THe ResouRce Resource_pr.pdf · 8 Fundraising Fundamentals 12 Campaign Fundraising 20 Organisation...
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Transcript of THe ResouRce Resource_pr.pdf · 8 Fundraising Fundamentals 12 Campaign Fundraising 20 Organisation...
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ResouRceThe
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conTenTs 1 Introduction4 Origins and History of Philanthropy8 Fundraising Fundamentals12 Campaign Fundraising20 Organisation and Board Development22 The Power of Networking
27 The Team29 Client List
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Having spent over 25 years in Philanthropy and Fundraising in 6 countries, I have seen first hand the growing power and influence of what is sometimes called the “Third Sector.” What was once a cottage industry has now become a major sector in many countries in terms of contribution to gross national product and numbers employed. Increased professionalism and sophisticated technology now allow tens of millions of people and philanthropic organisations to apply their skills and resources to aid some of the world’s great problems. Driven by a desire to bring about change, and a willingness to work with the other two sectors, government and business, we are seeing the sector move to a whole new level of participation and effectiveness.
This Resource booklet is a distillation of years of experience and is a sort of roadmap for people and organisations who want to develop and improve their fundraising abilities and capacity. It is also founded on a belief that we are entering a new period of Philanthropy driven by the coming massive intergenerational transfer of wealth which will see a huge infusion of funds into the sector. This will present both opportunities and challenges and will greatly shape the rest of the century. This Philanthropy and Fundraising Training Programme is designed to allow you to take advantage of these opportunities and to put in place strategies to enable you and your organisation to benefit. It is based on a belief learnt from experience that raising money is neither an art nor a science but a process and that you have a greater chance of success if you follow the process than if you don’t.
Good luck.
Kingsley Aikins
PHilAnTHRoPy And fundRAising
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The word philanthropy has greek origins whereby
The modern meaning of the word describes philanthropy as private contributions for public purposes by individuals, corporations or foundations. it can also refer to ‘the kindness of strangers’ or private action for public good.
Philanthropy is not only about the provision of financial resources but it is also about time, belongings and skills. It encompasses the 3 ‘T’s’:
Philanthropy recognises that neither the market place nor the government can do it alone. It also recognises the role and impact an individual can have.
Society is a stool with 3 legs:
– A profitable business sector– An efficient government sector– An effective non profit sector
There are 3 core areas with declining government funding; 1. Education 2. Healthcare 3. The Arts
Very often, but not always, people don’t get engaged with philanthropy until later in life. Life is sometimes a journey from struggle to success and from success to significance – philanthropy as an agent of meaningfulness.
Philanthropy is about the future and seeking change. All the research shows that the number one reason why people make philanthropic gifts is because they believe in the mission of an organisation and they want to bring about change - to improve somebody’s circumstances, to provide opportunity, to cure a societal ill, to provide a new building, etc.
Historical Roots
– In 2000 BC Babylonian King Hammurabi requested that his subjects ‘see that justice be afforded to widows, orphans and the poor’ which became known as the Code of Hammurabi. In ancient records there are many earlier references to charitable and philanthropic laws but the ‘Code of Hammurabi’ is the most precise.
– confucius (551-478 BC) put the act of philanthropy on a more philosophical level when he stated that ‘he who wishes to secure the good of others has already secured his own.’
– In the 5th century BC Plato made an endowment to the world’s first university, which generated an income for nearly a thousand years.
In doing so, he contributed to the growth of the Athenian Academy, which has been considered a beacon of intellect and democratic values.
– In the same way, the Egyptian king, Ptolemy 1, (367-283 BC) founded and endowed the famed museum and library in Alexandria.
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Religious beliefs underpin philanthropy. References can be found in the Koran, Bible, Torah and in the teachings of many religions and cultures, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Japanese and North American cultures.
– According to the Bible, giving is a way to honour the sacredness of each individual, as in the book of Matthew, when God says ‘Amen, I say unto you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ (Matthew 25; 40)
– Nearly 3500 years ago, Moses was the originator of the ‘tithe’ or the act of giving away one tenth of the harvest’s yield.
Origins and History of Philanthropy
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The tithe was given to the Lord, to be used to support the religious system and for the relief of the poor.
– Giving alms to care for the poor is one of the five ‘pillars’ (main practices) of Islam.
– In the Jewish tradition there are eight levels of charity. The highest level of charity refers to the act of helping someone become self-sufficient, which is often cited as the definition of true philanthropy.
– Sedekah is the Hebrew word for charity and is more than just giving money to the poor. Done properly, Sedekah requires that a donor share his or her compassion and empathy along with money – demonstrating their ‘love of mankind’. Judaism teaches that the donors benefit from Sedekah as much or more than the beneficiaries.
– The Hindu religion has an equivalent term for philanthropy, Dana (giving), and mutual regard and service, is one of the basic laws of the Hindu tradition.
It is evident that despite the differences amongst these various religions, philanthropy is a common thread that has been woven into the belief systems of all major faiths. The act of philanthropy itself has been an important tool in bringing different religions together and in fostering greater understanding and respect between them.
There are deep historical and religious origins to philanthropy. It has existed since time immemorial and will continue to be with us into the future.
History of Philanthropy in the us Philanthropy played a pivotal role in the United States’, economic, cultural and social development.
– The first American philanthropists were the Native Americans with their concern for the common good. Early philanthropists proved influential through their contributions to society.
– Benjamin franklin founded a volunteer fire company, the Pennsylvania Hospital, the University of Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia Public Library.
– John Harvard, an English clergyman donated his collection of 280 books to form a University. Harvard University has gone on to implement one of the most successful fund raising models in the world. Their massive endowment, the largest university endowment fund in the world, stands at over $33 billion.
– In the 19th century science started to become a priority for philanthropists and the Smithsonian Institute and the Lowell Institute were founded to promote learning and scientific advancement. The arts, museums, invention and exploration also became beneficiaries of philanthropy.
– The Civil War created new demands for philanthropy – women organised aid societies to help soldiers and their families.
– The post-Civil War US saw the rise of a new wealthy society. The New York Tribune said there were over 4000 millionaires in the US in the 1890s.
– The early twentieth century saw the emergence of philanthropists wanting to combat problems, conduct research and promote science.
Andrew carnegie The 19th Century also saw the emergence of the ‘father’ of philanthropy,
Andrew Carnegie. Carnegie was born into poverty in Scotland in 1835 and emigrated to the US with his family at age 13 where he found his first job as a bobbin boy in a cotton mill in Pennsylvania. He rose to become a titan of business and was widely believed to be the richest man in the world. He became a leading international philanthropist and is famous for asking the following question:
“ What is the proper mode of administrating wealth after the laws upon which civilization is founded have thrown it into the hands of a few?”
