Join me in Austin Texas Oct. 10

Major Gifts Go Where Relationships Flow 

Join Marshall Howard, author of the acclaimed bestseller, Let’s Have Lunch Together, and the relationship-centered leadership expert, for two remarkable sessions, Wednesday, October 10th.
For over 25 years, Marshall has taught thousands of staff and board leaders how to raise a lot more money, easier and quicker, through the power of relationship-centered leadership.  Because leaders lead, not push.  They engage the right people in the right way.  Leaders create traction and build buy-in.  Nonprofit leaders create partnerships that continually raise lots of money, year after year.
The first session, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., is “Major Gifts Go Where Relationships Flow.”
Marshall will show key staff and board leaders how to fine-tune their leadership skills and raise more major gifts . . . the relationship-centered way.
Achieve these amazing breakthroughs:

• Uncover three major gift opportunities already at your doorstop
• Learn two comfortable ways to transform these opportunities into major gifts within a few months
• Learn Marshall's comfortable, genuine plan to build the types of relationships you and your organization needs to survive and thrive.

______________________________________________________________

*Cost of registration is for two participants. We strongly encourage you to bring an Executive Staff member or Board Member.
Each participant will receive a copy of Marshall's book, "Let's Have Lunch Together" (retail value $24.95 each)

___________________________________________________________________________

The second session, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., is “6 Secrets to Successful Campaigns.”

Click here for more information and to register

Horse Trainer Shows Teachers How to Build Relationships

It seems that in any type of training, personal rapport is the most important ingredient.  I have that as my main tenet - in fundraising, I call it establishing trust.

Here's am excerpt from a recent story from the Los Angeles Times about a consultant working with underachieving schools to raise test scores!

Dennis Parker is a part-Cherokee trainer in rural Zamora, Calif., who sports a silver ponytail beneath his cowboy hat. But his recent demonstration was aimed at training a different breed grappling with far bigger tasks: educators under mounting pressure to raise students' standardized test scores.

As a dozen educators watched, Parker explained that good relationships are key toward boosting achievement and that horses and humans both respond to similar strategies. Build rapport with friendly chatter. Gain respect by giving out tasks. And give treats not simply as rewards but just to be fun.

"Can you do that with your kids?" Parker asked. "It's like training horses; you don't break them, you teach them."

At Wilson in Santa Ana, Parker demonstrated the art of building relationships, using his horse-training techniques with fourth-graders. He bantered with them, saying they looked like sixth-graders. He used fun language — learning is "easy easy lemon squeezy" — and let the children choose the colors of classroom magnets. Offering choice helps children — and horses —become more cooperative, he said.

Personal rapport, he said, is one of the most overlooked tools in the quest to raise test scores.

"I work on relationships as much as the curriculum," he said. "Kids won't exert a lot of effort if they don't like or respect their teachers or have a say in their day."

To read the whole story

In the last three weeks. I’ve been to four different conferences talking about my bestseller, “Let’s Have Lunch Together.” My keynotes focused on relationship-centered fundraising and major gifts. Other presenters talked about special events, selling products to raise money, integrating social media, prospecting for major gifts and marketing.

One presenter did, however, mention that nonprofits continue to lose their donors at an alarming rate, with typical new donor retention running at only 30%. Why does this matter? Even small improvements in loyalty have a dramatic impact on the lifetime value of fundraising.

To me, it’s a simple equation. Just as in business, the cost of retaining a customer is far less than the cost of acquiring a new one. Loyal customers or donors become a strong community voice for your organization or as I call them, “Relationship Ambassadors.”

Here’s what I didn’t hear at these conferences – How to Train Everyone in Your Organization to Become Relationship-Centered.

When I asked community-based organization staffers to identify their customers, they all said, “the recipients of the services.” I disagreed: “Those are the beneficiaries of your good works. Your true customers are your donors, board, supporters, volunteers and, even grant makers. Without them you could not provide the services.”

What are you doing to involve everyone in cultivating and stewarding those who make your organization survive? Could you do more to make it thrive?

American Express recently told Fortune Magazine (April 30, 2012) how it transformed the Customer Call Center from transaction-oriented to one that capitalizes on building on the relationship with the customer. “We converted from a robotic, scripted environment to a conversational environment that brings the personality to life and brings one-to-one connections, which is what ultimately builds and sustains relationships.”

