Fundraising Friday – Vol. 1, Edition 1
Can I let you in on a little secret? 🤫
It’s a secret most veteran fundraisers know and the source of many struggles for those just starting out.
Did you know fundraising has rules?
I’m not talking AFP ethics rules, ECFA rules, or GAAP rules.
Those certainly matter, but they’re not the rules I’m talking about.
The rules I’m talking about are the rules of urgency, and specificity, and frequency, and calls to action, and making your case, and value propositions, and relationships, and storytelling, and gratitude, and asking, and reporting, and generosity, and…
I’m getting ahead of myself.
I’m talking about the rules of what works and what doesn’t.
Are the rules static? No.
Do the rules ever change? Yes.
Are the rules sacred? Nope.
Should you break them from time to time? ABSOLUTELY!
Does that negate the existence of the rules? No.
While simply knowing the rules of fundraising is NOT a guarantee for success, you will definitely struggle if you don’t know them!
Fundraising’s hard enough when youDO know the rules.
How do you learn the rules?
If you’re not already, start approaching fundraising like a craft to be honed.
Notice what others are doing. Pay attention to what YOU are doing. Test. Experiment. Try and fail. Ask questions. Read books and blogs. Listen to podcasts. Go to conferences. Sign up for webinars. Invest in yourself. Talk to other fundraisers. Talk to givers. Give to causes you care about.
In short:
- Be a humble, curious, learner
- Have a bias toward action
- Don’t be afraid to fail, and when you do, don’t take it personal
- Take time to reflect
Do those four, and you’ll learn the rules of fundraising faster than you imagine.
What’s one fundraising rule that has made a difference for you?