5 Major Gifts Lessons From My Outdoor Pizza Oven
Sometime in 2023, I fell headfirst into a growing trend taking the culinary world by storm: making homemade pizza in an outdoor oven over an open flame. 🔥🍕
Perhaps you’ve been caught up in the craze too?
The crackling flame, the fear that hits you when you first toss your pie onto a sizzling thousand-degree Fahrenheit pizza stone, the aroma of the baking dough, and the anticipation of that perfectly crisp, melty first bite all contribute to an experience that transcends mere cooking – it’s a journey of creativity, patience, and community.
Not surprisingly, as I’ve gotten more into it, I can’t help noticing the many striking parallels between my quest for the perfect at-home pie and the world of major gift fundraising.
Here are 5 major gift lessons to consider from my outdoor pizza oven:
1. The Importance of Preparation
Whether you’re attempting to find buffalo mozzarella from an actual dairy, sourcing the best fresh tomatoes for your sauce, or working in major gifts, careful preparation and attention to detail upfront pays off in the end.
Making a pizza at home from scratch requires commitment.
You can’t use regular flour … you have to go out of your way to buy the special Double Zero Flour (I don’t know why, but every backyard piemaker I know uses the 00). You have to make sure you have the best fresh toppings. And don’t even get me started on the finer details of cheese selection.
It takes a ton of time, effort, and preparation to make a great homemade pizza.
The same is true when cultivating major gift relationships.
In both pizza-making and fundraising, shortcuts are rarely rewarded, and a lack of preparation will almost always undermine even your most valiant efforts.
The French have a culinary term for this … “mise en place” (pronounced meez awn plahz).
At the most basic level, mise en place refers to having everything you need to make a dish literally in place BEFORE you start cooking.
In Oklahoma, where I’m from, we call this having all your ducks in a row.
Don’t try to make a pizza in a 950-degree open-flame oven without making sure you’ve prepped everything you need in advance.
And do not expect to succeed in major gifts without doing the relational prep work required to lay a foundation for success.
2. Patience Pays Off
One of the most valuable lessons I’ve been reminded of making pizza is the virtue of patience.
You guys … it takes 2-3 hours to make homemade dough correctly.
TWO TO THREE HOURS JUST FOR THE DOUGH!!!!
And the pizza oven does not immediately go from room temperature to 950 degrees.
It usually takes at least 45 minutes to preheat.
A few hours for the pizza to rise. Almost an hour to preheat the oven.
AND WE HAVEN’T EVEN STARTED COOKING YET!!!
It’s fine. I’m fine. We’re fine.
When you’re making homemade pizza, good things truly do come for those who wait.
The same is true in major gifts, which always require a long-term approach.
People need time to develop trust and confidence in your mission, leadership, and outcomes.
A meaningful relationship, not unlike pizza dough, takes time.
You would never toss a pizza into a lukewarm oven and expect culinary perfection.
And yet why are we still surprised when a hastily solicited major gift results in a lukewarm response?
Do you want to increase your chances of securing meaningful gifts that have a lasting impact?
Try exercising a little patience to allow your relationships to grow and develop naturally over time BEFORE asking for that major gift.
3. Artistry in Presentation
Crafting the perfect pie at home is as much about artistry as it is flavor.
From arranging toppings in an eye-catching pattern to achieving the perfect balance of colors and textures, presentation matters.
The same is true in fundraising.
Careful attention to presentation in fundraising is not optional if you want to capture the attention and imagination of potential supporters.
A well-crafted fundraising appeal complemented by visually compelling images and emotionally compelling stories can inspire generosity and philanthropic action in the same way this picture of an actual pizza I helped make last Friday night is probably going to make you hungry:
Don’t skimp on presentation.
Invest in the artistry, and you will leave a lasting impression on people that elevates your fundraising efforts.
4. Embracing Imperfection
In the world of pizza-making, imperfection is not just tolerated – it’s celebrated.
From uneven crusts to slightly charred edges, imperfection gives homemade pizza its rustic charm and unique character.
Embracing imperfection and learning from setbacks is essential for growth and resilience in fundraising, as well.
And … lest I be accused of romanticizing imperfection, my second outing with my pizza oven was a total crash-and-burn disaster that resulted in two flaming pizzas.
They both ended up in the trash, and we ordered carryout from Domino’s.
But I learned something that night about a change I needed to make to my technique, and pizza bliss was achieved on my next attempt.
In the same way a completely charred pizza was a learning opportunity for this aspiring pizzaiolo, mistakes and setbacks in fundraising are full of valuable insights to help us get better once we’re willing to look for them.
As you embrace your imperfections and mistakes and approach challenges with a spirit of curiosity and resilience, you will adapt and evolve your technique over time.
If you will learn from your mistakes and keep trying, fundraising will get easier, and you will get better.
5. Building Community
After the joy and satisfaction of a hot fresh pie that I made from scratch with my own bare hands, the second best part of my homemade pizza journey might be the community I’ve discovered.
Whether it’s gathering friends and family for a pizza-making party or sharing a slice with a neighbor, pizza has a remarkable ability to bring people together.
My friend Keith has been making open-flame pizza at home for several years now, and I text him often for help and suggestions.
We are better friends now that we share this homemade pizza obsession.
In a similar way, when it’s done well, good fundraising can also create communitythat will fuel your efforts as you foster connection and camaraderie among givers, volunteers, and other champions coming together around a shared vision and purpose.
Anytime you cultivate a community of advocates and allies, you will amplify your impact and mobilize more resources to advance the mission.
As the flames die down on this week’s edition of Fundraising Friday, I have one final lesson to share.
Every homemade pizza takes on a unique character based on slight variations in ingredients, temperatures, cook times, and the randomness of an open flame.
Similarly, every major gift relationship has its own distinct flavor too.
There is no formula for fundraising success.
Crafting the perfect ask requires artistry.
Truly transformational fundraising requires viewing each person you meet as a human being to be understood, appreciated, and inspired in their own way.
I hope you will approach your fundraising efforts with the same spirit of creativity, patience, and intuition required to achieve the elusive, perfect backyard pizza.
And if you’re ever in Oklahoma City on a Friday evening, let me know. If we’re slinging pies that night, consider yourself invited.
Earlier this month, I mentioned the possibility that I’d be sharing job opportunities at the end of #FundraisingFriday at some point in the future.
Guess what? The future is now. Take a look and see if anything below grabs your attention.
Since I’m a major backyard bird enthusiast, I had to include this one from the National Audubon Society:
🐦 Director, Major Giving for the National Audubon Society
- Remote • $146,000/yr
Contributing to the education of NYC public school kids? Yes, please:
📚 Chief Development Officer for the Fund for Public Schools
- NYC, NY • $175,000/yr
I read Rich Stearns’ book several years ago, and have been a fan of World Vision ever since:
🌎 👀 Major Gifts Area Director for the Boston/New England Region for World Vision
- Remote • $131,997.59/yr
Live near one of the BEST national parks AND raise money to help preserve it for future generations? Sign me up. If any of you get this, I’m coming to visit:
🏕⛰️ Chief Development Officer at the Zion National Park Forever Project
- Hurricane, UT • $195,000/yr
Do you care about homelessness? This one is for you:
🍞 Director of Development at Bread of Life Mission
- Seattle, WA • $125,000/yr