Nonprofit Case Study: Shifting a Gift to General-Operating Revenue
In February I was honored to be a guest on a webinar hosted by The Chronicle of Philanthropy where we discussed how nonprofits can shift project-based funding from institutions into flexible general-operating support.
I knew I had a great case study to share. If you've followed me for any time, you know that's my jam. AND, I was excited to be on the panel with the Ford Foundation to hear their point of view as well.
Here's the highlight of my client case study I shared and what we did to nearly 4X a gift AND shift it to gen-ops:
First, we shifted the STRATEGY:
From: Ask for what they’ve given in the past + a little more (squeak-by need)
To: What we truly need to accomplish our mission (honest need)
Then, we shifted the APPROACH:
From: Leading with traditional application-based conversations (last year you gave us $300K, could we ask for $400K this year?)
To: Leading with an investment-level conversation (removing roadblocks that keep a funder from giving their best gift to your mission.)
Then, we shifted the ASK:
From: Project-based, restricted funding with specific and time-consuming deliverables that weigh the staff down
To: Gen-ops support through a mission-aligned relationship with flexible, lower-lift reporting
The RESULT:
From: $400K over two years
To: $1.4M over two years
Yep, almost a 4X gift. The donor said “of course, you just had never presented the need before in this clear of way.”
That's the work I get to be part of every day. That's the journey we take. And once you learn how to do it at any level, your organization changes. It's the same process to move a $5K gift to $10K….or a $25K gift to $50K. That's sustainability.
Last thing….
People often ask me why I’ve focused my business on helping nonprofits learn how to secure REALLY HARD-TO-GET gifts like general-operating revenue. Ummmm….because they’re not actually that hard-to-get!
There’s a path to take and a process to learn. But, too many teams spend their hours over on events, appeals, campaigns, and applications. Simply because they've never known another way.
Do one thing for me in 2024. Decide to invest in your team learning how to take this path and apply this process. It's a paradigm shift you won't regret.
Whenever you’re ready, here are THREE things you can do next:
👣 Follow me on LinkedIn where I share the same lessons I teach my clients about attracting larger gen-ops dollars and adding 7-figures + to their bottom line.
🍎 Read my GUIDE! THE TRUTH ABOUT GIVE/GETS :: Top 5 Reasons Your Board’s Give/Get Is Leaving Thousands (Sometimes Millions) on the Table. See how limiting board members to the Give/Get model restricts gifts and keeps your staff from reaching their full fundraising potential. Here to get it.
📈 Work with me to scale your org's revenue by 2-5X and fund your organization’s Strategic Plan // If you’re a business-minded CEO already raising MILLIONS but need to diversify revenue and secure more general-operating dollars to invest in growth, you can apply to work with me here.
