When is a Charity Ready to Hire a Professional Fundraiser?
Reprinted here with permission from the Resource Centre for Volunteer Organizations: www.rcvo.orgby Roger Richard Breault, MCS, CFRE
You are ready to hire a professional fundraiser when “the need” arises, and board and staff members are ready to support the new fundraiser.
“The need” is as a desire to provide solutions for the community. As your organization matures, it discovers that its mandate can be better fulfilled if it fundamentally solves problems. These discoveries generally take place during strategic planning exercises. Good strategic plans review what you are currently doing, how you are doing it, and how you can better do what you do. Not always, but sometimes, you require more money. If the additional money cannot be re-allocated from your budget, you will need to raise it. If you do not have enough manpower within the ranks of your volunteer board and existing staff to raise the money, the solution is to hire a professional fundraiser to help you achieve your goals.
The translation of your strategic plan into an action plan is your budget. Your expenses will reflect your objectives and priorities - what you want to accomplish. Your revenues will reflect how you are going to do it. When you stack up your revenues against your expenses and you have a shortfall, it’s time to consider hiring a fundraiser. Sounds simple doesn’t it? It is. However, following a few guidelines will help your organization set realizable/realistic goals for your new fundraising staff member.
The Nine Guidelines:
1 Do not make any extraordinary leaps in your fundraising objectives from year-to-year. If it’s your first year of fundraising, people will not expect to have you knocking you at their doorstep asking for support. Your strategic plan and your budget must reflect this. As they say: “Rome was not built in a day.” If you want to double the size of a program and it calls for double the money, expand the program gradually over a period of years, instead of all at once, if it calls for extra fundraising.
The next five relate to budgeting for fundraising:
2 Generally, if you are raising money for operating programs and services, budget on a 75/25 return on your investment. In other words, if your want to raise an additional $100,000, budget a minimum of $25,000 for fundraising. If you have never raised money in a concerted way before, count on spending up to $50,000 or more. Why?
3 Your first year of fundraising will be your least efficient. To raise considerable sums you need a large number of donors. Acquiring new donors is an expensive proposition. If you are using direct-mail for example, the first year will be a break-even situation. It’s in the second, third year and fourth year that it will pay off. That’s when donors become accustomed to you and will feel confident in giving you more.
4 Special events are a good means of raising money. Generally count on having to spend at least $0.35 to raise a dollar through a special event. If it’s a first time event, count on having to spend even more, around $0.50 to raise a dollar.
5 Planned givingand major gifts rarely ever pay off until about the third year of its operation and is not recommended until you have been steadfastly fundraising for at least five years. Generally that’s when your number of donors has increased substantially and you can begin nurturing sizable gifts from some of them. Planned giving is based on trusting relationships and it takes years to develop them.
6 Capital campaigns, campaigns “for bricks and mortar” or for endowments, almost always need the assistance of a professional fundraiser. Such campaigns are complex. They require prospect research, preparation of case statements, volunteer recruitment and training, donor tracking and pledge-collection systems, major gift expertise, knowledge of sequential giving, superior understanding of the philanthropic marketplace, and advanced communication skills. Generally, an organization needs to budget between 7% and 10% of its capital campaign fundraising goal to achieve objective. This includes staff costs, donor recognition systems, launch event costs, printing, travel expenses and a feasibility study.
Often, organizations hire fundraisers and think that their financial woes will be over. With a fundraising staff member working daily, your organization will be able to raise the needed money to support programs and services of your agency. Right? Not necessarily...
7 No matter how well versed your new fundraiser is, he/she will need tools, information and a base of operations to succeed. First and foremost, this will include support. He/she cannot do it alone. An organization cannot simply say: “Well, we’ve hired fundraiser, it all up to him or her”. Whose responsibility is to raise money anyway? It’s everyone’s. Your new fundraiser will need to support of the board and other staff to accomplish fundraising objectives. This support must be active and constant.
