Plan for '11: Deeper Connections

You're probably reading this somewhere in the middle of January. But as I'm writing it, it's Dec. 27, and a familiar ennui already has set in.

By Christmas night — a mere 48 hours ago — commercials for post-holiday sales were screaming things like, "Now that it's over … !" Now that it's over? Are they kidding me?

Nope, stores are stocking up for Valentine's Day, and the hardy handshakes and holiday smiles we've given so eagerly since Thanksgiving have retreated once again behind dour expressions and "I have no time for you" attitudes. A big ball of the blahs rolled through offices across the country this morning, 
taking every shred of holiday spirit with it as we turned our attention once again to tending to the 
frittering details of everyday life.

Yup, in this pump-it-yourself, express-lane, dollar-store world, you get two days then it's back to reality for you. Sure, you get a little glitter and glam on New Year's Eve, but it's not the same. Where Christmas speaks to our hearts and to our spirits about family and love and miracles, New Year's Eve speaks to our inner party animal about, well, all too often about making asses of ourselves.

But there are some delightful die-hards who refuse to let the spirit retreat as soon as the clock strikes midnight on Dec. 26 — school kids who squeeze every last ounce of joy from their extended holiday breaks, for example, and goofballs like me who are still walking around with mistletoe pinned in their hair and trying to get people to understand that the "12 Days of Christmas" actually start after Dec. 25.

There's a distinct connection, of course, between the winter holiday season and fundraising. Nonprofits of all sizes and missions need to tap in to the good will that the season engenders, so a great deal of effort goes into extending a hand to donors old and new, and placing that welcome mat at the door of your organization in the hopes of gaining more 
supporters and, ultimately, financial support.

All well and good … people want to give, especially around the holidays. The question for you all, however, is will you continue to keep the promises you make and nurture the relationships you create during the end-of-year dash? Or will you take the money and run, leaving donors as high and dry as the department store Santa who finds himself back on the soup line once the mall closes on Dec. 24?

I'm not a big believer in making grandiose New Year's resolutions. But if you don't already have a solid stewardship plan in place, that should be first on your list of things to do in 2011. Don't drop these new and/or deepened relationships like needles from the tree you forgot to water. Keep them evergreen through a solid plan of action that places donors front and center and feeling like the vital 
element of your mission that they are.

It's certainly on my list. I hope 2011 will bring increased opportunities to connect with the readers and supporters of this magazine. More than hope, I plan on making that happen and invite you to 
contact me with your thoughts on the magazine and on fundraising in general — whether by phone or e-mail or in the hall at a fundraising event.

As a new year unfolds, here's to relationships old and new, personal and professional. And here's to the deeper connections, genuine appreciation and fervent stewardship strategies that breathe practical reality into the outrageous hope I'd like to see color all our worlds in 2011.

Looking ahead

You might recall that last May, FundRaising Success held its first annual virtual conference and trade show. At least I hope you remember that … it was kind of a big deal for us! More than 3,000 professional fundraisers from around the country, and from organizations of all sizes and missions, registered for the free daylong event that took place entirely online. From the comfort of their own desks, offices or even homes, participants learned all about some of the most important strategies and techniques in the sector today, from some of the most exciting speakers and innovative thinkers in the fundraising world.

Response was so overwhelmingly positive that we're gearing up to do it again. This year's event takes place on Thursday, May 19, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It's a little early for too many details, but please make sure to mark the date on your calendar and plan to attend. And keep an eye out here and in the FS Advisor for details as we get closer.