3 More Beliefs That Keep Nonprofits From Growing
In my last post, I talked about the two biggest growth inhibitors for nonprofit fundraising: lack of time, and fear of asking. Those two are the most common problems that stop folks from fundraising, but there are three commonly-held beliefs that can really slow you down, too. Even if you had all the time in the world (yeah, right) and were absolutely fearless, it wouldn’t matter if you still believed these three things.
#1 “We Don’t Have the Right Donors!”
Sometimes nonprofit leaders believe the only way they’ll grow is if they stumble upon a perfect donor. You know, someone wealthier, more passionate, and more generous than their real, existing donors. At least someone who isn’t their friends and family.
It may be that you need to carve out more time for cultivating new donors. But before you do, dig a little deeper and ask yourself two questions:
Do my donors understand our financial need?
Have I ever asked them to give?
It might sound absurd, but very, very often, the answer is, “No.”
A vast number of lukewarm donors aren’t engaged with giving because the nonprofit hasn’t explained the need or made a personal ask. By a “personal ask” I mean a one-on-one conversation, not an appeal or a Facebook post.
This combo keeps your current donors from giving a larger gift to your mission.
That’s right. Your current donors might actually be those wealthier, more generous, more passionate donors of your dreams, you’re just not communicating with them effectively.
That might be hard to hear. Fortunately, there’s a fairly simple fix: Establish your actual, financial need and then learn how to make donor-focused asks you will see a change.
#2 “We Don’t Have the Right Board!”
To be honest, I was surprised this wasn’t higher on the list because I hear this a lot, along with its partners, “My board doesn’t seem to know they’re supposed to fundraise.”
Just as nonprofit professionals imagine that everything would be easier with wealthier, more engaged, imaginary donors, they often imagine that their problems would all be solved with wealthier and more socially-connected board members than their real ones. Wealth and a wide social network are nice qualities for board members to have, but they’re not the only things that matter.
Your board probably has untapped fundraising potential, and it’s your job to help them reach it. You might think you don’t have much control over this as an Executive Director. Hear me out on this one. You have more power than you think. You can really lead here.
Here’s what I mean:
✔ Do you share a written ‘job description’ with your board members before they join? A verbal agreement doesn’t give you anything to point back to. Get the expectations in writing.
✔ Do you have annual private meetings with each board member where you fill out a commitment form together and talk through all the activities they are interested in? This is an opportunity to specifically guide them.
✔ Lastly (and perhaps most important), do you give each one of your board members an exceptional donor experience each year? Do you warmly engage them, cultivate them, and solicit them? Many times board members don’t help you fundraise because they simply don’t know what the steps are - so, you must show them by doing it to them.
#3 “I’m an X, Not a Fundraiser!”
“I’m a [teacher, lawyer, social worker, doctor, pastor, artist, etc.] who started a nonprofit. I don’t have any fundraising training!”
If you started an organization in your area of expertise, you might be overwhelmed with the ins and outs of nonprofit management, especially fundraising.
To be honest, one of the most favorite parts of my work as a fundraising consultant is working with subject-matter experts who saw a need in this world and jumped in to help. It’s humbling to work with such a rockstar group of world-changers.
So, it’s ok that you haven’t had formal fundraising training yet. The most important thing is that you acknowledge the areas where you might need assistance and coaching.
I’ll let you in on a secret. I find the best fundraisers are often founders whose passion for the mission is contagious. If you can combine this energy and embrace the annual steps that need to happen regularly to secure more donors and larger donations . . . well, that’s where the magic happens.
Banish These Beliefs to Grow
The sooner you get rid of these limiting beliefs, the better. Once you accept that you have donors to reach out to now, that you can work with the board you have today, and that you can fundraise with a little help, you’ll be well on your way to growing your nonprofit.
P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are 3 ways I can help you grow your nonprofit revenue:
1. Follow me on LinkedIn for content and resources first
I give away trade secrets and insider info every week - the same lessons I teach my clients about what they can do to start attracting larger dollars and generate more unrestricted money for your nonprofit.
2. Read my WHITEPAPER to see if your overall approach to financing your mission every year might be keeping you from growing.
Here you’ll learn THE BIG FUNDRAISING SECRET that keeps organizations from having the funds to achieve what’s in their strategic plans. Click here to get it.
3. Work with me to reimagine your overall approach to revenue generation
If you'd like to add 7+ figures of charitable revenue to your nonprofit, just send me an email at Sherry@QuamTaylor.com with the subject line “grow.” Tell me a little about your nonprofit and what you need to raise this year. I’ll get you the details! 🎯
