Grab Your Partner!
— Charity Girl, Pennsylvania
Dear Charity Girl:
That's a tough one. I know consultants and partners just want to see you raise more money and fund your amazing programs even better. But sometimes those consultants need to take a moment to remember you know your organization better than anybody.
Start by having that open and honest conversation early on with your partner; it sets the tone for the success of the program. Start with the ground rules about tone, organizational messaging, what you can/cannot do in terms of your brand.
So, I'm a fundraiser having a mid-life crisis. And that's perfectly fine with me.
I am taking time to look around, lift my head and find REAL people who really want to change the world. And people smart enough to do it. Join me in this fun journey. I have no idea where we will end up - and that is the beauty of it. I'm nonprofit passionate, a hopeful world changer, and always ready to share what I know, learn what I don't, admit when I can't, and ask the hard questions.
While you're looking around for other areas of inspiration, check out The Moth Project at themoth.org (the podcasts are AMAZING), TED talks (doesn't matter which ones - find topics that interest you) and Volunteer Voices (again - love the podcast) written by volunteers from the Peace Corps. Don't see the immediate connection to being a better fundraiser? Just listen, you'll hear the message ...
