Dear [First Name],

In March, I ran a webinar to reach out to our community and hear their thoughts on the current crisis, and its impact on their fundraising efforts. It was incredibly heartwarming to connect with so many members of our wonderful non-profit world, though I am deeply saddened by the incalculable challenges you all are facing.

During the webinar I covered six topics:

• need vs. vision and the need to still talk about the future
• the board taking leadership
• focusing on major donors
• asking at this time
• dealing with cancelled fundraising events
• doing everything now to be ready to hit the ground running when things are “normal” again

If you didn’t get to join me live, the video and slides are still available below, along with several video recordings and resources to help you and your organization. I even wrote seven scripts/emails to use with various donors in the context of asking for gifts.

My discounted coaching has helped dozens of you already so I'm extending it through June. You can always email me with a one-off question, but if you want to dig in deep and get some advice on how your organization can move forward with its fundraising during this crisis, I'm offering my services at 70% off, with no contract.

Just sign up for one or two hours and pick the times that work for you. We can talk about: 

• individual giving (cultivation, in-person soliciting)
• dealing with canceled or upcoming events
• messaging
• board development and fundraising
• fundraising planning
• capital campaigns 
• …and more

Now, more than ever, those with a vision for the future will thrive. Yes, there's incredible need now, but always put it in the context of your organization's vision for the future. Here's my 2-minute take, filmed a few years back (less gray hair!).  Never forget:

you were important yesterday

you will be even more important in the future

therefore you ARE important today…otherwise there is no future

In this time of crisis I thought it would be helpful to hear regularly from Jerry Panas, the master. It's almost two years since he passed away, yet what he taught us will be relevant forever…even when the world is turned inside out. Each month I'll be bringing to you one of the 15 chats Jerry and I recorded the spring before he passed, in the order in which we recorded them.

The first was on staff meetings, which is interesting given our virtual world. I'm sure your staff meetings have taken on new meaning and value. See how they hold up to Jerry's best practices.

Partnering to cultivate and ask for gifts is powerful.

If you have a regular partner, you can map out the meeting based on your Asking Styles and the best-guess of your donor’s Style.

For instance, over the years I often partnered with Ron Manderschied of Northwestern Settlement in Chicago. He’s a Go-Getter and I’m a Kindred Spirit. Two intuitives, so we never led with facts and figures, but we always had them ready in case our donor was analytic. And Ron was always the main talker, while I employed my secondary Mission Controller to observe and move the meeting forward.

How about these other questions/scenarios:

• What happens if you’re both extroverts and your donor is an introvert? How do you plan for that so you don’t overwhelm the conversation?
• If you’re a strong analytic and need to meet with a strong intuitive, who might partner with you to bring that intuitive, story side?
• How might you and a partner divvy up your roles during the meeting based on Styles?

My one-on-one coaching calls have been an amazing opportunity to get to know our members and the broader fundraising community. This past month alone I coached more than 20 organizations – an opportunity I never would have had otherwise.

Lots of questions about events, whether they were cancelled, postponed or are coming up. Questions about whether now's the time to ask (yes!). Questions about campaigns in progress. So many challenges, but there is a path forward for each.

I'll look forward to being back on the road at some point, probably not until 2021, and along with everyone else will look for other ways to engage and help until then.

With all my good thoughts,
 

Brian

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