How did you land in the fundraising hot seat? Did you realize when you accepted that Chief Executive Officer or Executive Director position at your nonprofit the extent to which you would be the nerve center of your organization’s fundraising efforts? Perhaps you thought your job would be more about creating and leading programs, and the Advancement Office would deal with donors. Surprise! This can come as a bit of a shock to many who sit in the CEO/ED seat and it can necessitate some significant adjustments (both scheduling and mindset). Whether you are new to your role, or you are well-acquainted with your donor development responsibilities, you may appreciate some targeted tips to help you ground your critical (and often surprising!) fundraising work.

The road to becoming an ED or CEO is often a circuitous one, but the talent and the dedication of so many nonprofit leaders I’ve been privileged to know is extraordinary. These professionals were drawn into their nonprofit work because deep in their DNA is a love of “soul” work; they are spirit-motivated to serve because they have a deep-rooted inner passion for social, health, or educational causes, and for enhancing the lives of those for whom their nonprofits are dedicated to serve. They are remarkably other-centered in their approach to their work and their lives.

To me, nonprofit leaders are the ultimate Border Collies: They’re often uber smart and fast; they are brilliant herders and can juggle multiple things at the same time. They are stunningly patient and diplomatic, and they know when to wait, or walk softly, or dive into the fray. They know when to stand behind and when to step out front and lead. They can read people like nobody’s business, and they never, ever stop. Sound familiar?

As moved as many CEOs are to lead in so many aspects of their organizations, they sometimes miss the critical opportunities they could create if they spent even a little more quality time leading with their fundraising hats on. There is a certain percentage of donors at every nonprofit who do not wish to be delegated to the director of development, no matter how talented that person may be. Most donors will not come right out and say this, but the outcomes tell the story: those “peer to peer” conversations, when a donor feels they are in conversation with the “top” of the organization, the key decision maker, will often yield an earlier meeting date, or a larger gift and in a shorter timeframe, than if the relationship was “delegated.” A CEO or ED can speak with a level of confidence and authority (especially when well prepared by their trusty director of development) that resonates with donors who are also at the top of their respective fields.

Yet it is all too easy for CEOs to look back on any given day, or worse an entire week, and see a blur of issues and time spent putting out fires. Then they bemoan the relatively small percentage of time that they actually spent on their own tasks, particularly fundraising.  Most nonprofit CEO and ED job descriptions include a line (or two) about donor development and fundraising, which means the Board will certainly evaluate the leader’s performance on these things. However, if donor stewardship, procurement, retention, and fundraising are not kept as top-level priorities by the CEO, the Board, and the entire organization, it is all too easy to be sucked deep into all those “other priorities” and lose the tremendous opportunity that fundraising offers.

A much better alternative to this cycle of fundraising procrastination is to proactively embrace the role of Fundraiser in Chief.

Nine out of ten “fundraising” communications are NOT asks for a gift. They are relationship-building and nurturing contacts that lay the groundwork for the actual warm and friendly invitation to participate (aka “The Ask”). It sounds simplistic but couldn’t be more vitally important: the more you take the time to develop meaningful relationships with your donors, and learn who they are – the names of their children, what they like/dislike, and why they give –the easier it will be to ask them to join you in supporting your organization. “Impact” is talked a lot about these days, and certainly donors want to feel that their donations are truly making a difference. But equally important is that donors want to be seen and known by the CEO. This outreach and appreciation that the CEO develops with their donors cannot be overstated. And it takes many gentle outreaches and touches over time. Sometimes it’s years before a donor is ready to make that big gift. The CEO’s role might be that of the cultivator, and it’s the next CEO who benefits from those months or years of slow outreach, sending updates and the successes of the organization, sharing stories, inquiring about summers, holidays, creating that warm relationship.

For the CEO who feels, understandably, compelled to get a million things done in a day, the often-slow pace of donor cultivation can feel frustrating. It is rarely a sprint. You need to redefine what “success” means when it comes to donor development. So, take a deep breath, get your coffee or tea ready, and set your sights on developing your fundraising jumpstart to each day.

Here are some thoughts, five “tips for success,” to help you more successfully balance the massive leadership demands on your time with your own critically important fundraising objectives.

Tip One: Just. Say. No….. Sounds so simple, so easy to say and yet not really so easy to do in the actual light of day. Those who sit in the ED/CEO role are conditioned to say YES – yes to the staff meeting, yes to invitation to the event, to increasing dollars and participation… just… yes, yes, yes. The discipline of saying no is much harder to learn.

Saying No, graciously, intentionally, and with full disclosure to those around you of why you’re saying no, takes a surprising amount of practice – and yet it’s a crucial first step. The “No” then needs to be followed with an intentional, laser focus carve-out of time just for you, free from distractions, every day, so you can tune out the cacophony of all those wonderful, talented and well-meaning colleagues around you who “only need a minute” of your precious time.