To this question, Carnegie suggested 3 answers:
– The first, leaving wealth to one’s heirs, he decried as the most injudicious.
– The second, leaving wealth at death for public uses, he dismissed as only for a man who is content to wait until he is dead before his wealth becomes of much good in the world. On death taxes he said… ‘Of all forms of taxation this seems the wisest. By taxing estates heavily at death, the state marks its condemnation of the selfish millionaire’s unworthy life.’
– For Carnegie, the only right answer was the third one – to give away your money while you were alive. He felt that the wealthy individual should consider all surplus revenues, which come to him, simply as trust funds, which he is called upon to administer to produce the most beneficial results for the community.
Carnegie believed that distributing wealth by bequest was irresponsible because it shifted the decision-making to others, or unnecessarily postponed the benefits humankind could make to society.
Carnegie also had strong views on how money should be spent. ‘In bestowing charity the main consideration should be to help those who will help themselves…the best means of helping society is to place within its reach the ladders upon which the aspiring can rise.’ He believed that the most social good could be accomplished by establishing educational institutions, hospitals, parks, public halls, libraries etc. and trusts or endowments.
By the time of his death in 1919 Carnegie had given away more than $350 million – the equivalent of more than $4.4 billion in today’s money – in support of world peace, education, music, science and the betterment of the working classes.
His most famous line, in his essay “Wealth” published in The North American Review in 1889 is ‘the man who dies thus rich dies disgraced.’
It is part of a longer quote:
“Yet the day is not far distant when the man who dies, leaving behind him millions of available wealth, which was free for him to administer during life, will pass away unwept, unhonored and unsung no matter to what use he leaves the dross which he cannot take with him. Of such as these the public verdict will then be – the man who dies thus rich dies disgraced.”
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structured PhilanthropyOthers expanded upon Carnegie’s ideas. In 1891 John d. Rockefeller hired staff to help him manage
his philanthropic endeavours.
Philanthropy began to use a structure similar to the corporate world for its activities. Fundraising techniques were improved and fund development became a career speciality.
frederick goff founded the first community foundation in Cleveland, Ohio in 1914. Community foundations were designed to be the ‘instruments’ of problem solving. There are now nearly 1800 community foundations in 67 countries with assets of over $70 billion. 75% of community foundations were set up in the last 25 years. The richest is the Silicon Valley Foundation with over $5 billion.
1921 gave rise to tax relief for individual giving and there was subsequent relief afforded to corporations in 1935. After World War 2 one of the most important developments in philanthropy was the tax privilege granted to foundations. Because income and estate taxes were so high, the idea of forming, or contributing to, foundations became very attractive to wealthy people and by the mid 1950s there
were over 7,500 foundations in the US.
The 1950s saw Harvard University and Stanford University raise $100 million each. Since then the US University Alumni fundraising model has been adopted and adapted by many fundraising organisations around the world. These campaigns work by taking a two-pronged approach to raising money. Firstly, universities engage very large numbers of alumni and friends and ask that they make small contributions. Secondly, they put a lot of time and effort into focusing on a very small number of people who have the capacity and propensity to make a very large gift.
In 1991 The Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund was established with them being granted 501 (c) 3 tax deductibility status for their donor advised funds and these spread to many other financial institutions. Since 1991, The Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund has supported nearly 200,000 charities with $20 billion in grants. They now have over 65,000 accounts and, combined with community foundations, they now claim over $100 billion available in assets.
In the United Kingdom, the establishment of the Charities Aid Foundation or CAF put a national, and now international, structure in place to facilitate tax-efficient giving.
Modern PhilanthropyThe 21st century has seen the emergence of mega-philanthropy.
The ‘Billionaires Pledge’ has resulted in very wealthy individuals making enormous philanthropic pledges.
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sources of supportThe following sources provide support for the non-profit sector:
– Government
– Foundations
– Corporations
– Private Giving – Mass Appeals
– High Net Worth Individuals – Major Gifts
– Earned Income
– Special Events
– Wills and Bequests
– Diasporas
You need to have 3 key elements in order to successfully raise money. Without any one of these three, you cannot succeed.
1. A great case powerfully articulated When you think about it all causes are good and deserving so it is important your cause differentiates itself from others.
2. A constituency of support There has to be a base of support even if that support is not giving funds.
3. leadership There have to
be people who are willing to lead and give to the fundraising effort.
fundraising facts of life
– Money is the oxygen for your organisation – you can’t achieve your goals without it.
– People give to people they like, if they don’t like you and trust you they won’t give to you.
– Money is not given, it is raised.
– Money does not come in, it must be gone after.
– Money is not offered, it has to be asked for (if you don’t ask you don’t get).
– Asking is your greatest marketing tool.
– Money is attracted by strength not weakness.
– Money is attracted by success not fear of failure.
– People like to back winners.
– Money is not raised at your desk, a bad day on the road beats a good day in the office.
The gates foundation employs over 1,200 people, has an endowment of over 42 billion dollars,
has given out $31.6 billion and has funded projects in 50 US States and over 100 countries. The Zuckerberg initiative is an example of massive philanthropic investment by a young technology billionaire.
chuck feeneyChuck Feeney is an Irish American who made a fortune in Duty Free and who is a disciple
of Andrew Carnegie. Chuck Feeney believes in giving his entire fortune away while he is alive. This sum will amount to over $7 billion. He is the best known current advocate of ‘give while you live’ and his limited life foundation, Atlantic Philanthropies, will close in 2016. As he wryly commented ‘there ain’t no roofrack on the hearse – you can’t take it with you.’ He wants to have given away his entire fortune by the time he dies, and famously remarked, ‘I want my cheque to the undertaker to bounce’. Philanthropy, once a very American phenomenon, has now gone global and new philanthropic leaders are emerging in countries like China and India. This is an important topic and is going to have a major effect on Philanthropy and Fundraising over the coming decades. The reality is that wealth is at record levels in the US and around the World and is very unevenly distributed. The only sure things, as Mark Twain famously said, are death and taxes.
There are only 3 things that people can do with their wealth:
– Leave it to their children and this is where the majority will go although there are some people who say that leaving large funds to children destroys them. Warren Buffet was quoted in a Fortune magazine interview saying that he wanted to leave his children enough money so that they could do whatever they wanted to do but not so much money that they would do nothing. He noted that what you leave ‘within’ your children is more important than what you leave ‘to’ them.
– Pay it to the government in tax... not many like this option.
