Jim Langley’s Post

Don't very accomplished fundraisers always want to take additional training classes? I worry about the ones who don't. 1-successful fundraisers are often more on the work than peers. Training places them with peers in a professional setting focused on the group's type of work. 2—With "new" developments happening regularly in the space, no matter what percentage are genuinely new, additional training keeps one updated, meeting CE units, and informed enough to ask intelligent questions. 3-Finally, we will not engage in rocket science. Once the basics are understood, we will engage in the art of purposeful communication. Each practitioner brings their unique style to this. The political environment (micro and macro), senior leadership efficacy, and economic perceptions cue practitioners to infuse different amounts of themselves into donor relationships. Time with peers in a structured setting allows constructive feedback absent of organizational agendas or personal bias. Members of the teams I coach must take at least one course a year. Some courses directly align with their position. Some choose to learn new skills. Others have chosen very specialized subject matter courses related to the mission we support. Never stop learning!

Let's unveil the unfiltered truth behind professional fundraising... 🎩 Magic? No, just method. Fundraising isn't a mystical art. It's about strategy, perseverance, and knowing your audience inside out. Luck might play a tiny role, but it's not the driving force. 💼 No secret stashes here. Contrary to popular belief, fundraisers don't have secret stashes of donors waiting to throw money at any project. Building relationships takes time, effort, and a whole lot of nurturing. 🔑 Skills matter, but personality counts. Sure, fundraising demands skills—strategy, communication, negotiation—but equally vital is your personality. Genuine empathy, passion, and authenticity resonate far more than any technique. ⏳ It's a long ride. Brace yourself for the journey. Fundraising involves highs and lows, periods of stagnation, and yes, even mistakes. But each setback is a chance to learn, grow, and refine your approach. 📊 Analysis & engagement. Don't overlook the power of data and engagement. Analyse what works, what doesn't, and adapt accordingly. Engage with your audience—listen to their feedback, involve them in your journey. Fundraising isn't a quick fix or a stroke of luck. It's about dedication, perseverance, and building meaningful connections. Got questions or insights to share? Drop them below!

A frequent request we receive is for assistance in establishing or enhancing major-gift programs. Securing such gifts requires mastery of both the science and art of fundraising.   The science of major-gift fundraising lies primarily in the process, which includes four basic steps: identify, cultivate, ask, steward. The science really isn't a lot more complicated than that. But the art of major gifts is what distinguishes the most productive fundraisers. Here are just a few basic principles that may be useful to apply.   1) Prepare your mind. The first step in preparing for fundraising starts inside the fundraiser's own head. It is important to see contact with a prospective donor as offering that individual an opportunity. And you really need to feel this way or your reluctance and discomfort will be perceived.    2) Focus on the relationship, but be clear about what it is. The development of relationships is at the heart of major-gift fundraising. But the relationship to be cultivated and sustained is that between the donor and the organization or the cause. The donor's relationship with the organization needs to transcend the individual who represents it. For that reason, it is important to involve multiple people and connections, including program staff, board members, and others, so that there can be continuity over the years.   3) Listen more than you talk, especially early in the relationship. Most gift officers are highly articulate people, who have great enthusiasm for their organizations' missions. It is tempting to talk too much, in an effort to impart information and persuade an individual to give. Don't cut off a thoughtful response that might take the conversation in productive new directions.   4) Ask for advice. Asking for a prospective donor's advice – on a program, on a campaign, or on other prospective donors – may be a good way to ease into discussion of their possible interest in a gift. And many times the advice will be as valuable as the money.   5) Maintain control of the relationship. Certainly I don't mean "control" in a negative way, with the connotation of manipulation. But the fundraiser needs to keep possession of the ball in the relationship with a donor. For example, if you say "I'll call you next week," you can make something happen next week. If you say "Call me when you want to discuss the proposal," you may wait a long time, as other events and priorities displace your proposal in the donor's thinking.   6) Most importantly, genuinely like and respect your donors. It can't be faked, they can tell. Most people have both positive and negative qualities. A good fundraiser is someone who is not judgmental and who can see the other person in their totality, perhaps with flaws but also with a generous and humane spirit. If that is not your perspective, then fundraising may be an uncomfortable undertaking.  

