Are the struggles that you face with fundraising a result of something specific – something that you can essentially fix?

Like ramping up an already established major gifts program or recruiting new volunteers to a functioning development committee. 

Or finding the funds to send the executive director to a reputable nonprofit leadership program that trains and mentors her to be an instigator, a champion, and a role model to bring fundraising into the heart of the organization, and keep it there.

Or is the problem organizational, more systemic? 

Like no fundraising plan, major gifts program, or high functioning database to properly track gifts and donor information.

Or not enough staff (other than the ED) to manage the database, send out personalized, timely thank you notes and donor communications – budget constraints being sited as the reason.

And no plans to fund and implement these very basic and essential functions that are vital to creating the conditions for fundraising success. 

Knowing how to identify what’s a true fundraising problem vs a larger organizational issue, and course correct in small increments, is critical to maintaining your organization’s long term financial health – and getting unstuck.

Fundraising problems are not fundraising problems.

Most of the time, they’re problems in other areas of the organization.

For example: If your board members won’t help nurture relationships or ask for gifts, that’s not a fundraising problem.

That’s a board recruitment, training, and enabling (and thanking and releasing!) problem. And the problem affects fundraising.

Here’s a pop quiz – well, sort of, that will help you assess systemic vs fundraising issues, and some resources to guide you. 

1. Does your executive director and board chair embrace fundraising?
2. Do they see fundraising as a meaningful way to connect and engage people that share your organization’s values to fulfill a higher purpose – your mission?
3. Are they integrally involved in the process?
4. Do they understand that building an organization that invests in its fundraising capacity and in the technologies and other fund development systems is critical to the success of your organization?
5. Are they connected with other nonprofit leaders, peers, and colleagues to stay abreast of what’s happening in the community and maximize your nonprofits reach?

If you answered no to #1 and #2, chances are #3, 4, and 5 are the same. These are larger issues that will keep you in a vicious cycle threatening your ability to raise more money. 

How to get unstuck

I borrow this sage advice from my colleague Simone Joyaux:

“Make sure you can identify the problem and explain the problem to those who need to know.

That’s what really great fundraisers do. Identify, explain, and help solve problems that are not fundraising problems – but affect fundraising. I call these fundraisers organizational development specialists.

Are you just a great fundraising technician? Or are you an organizational development specialist, too?”

Resources to help you gain clarity.

Although you’re the best judge of what’s going on in your organization, these resources will help you take a look through another lens.

You’ll learn what success looks like in other organizations and what’s possible for you. 

For your Board

• 2 must-reads: Governance as Leadership and The Generosity Network. If I were the board chair, I’d make these books required reading. Read a chapter at a
  time between meetings followed by discussions at EVERY meeting.
• Read or re-read this report: UnderDeveloped: A National Study of Challenges Facing Nonprofit Fundraising.

This eye-opening report is a GREAT starting point to help boards gain a better understanding of the challenges facing nonprofits TODAY, and how to course correct. Complete with evidence to back it up. 

If you only do one thing: Facilitate a completely different conversation with the board. Do your homework, identify your organization’s top card issue, and take the leap.

Be smart about it. Don’t wing it. You’ll be wasting their time and they won’t take it seriously.

Prepare, read up, and gather information before approaching them. 

To Do

• Write a concise 1-page overview of your concerns about your organization’s ability to raise money sustainably. Make sure you and the board chair are aligned. Use the resources above to frame it and customize to you.
• Put time on the next board meeting agenda to discuss it.
• Send the 1 page summary with a link to Underdeveloped out to the board in advance of the meeting. Make it clear about your expectations for everyone to be prepared to participate. 

Dive in and have those difficult conversations. That’s where the juice is. You can read more about difficult conversations with boards in one of my previous post, 9 Cage-rattling questions every board should answer.

Go for it! The people you serve are counting on you.

Are your fundraising problems fundraising related or organizational?

If this resonates, please share it!