– Give it away to schools, universities, hospitals, museums, churches, foundations etc.
Accenture issued a report in 2013 entitled, ‘The Greater Wealth Transfer”
“While the great wealth transfer from the `Greatest Generation’ (those born in the 1920s and 1930s) to the Baby Boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) is still taking place, a second and even larger wealth transfer from the Boomers to their heirs is starting now and will continue over the next 30-40 years. This transfer is estimated at over $30 trillion in financial and non-financial assets in North America alone. At its peak between 2031 and 2045, 10 per cent of total wealth in the United States will be changing hands every five years.”
However, Boomers are living longer. Those turning 65 can expect to live another 18 years on average (16 for men, 20 for women) and will retire later than
previous generations. Affluent boomers expect to remain healthy, travel and continue working (for fulfilment if not necessity) which means that their heirs will be older when they receive the transferred assets. Also Boomers may plan on leaving lump sum bequests to institutions and charities that are important to them.
The last quarter century has seen a massive growth in Philanthropy and Fundraising, which has been aided and abetted by advances in technology and communications. The emergence of microfinance and crowd-funding means that large volumes of small contributions can be put to use and this will continue. This trend suggests that all organisations should develop strategies to cultivate relationships with potential donors.
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Fundraising Fundamentals
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–‘ We are nice people and we have a great cause so give us your money’ does not work.
– General evangelical exhortations to large groups do not result in major gifts. They sound great but nothing happens.
– The number one reason people give is a belief in the mission of the organisation. The number two reason depends on who makes ‘the ask’.
– Fundraising is everybody’s responsibility, not just the director of development’s responsibility. You can’t just hire a development director and tell them to go off and get the money.
– Education is more important than PR – people need to know and truly understand your organisation and mission before they will give.
– Networking is key to fundraising. It is not just what you know or who you know but who knows you and also how well you know who you know.
– There is a big difference between the most-connected and the best-connected.
– Giving begins at home – if the people closest to your organisation don’t give why should others.
– People will give to your organisation because you meet needs rather than because you have needs. Donors are more interested in addressing issues than funding organisations.
– Fundraising is emotional. It involves the left and right side of the brain – the left side wants plans and budgets and strategies and the right side wants visions and dreams and meaning. The reasonable left side leads to conclusions.
The emotional right side leads to action.
– Recessionary times don’t affect all non-profits equally.
– You don’t decide to raise money today and then ask for it tomorrow. It takes time, patience and planning to raise money. It’s a marathon not a sprint.
– If you are not asking your donors for money, somebody else is.
– The secret of fundraising without hard work is just that ... a secret.
Vocabulary change– focus more on deeds rather
than on needs. Everybody and every organisation has needs but what donors want to hear about is what you are going to do with their money. They want to buy into a vision – your vision. Don’t be afraid of ‘B’Hags’ (big hairy audacious goals).
– Move from fundraising to development. The latter is about progress and change and the future and moving your organisation to be more effective – the former sounds like supporting ongoing core costs.
– shift from getting money to building a relationship. The reality is that a philanthropic gift is only a moment in a relationship and a normal and natural part of it – the relationship is a lot more than the gift. It’s about engagement, involvement, participation and ownership. Getting money is only about getting money.
– organise memorable experiences rather than special events. It is hard to get people together so don’t waste the opportunity. Think about how to create memorable experiences and
magical moments which revolve around the impact of your work. Your cause and your case are the most important things you have going for you.
– go from asking people to give, to asking them to invest. The latter suggests a return which is something you can offer albeit sometimes an emotional one. Asking people to invest makes your proposition more business-like and your request sound like a business proposition – well thought-out and costed with specific, quantifiable returns.
– don’t talk about costs but talk about building capacity. Donors are sometimes reluctant to fund core costs and are nervous if they think they are keeping an organisation afloat that otherwise might go under which is something they associate with bad management. They prefer to help build capacity within organisations that will allow them to carry out their mission more effectively. In particular, they like to see their funding used to carry out a strategic plan with specific and measurable goals and objectives.
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– Move from asking for money to presenting an opportunity. There are no shortage of requests for money to potential supporters
so yours has to stand out from the crowd and be really compelling. It needs to grab the attention of the donor and bring them unique benefits as well as help your organisation achieve its goals.
– distinguish between being on the board to being on board. This is the difference between people who mechanically show up to board meetings and those who are passionately involved in the organisation.
– instead of planning ho-hum meetings, plan opportunities to inspire. Obviously there is a lot of routine work conducted at board meetings and this is unavoidable. However, never miss an opportunity to demonstrate the effectiveness of the work you are doing – tell stories and appeal to people’s emotions.
– Talk about partnership rather than dependency. Make sure that donors feel that you are all in this together. You are all working on an equal level and building a collaborative team that involves the board, staff, donors and grantees.
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core Values and MissionCore values and a mission are the compass that your organisation needs. Unless your organisation has a clear idea of your purpose, strategy and direction then it will never fulfill it’s potential. People give to organisations that share
their values and often see philanthropy as an extension of self and family. Shared values are the basis of donor loyalty and retention. Sometimes donors feel that organisations get in their way as they try to solve problems. Donors give to heroic, exciting programmes rather than to needy institutions.Research suggests that the number one reason people give is a belief in the mission of the organisation. A good mission statement can make decisions easier. Essentially your mission is your goal – your reason for being and can be found by asking the question - why were we founded? Why do we exist?
Mindset changeAs a fundraiser it is easy to see yourself as a ‘taker of money’. This puts you at a disadvantage and doesn’t make you feel very powerful. You have to change your mindset from being a taker to being a giver.
In reality, you can offer the following:
– Your self - Your passion, personality, enthusiasm, wit, humour, charm.
– An in-depth knowledge of your cause and organisation.
– An inside view on what’s happening in your sector around the world.
– Insights into issues, solutions to problems, opportunities to invest, ways to make a difference.
– The capacity to provide emotional and memorable experiences.
– A willingness to deliver fun and friendship and access to people.
– Acknowledgement – innovative, highly personalised thank yous.
Build your non-Profit BrandJust like with consumer products, you do not want your valued non-profit organisation to be regarded as generic. When that happens, organisations lose their personality and character. Respected brands can help build what is in very short supply today – trust.
Just because you have a name and a logo doesn’t mean you have a brand. Great brands aren’t born – they are made.
They are learned and earned over time. Brand building is a process, not an event.
A decade or so ago brand building was a foreign term to most NGOs. However now NGOs are discovering that a strong brand is not a luxury but a necessity. It is your organisation’s DNA.
A strong brand creates trust and builds recognition which can be transformed into new relationships.