Couldn’t everyone in your organization from the Chairman of the Board to the receptionist to the program directors and the Executive Director learn how to seize opportunities to interact with each “customer” and build powerful alliances?

On my website, under Free Resources, I’ll show you some amazing results with Relationship-Centered Fundraising. Call me and I’ll show you how everyone in your organization can work together.

Can you jumpstart your creativity?

I am a great fan of NPR and listen to in the car and download it to my iPad.  Last night I heard science writer Jonah Lehrer, author of Imagine: How Creativity Works, explore where innovative thoughts originate and explains how some companies are now working to create environments where they're more likely to occur.

Here's a great story about looking at a problem from a different angle can be the solution! He begins the book by talking about a frustrating challenge for Procter & Gamble, trying to invent a new line of soaps for their mops. They gave it to a team of chemists who struggled for years to come up with a stronger soap. You can make a soap stronger, but then you may peel the varnish off wood floors, you may irritate delicate skin. So after a couple years of struggle and failure, the executives at Procter & Gamble decided let's just outsource this problem. They gave it to a design firm called Continuum and they began by spending nine months watching people mop their floor.

They said we don't know more chemistry than the chemists at Procter & Gamble, an innovation powerhouse and we're not going to out-chemistry these chemists. You know, maybe we should just watch people mop?

So they watched people mop splashing around dirty water in the bathtub. And the first thing they discovered is that mopping is a terrible idea, that people spend more time cleaning the mop, than they do cleaning the actual floor.

It becomes very clear that mopping is a bad technology and they needed something better. But they didn't know how to replace it. And so then one day, they're making another field visit. And it's an elderly lady, and they surreptitiously spill some coffee on her floor. Because one of the things you find when you make sight visits, and you tell people we're coming to watch you clean your floors, that they clean their floor before you actually get there, you know, because they want the house to be spotless. But then you're not really seeing how people do it.
And so they intentionally spilled some coffee on her floor, and watched how she cleaned it up. And although this lady said that she always vacuumed and mopped, that's not what she did. Instead, she got out her paper towels and tore a paper towel and wet them with some water and then wiped it along the floor.

And right there, that is when they had their big idea, and that's where the Swiffer came from. Here's the entire interview - http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=148607182

Can we jump start our fundraising creativity by watching the donor (or someone who gave and doesn't anymore)?  Can we find out what their motivation were - how they make their decisions?  I know there is a lot of research on the subject, but like the outside design firm, I think you should go to the source.  For major gift givers, ask their motivation; what is the pleasure they get; what satisfies them that their donation has made a difference?  Be sure to engage in a two-way conversation.  You may find some creative ways to reach out and reward your donors and keep them!

A Tale of Two States - Creating Stong Partnerships

My consulting helps clients build a "Partnership Council," a major gift group that reaches out, brings in new leadership and resources and raises between $500,000 and two million dollars through multi-year campaigns.

Most of you know that working with prominent business executives and community leaders can be a tricky union. They often have their own agenda and their own style. Here’s how two clients in two states - one with too much control and own with too little - solved this problem.

In Georgia, I have a go-getter client who has built his agency into a nationally-recognized leader. Now he's facing the end of a large private funding cycle. I helped him recruit leading businesspeople with resources throughout the country onto a Partnership Council. That was the goal.

However, instead of creating an orchestra with the Executive Director as the conductor, this turned into a one-man band. Despite capable staff and engaged leaders, the client made every appointment and every ask.

Finally, I pointed out that the goal was to build "Relationship Ambassadors" who could work "for and with" him. The Council members needed to be coached and encouraged to reach out to their networks and bring him in as needed. Now, there are dynamic Council Chairs working with him to set appointments, make asks and greatly expand the campaign’s reach to raise $500,000 in the first year.

In Ohio, my client is a social worker and the chair is a very dynamic, salesperson. Here, the chair made all the contacts and filled the Council but did not introduce the client to her contacts. To reach their goals, the project needed a strong guidance from the staff professional. I coached my client to take charge, reach out to her own contacts - a state legislator, reality television star, landlord – and begin to recruit Partnership Council members on her own.

