanthropic Fundraising and I coach this entire process and provide the accountability services needed to ACTUALLY do the work (because we empathize with how much is on your plate). Schedule a discovery call with me today to learn more! Hit the schedule button at the top of my profile or this link: https://lnkd.in/g4PwYbPX #MajorGifts #Fundraising #nonprofits

#MajorGiftsExternalReadiness Post 2 of 4 (You can search hashtag MajorGiftsExternalReadiness to see intro and previous posts) Are you externally ready to invest in a person to do major gift fundraising for your charity?  Here’s my second “external readiness” suggestion before you make a hire: 🤝Strong existing network of potential givers and connectors🧑🤝🧑 If you are hoping that your hire will bring a new portfolio of major givers, you will almost certainly be disappointed. You’ll need to work ahead of time to assess the current network of supporters, including those who might not yet be major givers but have significant influence and connections. Do you have "activated" connectors who can facilitate new relationships?  (If you’re not sure what I mean by that, send me a DM or put a note in the comments below and I’ll send you a one-pager which will help).  Your preparation here will help the new fundraiser to quickly build a pipeline of potential major givers. #majorgifts #leadership #vision #mission #preparation #readiness #networking #fundraising 💫 I💖sharing about major gift fundraising. If that's what you do for your favorite cause, you may find it helpful to: 👉Follow me on LinkedIn for daily posts (click the🔔on the top right of my profile to be notified of new posts) 👉Subscribe to my weekly newsletter for free pro tips and reflections on major gift fundraising (you'll get free weekly pro tips and reflections on major gift fundraising directly to your email): https://lnkd.in/dfyNe9Xz

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I’m Team #AskForMore That said, anyone can (and does!) ask for more… and doesn’t raise more. The difference is 3 main things: - THE RELATIONSHIP To what extent does the donor trust you? How well have you listened? Do you know them? Do you know why they gave in the first place? Do you know they keep giving? - THE EFFECTIVENESS Does your talk match your walk? If you claim to “transform lives” and you don’t have proof (data, stories, life change) then how do you expect to raise more even if you ask for it? Does the donor know how effective you are or is your badassery a secret? - THE APPROACH Does your approach suck? Do you give up too easily? When you ask, does the donor know WHY THEM? (Not just cuz they’re rich) Do you (accurstely) best position your org and how it stands apart from the rest in their philanthropic portfolio? The most successful askers have: - A strong relationship with the donor - An effective org with bold goals - Strong approach in the ask and negotiation skills Do this sound like you and your nonprofit? What are your biggest takeaways? Share this post ♻️ Happy fundraising, friends. #fundraising #majorgifts #philanthropy

I want to to take a moment to talk about fundraising shame. Over the course of your career, you may have felt someone shame you for your approach to fundraising, or maybe it was your organization's major gift size, or maybe it was your profile size. Whatever it was, it wasn't right. If you are working to advance the mission of your organization, you are doing great work and you should never feel shame. Here are AMPO we want to meet you where you are. Maybe you have a full department of fundraisers working at all levels of the donor pyramid. That's fantastic. You are making an impact in your community. Maybe you have just hired your first full-time fundraiser- that is amazing. You are going to see more funds for mission delivery, in your community. Or maybe you view fundraising as "another duty as assigned", it isn't your passion, and often it feels overwhelming and disjointed. I ask you, can you find some time to work with one donor. That will make an impact for your organization and you will have more funds available for mission delivery. These videos are designed to give you small wins. Doable ways to move your program forward without having to add another plate to your already full plate. Think about how you can add fundraising as an enhancement to what you are already doing. Maybe you are speaking to a service group. Watch the video to hear a message you can add to your remarks to bring fundraising into the conversation. Let me know how it is going. and if you need anything, just reach out. I am here to walk with you on your fundraising journey. Have a great week- Amy #AMPO #annualgiving #fundraising

No, you didn't raise $1 Billion. Something I realized early in my career is that many fundraisers lie about their success. Maybe some of them aren't lying, but they're at the very least misleading people. ❌ I think of one gift officer who claimed he raised $28 Million the last year at his old job. (Turned out to be total BS) ❌ I think of another Director of Development who claimed they raised TENS OF MILLIONS of dollars. In reality, they just inherited a database that was giving a lot. in fact, giving went down dramatically under their leadership. ❌ And let's not forget the consultant who has helped raise over $1 Billion! Ok, yes there are a few out there that can actually claim this, but many people will just add up the entire revenue of every organization they ever worked with and give themselves credit for all of it. The reason I'm bringing this up is because I spoke to a new gift officer recently who was feeling discouraged. He has a very cold portfolio and has been putting in lots of attempts to get visits scheduled. He's raised OVER $100,000 in his first 6 months on the job and that's basically all new money. I was overjoyed with his success, but he thought it was a huge disappointment. Why? Because he's comparing himself to fake fundraising masters who inflate their success. I speak to organizations every single day of the week, and I can assure you most gift officers are not knocking it out of the park every day. I share that with you to give yourself some perspective... you don't need to compare yourself to whatever incomplete picture someone else is giving you about their success. Anyone who is successful in major gifts had struggles along the way and that is normal. Keep moving forward and get the next visit scheduled. P.S. There are some fundraisers who have ACTUALLY raised more than $1 Billion. As in money that would not have come in without their involvement. Those people are incredible and don't need to constantly tell the world how much money they've raised to gain attention. P.P.S. Only a few spots left to save big Major Gift Millions. Use the coupon code SALE at checkout to get enrolled today! #OneVisitAway #nonprofits #philanthropy #majorgiftmillions

