Deanna Singh

The Far Side of Fundraising Tip of the Week Transactional fundraising leads to high rates of donor loss. Most organizations lose 4 out of 5 first-time donors. The more rapidly and impersonally we secure support, the more we sub-optimize giving potential and the more rapidly donors depart. High rates of donor attrition, coupled with the continue contraction of giving households, spell long-term disaster for most nonprofits. Don't follow the transactional lemmings as they plunged into the sea. Adopt sustainable practices. You may be in the minority but you will help your organization survive and eventually thrive. This one requires that you closely to see who stands out in adopting sustainable practices.

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Are you a donor? Grantmaker?  Do you have 10 minutes? Help our colleagues at 21/64 and the National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers (NNCG) gain valuable insights on how you engage philanthropy consultants or advisors to advance your giving. Click here to start the survey >> https://lnkd.in/ejBbSgt7

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Are you a donor? Grantmaker? Do you have 10 minutes? Help our colleagues at 21/64 and the National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers (NNCG) gain valuable insights on how you engage #philanthropy consultants or advisors to advance your giving. Click here to start the survey >> https://lnkd.in/gu_e_PEY

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Tailor Your Funding Requests to Donors' Level of Receptivity The most receptive: ⏺ Living donors who have made estate commitments ⏺ Multiple major gift givers ⏺ Loyal annual givers of 15 years or more ⏺ Volunteers long-engaged in substantive activities (e.g. board membership) ⏺ Highly engaged in events and actives Moderately receptive: ⏺ Single major gift givers ⏺ Annual donors who have given 6 to 10 years, sometimes intermittently ⏺ Volunteers engaged for 3-5 years in occasional activities ⏺ Occasionally engaged in events in activities Lightly receptive: ⏺ Two recent and modest commitments ⏺ Attended a few events Where you would be wrong to assume receptivity to another funding request: ⏺ First time donors given little or nothing after their first commitment ⏺ Major donors who have not be contacted personally in a year or more ⏺ Someone who volunteered once or twice but never gave ⏺ Someone who attended one event Where you would be crazy to assume receptivity: ⏺ "Prospects" who have done none of the above Strategies that work best with each of these cohorts The highly receptive: ⏹ You can speak to the building blocks of organization because they are so much a part of it and trust in its ability to convert investment into impact The moderately receptive: ⏹ Conduct donor satisfaction interviews or survey's first The lightly receptive: ⏹ Interview or conduct survey to see how strongly they believe in your purpose, direction and leadership; the degree to which they feel they belong and if they see how their giving has bettered the lives of those you serve. Unsure of receptivity: ⏹ Interview or conduct survey asking to which cause or purpose they have been the most pleased and why, what has been their most and least satisfying giving experience, and their receptivity to volunteering. No indication of receptivity ⏹ Stop calling them prospects ⏹ Don't put them in portfolios ⏹ Look for other giving experiences as evidence of what they might be receptive to ⏹ Invite them to a substantive event that tracks with previous philanthropic interests Is this perfect? Hardly, but any effort to segment, experiment, and learn is much better than the spray-and-pray or assuming a "one size appeal fits all." Segmentation and customization are the beginnings of strategic philanthropic facilitation. Defaulting to the usual unimaginative tactical grind is wasteful and depleting for the organization and those engage in doing of that work, and good way to continue squandering your philanthropic potential.

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Valuable lessons to be learned.

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Now is the time to complete the survey and we need you! 🙌🏾 Every response makes a difference in helping us better understand the role of consultants and advisors in helping grantmakers advance their philanthropy. Before it’s too late, share 10 minutes of your time now to complete the National Philanthropy Benchmark Survey >>> 📋 https://lnkd.in/e-Y9QPs9 #NNCG #NNCGisWE #philanthropy #consultants #BenchmarkSurvey #GetInvolved #SubmitYourResponses