To help with branding, here are some questions your Board needs to consider:
– What’s the one thing you do better than anybody else?
– Does everybody know where the organisation is heading?
– Why should anybody give you money?
– Does everybody have the same ‘elevator speech’?
– Is it easy for people to find you and connect with you?
– Does your organisation have a personality?
– Do you ‘live your brand’ every day?
– Does your brand differentiate you from other non-profits?
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Many organisations have discovered that the most successful way of moving your organisation to a whole new level of effectiveness and efficiency is to launch a fundraising campaign.
A campaign is defined as:
In other words you want to raise a certain amount of money, for a certain cause, over a certain period of time. A campaign requires extraordinary preparation and skilful execution. After a capital campaign, organisations should be in a much-improved position – they can move from where they were to where they want to be. Traditionally, campaigns target major gifts once organisations realise they cannot achieve their goals by only chasing a large number of small gifts.
campaign Planning PhaseThe Campaign Planning Phase should begin well in advance of any potential campaign and is the essential building
block upon which a successful campaign is built. Before even thinking about starting a capital campaign you need to create a strategic plan that looks 3 to 5 years into the organisation’s future. It is important to get as many people as possible involved in creating the plan, in order to give them a stake in the plan’s success.
Preparing a campaign also involves evaluating the strength of your Board. Directors should be prepared to make an early contribution or pledge to the campaign and should lead by example. If your Board isn’t fully committed then how can you expect others who are not as familiar with the organisation to support the campaign. If there are Board members who do not support a campaign or who are not in a position to support, consider setting up a separate ‘Campaign Committee’ made up of those who want to see the campaign happen and who want to be involved in giving and asking.
Running a campaign is partly art, partly science and mostly process. The reason why campaigns often fail is due to poor planning.
The feasibility studyCampaigns often fail when those in charge of running the effort have not conducted an accurate feasibility study. A feasibility study is particularly important for an organisation that has never had a capital campaign or that has not had one for a long time.
A feasibility study should answer the following questions:
– Are the goals clear?
– Do the Board members really, really believe?
– Will they give time and money?
– Is the case compelling?
– Is there campaign leadership?
– How well do we know our constituency?
– Is there a scale of gifts pyramid?
– Are there good prospects at each level?
– Why should people give to this organisation instead of others?
Tips for conducting a worthwhile feasibility studyThe organisation should hire outside consultants to enhance reliability. People are sometimes more candid talking to consultants than to people internal to the organisation. While not foolproof, feasibility studies are solid indicators of whether the campaign can reach its goal.
– The feasibility study should set a financial target – if there is no monetary target then it is hard to be taken seriously.
– A comprehensive study identifies prospects and leadership levels and makes these same parties feel like insiders when they learn of their involvement in a future fundraising campaign.
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Mahatma�Gandhi
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– A worthwhile study provides healthy feedback and gives people an opportunity to vent – about the organisation, the people involved, how it is run, etc.
– The final feasibility report recommends goals, leaders, timetables and a budget, which, with board approval, allows the organisation to invest in people, infrastructure and systems to ensure the success of the campaign.
– In summary, a well-conducted feasibility study increases the chances for a successful campaign and will almost certainly result in more money.
campaign committeeAssuming that the Board has agreed with the feasibility study recommendations to proceed, the next step is to put together a well-connected, hard-working campaign committee who will take responsibility for the entire campaign. The committee should meet often and report back regularly to the main board on progress. The campaign committee will establish a timeline and recommend the right time to launch the campaign.
The case statementThe case statement is the centrepiece of your fundraising effort and is the master document from which all components of the campaign emanate. It needs to have a great title and a powerful theme. The cliché is that the case statement won’t raise you a cent but you won’t raise a cent without it.
Although it can refer to history and past successes, the case statement primarily focuses on the future and the great things you want your organisation to achieve.
In essence there are two elements to the case statement: One is technical, mechanical and informative – the ‘what’ of the project. The second is the ‘why’ and is equally important and can be conveyed by imaginative and creative use of words and images.
It’s not just about money - the statement also conveys soaring aspirations, new ideas, bold plans and lofty objectives. It must inspire, motivate and appeal on an emotional level and is a strong statement of intent. An effective case statement grabs a person and never lets go.
The case statement is a key fundraising tool that the campaign team needs to depend on to make the ask.
It will put the project in context and is an uplifting tool to reinforce ‘the ask.’ It can be a flexible document that sets an overall theme but also allows specific projects to be highlighted for specific people by, for example, loose inserts. A good analogy is that it is like a prospectus document for a business investment but without the detail the latter includes. It is longer than an elevator speech but shorter than a business plan. It creates noise and draws attention to your organisation’s future plans. Its preparation is a good way to involve the Board and key supporters. By stamping the statement with ‘Draft
and Confidential’, you have an opportunity to go to your closest friends and supporters and get their input.
it is a worthwhile exercise to develop a checklist of questions to ask about the case statement:
– Does it give a sense of the history and pedigree of the organisation and the reason why it exists?
– Does the case statement convey a clear vision for the organisation’s future and how it is going to get there?
– Does it include data that highlights the organisation’s impact and how it will be increased by the proposed project?
– Does the case statement differentiate your organisation from other competitive organisations?
– Does the case statement support statistics with stories and stories with statistics?
– Does it have photographs, models, charts, and maps to add powerful impact?
– Is it uplifting and inspiring and will it encourage people to stretch to support you?
– Does it clarify what you want a potential supporter to do?
– Does it convey a sense of urgency and the idea that an opportunity will be lost if your project is not completed?
– Is the project rather than the organisation the main focus of the case statement?
– Does the case statement ‘stand out from the crowd’ as a piece of marketing material?
– Does the case statement transform your institution into a cause?
The campaign launch is an opportunity to create some noise and to draw attention to the campaign and your organisation. It puts people on notice, is a great ‘call to arms’ and is a good opportunity to get PR. Typically it comes at the end of the ‘quiet’ or ‘nucleus’ phase of the campaign and, ideally, you should have at least 40% of the total raised in gifts and pledges before you go public.
The 4 step fundraisingProcess
step Research
Research is the first phase of the 4 Step Fundraising Process. Prospect research is one of the key steps in successful fundraising. Good prospect research helps you to determine, evaluate and qualify individuals, companies and foundations. Fundraising is 90% research. It tells you not what some person or organisation ‘will’ do but what they ‘could’ do. The objective is to get as much information as possible to decide the right time, the right project, the right amount, the right setting and the right person to ask for a gift.
Information can come from formal sources such as online, print, databases and recognized sources. In addition, informal
information can be gleaned from colleagues, friends and associates.
