Tag Archives: Fundraising Consultant

Over the TOP Fundraising Team

Don’t go alone! How long have we been preaching this to our kids. “Partner up!” It’s that simple.

The V-formation develops and runs your fundraiser successfully. What in the world!? A V-formation is a group of birds, flying in a flock, to get to where they want to go. That’s not me!

Are you sure? Wouldn’t you get further if you led a V-formation (Volunteer Formation)? It’s about managing your time effectively. WE ARE ALL TOO BUSY. Of course, we are. We don’t have time to hover over the nest. There are bigger and better things for fund raisers to be doing. Like…meeting new people and developing relationships.

We recommend building your V-formation first: Assigning roles and managing the process. BE THE LEADER!

SOAR helps people develop roles and manage processes.

V-formation is Everyone who…

Shares the cause and tells the story of how they are connected to your mission
Engages donors and sponsors (increases donations and lower costs)
Answers the following question with yes – “will this decision help us raise more money for our cause?” If the answer is no, spending time on that item is avoided

Sample Roles for your team

1. Event Coordinator

2. Marketing Collaborator

3. Hospitality Chief

Building a strong V-formation depends on communication. There are lots of ways we communicate. People do have preferences. Figure them out!

Learn more about SOAR’s Annual Coaching Program by clicking here.

Wondering about the “800?” Schedule a call or send an email to iwantto@soarwithnetworkfundraising.org

Nonprofits Collaborate in Teller County, Colorado To Create Impact

The Nonprofit Cooperative in Teller County, Colorado is a project of SOAR with Network Fundraising. Organizations represented at the meeting on January 8 were:

Mountain Top Cycling Club
Teller County Farmer’s Market Association
Woodland Park Farmer’s Market
Woodland Park Main Street
Colorado Phoenix Project
Junior Achievement of Teller County
Pikes Peak Rotary Club
Lighter Side of Christmas Parade
Woodland Park Wind Symphony
Teller Safe Harbor
Habitat for Humanity
Friends of Mueller State Park
UC Health
Friends of the Florissant Fossil Beds
Pikes Peak Historical Society
DayBreak – An Adult Day Program
Pikes Peak Lions Club
Our Lady of the Woods Catholic Church

Helping nonprofits develop into a collaborative effort is what SOAR is doing in Teller County. Organizations work together and create impact for their community through economic vitality. As a result of the meeting on January 8th, TCRAS changed the date of a fundraiser they have because it overlapped with something Habitat was doing on the same day.

Participants of the cooperative effort receive training on how to be impactful. It’s not a membership organization, it’s people who choose to work together for the better good of the organizations they represent.

Cooperative means everyone gets a vote, decisions are made as a group, and there’s greater potential for success while everyone works in tandem. Do you want to learn more about bringing this project to your small community? It increases exposure, opportunities, and market share (fundraising). Set up time to learn more about the program and how to be a participant. Email: iwantto@soarwithnetworkfundraising.com

Moving forward, an organization in the cooperative of Teller County has 23 opportunities to market their program. This includes attending trainings, collaborative networking events, participating in together-marketing campaigns, and attending happy hours.

The goal is to make SOAR’s project available in communities with less than 30,000 people. Be part of the movement and connect today.

Schedule a call or send an email to iwantto@soarwithnetworkfundraising.org

Help a Donor Choose your Cause

Details below are given to businesses in order to help them choose a cause for their donation.

Excerpt from blog by Abby Quillen.

With more than 1 million non-profit foundations and charities in the U.S., it may be daunting to decide on a cause to support. Paradoxically, the more choices available, the harder it is to make a decision and act. Use these tips to find a cause that fits your company and gets results.