She also was firm in her request to meet the Chair's contacts before the first Council meeting. Now the two of them are on the right track together to expand this Council, reach their leadership and financial goals to raise $650,000 in the first year together.

In both cases, trust, shared values and goals are helping the organization and their high-powered volunteers make beautiful music together.

What are the right and wrong ways to raise funds?

I recently read this post by Veronica Dagher, Dow Jones Newswire and there are some great ideas to remember here!

For some charities, the difference between success and failure may not have much to do with how they spend their money. It may, instead, have to do with how they ask for money.  Here's what they charities should do—and what they shouldn't.

1. People Give to People  - this is my favorite comment
Relationships are the "heart and soul" of fund raising, it's always about who is asking.

A charity is much more likely to have success when the person making the appeal has a relationship with the potential donor. What's more, when a charity receives an introduction to a potential donor from an existing supporter, even if it's solely through an email, the charity is automatically seen as more credible in the eyes of the potential donor. In addition, charities that take the time to cultivate relationships with existing donors year-round, not just when the charity needs money, are likely to be more successful in their appeals.


2. Show Me the Leadership
Fiscal integrity is a key characteristic of strong nonprofit leadership. Prospective donors need to know that the charity's CEO will ensure the responsible stewardship of donations made to support the mission.  The charity needs to let the prospective donor know specifically how the money will be used, she says, and then, most of all, follow up and communicate with the donor on how the money was put to work.  This is a great way to follow-up and build the relationship.

3. Teach, Don't Sell
An organization that teaches a donor about an issue has a much higher chance of success than one that just "pitches" a donor about the organization's cause. For example, an organization that educates a donor about what's working and not working in education reform will likely resonate more than a charity that solely tells the donor about the charity's work in education reform, he says. Similarly, giving donors a firsthand experience of an issue, say by inviting them to volunteer in the shelter the charity is asking them to support, can make a big difference.

4. Tap Their Passion
Charities that help donors uncover their values, passions, dreams and aspirations can be a breath of fresh air to donors who may not be used to being asked what they want.  This is part of what I teach and it takes a good back-and forth and a willingness to share.  A fund-raiser might ask a prospect questions such as, "When did you first learn about giving back?" or "If you had $1 million that you had to give way, what would you change or preserve in the world?"

The questions will help the charity uncover the underlying story of the donor and gets to the core of how and why the donor really wants to make a difference. Ideally, the donor will want to support the inquiring charity's cause. But either way, by asking these questions the charity will likely be remembered by the prospect as the one that cared about the donor, not just the donor's wallet.

5. Start Them Early
Ideally, a child, from a fairly young age, is learning from his or her parents and grandparents how to be a wise giver, says Nathan Dungan, a wealth coach and president of Share Save Spend, which is based in Minneapolis. While children are likely to learn about giving through their families or schools, charities that simplify their messages for kids and engage children using understandable pictures and videos can help build a future generation interested in philanthropy, he says.
Nonprofits that teach kids and their parents how even a small sum of money can make a huge difference for someone working their way out of poverty, for example, can resonate with a child from an early age, Mr. Dungan says.

The Wrong Way

1. Making a Confusing Pitch
On a site visit to a charity with a donor who was picking among three organizations to give $100,000, the charity's director did his best for an hour describing what the charity did and showed the prospect large photos of some of the organization's programs.  But as they left, the donor's first question was, "What is it that they do there?" The charity's "catalog of 'We do this and we do that and at Thanksgiving we do this' " just confused the prospect.

2. Insulting the Donor
"Saying to a donor 'Your dad always funded us' rarely works."This can be insulting to donors, because it assumes something about them before even getting to know them. Charities risk alienating donors if they don't realize that a donor's personal choices will be shaped by that person's own experience, which might be very different from that of a parent or anyone else the charity may have worked with who knows that prospect.
Charities can also insult a prospect by asking for an inappropriate amount, says David Ratcliffe, managing director, institutional philanthropic sales, at U.S. Trust Corp. in New York. "Asking for too little is almost an insult, but by asking for too much, the donor could be taken aback and not want to give further," he says.

3. We're Desperate!
A plea of desperation may work with donors once, but it's not an effective long-term strategy. Repeated "emergency" requests will cause a charity to lose credibility with donors and few donors are looking to support what she calls a "sinking ship."  .