8 Board members are instrumental in helping to raise money. Fundraising cannot be done effectively without them. Here’s how they can help:
Help identify prospective supporters
Make telephone calls to key prospects to open doors for the fundraiser to visit them and ask for support
Better still, accompany the fundraiser in making a key appeal for support – especially if it’s one your own contacts
Report back to the fundraiser any new opportunity for fundraising and report progress you are making with their assignments to either introduce the charity or increase their support. The professional fundraiser acts like a quarterback on a football team. He/she will sees the entire field of operation and he/she is usually in the best position to direct board members in their approaches and ensure that all appeals are coordinated and none are duplicated.
Board members must know, advance and promote the cause wherever possible
9 Here’s how fellow staff can help:
Like Board members, all staff must also know and advance the cause everywhere
Staff members also have contacts. You too can help identify prospects, make introductory calls, accompany the fundraiser on appeals
For special events and special blitzes, all staff need to pitch in
Above all, fellow staff must support the fundraiser and the fundraising program by adopting a helpful positive attitude
After studying the above nine principles and you can positively answer that your need is real, that you have realistic expectations and you’re prepared to support this new staff member, you are ready to proceed. Hire one.
A series of short articles on how to acquire the seven character traits necessary to become an excellent professional or volunteer fundraiser:
Principle number one: Intelligence
Principle number two: Fervency
Principle number three: Self-Confidence
Principle number four: Direction
Principle number five: Efficiency
Principle number six: Persuasiveness
Principle number seven: Be Socratic
Character in Fundraising: Introduction
Fundraising, as a practice, is a relatively new profession. Much of the formative literature regarding the profession emphasizes the technical and a systematic application of approaches. While these are important, little has been said or taught about “what makes a fundraiser tick”. More than sales, involving volunteers, concerning matters of the heart, fundraising requires the acquisition of a special set of character traits and unique associated skills. Nobody is born a natural fundraiser. What are the characteristics of a good fundraiser? How do you acquire these character traits?
Whether you are a seasoned professional, a volunteer, or just budding into the business of philanthropy, this series of seven articles can help you. The series draws largely from sources other than traditional fundraising books and publications. It extracts pearls of wisdom from books in popular philosophy. The seven character traits are: Intelligence, Fervency, Self Confidence, Direction, Efficiency, Persuasiveness and Being Socratic. Each article is short and provides the reader with additional readings for further study. The articles help you discover your strengths as a fundraiser and explore how you can improve on your shortcomings to become a more complete and effective agent of philanthropy for your agency and for the community.
This booklet is a handout accompanying the worksheets for the workshop on the topic:
Develop Character Traits for Fundraising Success. Comments on the articles are welcome.
As a person who is handicapped, Roger offers excellent assistance to those who want to overcome seemingly impossible odds to achieve personal and professional success. His message centers on integrity and the importance, joy and beauty of asking for help.
Roger is fluently bilingual in French and English.
Character in Fundraising – Principle Number One: Intelligence
This article is the first of series on the subject of seven character traits to develop to become an effective, productive and authentic fundraiser. It is written with the intent to fill a sizable gap in the formation and education of those who want to be true fundraising professionals.
“All the books that we will ever need to make us as rich, as healthy, as happy, as powerful, as sophisticated and as successful as we want to be have already been written. There is little difference between someone who cannot read and someone who will not read.” So says Dr. Jim Rohn in his book, The Five Major Pieces to the Life Puzzle.
Are you working smarter as a fundraiser than you were at this time last year? Intelligence in fundraising comes in many forms. The practical application of the “how to’s” of the business is just the beginning. We all know however, that mastering technique is not enough. The true measure of our improvement is personal growth.
This takes a continual and methodical commitment to learning. Books, audiotapes, conferences and speakers teach us how to become better at what we do. They inform, inspire and encourage us to raise the bar. Here is the ultimate question. What are we doing to apply this intelligent thinking?
The most common maxim of the popular philosophers, the Covey’s, Peale’s Carnegie’s, Jeffers’ Schuler’s and Ziglar’s of this world, is to always benefit from our mistakes. Success lies hidden in error. We can all learn from our mistakes if we are intelligent about it. Every mistake we make reveals an opportunity for growth. Yet, why is it that many of us commit the same blunders repeatedly?
It’s simple. We lack the clarity to see where we have gone wrong and secondly the discipline to mend our ways. Character lies precisely in the promise to ourselves and to our respective employers to become continually better.
