Buzzwords

I love this - talk about the new buzzwords!

How is your philanthrospeak?

Here is a list from Lucy Bernholz of "10 Favorite Buzzwords of the Decade" in a recent opinion article in The Chronicle of Philanthropy.  Bernholz explains that, "looked at over time, buzzwords provide a useful rear-view roadmap of how we got here." .   

Here are seven of the 10 she selected with my comments below her list and glossary.

10) Donate-now buttons: Making a charitable contribution with just the click of a button

9) Prize philanthropy: Cash prizes offered for solutions to social problems

                Pepsi anyone?

8) Celebvocates: Celebrities who use their best asset - themselves - to promote charitable causes

                Okay, I'm near Hollywood and this is a big business for some "managers." Of course, like anything      else, if it's heartfelt, using celebrity to  raise money or awareness can't be maligned.  LIke all other good things, this may go overboard and present a big backlash.

7) Microvolunteering: "The art of donating time in 20-minute increments"

6) Philanthrocapitalism: Earning gobs of money through business for the purpose of addressing social needs

                I am seeing more of this as social service agencies try to figure out how to address government shortfalls.  Many are talking about charging fees for services for the very first time.

5) B Corporation - A "business with a social purpose"

4) Impact investing - Investing to generate social as well as financial returns

Link to the article to read more and find out the top three "Favorite Buzzwords of the Decade."

From my friends at CNP Chattanooga, here are a few of our their favorite nonprofit buzzwords that didn't make the list:

1) "Silos" - The concept that some nonprofits may exist in tall, windowless "silos," oblivious to other nonprofits who offer similar services, versus "collaborating" (makes a nice visual, if nothing else!).

               My clients who work in silos often don't share department to department resources that they uncover that can benefit the organization as a whole.

  

2) "Double bottom line" -  The simultaneous pursuit of financial and social returns on investment - the ultimate benchmark for a social enterprise or a social sector business

3) "New Normal" - Was there ever really an "Old Normal?" Anyway, we hear this one a lot, as in nonprofits must adapt to the "new normal," i.e. the realities of decreased funding and increased competition for donations.

                I agree - what was the Old Normal?  The economy is always a roller coaster if you take the long view. 

Do you have any favorite buzzwords to add?

Creating linkages

I do not often Google myself but my book has recently gotten a lot of press so I did.  Here's comment from a blogger that's still relevant now!

Donations Down

December 3, 2008 by eurlog- Bruce Logue, church planter, Merced, California

It was in the newspaper on Monday.  Contributions to non-profits are down because of the economy.  That is not good news if you are a non-profit and exist on the largesse of others.

I just attended a workshop on the subject of building relationships that will, in turn, result in a strong financial base.  Let’s Have Lunch Together was written by Marshall Howard who was the workshop presenter.

Marshall is right; philanthropists get weary with continued requests for money.  Give to this.  Give to that.  At some point they want to have a personal connection with the organization/s they assist—to be treated as something more than a paycheck.  That sort of involvement takes time.

Which as been making me ask the question, “How do I go about making people interested in LifeSpring Church feel really connected to it in a way that transcends their financial contribution?” 

I was reminded of the importance of that question recently when I got a fundraising letter from a friend.  Even though I know him, I don’t feel particularly connected to what he is doing.  So he has a problem; if he wants me to give to him, he must create a tighter linkage between me and his project.

The temptation is to spend my time fussing with things that make little difference in the long-term picture.  The key to successful funding is building sincere and effective partnerships.  There is no way to make a shortcut of that.

Advice to be more emotional

Here's a tip from Andy Goodman of Free Range Thinking.


He made a number of resolutions for 2011 and this one is a fundamental that I include in my relationship training.

"I resolve to be more emotional.
Don't get me wrong: I'm not suggesting you burst into tears like John Boehner every time you get in front of a microphone - nobody wants to see that. Just be more mindful of the fact that human beings are emotional creatures, and no matter how dispassionate we may pretend to be, our emotions are always in play, especially when we make decisions. A rational case supported by rigorously collected data may be entirely accurate, but it only speaks to half of the brain. If the other half is thinking, "I don't like his tone of voice," or "The other presenter made me cry," your audience may already have their minds made up against you. So keep collecting the data, but when it's your turn to talk, make sure you connect with your audience's emotions as well. "

Thanks Andy. You have to touch people (and not just with your mission).  You have to reach them emotionally to engage them to trust you and then they will listen to your message.