4. Getting Complacent
An organization's current donor base can be the lifeblood of an organization. Ignoring that donor base or taking their donations for granted could prompt existing donors to stop giving, says Gillian Howell, private-philanthropy executive at Bank of America.
Just because an organization has received the same grant for the same amount for 10 years, it shouldn't assume it's going to get it automatically this year, says Ms. Howell.  Not sending thank-you notes or timely gift receipts or failing to visit donors can hurt an organization's reputation with existing donors and prospects, she says.

5. Taking No for a Final Answer
Many nonprofits fail to think about how a donor who may not be able to support them this year might be able to contribute in the future, says Jane King, a Boston-based financial adviser. Nonprofits that hang up the phone before asking such prospects if they'd like to receive information about incorporating the charity into their estate plans or asking the prospects to volunteer, for example, could be missing an opportunity to receive money down the road, she says.

Community Health Workers Learn From Patients

In a recent Los Angeles Times article, I read about America Bracho, who started Latino Health Access in Orange County 18 years ago. "She puts more emphasis on education, prevention and participation than medical care."

The California Endowment chose central Santa Ana last year as one of 14 underserved areas across the state to take part in a $1-billion program to focus on building healthy communities.  Latino Health Access has more than 60 employees and hundreds more volunteers.

Mario Marin, 55, learned about the organization 10 years ago after becoming a diabetic. He took free classes on how to manage the disease and soon began teaching them.

Before long, he had given up his job at a Carls Jr. and was working for Bracho's organization full time. Marin said his life is completely different from what it used to be, when he drank regularly, smoked and ate unhealthfully. "I have much experience to share," he said.

During a recent training session for community health workers at a hospital in south Orange County, each of the participants said their name, their favorite food and their hobby.

That, Bracho told the group, is how promotoras connect with their community. They don't develop relationships by asking about glucose readings, but rather by talking about what they have in common: favorite foods and hobbies.

And, she told them, promotoras must be open to learning from the people they are serving.

"Unlike a doctor or a lawyer, we help each other," she said. "It's reciprocal."


I think this is a great model from all medical personnel!

Are your funds going to stay the same?

Here's a new study from the 2011 Social Good Survey that suggests that donations to nonprofits next year will remain at 2011 levels.

I think many clients are not that optimistic - especially those who rely on private and public grants.  One client with 98% of funds from government agencies for its housing programs is just now beginning to think about other fundraising venues!

The survey, which polled nearly 2,500 people in the U.S. and U.K., found that 72% of U.K. respondents and 65% of U.S. respondents say they expect their 2012 giving will remain the same as last year. All respondents in the 2011 Social Good Survey were older than 18 and had given at least $10 to charity in 2011.

This is certainly not catastrophic news considering that nearly $300 billion dollars were donated to charity in 2010 (2011 numbers are unavailable but likely similar).

What’s most surprising is that despite the potential giving plateau, respondents acknowledged that non-profits were the most effective change-makers. Of those surveyed, 12% of U.K. respondents and 18% of U.S. respondents said they plan to give more in 2012.

The largest motivator for giving is still a personal connection. When asked what would inspire a donation, the two highest responses were “a cause they believed in” (44% in the U.K., 35% in the U.S.) and a personal connection to the organizations (24% in the U.K., 18% in the U.S.).

Less than half of the total respondents felt that non-profits and charities do a good job of spending funds and managing operations. However, the study showed that the more a person knew about the non-profit world, the more positive they were about the efficacy of non-profits.

Worlds Colliding

I love it when worlds collide, as George used to say on Seinfeld.

The two worlds are both related to higher education.  My son, who did not want to go to college after high school, attended community college. He was just accepted at a prestigious private university and I’m convinced it was the relationships he built with his professors that propelled him forward.

At his orientation, the welcome included advice from Making the Most of College by Professor Richard J. Light (Harvard University Press), based on a 10-year study of which factors were most likely to improve students’ learning and overall happiness.

• Get to know at least one faculty member reasonably well each semester, and get that faculty member to know you too. You’ll feel more connected to your school (and those letters of recommendation from faculty members will be helpful later on). For students at large schools or commuter campuses this may be more difficult, but it’s worth the effort. 