Much has been written and said about it, but in the end, it all boils down two golden rules. We are all intelligent enough to reflect on what we have done and what we do daily. Recording our actions aids to interpret our actions. Some of the greatest thinkers, Montaigne, Thoreau, Socrates, Franklin did precisely that. That’s how they grew up to be so “healthy, wealthy and wise”. Their consistent review of their encounters and confrontations gave them the insight to know what habits they needed to change to renew their commitment to living full lives. That’s the first half of it. The second is to fix it –permanently, through a deep and abiding desire to develop and practice principles and philosophies that become you and bring out the best in you.
Intelligence in fundraising goes beyond reading the professional literature. The expansion of your horizons to include gurus in all aspects of management, motivation, personal growth, philosophy, good literature, humor and even spiritualism is essential. Apply universal truths and guiding principles to consistently improve your personality and your character.
Recommended Readings on the Subject of Intelligence in Fundraising:
Covey, Steven, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
Goldman, Daniel Emotional Intelligence
Morgan Bynan, Margaret, Speedlearning for a Higher IQ
Peale, Norman Vincent, The Power of Positive Thinking
Rohn, Jim, The Five Pieces to the Life Puzzle
Character in Fundraising- Principle Number Two: Fervency
This article is the second of series on the subject of seven character traits to develop to become an effective, productive and authentic fundraiser. It is written with the intent to fill a sizable gap in the formation and education of those who want to be true fundraising professionals.
Most fundraisers don’t work for a religious charity. Our supporters aren’t driven by a theology that fosters automatic positive responses to our requests. Somehow, we must convey our fervor and belief that a gift to our cause makes a difference. If there is any doubt about that in our mind, we’re probably working for the wrong charity or in the wrong profession altogether.
The process begins and ends with fervency. How strongly do we deem that “ours” is a good cause? Of course, we cite “pat” answers; a donation will increase “the quality of life” is a common response. As fundraisers, we sometimes switch allegiances, work for different agencies. Proper execution of the mechanics of fundraising isn’t enough. To feel good, we must believe in our agency with all our might. Winning fundraisers are fervent about their charity and they show it.
“God, I want patience and I want it right now!” Devout fundraisers know that that there will be obstacles, they expect them, and even prepare for them. Fervency translates into a firm and unyielding commitment to making objective. More than that, it presupposes problems, that we can learn from them, grow and make our organization grow with us through due diligence.
It’s said that one of most important qualities that a professional fundraiser must develop is persistence. It’s true. When analyzed, this character trait derives most of its power from an unwavering devotion to the cause. It begins within us if it’s going to manifest booming results.
One of the best books fundraisers can read is Dr. Robert Schuler’s Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do. Disguised as a book on motivation, it gives professionals practical and sound advice on all aspects of the business. True, Schuler wrote the book sighting examples of fundraising for a religious cause; nevertheless he effectively makes a conscious effort to apply the principles of fervency to the secular world. It’s “a must read” for anyone interested in developing a strong and genuine character in fundraising.
The application of the principle of creative visualization as a channel to convert plans to reality is central to fundraising. This idea takes its strength from a fervent belief in the cause we are advancing. In the end, it’s faith that makes it happen for us: faith on our organization, faith in our donors, faith in our plans and faith in ourselves above all. That’s what grants us the satisfaction of a good day’s work and a successful career in the vocation.
It matters little what others think, what external stimuli drive us to raise money; successful fundraising must be authentic. We can learn to overcome outside forces: negative friends, foes, pain, grief, or the fear of failure. A fervent belief in our cause helps us surmount even the most difficult challenges. Fortunately for us, this character feature can grow in us. How? Through daily creative visualization and “possibility thinking”, we can realize what we advocate devotedly.
Fervency is a fundamental character trait in fundraising. As Henry Ford stated: “Think you can or think you can’t, you’re probably right”. It’s those of us who muster up enough courage and faith on our beliefs that give positive credit to our beloved profession.