Begin your “Embrace of No” each morning, when you arrive at your office (whether virtual or in person), with a “power welcome” of warm but focused greetings to your key staff… how’s everyone doing, happy day, does anyone have any brief questions or “can’t wait” issues before the day launches? (Challenge: can you hold this to 15 minutes?)

Then, close your door and leap into the next four tips before you pulled into the rest of your to do list.

Tip Two: Contact (call or email) a donor you have never communicated with before. This could be a lapsed donor, a brand-new first-time donor, a referred donor. Your development director can create a list for you of donors - perhaps twenty-five to thirty, depending on your organization - who fit this category, and chip away at it every day. (A quick aside: it’s also a best practice to be meeting weekly with your development director, an invaluable way to keep your finger on the fundraising pulse.) Keep making new lists as you progress. Some will eventually bubble up onto the next level of the cultivation process. Ask about family, work, and other things that matter to them. Make a point of listening more than talking. Thank them for their generosity to your organization and show them that you know who they are and that they matter to you and your organization.  Be prepared to share a heart-warming story of impact about your organization and help them feel invested in your mission.

Tip Three: Contact a donor or prospect who is currently in the cultivation stage. Again, have a list of twenty-five to thirty in this category sitting on your desk. Create a genuine, warm “impact” reason to reach out to them, just as you did above in the first scenario.

Tip Four: Contact a current leadership donor or prospect whom you haven’t communicated with recently, and perhaps who hasn’t yet made their gift this year (your director of development likely has that ubiquitous “LYBUNT/SYBUNT” list close at hand) and ASK them for their support again this year. Again, share some current stories about all the good your organization is doing, and the wonderful meaning of this donor’s participation again this year. For any calls you make, follow up with a brief email that thanks them for their time and documents any next steps (e.g., “Thanks so much for our chat today! I look forward to meeting you for coffee next month on the 3rd at Harry’s.”). Your development director will love you all the more for this precious nugget that can be logged into your organization’s data base, documenting the outreach.

Tip Five: Thank at least one donor (call or handwritten note – not an email). Those thank you’s are worth their weight in gold, increasing the likelihood of repeat and increased giving. These appreciative calls and notes go right to the core of building a donor relationship based on respect, appreciation, and shared love of your mission.

By using your “No” time and diligently employing these best practices of donor outreach FIRST, right at the start of your day, you’re immediately accomplishing four critical engagement/outreach communications.

Try this every day for four weeks. Assess your ability to carve out this donor-centered time. Do you feel more focused? More targeted and confident in your ability to do the part of your job that is supposed to be of paramount importance to your organization’s bottom line? What did you learn? Did you have meaningful exchanges with your donors? Review the donors you reached and be sure your staff is documenting the outcomes and next steps in your database. By doing this you are setting the stage to enjoy the fruits of your outreach – the building of relationships and successful solicitations.

Keep it simple and try these steps to make time for meaningful donor outreach and engagement. As talented as your key staff may be, your donors look to you, they love hearing from you, and the relationships you build with them could yield transformative gifts when you really need them. To sum up:

o   Start with your “No” and carve out at least one hour of closed-door time for donor outreach every day.

o   Complete at least four daily contacts, all designed (whether near term or long term) to build engagement and increased fundraising success.

o   Listen to your donors and share impact stories with them from your heart.

This donor-centered framework also helps you keep front and center the two greatest needs of your organization: FUNDS to pay for all those vitally important services your organization provides, and DONORS who believe in your mission, love seeing their impact, and are warm and eager partners with you in your shared work. Since you care so very deeply and are moved by the mission of the nonprofits you serve, these donor outreaches are also incredible reminders about why you first fell in love with your organization. The ongoing donor communications, listening to them and sharing the compelling stories that resonate your mission, not only inspires them, but also re-inspires and re-invigorates you.

And now it’s time to share YOUR thoughts - we want to hear from you! Share in the comments section below.

·       Which of these ideas will you test run for yourself in the next month?

·       What other fundraising tips have worked for you that you’d like to share with others?

About Diane Mallery

Diane brings to Dunleavy & Associates her nineteen years of development experience at the independent school and college level, and thirteen years of investment and financial planning experience at Merrill Lynch, where she concentrated in long range and retirement planning. With a donor centered approach, she has successfully executed capital campaigns, leadership and planned giving strategies and milestone events. She is particularly proud of her results in increasing donor engagement and satisfaction, producing higher dollars raised and creating greater donor/organization affinity. Diane earned her B.A. in Music from Haverford College. She is a member of the Haverford College Corporation (Advisory & Fundraising Committees), and serves on the Board of The Lyra Society, a foundation created to bring music education and study of the harp to underserved students in the Philadelphia community.