Larry C. Johnson: The 8 Principles of Sustainable Fundraising

FS: What role does leadership play in fundraising?
LJ: Leadership is critical. You're not going to go very far without it because fundraising is an inside-out proposition. It builds out from inside. And people take their cue from leadership, wherever they're going. Most of the resistance in fundraising comes from an anxiety about asking, and that often comes from a sense of not feeling capable or made feeling competent. A lot of nonprofits could help the situation by helping to remove that anxiety by reframing the proposition, by providing some tools — if you look at the Cygnus Research surveys that come out consistently board members don't feel like they're getting the kind of training that they need. Then also, provide them an opportunity to be successful. Nothing is more reassuring and confidence-building than success. And of course the last one is, depending on the makeup of your board and the social contract under which they were enlisted, it may be necessary to change some members. That's the Jim Collins "change the people on the bus" proposition.