A Short List of Selected Readings on the Subject of Fervency in Fundraising
LeBoeuf, Michael The Greatest Management Principle of the World
Schuler, Dr. Robert How to Be the Person You Want to Be
Schuler, Dr. Robert Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do
Victor, Dr. Mark How to Sell Yourself to Anyone
Character in Fundraising- Principle Number Three: Confidence
This article is the third of series on the subject of seven character traits to develop to become an effective, productive and authentic fundraiser. It is written with the intent to fill a sizable gap in the formation and education of those who want to be true fundraising professionals.
Everyday, the fundraiser must test his/her confidence. The mere setting of fundraising objectives is an act of confidence. In fundraising, it boils down to: 1) an expression of confidence that your goals are both realizable and realistic; 2) that the volunteers will be there to carry out the required duties; 3) that the campaigns are supported by your selected target markets; 4) that the technologies will work; and 5) that your Board of Directors and CEO confidently encourage your efforts to make it all happen.
Have you ever had to put your job on the line over the achievement of fundraising objective? It’s frightening to know that your performance will be measured by how much money you will raise at the end of the day, at the end of an event, at the end of an appeal or at the end of the fiscal year. For some, this challenge can turn into sleepless nights and extraordinary commitments of worktime just to keep the job.
It doesn’t have to be that way. At birth we fear nothing. As we get older, we live up to our parents’ expectations to play it safe. Eventually we venture out on our own and experience disappointment. Then, we may succumb to heeding the advice of some of our peers who belittle our abilities and always want us to “take care” instead of “take charge”.
We may become accustomed to accepting the more comfortable and deceivingly easier way to perform. That’s when we begin to believe that being gutless; procrastination and the avoidance of risk-taking are the norm. There is no room for this kind of thinking in the fundraising business.
Intelligent analysis of risk taking must become second nature to us. Fortunately, you can develop this character trait through eager observation, studying and impartial detachment. Risk taking need not be a source of fear and immobilization; on the contrary, it can become a stimulant and a means to acquire more and more courage daily. How? It’s a matter of learning how to marshal stress into a positive and productive force that propels and motivates you to achieve a higher level. These skills and abilities can be mastered. They have the desired affect of increasing our effectiveness and capacity. Combined with the continual commitment to learn and authentic living, they make the fundraiser a formidable and unstoppable agent for the good of the community.
Overcoming the fear to change takes practice and diligent thinking. Effective fundraisers exude confidence in everything they do. They do not fear to make mistakes, to accept ambitious challenges, to undertake remarkable plans, they get those the major gifts. They succeed beyond everyone’s expectation. Why? They have confidence in themselves -confidence gained through the active and systematic development of the acquisition of courage. They understand Susan Jeffers’ maxim from her book Feel the Fear, Do It Anyway: “Ships are safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are built for”.
A Short List of Selected Readings on the Subject of Confidence in Fundraising:
Hill, Napoleon, The Science of Personal Achievement
Jeffers, Susan, Feel The Fear, Do It Anyway
Dyer, Dr. Wayne, How To Be A No Limit Person
Viscott, Dr. David, Risking –The Anatomy of Risk Taking
Wanderer, Zev, Acquiring Courage
Character in Fundraising - Principle Number Four: Direction
This article is the fourth of series on the subject of seven character traits to develop to become an effective, productive and authentic fundraiser. It is written with the intent to fill a sizable gap in the formation and education of those who want to be true fundraising professionals.
“Quo vadis?” “Où vas-tu?” Where are you going? It’s a question that rings some of us allot of the time; for all of us it rattles in our minds at least some of the time.
The question of our life and its direction must resonate at least occasionally. Where are you going with your fundraising? What’s your goal? How do you get there? What’s your starting point? This last question may be the easiest to answer. Your starting point is always the here and now. It demands reflection nonetheless.
Direction in life, whether it’s the pursuit of professional or personal goals, always involves a sense of values. What do you value? The Institute for Global Ethics, a world-wide think tank that studied several cultures across major religions and different continents, found a common denominator of five pillars/values that humans agree upon as being most important: Honesty, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness and Compassion. Of course we espouse these values. What about our actions, our paths, our strategies, our feelings? Do they reflect this bearing?