If you don't eat your meat, you can't have any pudding! Okay, that Pink Floyd reference may be (very) dated, but humans have always been motivated by #incentives, whether it was "flee the saber-toothed tiger and don't die" or "meet your goals and get a positive performance evaluation and maybe a bonus." The article below is an oldie but goodie, and has aged well. The circumstances EAB describes haven't changed over the ensuing eight years: #donor pyramids are getting flatter on the bottom and taller at the top for many #organizations and helping #fundraisers succeed demands clear expectations and disciplined #metrics tracking. When this study came out, I appreciated the disclaimer that goals and objectives must be tailored to #culture, prospect base, #campaign stage, and #gift officer experience. Goals should be ambitious, but not impossible. There's no faster way to demotivate even the most talented fundraisers than to impose arbitrary objectives. And when we identify which #solicitations are expected to close in a given fiscal year, we have to compare actuals to goals and make sure we understand where there may be disconnects. While I haven't used #scorecards, and I believe they can be labor-intensive to implement, the concept is compelling. The more clearly #expectations are articulated, the greater the odds that high-performers will use those #metrics to drive their best performance. Succeeding in these efforts requires clear guidelines on what #success looks like and a thorough stress-test to root out perverse incentives. I've been intrigued by approaches to portfolio optimization that focus gift officers on actually working their prospects rather than treating the CRM as a reservations system. A #development officer with a portfolio of 300 can't even make contact with all of their donors in a year much less implement effectve moves management. Some of what we do at Marts&Lundy is help replace languishing prospects who are low capacity and/or low likelihood with individuals or organizations that are more likely to give. Very few organizations have enough development staff to cover their entire universe of promising potential donors, so efficient prioritization is essential for success. In addition to the two excellent components the authors provide: my own approach is consider the "how" of a gift officer's performance as well as the "what." If someone raises a ton of money, but no one is willing to work with them, that creates many downstream effects - low morale, lack of collaboration, infighting/back-stabbing, high turnover - all of which impose cultural and financial costs on the organization that I find unacceptable. Create the right team with the right incentives and consider what specific approaches work best for your context. If you don't measure progress, you'll never know if you're making any.

What does it take to develop a fundraising career? In Part 1 of a 3 part blog series we focus on essential fundraising skills. https://lnkd.in/eSk3uaki

Fundraising: It's not about asking for money, it's about sharing a story. 👇 Many people tell me they hate fundraising because it feels uncomfortable to ask for money. But here's the secret: arm yourself with a compelling narrative. When you focus on sharing your organization's impact and vision, you're not just asking for funds—you're inviting others to be part of something meaningful. Remember, rejection isn't personal. It's simply a 'not now' or a mismatch in priorities. The key is resilience and staying equipped with the right tools and mindset. This is where I come in. As a seasoned fundraising consultant with a proven track record, I've mastered the art of asking for money effectively and gracefully. My approach combines: - Strategic storytelling that resonates with donors - Resilience in the face of challenges - A robust toolkit of fundraising techniques - Years of experience navigating diverse funding landscapes (and plenty of rejection) I'm not asking for money—I'm building relationships, crafting compelling cases for support, and developing sustainable fundraising strategies. My clients consistently report increased donor engagement and improved fundraising outcomes! Let me handle the ask, so you can focus on your mission. With my expertise, you'll not only meet your fundraising goals but exceed them. Ready to transform your fundraising approach and amplify your impact? Let's connect and discuss how I can elevate your fundraising game!

What does your corporate partnership webpage say about you? Like the red flags of a🚩🚩selfish lover🚩🚩, it sends off signals to a potential partner. Your website is often the first place a partner will go to check you out 👀 What is it saying about you? I see two different examples: 1️⃣ The selfish lover Your webpage is all about you. What you need. What you want. Why they should support your cause. It’s written like a fundraising document with some words thrown in like corporate volunteering or workplace giving. 2️⃣ The partner pleaser Your webpage reads like a credentials document. It’s specifically designed for a corporate reader. You detail how you can help a partner with their goals and ambitions. You have case studies about what you have achieved with other businesses. Which one do they think is going to be more attractive to a partner? 🔥🔥 Your partnership page should be a lead generator for your organisation, not a destroyer. If you want help thinking through your corporate partnership webpage please drop me a note. Let’s make sure your first impression is a powerful one! 🌟

