Jennifer L Harrison Consulting LLC

Welcome to December, fundraisers! Make the most of this month with some tips and tricks to engage and acknowledge donors during the holiday season. https://lnkd.in/gYd8P8PV

Happy Give to the Max Day to all who celebrate! https://lnkd.in/g_ft8WdA

"Event Season" is wrapping up for many of us in the nonprofit sector. But how do you convert event donors to annual donors? Read my latest post and share your ideas on how you've done this successfully! https://lnkd.in/g9p3e7q5

No, you don't have a "fundraising issue". That's not why donors are abandoning you after they make a first gift, why your major donors are sitting on the sidelines, or why your most loyal donors have stopped giving. Fundraising results are a lagging indicator of your organizational leadership. In 25 years, I'm yet to discover a "fundraising" problem that wasn't rooted in a leadership decision (or indecision) somewhere in the organization. When I hear an organization talking about their fundraising problems then I get under the hood and discover things like this: ✔ A CEO who refuses to build meaningful relationships with donors or participate in philanthropy in any way ✔ An organization that doesn't provide new fundraising employees with an intentional onboarding and training program, but does hand them a 90-day "close our revenue gap" plan in their first week ✔ Department leaders who are more focused on building their kingdoms than collaborating for the success of the organization ✔ Teams and staff who make strategy decisions based on "what worked somewhere else", or what they think supporters want or need to know, without ever talking to said supporters to understand their motivations and desires ✔ Philanthropy is relegated to a "necessary evil" that funds the "real" mission, instead of a core component of the organization's overall mission ✔ Organizational executives refuse to participate in philanthropy because they have "too much real work to do" on the program side of the organization ✔ Thank you letters aren't sent to any supporter who gives less than $25, because that's "the threshold" necessary to maintain an arbitrary ROI on gratitude ✔ Major friction-causing problems in an org's online giving experience are allowed to fester because of internal egos and turf wars ✔ Operational cost overruns are accepted, resulting in impossible "stretch" goals being forced onto an already overloaded and under resourced development team ✔ You lose your best fundraisers every two years because leaders refuse to make key investments in infrastructure and talent, and because mediocrity and toxic behaviors are accepted norms in the office So no. You don't have a "fundraising" problem. You have a leadership problem. Fix your leadership problem and you'll be amazed at the money that will follow.

As the calendar turns to November, it's time to think about how to show gratitude to your donors during this season of giving: https://lnkd.in/gxMi45Qn

Thursday Thoughts: It's hard to believe we're nearing the season of giving! As many fundraisers know, this can be a season of joy - or not-so-joyful burnout. Here are some tips and tricks to stay sane during our busiest time of year! https://lnkd.in/gqafWHvF