One-on-one conversations with your donors are vital! When I was an in-house fundraiser, we had a particularly successful email campaign. Because of that, we were getting calls from donors for weeks. Donors who had received our emails were scheduling time with our ED. To them, it felt like they received the emails directly FROM our ED. It was personal and they wanted to support our mission more. When sending emails to donors, make it personal so you can start more one-on-one connections. Choose someone familiar to your donors to send from. Someone who embodies your mission, like your ED or program manager. Maybe send a thank you to volunteers from your volunteer manager? (I’m biased since this was my gig for a time!) ✨ Repeat after me: NO more emails to donors from an impersonal entity.✨ It's about time we put a face (or a name, at the very least) to our emails! Trust me, donors appreciate authenticity over robotic messages from "Generic Charity Inc." Not sure how to make your emails more personal? DM for FREE custom advice💙📧  #emailfundraising #nonprofitstrategy #emailcommunication #nonprofitmarketing #nonprofitfundraising #nonprofitadvice #donorengagement #nonprofitleadership

Fundraisers - saying “no” to a major donor is NOT a failure. It’s a strategic choice. In fact, it can be a catalyst for stronger relationships and future collaborations.  Here's why: Saying "no" can help ensure that you maintain alignment with your organization's mission and strategic direction. And the donors who understand and share your values will appreciate your commitment to staying true to your cause. In fact, by being transparent and authentic in your dealings with donors, you can often strengthen their trust in your organization. I also want to recognize that saying "no" to a donor is easier said than done! Too often, nonprofits buy into the toxic business philosophy of “the customer is always right” -  power imbalances coupled with a culture of short-term thinking can pose significant challenges when it comes to setting the boundaries you need for a healthy fundraising program.    Now I’d love to hear from you - what is the biggest barrier nonprofits are facing when it comes saying no to donors? P.S. If you’re looking for more practical resources on setting boundaries in your fundraising, check out the comments below for a link to my article, How To Say No To A Donor >>> 𝘔𝘺 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘌𝘮𝘮𝘢 𝘓𝘦𝘸𝘻𝘦𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴, 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘫𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘰𝘯𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘪𝘵. 𝘓𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵? 𝘓𝘦𝘵’𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩! 👋 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘦 🔝 𝘖𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘺 𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘭 (𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘦) #fundraising #majorgifts #nonprofit #philanthropy

#MajorGiftsInternalReadiness Post 2 of 3 (you can search the hashtag MajorGiftsInternalReadiness to see #1) See the intro post here:  https://shorter.me/5uahB Are you internally ready to invest in a person to do major gift fundraising for your charity?  Here’s my second “internal readiness” suggestion before you make a hire: 🧑🏫Professional Development🎖️ A commitment to investing in fundraising expertise is essential - both for yourself and your new hire. Be prepared with a sufficient budget for training programs and/or conferences focused on major gift fundraising. This will ensure that you have the knowledge and skills to build relationships, ask for significant gifts, and steward donors effectively. Major gift fundraising is hard work, but it’s not super complicated.  As James Clear states, “You don’t rise to the level of your goals, you fall to the level of your systems.” #majorgifts #professionaldevelopment #systems #sharpenthesaw #fundraising

Nonprofit CEOs, you’re not going to like my answer to this question… “How do we know when we’ve hired a good fundraiser?” SHORT ANSWER: You won’t know until at least 18 months after hiring them. The #1 quality any good fundraiser possesses is building and growing relationships. Truth is, results don’t happen overnight. Building a meaningful relationship with a prospective donor takes time. Just like you wouldn’t ask someone to marry you on a first date, you would never ask a prospective donor to support your org after one meeting. They need to be invested mentally and emotionally before they commit financially. Fundraising is HARD. You’ll always hear the word “no” more than “yes.” But if you have a fundraiser that possesses the “3 P’s”: 📍 Passionate 📍 Personable 📍 Persistent Results will happen. #consulting #nonprofitconsulting #nonprofitconsultant #nonprofit #nonprofitfundraising #fundraising #communications #philanthropy #womanownedbusiness #businessowner #drummerconsulting