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Staff Giving Is Of Immense Importance But Staff Campaigns Are Problematic "Internal donors mean internal stewardship," says Amelia Grant, National Director of Prospect Development Strategy at Hazelden Betty Ford. She's exactly right. Consider the inverse. When most or all financial support comes from the outside and little or none from the inside, stewardship is an office charged with thanking, recognizing and informing donors. Donors are people who give to us. However, when an organization receives support from the majority of its workers, stewardship takes on its larger meaning, "the job of taking care of something." It becomes a collective. It about broadly shared ownership. The higher the level of internal giving, the greater the statement about internal belief in and commitment to mission. If those charged with implementing the mission contribute in large numbers to the financing of it, it makes a powerful external statement. But internal giving has to be natural expression of commitment, bottom up. The minute it becomes top down in the form of the typical staff campaign, it becomes tinged with coercion, real or perceived. Even if management does not intend to coerce, a top down approach risks creating the impression of it. The people who sign your paychecks now "ask" you to give. When it appears as if management is asking, urging or expecting workers to give more of themselves, it triggers simmering grievances or gnawing suspicions as in: "We're already overworked and underpaid." "I'd give if they paid a living wage." "If management makes 20 times the average worker, shouldn't management give 20 times more?" "How do we know there won't be a reduction in force at the end of this campaign?" So how does an organization create the conditions that make workers want to give? Well, it's not much different from the conditions that make external parties want to give. It includes: Providing a clear mission statement that is implemented with near obsessive focus Sharing testimony from the trenches or eyewitness accounts from the service providers describing mission moments Showing how contributions of time, talent or treasure lead to mission advances Telling the truth about what's working and what isn't and how we are amplifying what's working and fixing what isn't Eliciting and taking seriously advice as to how mission delivery can be improved Reducing barriers, silos, strata, status levels and impediments to honest communication and respectful collaboration and problem solving Leading by example, not asking others to do what you haven't done including being in the trenches and respecting the advice of those in the field Staff will give to what they co-create and co-own, not to something done without them or what they are told is working but can't see for themselves or see themselves in. The same is true of all donors.

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The nonprofit sector needs a shift—away from rigid institutional thinking and toward a space that fosters creativity, collaboration, and innovation. Imagine a platform where no idea is off-limits, where institutional boxes are broken, and where nonprofits thrive in an environment of creative freedom and safe collaboration. Grand Rapids Giving Day isn’t just about one day or one initiative—it’s a movement to influence how we approach nonprofit work and philanthropy, creating a more sustainable and impactful future. Over the past few years, Ama International has found a home in the tech sector. As a tech-centric nonprofit, we’ve experienced firsthand the power of innovation and collaboration. Working together without fear, fostering an environment where fundraising feels like a team sport. What if the nonprofit sector operated the same way? You are invited! 12.3.24 visit grgivingday.com ♥️ This pic taken at SXSW thanks to Midwest House & Ted Velie… where the magic started. 🌟 Join us! ➡️ https://lnkd.in/ebTncE2j #nonprofit #innovation #change #development #socialenterprise #socialimpact #socialgood #instagood #fundraising #givingtuesday

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🎇At Capacity Builders, your nonprofit's mission is our organization's vision. 🎇 We aim to embrace, enforce, and expand your nonprofit's mission and reach through strategic planning in the development, fundraising, and analytical facets of your operations. With over 30 years in the nonprofit sector, our team of experts wants nothing more than to see your organization continue to make a positive impact in your community. Contact us today to learn what we can do to take your organization to the next level! >> NonProfitPros.org #nonprofit #consulting #nonprofitpros #nonprofitexcellence

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I have been fortunate to spend most of my career serving social impact -- as a healthcare worker, as a teacher, as a nonprofit leader. I also have formal business training and I live under capitalism and recognize its influence in all things. In any business venture, for profit or nonprofit, it's necessary to understand who else is already doing the thing. They are competitors and collaborators, and often they are both. What I appreciate about social impact business is the emphasis on collaboration. I love what Cameron Dearlove wrote about nonprofit duplication this week. I hear this all the time, and if you are in nonprofit work I'm sure you have as well. The thing that I would add to Cameron's thoughtful take on this, is the importance of collaboration and support in a system that is underserved. I see a trend that funders--from government to foundations--are looking to support coalitions instead of single entities. To Cameron's point, variety and niche service at the grassroots level is a good thing. This is a targeted universalism approach. Smaller grassroots organizations provide a zoomed-in view of specific community need. Coalition building zooms out, elevates the collaborative message, allows for sharing of resources, and moves everyone together towards the same universal goal. Lovely. Thank you for sharing, Cameron. #agefriendlydesign #targeteduniversalism #collaboration #innovation #nonprofitleadership

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Despite the fact that collaborative funds are being talked about as the next big thing in philanthropy, there's still a lot we don't know about their value-add to philanthropy. Often the discussion centers on how they enhance the experience and impact of donors. This new piece from Jennifer Stout draws attention to the importance of examining the experiences of grantees who receive funding from collaborative funds, as compared to their experiences with "direct funders". For The Freedom Fund, our understanding of how grantee partners perceive us largely comes from continuously seeking feedback (more on that here: https://lnkd.in/eEa6u7F6). We also see a big part of our role as identifying and building relationships with groups who have tremendous potential for deep, sustainable impact but who more traditional funders might overlook. As Jen says, we need more research across the field to draw broader conclusions and make the case for why collaborative funds, when structured appropriately, can fill gaps and do things differently.