How can your student do this?  I suggest they visit each professor once or twice during office hours just to introduce themselves, show interest in the professor’s work, let them know a little about you and comment on the class. 

The second world emerged from the Texas Community College Teachers Association this week where I conducted a two-day workshop on relationship-building. It turns out that some of the colleges are working on professional development courses to help professors connect with students on a more personal basis to improve the rate of student success!

They are also using relationship-building skills to improve their networking with community and business leaders, to build consensus among their colleagues and peers in the state to initiate new programs.

Los Angeles feedback

I had a terrific time at The Center for Nonprofit Management's Executive Learning Program.  Working with these energetic and committed leaders is very rewarding.

What did they feel were their biggest lessons about relationship fundraising?

Here are some comments:

"These are timeless life skills. Relationships create safety and trust and build emotion. Fulfillment of your destiny does not come in a moment, a month or a year, but over a lifetime."

"Marshall taught me how to evaluate my communication style and how to adapt to connect with others. I like to direct.  Now, I'll tune into the others' style and communicate in the way they need."

"Just like the rest of our lives, life is all about relationships and now it's clear that in the nonprofit world, it's all about relationships! Learn to take time to build relationships, not because we want something, but it's the proper thing to do.

"I will get together with my Board and others just to know them better personally and for enjoyment!"

Thanks students, I couldn't have said it better myself!

Take the pressure off your fundraising

I always like to hear how my readers use relationship-building techniques.  One of the Boy Scouts of  America development teams is using "Let's Have Lunch" principles to establish stronger connections in their community. 

Here's what one of the development pros said of their new approach (building relationships). "It's liberating--I no longer feel pressure to walk out of first-time meetings with prospects with a tangible commitment for something. Instead, our focus now is to establish and build relationships, then engage the person meaningfully in the organization."

That's a great attitude.  It is definitely a longer-term view but one that has much richer rewards.  This approach will raise more money and, by forging a meaningful relationship, the donor will  help them reach out to a bigger community of support.

Making yourself a person before having to become a fundraiser - a lesson

We can all learn about connecting emotionally from Chris Christie, New Jersey’s Governor, who is a master of this art. Whether you agree with him politically or not, Andy Goodman of Free Range Thinking says Christie makes himself likeable by connecting emotionally, being a person first and telling stories about himself.

Here’s what we can learn: ‘ Human beings respond emotionally to incoming information even before their brains are fully engaged. If our emotions are negative (e.g., anger, distrust, fear), our brains will find ways to ignore or discount the incoming information. In short: we believe what we want to believe regardless of facts.’

New York Times political columnist Matt Bai wrote, “. . . Christie understands this.  He knows that his message has to be grounded in the personal. ‘If you’re asking people to do some really difficult things. . . ’ Christie told me, ‘I think they feel more comfortable doing those things if they know you.’

“So Christie makes a point of sharing things about himself first . . .’I have an Irish father, and a Sicilian mother. In my house, my parents left nothing unsaid.’  With this, Christie becomes a person, before he has to be a politician.”

In my work to inspire, motivate and engage boards, volunteers and staff, I too begin by revealing details about my life. I show them how to professionally do this on the phone, through email or in person.  I want to see where our lives intersect and what common interests we might share.

To break down stereotypes that people might have about you before you meet, you need to become a person first before you become a fundraiser. Like Christie, do you have some signature statements or icebreakers that help you connect emotionally?  What stories can you tell to connect personally?

Contact me through www.marshallhoward.com and let me know what works for you.

A Small Change Makes a Big Difference

I've been reading the blog "A Small Change" for some time and think Jason Dick, a Redmond WA major gifts officer has a great style.  His blog is well-written, timely and has great advice.  I'm very flattered he wrote the following about my book: 

"It was probably the best fundraising book that I’ve read in the last couple of years. The book is written in such a way that it benefits both the beginning and seasoned fundraisers," he wrote.  "I am a big fan of checklists that I need to do to be successful. Marshall has done a great job creating some great checklists with tools we can use to build relationships"  Check out Jason's blog. I'm a fan of his!

Six Relationship Secrets to Easily Raise Money for Your Charity

In addition to being the title of my new DVD training series, this is the title of a blog by Kristen Schultz of Crescendo Interactive.  We had a great conversation and this is what resulted!