Begin with the end in mind. This golden maxim is what drives every great mind and changes our world daily. When our sense of direction and accomplishment is founded in the five universal values and it includes a plan that propels our action, we cannot help but achieve at a higher level. Where we are going, what we do, how we get there and the results of our work are focused; what’s more, we will feel better about ourselves.
Much of our sense of direction in the fundraising business is couched in hollow words like objectives, strategies, and plans. What these “work-words” fail to convey to us as we move ahead in our charitable work and our careers is that we are marching to the tune of a different drummer. Our drummer is inherently honest, respectful, responsible, fair and compassionate isn’t she? The significance of our profession is that it embraces these values as the primary motivating force behind everything that we do. It delivers a profound sense of appreciation; it eases the burden of the day-to-day drudgery of some aspects of our work. Whether you are a professional or a volunteer, as a fundraiser you can take pride that you are contributing to the emancipation of humanity through directed efforts to express compassion, to restore dignity and respect and to facilitate fairness. This is the true starting place of our sense of direction.
On the practical side, it’s usually useful to set goals daily. Keep them front and center to ensure that you are pursuing your sense of direction. However mundane at times, your work will appear easier and more meaningful if it functions in aim of where you are going. Why? Because when you look at look at it in this way, you are concentrating on how to make things happen rather than “if” things happen. A sense of direction enables you to become resolute in what you do it and it motivates to accomplish more and it generates more.
The three previous character traits we have reviewed to-date in this series, intelligence, fervency and self-confidence burgeon when they are accompanied by a keen sense of direction. Without it, they are empty promises.
Let’s go back to the beginning. Let’s question fundamentals as Socrates wisely asks us. “Quo vadis?” “Where are you going? What’s the purpose of your life, what practical steps are you taking to get closer to these goals? On what values are these goals based?
Some wise person said: “There is no finish line”. It’s true. Once you have achieved a plateau of accomplishment there will always be a loftier goal towards which we can strive. You can be comforted by the fact that when your sense of direction is founded on noble values and that you do your very best to realize aspirations through your fundraising, your fulfillment will grow and you will feel ennobled about what you are doing. Having a keen and clear sense of direction is essential to being a successful fundraiser.
A Short List of Selected Readings on the Subject of Direction in Fundraising
Covey, Steven, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
Gross, Ronald, Socrates’ Way
Kidder, Rushworth M., How Good People Make Tough Choices, Resolving the Dilemmas of Ethical Living
McCormack, Mark, Giving it 110%
Character in Fundraising- Principle Number Five: Efficiency
This article is the fifth of series on the subject of seven character traits to develop to become an effective, productive and authentic fundraiser. It is written with the intent to fill a sizable gap in the formation and education of those who want to be true fundraising professionals.
Have you ever wondered why the business of fundraising generates so much paperwork? It’s amazing isn’t it? There are so many priorities, some things are urgent; others are important and may not require immediate attention. The in-basket climbs and, in spite of keeping a frenetic pace, you never diminish the volume of work that needs to be accomplished.
The predictable question arises: “How efficient am I?” Am I getting as much done daily to keep the flow and am I concentrating enough on planning and organizing my work to meet future demands? Steven Covey offers an instructive way to keep a healthy perspective on these matters. He asks us to keep a detached attitude and to simply carve up our work and our personal objectives into four quadrants. Take a look at your priorities. What’s urgent, but not important? What’s urgent AND important? What’s not urgent, but important? What’s not urgent and not important? The quadrant that demands the greatest emphasis is obvious. It’s the second quadrant. The trick is to spend most of your time working on things that are BOTH urgent and important.
You might say: “Well that’s all very fine, but how do I do it?” If you can limit your busy work and concentrate on your daily plan, you will become more efficient and productive in your work. Matters that are important but not urgent like strategic planning, research, major gift cultivation, planned giving get swept aside too often by tedious day-to-day routines. Budget time daily for important priorities. If you need the time, take it. Don’t feel guilty about not answering every telephone call the moment it rings; eliminate useless meetings; prepare for the meetings that you to must attend; organize the ones that that you chair. More significantly allow yourself time to do it. Organize your priorities daily by making a “to do” list the night before. Use your peak performance times for creative work; place outgoing calls all at once. Have a plan and stick to it.