The 80/20 Rule of Business, 80% of business comes from 20% of the customers, does not apply to fundraising. It is more like 95/5 (or even 99/1). Most campaigns are made or lost with 20 gifts.
fundraising is a contact sport – a business of lists.Write down the name of every possible supporter or ‘suspect.’ Especially when starting a development process from scratch it is important to build as large a pool as possible.
The list could include…
– Existing donors
– Board members, past and present
– Clients
– Individuals
– Foundations
– Corporations
– Suppliers
– Staff
Basic information on every prospect should include:
– Contact information
– Biographical information
– Work and educational history
– Gift history, including to other non-profits
– Other non-profit interests
– Key friends
– Outside interests
– Source and value of wealth
– Press and media coverage
It is important to rate and screen these lists. This is a way of categorising them by capacity and propensity. In other words, give everybody
listed a rating of A to F based on their capacity (i.e. what level of funds they have) and a score of 1 to 6 based on their propensity. ‘what degree of willingness do they have to support your organization?’. Then, when you ‘sort’ your spreadsheet you will be presented by a large number of groups.
This then is an indicator of where you have to spend your time and on whom.
Through this research phase you will then be able to develop a ‘Donor Pyramid’ and you will need to have a minimum of 3 prospects for each level.
step cultivation
Cultivation is based on the simple premise that donors are not born loving your organisation. People are not altruistic at birth. It has to be learned. Regardless of income, people aren’t casual about parting with money (maybe that’s why they have it in the first place). Rarely will a sizeable gift come from somebody you don’t know, rarely will a sizeable gift be a donor’s first gift and rarely will it be his or her last gift. Wealth and generosity are not related and the wealthy won’t give until the organisation is important to them.
Cultivation is the process of moving potential donors from a state of unawareness, to informed understanding, to sympathetic interest, to engagement, to commitment and, finally, to passionate advocacy.
The task of cultivation is to guide people along this continuum and to move them from involvement to commitment.
You�create�your�opportunities�by�asking��for�them.���Shakti�Gawain
Research
cultivation
stewardship
solicitation
4 step fundraising
Process
15 THe ResouRce 16
There are stages to a donor’s growth from impulse (new member) to habitual (renewed member) to thoughtful (donor) to strategic (major gift giver) to inspirational (transformational gift giver).
As part of the cultivation phase you have to allow people to get close to you and to get to know you better. Great relationships in fundraising happen the same way great friendships happen. You become a part of their lives and they become part of your life. You have fun together.
Much of this period is about having conversations and getting to know prospective donors on a number of different levels. It’s about building trust in you as an individual and, by extension, the organisation you represent.
Through this process you learn about the donor’s volunteer activities, the non-profits they have supported in the past, and why, their hopes for the future, what goals and objectives they have in life and what legacy they want to leave. In essence you are allowing these potential donors to become ‘insiders’ and you are giving them access to special information and people.
If donors aren’t interested in your particular cause they simply won’t give – you can’t trick them into it. Donors are not dumb and they understand what is happening. If you want to grab their money and run, they will sense it. If you want to truly find out what is of interest to them and what they might be interested in investing in, they will sense that as well. The objective of the cultivation phase is to provide your donors with a compelling three-part service – delivering information, providing dramatic proof of results and offering
genuine, thoughtful thanks and recognition. The task is not to get a donation but to develop a donor.
Cultivation needs discipline – every week of the campaign you should ask; ‘what am I doing with my top prospects?’ Distinguish between activity and progress. You need to develop individual strategic plans for each potential donor. Bring donors close, not necessarily to the organisation, but to the positive impact of their gift on the lives of others.
15 to 20 ‘quality moves’ are often required before a major gift can be solicited and this can sometimes take years.
step solicitation
The number one rule in fundraising is ‘if you want to get you have to ask.’ And if you are not asking your prospect, somebody else is.
it is important to bear in mind that before asking for money there are lots of things that you can ask your prospect for, such as, advice, feedback, to sit on a committee, to talk to the press, to host an outreach event, to visit a project, etc.
The key to making a good ask is proper preparation. Your donor needs to know who you are and have a relationship with you in order for you to make an effective ask. You’ve done the research and the cultivation and the suspect is now a prospect. He or she knows you and your organisation and believes in your mission. The Ask
– Make the appointment and prepare for the meeting.
– Think through how the meeting might go.
– Practice the ask and possible response to objections.
– The ask must be done person-to-person, face-to-face, heart-to-heart.
– This meeting is important - often the culmination of years of work and effort.
– Dress well and keep telling yourself that you are not asking for a gift for yourself but to bring about great change. You are giving your donor an opportunity to invest in a superb project.
– Remind yourself that the arm that you think you are twisting up their back will eventually be draped around your shoulders, thanking you for this opportunity.
– Think of this as a business meeting and remember to practice your active listening. Effective fundraisers don’t sell the gift – they listen the gift. Only through active listening do you discover what kind of project your donor is interested in funding. The unique personal nature of the donor reveals itself to you when you listen.
– When you arrive for this all-important meeting, stand in the reception – that makes you feel more confident.
– Make yourself comfortable in the meeting room. Engage in small talk. Get the prospect’s mind off their most recent work or family distraction. If appropriate congratulate him or her on other gifts.
– Sound calm. Don’t rush. Exude confidence.
– Be knowledgeable, not slick. Don’t be obsequious or smarmy.
– Begin to look at everything from their perspective.
– Look for encouraging positive stimuli - agreeing, smiling, head nodding, laughing etc.
– Wait until the atmosphere is charged with positive feelings.
– Put across the three e’s….energy, enthusiasm and empathy.
– Talk about issues not institutions.
– Talk deeds not needs – right now you have no needs – only they have needs.
– Begin to zero in on the ask. Talk about the campaign and the responses to date. Present the commitments to date list. There will be a fascination about who has given and how much.
– Now is the time to ask for the gift, which you do in a clear and confident way.
– Always use the same vocabulary – ask the prospect to consider a gift of a specific amount, for a specific project, for a specific number of years.
– And then... silence.
– Every sinew of your body is aching to make some comment to ease the tension and to make the ask more palatable. Don’t. The cliché is that the next person to speak loses the sale. This is the moment when you keep your lips sealed and your ears open.
– For both of you this is an emotional moment. People look for logical reasons to support their emotional decisions and you have to make them see your organisation as a logical extension of their beliefs and values.
– If there are objections use open-ended questions to try and ascertain if the problem is the project, the organisation, the amount or the terms of the ask.
– You are unlikely to get a definite yes or no to the ask at this meeting so arrange a specific follow up time to meet again or call.
