Fundraiser Education

Will we ever be rid of the idea that nonprofits can somehow achieve a nirvana where very little (or no) money goes to boring things like salaries, technology, infrastructure, fundraising, leadership development, planning, R&D? I wonder if we could gain more traction by talking less about the negatives of an overhead myth and talking more about the positives of nonprofit organization building.

A new year is a good time for organizational resolutions. Many successful nonprofit organizations perform a SWOT analysis and organize their thoughts in four key areas: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

In 2012, the Coast Guard Foundation executed two extremely successful fundraising campaigns. The first, an emergency appeal in response to a Coast Guard helicopter crash, was a sensitive and sad campaign to embark, but the CGF donors really stepped up to the plate because the organization struck the right match between message and need.

The 2014 Winter Olympics kick off Friday with Opening Ceremonies in Sochi, Russia. The best athletes around the world will gather together to compete for gold medals that will label them “the best in the world.” Over the years I’ve watched hard-working executive directors, major-gift officers and development directors strive for excellence every day, just like Olympic athletes.

So, in between watching hockey, figure skating, bobsledding and alpine skiing, I invite you to take some time to see how your work may qualify you for a fundraising Olympic gold medal.

Get everyone on the same page. Be focused. Have a plan. Fine-tune your plan. Implement your plan!

Have you ever looked at organizations such as Food For The Poor, City Harvest or the Coast Guard Foundation and wondered how they do it? And more importantly, how your organization can do it too?

Central to the debate on how fundraising will look in 10 years' time is our ability to look back. We need to reflect on the past 10 years, where mass participation events and online giving replaced door-to-door collections as the mainstays of local community fundraising. Innovating and trend watching are the tools in the kitbag of those local charities who have fared best over the past decade, and similar tools will be needed to survive the tough years ahead.

Nonprofit fundraising coach and consultant Sandy Rees talks with FundRaising Success about her latest book, "Fundraising Buffet," focused on small nonprofits.

If you look at your fundraising career and the various jobs you have had, think about the cycles of your biorhythms. This analysis may prepare you for new adventures as you plan your next position, which will most likely occur sooner or later.

The second annual FundRaising Success Engage Conference takes place April 10 in Philadelphia. Register today for the $100 off early bird special rate, which expires Valentine's Day.