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Another gem from Jeff, shining a spotlight on Kevin's wisdom - in every communication, in every message or phrase, ask yourself: "why will a donor care about this". Good #fundraisers get it. But if your message focuses on the "what" instead of the "why"; if terms like "mission" are confused with "vision" and "purpose"—remind your non-fundraising colleagues to focus on why your charity exists. The problem to be solved is the Emotional Tension that donors share with your organisation. This is the fundamental insight to forming meaningful connections with supporters—and where every conversation should begin. Check out the articles for more wisdom https://lnkd.in/gvSA3beR https://lnkd.in/gVUpKa2M #fundraising #charities MIGHTY ALLY Moceanic

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Collecting donor funds shouldn't remind you of an achy tooth. Let us show you how tailored fundraising strategies work for your organization. Find out where you might be leaking funds and how to fix it with our Leaky Bucket Assessment. Let's get you on the path to fundraising success. https://lnkd.in/ejtHerRK  #LeakyBucketAssessment #FundraisingSuccess #BristolStrategy

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"Public trust is the currency of the nonprofit sector." Independent Sector "Trust is what makes it possible for us to partner with local communities to do the hard work of systemic change. Our trusted voices as advocates for our missions help drive policy change. Our trusted status makes us an essential partner to government and industry. Trust is vital in recruiting volunteers and in the sector’s work to bridge differences in a divided America. And, without trust, raising the resources we need to do our work becomes infinitely harder." Key findings from the Independent Sector's new report include: 1) After four years of decline, trust in nonprofits has rebounded by 5 points to 57%. 2) Trust in philanthropy remains steady at 33%, lower than trust in nonprofits. 3) Americans trust nonprofits to reduce national divisions more than they trust corporations, government, or media. 4) Americans have less trust in nonprofits to advocate for public policies and conduct nonpartisan voter engagement. 5) There are clear pathways for nonprofits to increase public trust in the sector. Please reach out to discuss how together we can increase public trust in your organization's mission-driven work. https://lnkd.in/d9--XQSz

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Is the use of AI-generated grant proposals or development projects the next internal conflict in fundraising? In the last few months, I've already heard non-grant writing fundraisers tell their colleagues "all you need is Chat GPT in order to write a grant proposal" and "AI can write our development plan." Meanwhile, trained grant professionals know there are more nuances to consider than just putting your information into a program and utilizing the received information. It will be interesting to see how this discussion plays out in fundraising.

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The Far Side of Fundraising Tip of the Week Clever words - be they in the form of a case for support, an appeal or a solicitation - cannot make up for a poorly conceived fundraising initiative. Like it or not, philanthropy is a marketplace. Some things have strong donor appeal, some very little. Strategic fundraising entails putting forward concepts that advance mission and resonate with philanthropic values. It is foolish to believe that donors will respond to whatever you want or need if you have charismatic fundraisers making compelling appeals. It's even more foolish to attempt to do so when you give fundraisers the wrong vehicle and less than clever words.

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Building authentic relationships is at the heart of successful fundraising. It's about more than just donations—it's about connecting with people, understanding their values, and fostering long-term partnerships. When trust and sincerity guide our interactions, the support we receive becomes more meaningful, lasting, and impactful. Let's focus on creating real connections that inspire lasting change.

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When thinking back to my time as a nonprofit CEO, I recall many sleepless nights wrestling with funding challenges. Conversations often focused on writing grants, annual campaigns, and donor engagement, but the results stayed the same. It wasn’t until we started thinking differently that we saw real change. 🚀Imagine a nonprofit and philanthropic world where innovation drives fund development, creating sustainable impact within our organizations, where new ideas are celebrated, and risks are seen as opportunities.  🌟 In my latest Coaching Innovation Blog, Innovating Fund Development for Greater Impact, discover how embracing innovation can transform your organization's approach to funding. ❓How can nonprofits elevate their fund development strategies to create greater impact? 🧠 Cultivate a Culture of Innovation: Encourage an environment where creativity thrives, and risks are part of the growth journey. 🔍 How can you foster a culture of innovation? Reflect on your organization's openness to new ideas and discuss your risk tolerance and risk threshold. 💡 Innovation Pop-ups: Organize regular brainstorming sessions to bring together diverse perspectives and generate innovative new fund development strategies. When we create a culture of innovation that leverages technology and embraces diverse funding sources, we can transform our organizations and the communities we serve. How have you leveraged innovation to support fund development? 🔗 Check out the full article at www.Jordansydnor.com . 

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