– End the meeting, thank the prospect, leave the right material, send a summary letter to confirm the ask details and the follow-up action.
You can try to raise money by asking for it or by not asking for it. The former is always more successful.
step stewardship
Once the commitments to the gift have been made you then enter the fourth phase of the fundraising process – stewardship. This is critical because if donors are looked after well, they continue to support the organisation for many years.
Experts report that it costs 4 times more to attract a new donor than it does to keep an existing one.
Accordingly, the greatest mistake is to take donors for granted or to allow them sense an attitude of indifference to their involvement and giving. Donor stewardship is a relatively recent phenomenon and was the exception rather than the rule for most non-profits. Typically a gift was received, a formal thank you letter sent out, the gift logged on the computer and that would be it until the non-profit went looking for the next gift. It was the production line approach to stewardship activities.Stewardship has to be the business of all the non-profit employees, not
just the fundraising staff. That’s why it pays to have a written stewardship plan in place. The objective is to report on the impact of the donor’s investment on the organisation and the ways in which that impact advances the donor investor’s interests, issues and values. Maintain stewardship with long-term and major donors.
Progress�is�impossible�without�change�and��those�who�cannot��change�their�mind��cannot�change�anything.���George�Bernard�Shaw�
17 THe ResouRce
Ask the following questions to ensure that you have an effective stewardship programme in operation:
– Do you have a systematic stewardship plan in place and in writing?
– How many ‘thank yous’ do you do for each gift received?
– Do you get existing donors to thank new donors?
– Do you report outcomes and results to your donors of how their gifts were used?
– In your stewardship programme do you include letters or contacts from your institution’s beneficiaries?
– Do you publish an Annual Report with an Honour Role of Donors?
– Do you recognise the number of years of continuous giving for each donor and when they hit landmark targets?
– Do you list the names of husbands and wives separately?
– Do you regularly survey lapsed donors to determine why they dropped out?
– Do you communicate organisational changes to your donors?
– Are thank you letters reviewed at least once a year and changed?
– Does your first thank you letter go out within 24 hours of receiving a gift?
– Do you have a Heritage Group (or name of that sort) for those who have included you in their will?
– Do you take donors on tours and actively involve them in some way in what you are doing with their money?
– Do you monitor and evaluate what other charitable organisations are doing in the area of stewardship?
Before and After
Benefits of having a campaign
Fundraising�requires�both�optimism�and�realism.�Without�the�first,�few,�if�any,�gift�solicitations�would�be�made.�Without�the�second�few,�if�any,�would�succeed.���Howard�Jones
Before
After
Inactive board
Event-driven revenue
Nobody asking
for money
Vague sense
of direction
No thought
for future direction
Predictable revenue sources
Not well known
Event-driven staff structure
Focus on donor
development
Constant asks
being made
Precise goals and objectives with job specs for
all involved
New leadership emerging
and energetic debate
on future direction
Nice surprises
happening
Respected brand
Professional staff with long term careers
Involved, committed
and participative
board
20
My�model�for�business�is�The�Beatles.��They�were�four�guys�who�kept�each�other’s�kind�of�negative�tendencies�in�check.�They�balanced�each�other�and�the�total�was�greater�than�the�sum�of�the�parts.�That’s�how�I�see�business:�great�things�in�business�are�never�done�by�one�person,�they’re�done�by�a�team�of�people.��Steve�Jobs
strategic Plan The first step towards overcoming any organisational challenge is to implement a workable strategic plan. A strategic plan provides a vision and builds consensus around the organisation’s mission. Building a culture of ongoing planning is key to building a successful organisation and oftentimes the most important result of this analysis is the work that goes into board and staff development. Implementing a strategic plan will consequently help organisations anticipate, plan and create the future. The strategic plan should be custom designed to meet the needs of your particular organisation. The bedrock of this is a ‘warts and all’ consideration of the capabilities and limitations of a particular company. The strategic plan should articulate specific goals and outline specific actions on how to achieve these goals. It should spell out the who, what, when, where, why and how much?
If Board and staff are committed to its implementation, a strategic plan will chart the course for an organisation’s future development. There is a major difference between being on board and being on the Board. No matter how big the organisation, never underestimate the power of having a Board vs. having an effective Board. There is a big difference between having a
great Board vs. having great people on your Board.
A�small�body�of�determined�spirits�fired�by�an�unquenchable�faith�in��their�mission�can�alter��the�course�of�history.��Mahatma�Gandhi
Board MotivationFurthermore, make sure that your Board members are not bored. Think of meetings as opportunities to inspire and engage. To find out if your Board members are motivated ask some very basic questions to get a sense of their commitment (ie. Why are you on the Board? What would you like to accomplish?) Do the following things to help manage your Board:
Managing your Board
– Have a plan that inspires.
– Have a vision. The vision should challenge and inspire everyone with lofty goals.
– Conduct a Board retreat.
– Have written job specs.
– Conduct Board training that outlines Board members’ roles as Governors, Ambassadors, Consultants and Sponsors.
– Chart a course of upward mobility.
– Ask for advice.
– Get to know your directors.
– Attend their events.
– Set up committees.
– Prepare a policy on Board giving. Directors should give one or more of the following: Time, Treasure or Talent
– Recognise and reward Board members.
– Get Board directors to thank.
– Develop competitiveness among members.
– Think of meetings as opportunities to inspire.
– Plan meetings in advance.
– Always be available to Board members.
– Befriend the gatekeepers.
– Include spouses.
– Create unforgettable experiences.
– Be fun to be with.
5 fundamental Principles for Board’s consideration:
– Believe in the value of your work.
– Let your light shine before people.
– Know your clients and be patient with their moral failings.
– Manage your assets carefully.
– Never forget to say thank you.
All of these principles were written by Ignatius Loyola in the 16th century. Some things never change.
Organisation and Board Development
22
The Power of Networking
When�you�really�listen�to�another�person�from�their�point�of�view,�and�reflect�back�to�them�that�understanding,�it’s�like�giving�them�emotional�oxygen.���������������������
Stephen�Covey
“ “networking is critically important for philanthropy and fundraising, diaspora engagement and business in general. While everybody agrees that it is important, schools and colleges don’t teach it and organisations generally don’t have strategies for it. indeed organisations expect their staff to do it and to be good at it but they don’t assess, compensate or reward them on their networking. The objective of this module is three fold:
1. To encourage you that it is now more important than ever.
2. To assure you that everybody can be better at it and that being a bit better can have a big impact.
3. To explain to you that networking is about 3 things:
– Altering Attitudes
– Changing Behaviour
– Learning New Skills Unfortunately networking has a slightly negative image and is often depicted as an activity undertaken by the people in the room giving out business cards at a ferocious rate. We often confuse networking with sociability. The reality is that networking is about building long-term, hearts and minds, sustainable relationships.
changed WorldThe reason networking is now more important than ever is because we are living in a dramatically changed world. Change has always been with us but not at the same trajectory or momentum as it is today. We are now seeing the emergence of a new form of capitalism, the networked power of the individual. Organisations must now fashion themselves around people. We live in a world where software has disrupted everything and every traditional customer-facing business – books, music, travel, gaming, telephony etc.
