6 Things I Learned the Last 13 Years
I hope you will indulge me for a little different blog post this time. You see, 13 years ago – on August 1, 2011, I embarked on an adventure when I left the comfort of my job to focus full-time on my business that allows me to do what I love: helping nonprofit organizations succeed with grant writing, fundraising consultation, strategic planning facilitation, and leadership and board development training. Scary at times, the results have wildly exceeded my expectations.
A journey like this does not happen overnight or alone. I have way too many people to thank for your support beginning with our remarkable staff and the more than 200 clients who have trusted us to help them make their ideas happen. My husband and son have put up with me through the ups, downs and late nights and countless people (you know who you are!) have given me their time to provide advice and counsel. Thank you!
As I reflect on the last 13 years, I think about what I learned on this journey so far and want to share those insights in the hope that they will help you in your work with nonprofits or your life journey.
But this blog isn’t about me. It’s about the bigger picture: the fundraising environment in which many of us work. While we work with clients around the country, the majority live right here in the Quad Cities so I draw these examples come from this community. If you live elsewhere, I hope you can draw similar conclusions about your community and the broader fundraising environment in which you work.
This country has many generous individuals and organizations. Giving USA reported that giving for 2023 increased by 1.9% in current dollars over the previous year to give an estimated $557 billion. That’s larger than the GDP of many countries! I spend most of my time helping organizations raise money either from individuals or through grants. When you know where to look, you can find people willing to give their hard-earned money to help advance your mission.
The Quad Cities has many very generous organizations. I started my nonprofit career nearly 40 years ago writing grants, a passion that continues today. I find it very disheartening to hear nonprofits say that no money exists in their local corporations and foundations for them. Other than a very few, specialized organizations (I’m thinking Wells 4 Wellness that builds wells in Niger, Africa), I find that very hard to believe. I very conservatively estimate that Quad Cities foundations and corporations invest more than $40 million into local nonprofits annually. Nonprofits from all sectors benefit from these funds: education, health care, human services, religion, animals, environmental, arts, and culture. I believe that most organizations that cannot find funding from local organizational donors either do not know where to look or have not invested sufficiently in developing relationships with them.
Giving has changed since the pandemic. While we still see a lot of money donated through philanthropy, giving patterns have changed. Mega donations have dominated the news while giving from small and mid-sized donors continues to decline. To find success, fund development professionals need to adjust their methods, including better engaging their donors and prospective donors in their mission and building meaningful relationships with them.
Money follows passion. Donors don’t just fall out of trees. They need a passion for your organization which you can help them find. Have you ever asked your donors why they contribute to your organization? I have. The answers from donors at all levels and from many different organizations mirror what the research tells us: (1) someone asked them and (2) they have a great passion for the organization’s mission. The donors I’ve met like to talk about why they invest in a certain organization. Ask yours and see what you can learn from them about your organization and their individual passions, goals, and desires.
We have a very giving community, and I don’t just mean monetarily. People who work in the local nonprofit sectors – and frankly most Quad Citizens – share their time and expertise freely. The local chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals provides a great example of professionals helping others learn fundraising and navigate its changing waters. Most grant funders will freely give their time to meet with prospective applicants, help them through their process, and introduce them to others potential collaborators. I have also called on former colleagues and community leaders to ask advice. My mantra is that if you don’t ask, you don’t get. If you ask and get a no, you are no worse off than before you asked.
Relationships rule. You have probably heard it throughout your professional life: “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” While I see great importance in what you know, I have seen firsthand the value of building and maintaining meaningful relationships reiterated over and over. Those relationships have helped us secure new client referrals, connect people with similar missions or needs, and meet someone who has a skill set, knowledge base, or network that can help us or a client. Organizations run on social capital; building yours can help strengthen your organization and your personal and professional life.
I hope many of these things ring true for you, whether you live and work in the Quad Cities or elsewhere.
What would you add to this list?