Now what about that clutter of paper on your desk or in your in-basket? Here’s a practical tip I’ve used effectively. It works for me. It keeps in mind that “in fundraising, timing isn’t everything; it’s the only thing”. If you need to accomplish a task on a certain day, mark it on your calendar, then take all the paperwork associated with it and place it in an accordion-folder numbered one to thirty-one for the day that you want to work on it. Wow! What a beautiful way to eliminate desk clutter and systematize your work priorities. Some pundits call this organized procrastination. I call it working intelligently!
Efficiency comes in many forms. It comes primarily from learning from what others do well and emulating their good habits; it also comes from diligent observation of what we seem to do inefficiently and making an effort NOT to repeat the same mistakes. Take a hard look at what you do routinely with the view of improving how much time it takes to get it done; it’s astonishing how much more you can get done daily when we put into practice this frame of mind.
“By the yard it’s hard, by the inch, it’s a cinch.” Concentrate on one thing at a time. Fundraising is multi-taking taken sometimes to the extreme. When you use your power of focus to get something done, the task will not burden you any longer it deserves.
A Short List of Selected Readings on the Subject of Fervency in Fundraising
Burka, Dr. Jane, Do it Now, Overcome Procrastination
Covey, Steven Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
Given, Charles Super-Self
Hewlitt, Les The Power of Focus
McCormack, Mark, Giving it 110%
Character in Fundraising- Principle Number Six: Persuasiveness
This article is the sixth of series on the subject of seven character traits to develop to become an effective, productive and authentic fundraiser. It is written with the intent to fill a sizable gap in the formation and education of those who want to be true fundraising professionals.
Have you tackled a CFRE accreditation exam? If you have, you’ll know that it is comprehensive. It grills you on all aspects of fundraising: annual giving, direct mail, events, planned giving, capital campaigns, elements of case statements and some aspects of management. Sadly, the measure of whether you qualify as a “professional” does not evaluate one of the most important elements of the business: your persuasiveness.
Persuasion is essential. Effective fundraisers are successful salespeople. Don’t take this pejoratively. Above all, successful salespeople actively listen and practice the art of appealing to their clients’ inner desires. Fundraisers must be able to influence and convince prospects that charitable gifts help donors satisfy an unfulfilled need and a deep yearning to aid others.
How persuasive are you? How good are you at convincing others to support your cause? Can you articulate a prospect’s need to support your organization in plain clear language? Can you explain what makes your agency distinctively different and how it makes a veritable difference in the community? Can you do it with logic, emotion? Can you illustrate the positive impact of giving through concrete, poignant, real-life anecdotes about people you’ve served? How good are you at capturing the imagination of a prospect? This takes life-long practice.
The power of persuasion is crucial in fundraising. To be effective you need to persuade leaders to champion your cause and others to support it. Mainly, we rely on three skills to be persuasive: 1) an ability to listen attentively, 2) a facility with the written word, and 3) the development of a verbal talent of expressing yourself commandingly. Fortunately these are capabilities that we can hone. When we polish these competencies, we develop a strong character trait that will nourish us in our careers and in our personal life. “De facto”, we become persuasive.
How do we work on these character traits? Effectual communication can be defined as the exchange of information whereby both parties are transformed by the interchange of ideas. Many noted authors have proven that persuasive people have worked hard on developing this ability. It can be mastered. I know. I used to do most of the talking when I conversed with others. In doing so, I thought that I’d be far more convincing. Nothing is further from the truth. Persuasive people are first-rate listeners, not foghorns. The study of body language helps also.
As fundraisers we are called upon to write persuasive copy. We write case statements, brochures, direct mail, reports, letters and plans. Wording, text formatting and our prose differ depending on the purpose of a document. Our writing style must vary according to the emotion and the effect that we want to elicit on the part of the reader. Do you write with the reader in mind? Does the style of our writing respect the reader? Have we used proven techniques and writing tricks to call special attention to salient points of the text? Books and articles provide answers. To be persuasive, read them; practice what the masters tell us.
Verbal acuity is one of the most important character traits of fundraisers. All of us can become better at expressing ourselves. If you are not comfortable addressing a group of people, take a course on how to do it; force yourself to accept speaking engagements to tune your verbal skills; if needed, join Toastmasters to get better; expand your vocabulary through selected readings.