In this new world content is no longer sufficient – everybody has access to content via the Internet. You can’t compete on what everybody knows especially as you move up the corporate ladder. The key then is not content but context and that comes from your network. Success in the past is no guarantee of success in the future. The strategies that got us where we are today won’t get us to where we want to go in the future. Not making a choice is making a choice and to stand still is to fall behind.
Charles Darwin once said “It is not the strongest of the species that will survive or the most intelligent but those most able to handle change.”
Princeton Professor Anne Marie slaughter has written a lot about living in a networked world. She says:
“The information age is over. We now live in a networked world. We are moving from the vertical world of hierarchies to the horizontal world of networks. In this world the measurement of power is connectedness. The 20th century was a billiard ball world with countries colliding into each other in economic and military conflict. In the 21st century the state with the most and best connections will be the central player able to set the global agenda, unlock innovation and sustainable growth. Networked clusters of the world’s most creative people increasingly drive the world economy. Only the connected will survive. Networked power flows from the ability to make the maximum number of valuable connections and the key is centrality in a dense global web. In this century, corporations, civic organisations, and government agencies will increasingly operate by collecting the best ideas from around the globe. Now, where you are from means where you can and do go back and whom you know and trust enough to network with.”
So Professor Slaughter sets networking in a global context. But it is just as relevant in a local context and applies, equally, to all organisations and individuals.
23 THe ResouRce 24
What is networking?
networking is:
– About relationships rather than transactions.
– About giving to individuals and getting back from the network.
– About thinking who in your network can help others.
– About being interested in other people.
– About having an invitational mindset.
networking is not:
– About being the life and soul of the party.
– Having the most number of contacts.
– About giving out a stack of business cards.
– About sales and transactions.
– In fact it’s not about you.
so why is networking now so important?
– In this world you can’t go it alone - you have to network your way to success.
– Opportunities don’t float around on clouds, they are attached to people.
– The higher you climb the more you need networks.
– The technical skills you needed to get into your organisations become less important and, as you progress, relationships become more important.
networking is the way to:
– Find donors, customers, clients, supporters and suppliers.
– Locate projects.
– Attract and retain quality staff.
– Build loyalty to your organisation.
– But also research shows that people with strong and diverse networks earn more money, live longer, are physically and mentally stronger and are happier.
Networking allows you to escape your silo and to build diversity in your network.
In a world where life is a game of inches, networking can be the nudge factor and help you identify tipping agents, people who can nudge a deal or drive a donor or a customer in your direction.
Networks are portable-they belong to you and they go with you and it is possible to bring donors or supporters from one organisation to another.
Networks are important because employers want to ‘hire and wire’, ie. they want to hire well-connected people and wire into their networks.
characteristics of great networkersGreat networkers have the following characteristics in common:
– They work hard at it.
– They are humble.
– They are quietly confident that connecting people will result in something great even if it is not immediately clear.
– They understand the power of asking.
– They believe in referrals.
– They realise that they don’t know everything and the way to information they don’t know is through people they do know.
– They always remember the three key questions when they meet anybody:
1. What can I do for you?
2. If you were me what would you do?
3. Who do you know who?
– They don’t keep score and they network with integrity, honesty and authenticity.
The Myth of individualismGood networkers also understand the myth of individualism: The cultural myth that everybody succeeds or fails on the basis of individual efforts and abilities. Ask what it takes to be successful and the usual answers are talent, education, intelligence, perseverance, courage, effort, even sheer luck. The common denominator among these answers is the assumption that success is an individual matter and that people succeed based on their own individual efforts and abilities. The reality is the exact opposite; success depends upon our relationships with others.
social capital
The challenge then is to focus on building social capital, which the writer Wayne Baker defines as “the resources available to you in your personal and business networks.” Social capital is a measurement of how engaged you are. In the 21st century it will become critically important. The focus on the last century was on human capital, which was all about skills, knowledge and experience of individual employees within a group. Human capital and financial capital are within you but social capital is between you and others. Social means they are not personal assets – no single person owns them. Social capital depends on who you know and the size, quantity and diversity of your personal and business networks. Capital means that they are productive. As you move up the
organisational hierarchy it becomes more difficult to compete on individual competency – everyone is highly skilled. The new advantage is context - creating competitive context depends on social capital. In the networked economy the person with the most and best connections wins.
People with low social capital have:
– A small number of contacts.
– A low involvement in work related activities.
– A low involvement in non-work related activities.
People with high social capital have:
– An extensive and diverse network.
– A high profile, they are well-known.
– A reputation as being a go-to person.
– An ability to attract people.
If you try to build social capital you won’t succeed – it follows the pursuit of worthwhile, meaningful endeavours.
Attitude, skills and BehaviourMake a decision to build your network. This means doing it in a purposeful way rather than just seeing it as an ad hoc interaction. This will involve setting goals and objectives and taking a strategic approach to changing your behaviour. It will mean moving from being transaction driven to being relationship driven.
listening
– The act of listening is probably the most important skill you can master in learning to become a great networker.
– Most people listen to reply. They take in what they are hearing just long enough to come up with something to say in response. Within seconds the conversation is out of step.
– We are, many of us, conversational narcissists who see everything that other people say from our point of view, through our own personal lives. The other person gives up as they sense we are gearing up to speak about what we think, not what they think.
– So we have to learn to listen and not interrupt. But this is difficult. On average we get interrupted every 20 seconds. People watch for gaps so they can jump in. They think talking is more important than listening. They think that listening seems like just sitting there, like not being an expert, not being a leader, like a waste of time. They are completely wrong.
– But there is a paradox – in a conversation you are essential and you are irrelevant – you matter profoundly because you do not matter at all.
The challenge then is to become a creative listener. You show the most effective command of language by saying nothing. It is also important to remember that hearing is not listening. You can become an interesting conversationalist by saying very little. Listening then is not mere silence but a form of activity. The problem is that we try to wow people with our own lives and opinions and hope they are interested. People who talk only of themselves think only of themselves. And remember - people who gossip to you also gossip about you. See listening as not mere silence but a form of activity.