I spoke this week with Marshall Howard, philanthropic trainer and author of “Let's Have Lunch Together.” Marshall recently released a training series entitled “Six Secrets to Easily Raise Money.” I asked him to share with me his vision of how charities can become more effective at raising gifts.

Marshall said that one of the biggest secrets is that relationship emotion is the most powerful emotion (more powerful than mission emotion) for compelling gifts. People decide emotionally and justify logically about just about everything they do. And yet, when a charity wants a prospective donor to help, they often become logical and informational rather than relational. Consequently, charities may struggle to connect emotionally with people because they are so focused on mission, as opposed to cultivating the donor relationship.

Over 75% of people who attend fundraising events are there because they cannot say no to the asker. Most of these persons have no relationship to the hosting organization, but they have a relationship with the person who made the “ask.” Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg made his $100 million contribution to Newark schools because he built a relationship with Newark Mayor Cory Booker. Zuckerberg reportedly had never stepped foot in a Newark school prior to the gift. Similarly, Warren Buffet gave $37 billion to the Gates Foundation because of his relationship with Bill and Melinda Gates.

Here are some of the take aways from Marshall on building relationships:

• First comes the relationship and then the charity’s mission message will be heard.

• You can build relationships in many ways – in person, on the phone or even by e-mail.

• Relationships are a repeatable, measureable process. The ability to measure a person’s relationship means you can better measure “when” to make the “ask.”

• If you can build the relationship, you will be able to discover a person’s resources and community and know “what” to ask for.

When you think of a relationship as a series of positive emotional connections between two people that produces trust, Marshall says that trust opens a huge door for giving. Where there is trust, the message about the organization and the “ask” is very different and the person will listen and evaluate it in light of their relationship with the “asker.”

 

To learn more of Marshall’s secrets visit http://www.marshallhoward.com/. For new ways to multiply your donor relationships through eMarketing visit http://www.giftlegacy.com/ or call 1-800-858-9154.  For more of Kristen's blogs, visit http://kristenschultz.blogspot.com/

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.

Words of Wisdom from the Girl Scouts

Frances Hesselbein has become an iconic nonprofit leader. From her nearly 20 years of leadership with the "Girl Scouts (13 years as national CEO) to her current position as founding president of the Leader to Leader Institute (formerly the Peter F. Drucker Foundation), Hesselbein has shown herself to be a born leader.

Make learning central to your organization. Hesselbein, when she became national CEO of the Girl Scouts, set out to transform a dated program into a contemporary one to meet the needs of the girls...the customers. But she knew that the Girl Scouts needed to be able to keep changing when necessary. 

To that end, she invested time and money in the training and development of staff and volunteers. As Hesselbein says, "The first item in your budget should be learning, education, and the development of your people."

As a trainer and speaker, I think this is a great philosophy, but in the last four years, I have seen these budgets cut drastically!  

Conversation Starters and Stoppers!

For those of you who are traveling this season, here are some tips to stop a conversation from our friends at Southwest!

"I can't really talk with anyone until I've had two drinks and I always stop after my first."

"I am sorry, I cannot talk with you - I have given up face-to-face conversation as a personal experiment."  (Sound like some of our younger friends?)

Now here are some starters (think about using some of these to unleash information from someone with whom you are trying to build a relationship).

"If you had to give up one type of communication you use regularly, which would you choose? Why?"

"If you had to move to a different state, where would you go?  Why?"

"What are the longest trips you've ever taken by distance and duration? What was the best part of each?"

Happy traveling to everyone - I hope you enjoy a joyous and wonderful Christmas and a very special New Year!

Let's Have Lunch Together is NOT like a Stereo Manual

Thank you to Samantha Bellows who wrote a fan letter about my book.  She said "It's always hard to read a book about building relationships that reads like a stero manual."

"So much information about how to approach people." Samantha also liked the tips on how to create the relationships. "It was long my opinion that you should form "friendships" almost with people that are important to you professionally to keep a good bond.

She's correct - these "friendships almost" are friendships in the professional realm.  It does not mean making a new friends but rather instilling trust in you by the other person.

Thanks  Samantha.  You know we authors love feedback!