Overcoming Fundraiser Biases: The Inner Game of Asking for Money As fundraisers, we often focus on understanding donor biases and how to motivate them to give. But we have our own biases that can undermine our effectiveness. Cultivating the right mindset is key to overcoming fundraiser biases, according to fundraising leader Kenna Barrett, Ph.D.. Barrett identifies several common fundraiser biases, including optimism bias, pessimism bias, and negativity bias. - The optimism bias leads us to be overly optimistic about the outcome of a meeting or event. We put “all our eggs in one basket,” ignoring potential obstacles. - The pessimism bias causes anxiety and leads us to expect the worst in challenging situations like asking for money. - The negativity bias causes us to dwell on past failures while ignoring our successes. To overcome these biases, Barrett recommends “the inner game of fundraising.” First, cultivate a persistence mindset. Believe fundraising is a learned skill, not an ineffable talent restricted to certain types of people. Second, use “system 2” logical thinking, not just emotion. Prepare for meetings by considering potential questions and obstacles. Ask a colleague to role play a skeptical donor. This helps avoid being caught off guard and anchors you to a reasonable request amount. Third, rehearse and practice. Role play the entire meeting with a colleague. Work through different scenarios to gain confidence in responding to unexpected situations. Recording and reviewing these sessions can provide valuable insights into how you can improve. Practice helps fundraisers gain skills that translate across roles. Fundraiser biases often reflect anxiety about failure or discomfort with ambiguity. But fundraising excellence comes from cultivating the right mindset, logical preparation, and practice. Role play, a technique used extensively in sales and other professions, is key. It provides a “mental rehearsal” to overcome biases and gain the confidence and skills needed to succeed. With practice and persistence, fundraising can become less about biases and more about activating our potential.

If you want to raise more money, it helps to know what makes your donor tick. Prospect Briefings provide three key pieces of a prospect's story that can transform your fundraising efforts through comprehensive prospect briefings: 🏛 How They Made Their Money Understanding the sources of a donor's wealth is crucial. This includes details about their career, business ventures, and family wealth. Gaining the full picture allows your team to tailor your approach and set realistic expectations. 🛒 How They Spend Their Money It’s not just about how much wealth they have, but how they choose to allocate it. Insights into their property holdings, hobbies, and family interests give you a clearer understanding of their values and priorities beyond their bank accounts. 🤝 How They Share Their Money Philanthropic behavior reveals a lot about a donor’s interests. Information regarding board memberships and support for alma maters helps you identify where their passions lie, guiding your engagement strategies. ------- We have written thousands of these briefings for university Presidents, Deans, faculty, fundraising executives, and gift officers, The Allston Group knows from years of experience how Prospect Briefings empower your team to develop meaningful relationships and secure unwavering support for your organization. *** Special Offer: Prospect Briefings by The Allston Group •FREE Prospect Briefing available on our website. •Premium Service: Starting at $750 each, with bulk discounts as low as $500 per briefing when you order 25+. •Quick Turnaround: Receive your results in just 3-5 days per 5 profiles ordered. Plan ahead and prioritize your prospects to maximize your fundraising efforts. Ready to elevate your fundraising strategy? Visit our website to get our Prospect Briefing for your organization to use - FREE or contact us and let us get started for you today! 📧 Email me at [email protected]

Fundraising (always) take a village. It's a classic scenario: a candidate is interviewing for a fundraising position and is asked some version of the following question: "Tell me about the largest gift you raised". More often than not, the candidate paints a colorful story of how the candidate identified, cultivated, and solicited a six-or-seven figure gift as a heroic lone ranger. But the background of almost every one of those stories involved some combination of prospect researchers, board members, fellow frontline fundraisers, consultants, executives, and others to finally land that Major Gift. Successful fundraising is not a solo project. It takes a village. Some "village" opportunities you may be missing: 1️⃣ Sharing Your Portfolio - Major Gift fundraisers have an awful tendency to have a proprietary attitude toward "their" donors. But research suggests that donors who have mutliple points of contact within an organization are more likely to make larger gifts. The point: see the natural involvement of your colleagues in the cultivation process as an opportunity, not a threat. 2️⃣ Utilizing Qualified Consultants - This may seem self-serving, but we include this with the utmost sincerity. Consultants like the staff at Covenant Philanthropic Solutions are devoted to being true partners with you in your mission to help shore up gaps in resource and expertise. Oftentimes, utilizing the services of a consultant will produce far more desirable fundraising outcomes than trying to go it alone. 3️⃣ Engaging Volunteer Fundraisers - There is no other way to slice it: engaging volunteer fundraisers means extra work for you. But the return on the investment on that work is often greater than the return on the work that you'd do alone. Use your board effectively to earn introductions, to accompany you on asks, to conduct thank you calls, and more. 4️⃣ Mobilizing Your CEO/ED - To your donor community, your most senior leader's voice carries more weight than just about anybody else's voice in your organization. If you choose not to involve your CEO/ED in the fundraising process, you do so to the detriment of your fundraising enterprise. 5️⃣ Maximizing Your Administrative Staff - Is administrative work sometimes easier to just "knock out" on your own? Yes. Is it the best use of your time? No. Using administrative staff well means taking the time to communicate, to manage, and to effectively delegate. But in the long run, it will help you focus on more direct fundraising work.