7 Provocative Ideas Guaranteed to Shake Up Your Fundraising Results

By Gail Perry

I'm [recently] back from three incredible days at the AFP International Conference in Vancouver. The AFP International Conference was a real high! And my mind is still blown from the provocative ideas that flew about in the workshops, big sessions and stimulating conversations with my peers.

Just like I did last year, I'm sharing my favorite BIG ideas from the AFP International Conference. Last year, The Agitator blog totally trashed my list from last year. (ouch!). But being the thick-skinned seasoned pro that I am (yeah, right), here I go again with yet another list.

I hope they will shake up everything you do: from your approach to your donors, your fundraising strategies, your board, your accounting metrics, your message. You might say that some of these ideas are old news. BUT the presenters just nailed the issue in a new, provocative way.

Here are my top, favorite BIG PROVOCATIVE IDEAS from the conference.

1. "Think really, really big and then execute."
Scott Harrision from charity: water has a wildly innovative approach. Charity: water doesn't really use a traditional nonprofit model.

Charity: water has a clear simple story, very clear metrics and goals, an untraditional approach, brilliant marketing, angel investors and lotsa hutspa.

I love his quote: "If you are excited enough about your project and you write enough e-mails, you can fund your project."

When he was starting out, he asked EVERYBODY he knew to help reach the goal. He thought big, and even bigger!

Take away: You are not thinking big enough. Be bold.

2. "Your stories should touch your donors' souls."

Fraser Green of GoodWorks brought us to tears over and over in his presentation. His stories broke our hearts. (can you break hearts with your stories?) He wears his heart on his sleeve. (Do you?)

He reminded us to use emotional power with our donors. Emotion can bring out the best in people. And the best way to connect with donor's EMOTIONS is telling stories.

Fraser says, "We are wired for stories."

His research shows that 78 percent of donors say their gifts are an extension of their spiritual beliefs. Stories evoke that.

Take away: Find stories that have drama and raw emotion. Then learn how to tell them well.

3. "We didn't ask for money, we asked for action!"
This came across on the twitter stream of the conference. I'm not sure who said it but I sure loved the quote!

Ask your donor to take action; give her something to DO! What would your fundraising look like if you weren't asking for money all the time? The best appeals ask for action first, and then money. What can you ask your donors to DO?

You know the fundraising motto: Involvement breeds investment.

Take away: Stop asking for money all the time. Give your donors something to DO.

4. "We either meet or we work."
Oh gawd, wish I had a dollar for every minute I've wasted in meetings. Or even a penny! If you are an action-oriented person, you probably hate meetings like I do.

The great management guru Peter Drucker said, "meetings are where you hide from making a decision." The work happens somewhere else. It's your choice. Why do we meet? I'm not sure!

Take away: PLEASE dump some internal meetings. And raise some money instead.

5. "Each donor prospect is their own mini-campaign."
Laura Fredricks has a new book out on asking, and she's the guru. She reminded us that major gift prospects all need a totally custom, individualized strategy. It really helps to think in terms of each person having their own mini-campaign. Step by step, by step, you develop their interest and ready them for an ask.

Take away: Create a full-scale campaign plan for each major prospect.

6. "Be willing to collaborate with businesses to get your work done."
Companies are looking for nonprofits to partner with. They know that 85 percent of Americans say they have a more positive opinion of a company when it supports a cause. I'm seeing more and more innovative for-profit business models popping up.

There are legitimate business ventures out there looking for nonprofit partners who will share in the profits. This is a totally out of the box approach to fundraising. I used to debunk all this stuff. But I'm coming around!

Take away: Be open to for-profit business collaborations!

7. "Ask not what your donor can do for you, ask what you can do for your donor."
I picked up this quote from @philanthrolab's excellent twitter stream. Here's a great insight that redefines "donor-centered." Fraser Green and his daughter Rory, who presented with him, said:68 percent of donors say we suck at showing results of giving. What great donor/customer service can you provide to your donors?

Take away: See if you can offer your donors killer "customer service."

Bottom line
There's a revolution going on in fundraising. It's NOT the new vs the old. It's a dramatically new way of thinking and approaching the entire issue of marketing to our donors, communicating with them and asking them for help.

Too many nonprofits are still stuck in the 1980′s, with dated language and boring asks. Don't let it happen to you.

Gail Perry, best-selling author of "Fired-Up Fundraising: Turn Board Passion into Action," is a consultant, speaker and author and also president of Gail Perry Associates. This post originally appeared on her Fired-Up Fundraising blog.

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Gail Perry Author's page Gail believes in parties first, rabble-rousing second, and having fun while changing the world. Gail Perry CFRE is an international fundraising coach, speaker, trainer and thought-leader. She is a leader in a new breed of fundraisers who are on the cutting edge of fundraising today. Her Fired-Up Fundraising approach, developed over the past 25 years as a nonprofit philanthropy expert, has helped organizations raise hundreds of millions in gifts. Gail's practical and refreshing approach to raising money in today's world is based on the very latest innovative fundraising strategies. An inspirational and popular speaker, she leads energizing fundraising workshops and board retreats around the globe. She particularly enjoys working with nonprofit board members, introducing them to a new perspective on fundraising and ways they can be successful at it. Gail's book, Fired-Up Fundraising, has been called the "gold standard guide to building successful fundraising boards." Gail got her start in fundraising at Duke University, and then went on to lead fundraising at the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. You can read Gail's weekly blogs at FiredUpFundraising.com, and also find her provocative articles at FundraisingSuccess, Guidestar, and Capital Campaign Magic.