A Short List of Selected Readings on the Subject of Persuasiveness in Fundraising
Carnegie, Dale, How to Win Friends and Influence People
Kerr, Michael, You Can’t be Serious, Putting Humor to Work
Victor, Dr. Mark, How to Sell Yourself to Anyone
Ziglar, Zig, Effective Public Speaking
Character in Fundraising - Principle Number Seven: Be Socratic
This article, Be Socratic, is the last of series on the subject of seven character traits to develop to become an effective, productive and authentic fundraiser. It is written with the intent to fill a sizable gap in the formation and education of those who want to be true fundraising professionals.
Socrates, the father of Western philosophy, is often considered one of the wisest that ever lived. He founded a school of philosophy whose principles ofenquiry continue to shape the manner in which we think, gain ken, and advance as a community and as individuals within it.
Socrates was not a man of great artistic talent; he was not an Olympian; he was not a smart business success; he was not even good looking. He was a simple man. As Cicero aptly coined: “Socrates brings philosophy down from the clouds and makes it commonplace.” Socrates rightly stated: “An unexamined life is not worth living”. Socrates was gregarious; his humor was infectious and he acknowledged that everyone had something to teach us including slaves and women. His seven principles mirror the seven character traits exposed in this series of articles. They are: Know yourself, Ask great questions, Think for yourself, Challenge convention, Grow with friends, Speak the truth and Strengthen your soul.
As a fundraiser, are you asking the right questions? What are they? Are the values espoused by my charity truly mine? What’s the best method to achieve objectives? Am I constantly learning from others to become effective at my work and in my personal life? Is my resolve to accomplish my fundraising objectives coming from within? Do I have the courage of my convictions?
If you can affirm that answers to these questions are changing daily, you are probably on the right path. By definition, you are questioning yourself and those around you about fundamentals to arrive closer to the truth about you and your cause. This form of inquisition demands a sense of detachment doesn’t it?
One of the best ways to gain a detached perspective is humor. If you were the manager of a muffler shop, a sign in front of your business might read: “No appointment necessary, we can hear you coming”; a plumber’s: “Let us repair what your husband fixed.” If you were an obstetrician, the sign on your front door might read: “Push, Push Really Hard”. A criminal lawyer’s sign might state: “I have knowingly defended a number of guilty men. But the guilty never escape unscathed. My fees are sufficient punishment.”
What greeting can you post at the entrance to your office to describe your feelings and approach? I hope it indicates that you do not take yourself too seriously. It can be a way to show that you have a Socratic perspective. I might read: “Give me all you’ve got” or “My guess is liable to be as good as anyone else’s”. Here is a saying that might apply: “Take my advice, I’m not using it right now”; finally, consider choosing one of these two caution signs: “I get 100% of what I don’t ask for”; or “Beware, I appeal to noble motives.”
When you look at your net worth, you are looking at your consolidated statement. When you look at your value to an organization, what does your consolidated statement look like? Are you a net contributor? Don’t just look at the money you bring in, do you add value by questioning practices and helping colleagues and yourself discover the truth?
As fundraisers, we are constantly performing “size-ups” of our organizations, aren’t we? Where do we fit into the philanthropic marketplace? How can we modify methods of solicitation to achieve or exceed objectives? How can we improve the systems? Socrates would tell you point blank: “Conduct periodic “size-ups” of yourself too!”
To feel comfortable as a fundraiser, you want to conduct your activity with alacrity and felicity. This will be accomplished with aplomb when you adopt a Socratic disposition. It will guarantee that you will be consistently on the learning curve, it will force you to scrutinize your values and to improve your fundamental (previously examined) character traits as a successful fundraiser: “Intelligence, Fervency, Self-Confidence, Direction, Efficiency and Persuasiveness”.
A Short List of Selected Readings on the Subject of Be Socratic in Fundraising
Cousins, Norman, The Anatomy of an Illness
Frankl, Victor, Man’s Search For Meaning
Gross, Ronald, Socrates’ Way
Kerr, Michael, You Can’t be Serious, Putting Humor to Work