Listen with your eyes as well as your ears. Be interested not only in what the other person is saying now but in what they will say next. Think of yourself as a journalist asking questions. By concentrating and listening intently you hear what isn’t said, you ignite the other person’s thinking and they, knowing they will not be interrupted, are freed up to think clearly without the pressure of being interrupted.
Stop competing – the more you talk the less you learn – the more you listen, the more you learn.
Hi -Tech and Hi -TouchGreat networkers understand and appreciate the power of technology and embrace it enthusiastically. Technology has reduced the cost of connecting with huge numbers of people, irrespective of location. However technology gives us the illusion of companionship without the means of friendship – together without really being together.
To gain a competitive advantage, we need to come out from behind the cloak of technology and develop personal connections. Conversation needs to take over from technology. There is no coffee station or water cooler on the web and email misses out on an important element of any relationship – non-verbal communication. This is why great networkers are hi-tech and hi-touch.
funnels of serendipityYou can make random chance happen in a non-random way by doing certain things, going certain places and hanging out with certain people. But you need to reorganise your life to increase the probability that
25 THe ResouRce 26
luck will happen; that you will run into people who will tell you something useful.
Those who shape serendipity benefit more than those who just wait for it to happen. Serendipity is about finding things you did not know you were looking for. Most people think serendipity is blind luck – but you can shape it. It can be methodically and systematically shaped by our choices, behaviours and dispositions. Choose to attend conferences and industry events – places where you are likely to bump into a promising contact and where your name tag is a permission device to approach strangers. You can shape serendipity by pursuing your passion because it enhances your functionality and lures people to you from unexpected sources. Passion leads to pursuit, which leads to other people. In the old days, you were born into a specific geography and accessed information there. Now knowledge is highly distributed and in the heads of people we don’t know and who are difficult to identify. But one source of information trumps all others and that is other people.
strong and Weak connections
Audit your networkIn order to expand your network, conduct a comprehensive audit of your existing network. Print out your entire database and then divide it into four categories as follows:
1. contactSomebody you may have met somewhere, exchanged, perhaps at a conference, business cards and put in your database. You may not even
remember them but some contact has been made.
2. connectionYou know them and they know you. If they called you, you would know them and vice versa. Nothing is happening but you are familiar to each other.
3. RelationshipYou know each other well and there is activity going on. You like each other and trust each other - you enjoy each other’s company.
4. friendThis could be business or non-business relationship and you have a strong bonded relationship. Definition: Someone you could call on their cellphone on a Sunday afternoon.
By spending time and doing this exercise methodically a couple of things will become clear.
1. It will be obvious where there are gaps – areas where you have no contacts and you can then act accordingly.
2. You will realise that you have let some relationships become dormant and could, with a little effort, refresh them.
3. You can eliminate redundant connections. Prune your network and watch it grow.
Weak connections are important because of homophily, meaning we all tend to hang around with people just like us. But the world we live and operate in is not like that – it is very diverse - the cage of similarity narrows our vision of the world and our options – we become more extreme and entrenched in our views when we are involved in a tight knit group that shares the same values.
In tough times the tendency is to form strong ties – this behaviour is understandable but is no longer sufficient to support you. We need to take the initiative and reach outside to weak ties that sit beyond our inner circle. They bring in breadth and reach as well as new perspectives and experiences. They will help you build your personal ecosystem and offer you access to people who are difficult to identify but who possess valuable knowledge.
Institutions build roadblocks to unanticipated forays and networks although more enlightened institutions are now investing in improving their employee networks. They recognise that individuals are twice as likely to be passionate about their work than their peers who work for institutions.
TrustIncreasingly we live in a world where trust is valued but in short supply. We have lost trust in many things we believe in – government, financial institutions, banks, churches – the list goes on.
In an era of economic instability and wrecked public faith in businesses, trust is no longer the default starting position for cynical consumers. Trust is not deserved – it has to be earned. It can take years to win and be lost in a second.
Edelman surveys show that trust has tumbled. In the UK, for example, surveys show that only 18% of the population trust banks.
Trust is not an event. You don’t meet somebody today and think that they will trust you tomorrow. You can’t go from anonymity to trusted advisor in a day.
Trust is a leap of faith where you believe that what we expect to happen will eventually happen because somebody does what they say they are going to do and what they are supposed to do.
summary
– The definition of networking is the building of long-term, hearts and minds, sustainable relationships.
– In this rapidly changing world, networking is more important than ever and small improvements can have a major impact. You only have to be a little bit better.
– You ought to develop a continuous culture of network building and not just when you need it – then it’s too late.
– Great networkers have a number of characteristics in common and they always remember to ask 3 key questions: 1. What can I do for you? 2. If you were me what would you do? 3. Who do you know who?
– A key to network building is building your social capital. Develop the resources available to you in your personal and business networks.
– Success is about changing your attitude from being transaction driven to being relationship driven, learning new skills and altering your behaviour.
– The most important skill is to become a great listener.
– Become hi-tech and hi-touch.
– By altering your behaviour you can make serendipity work in your favour.
– Build strong and weak connections.
– Audit your network and see if it is ‘fit for purpose’.
– Networking builds trust – the most valuable commodity in business, and in life, today.
Finally, networking takes time, patience and, sometimes, luck.
Real�generosity�toward�the�future�lies�in�giving�all�to�the�present.�Albert�Camus
27 THe ResouRce 28
claire McdonoughStrategy and Design
Masters from the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Claire understands that aesthetic thinking enables the communication of complex concepts simply. This approach is a key factor in the strategy and design of the Philanthropy & Fundraising Training Programme.
destudioFilm ProductiondeStudio energises the content of the Philanthropy and Fundraising Training Programme in filming and presentation.
www.destudiodublin.com
Margaret MorganResearch and Development
Masters from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Margaret evaluates and develops ever-changing programme content to deliver a product that is relevant, inspiring and educational.
studio HBGraphic DesignStudio HB breathes life into concepts, striving to communicate them in a fresh, contemporary way.
www.studiohb.ie
THe TeAM
Kingsley AikinsCEO
Economics and Politics graduate of Trinity College, Dublin. Kingsley has spent over 30 years working in 6 countries in the areas of trade and investment, philanthropy, education, culture, tourism and sport. As CEO of a major international non-profit organisation for 17 years, he raised over a quarter of a billion dollars in 12 countries. He has developed a unique and structured approach to raising funds which has proven to be extremely effective.
29 THe ResouRce 30
clienTlisT
UCD Michael SmurfitGraduate Business School
Notes
