Mind Power Empowering Powerful Fundraising

"I will be lean and fit. I will be lean and fit. I will be lean and fit." That's what I’ve been repeating over and over in my mind when I wake up and go to sleep over the past few weeks. Am I crazy? Crazy for you maybe (you know who you are), but not like crazy, crazy. Einstein says the definition of crazy is repeating the same thing and expecting different results. Well in my case, I'm repeating the same thing over and over and expecting the same result: a beach bod. So technically, strictly, scientifically speaking of course, I'm the opposite of crazy. Or perhaps, maybe, just maybe, a genius?

A few weeks ago I picked up a book in my house called "Mind Power Into the 21st Century” by John Kehoe. It looked like one of those books you see at a discount bookstore, or an "Amazon-only" piece of phenomenal literature. No publisher or anything. But I've just recently finished a Malcolm Gladwell binge and needed something light and less research-heavy to change it up.

Boy was I in for a surprise.

The message of this book is simple yet so profound: “prosperity consciousness.” Think prosperous and you will be prosperous. “Your circumstances and situations never keep you down. The only things that keep you down and keep you stuck are your thoughts. Train your conscious mind to think thoughts of success, happiness, health, prosperity, and to weed out fear and worry. Keep your conscious mind busy with the expectation of the best, and make sure the thoughts you habitually think are based upon what you want to see happen in your life.”

Yes, yes and YES!

Prosperity Consciousness in Fundraising

As a fundraising coach, one of my critical responsibilities is helping nonprofits set fundraising goals―both long term and short term. I've looked fundraisers in the eyes and said, "You can raise $5,000,000 in one giving day.” There are those who believed it and ended up doing it. And there are those that no longer seek my counsel.

The latter causes are no less worthy and don't have a smaller or a lesser engaged donor base. Nine times out of 10, the reason they don’t reach said lofty targets is for a simple reason: Their leaders just didn't believe they had the power to do it, whereas the ones who made it might have not seen it on their own at first. But after a process, it became clear. Very scary, but clear. The seemingly impossible was now possible.

How? Let’s do it together right now.

Me: How long has your organization been around?

You: 20 years.

Me: And how many individual donations have you received in the last five years?

You: 5,000.

(And then a few more questions about demographics, social equity, gifts sizes etc.)

Me: Do you realize that if only half your community would give your organization $X amount, based on a simple gift range chart, you can raise $X amount?

You: Well, that's almost twice as much as we raised last year.

Me: But do you see the logic?

You: Yes.

Me: And what would it take for you to make it happen?

You: (*Chuckles*) A lot of hard work… and a small miracle. 

Me: And a strategy. 

You: Yes.

Me: And tell me this, why do you think this other nonprofit (a nonprofit you know about that is similar to yours) is doing so well?

You: Well, we're really similar. I suppose it's because they work harder and maybe smarter. And have a better strategy.

Me: So there you go.

You: Yeah, but...

Me: Eh, no buts! You need to believe in yourself, you need to remind yourself how critical your work is and you need to believe that people want to give. And you need to actually start with this winning strategy. Based on that logic, if you give it all you’ve got, you can accomplish the “impossible”! 

YOU are the only reason why you haven't reached your goals. Now tell me, can you clearly visualize this amount of money as your campaign total? Can you close your eyes and really see it?

You: You know what, you’re right! I can do this! I can! I will! I must!

(*Then we get up and play air guitar.*)

What does it mean to apply prosperity consciousness in fundraising? It means you can logically come to a visual realization of the results you desire. It’s not about wishing or dreaming. Or jumping off a cliff dressed as Superman thinking you’ll fly. 

It’s doing a methodical, comparative analysis between your org and other orgs within a similar demographic. It’s taking a mathematical approach, analyzing giving patterns so you can see a clear breakdown of the numbers, people and resources you need to get to your goal. Once it makes sense in your mind, and you get over whatever fear keeping you back, you will start seeing your goal as an inevitable truth. There is nothing on this earth that will stop you.

You know what I’m talking about. Haven’t you ever known, deep down in your bones, that something was going to happen? And it did. It didn’t seem like you had any choice in the matter. Now, did it happen because it was “fate” or because you believed it so much YOU MADE IT HAPPEN?

You may have different circumstances, but the fact is that the single most important ingredient to success is being able to envision where you want to be. Cutting through the fear and the excuses. Seeing it in your mind and repeating it over and over. Drilling it in until no other alternative exists.

This kind of success-thinking will change the way you speak, leading to more confident and positive actions that will help you reach your goal. Side benefit, your team will feel this shift, and it will start manifesting in their actions. Together, you’ll be thinking broader and reaching farther to make it happen.

In his book, Kehoe explains, “Water takes the shape of whatever container holds it, whether it be in a glass, a vase or a river bank. Likewise, your subconscious will create and manifest according to the images you habitually project upon it through your daily thinking. This is how your destiny is created. Your life is in your hands, to make of it what you choose.”

Now repeat after me: "I will read this column consistently and religiously. I will read this column consistently and religiously…”