Find a charity that aligns with your company’s values
What does your business do? What is your mission? If you’re in food service, for instance, maybe you’ll reach out to a non-profit focused on urban food insecurity or recycling. Or if you’re in the financial sector, you could look at one of the many nonprofits devoted to increasing financial literacy. Finding a charity that aligns with your company’s values is a great place to start.
Focus on impact
Do you want to help women start small businesses, communities rebuild after disasters, children learn to read, or needy families have access to nutritious food? Visit a charity evaluator website, such as GiveWell, the Open Philanthropy Project, or the Foundational Research Institute, to compare the costs and effects of different interventions.
Do your research
Before you commit to a cause, make sure it’s legitimate by checking a charity watchdog site such as CharityWatch, Charity Navigator, or BBB Wise Giving Alliance. Ideally, a charity should spend a majority of its funds on programs, not fundraising or administration.
Pay a visit
By partnering with a local non-profit, you can help people in your local community and make it a better place to live. You’ll also have opportunities to sponsor team volunteer work days or local charity events. Before you partner with an organization, visit and observe their work first-hand.
Verify tax-exempt status
Donations that meet certain requirements are tax-deductible. Before you commit to a cause, verify the non-profit group’s tax-exempt status by checking with the group or visiting the IRS website, and talk to your tax expert.

Gayle Gross developed a way for people to SOAR. Very valuable information is shared above, which is an the excerpt from the full article linked here at Zerocater. Aligning a non-profit with a business to create social impact is paramount for today’s cause marketing approach. Gayle knows this and works with organizations to determine the best way to move forward in developing collaborative networking. There’s a program she helps organizations implement. It is the Nonprofit Cooperative. Schedule a call or send an email to iwantto@soarwithnetworkfundraising.org

Why people choose to SOAR & develop a fundraising community.

Increase fundraising because you increase market share. (i.e. 126% in four months and 371% within sixteen months)

“Like” the Facebook Group (free) – check in here

Schedule a call or send an email to iwantto@soarwithnetworkfundraising.org

Corporations call fundraising “increasing market share.” Non-profits call it creating sustainability.

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Keeping a development professional longer than the average 18 months is important to a successful run at growing community and raising money. The Founder of SOAR stood in the shoes of a development professional for a corporation and also a non-profit for many years. Corporations call fundraising “increasing market share.” Non-profits call it creating sustainability.

UNTIL SOAR developed there was stress, loss of sleep, and she was driven to work long hours UNTIL a successful system was put into place. She discovered following four simple steps created results and kept her focused. Other people in the organizations where she worked were not worrying about how the money was raised. They just wanted the results.

The development professional – SOAR’s founder – was in a very unhealthy situation UNTIL the successful system (SOAR) created astounding results – WINNING results – quickly and efficiently within four months. STRESS & LOSS OF SLEEP ended immediately and the role of the development professional became a job of managing relationships instead of begging for money. There were people helping to raise money! Dollars continued to increase as community began to GROW.

The truth is, people liked the process so much it increased the market share 126% in four months. SOAR’s program was published and a membership program built. Now, development professionals come to SOAR for support. They pay $34 a month for the privilege of having a fundraising professional in their corner.

Support with SOAR membership looks like this (three highlights):

Group contact with other fundraising professionals to get ideas AND see what really works prior to investing too much time and energy
Trainings and meetings for development professionals are organized – you just show up
SOAR is available for your call – you can share what you’ve having trouble with and SOAR offers advice on the best steps to proceed

Ready to spend $34 on your future success with fundraising – click here!

Unsure of how SOAR fits into your current fundraising program? Schedule a brief strategy call – click here!

Relationships with Grantors – Four Tips

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We love this statement by Amy Clinton, “The overall success of a grant writer should ultimately be measured by whether or not the organization for which that person is writing grants is building relationships and program credibility with funders and achieving incremental increases in grant funding revenues.”

Recently, an organization in our community saw the deletion of a grant they depended on. It was something they had received for years and at the end, the $125,000 they received last year, just went away without warning. That destroys programs and, it did! The program it funded was shut down.

Relationships and program credibility – how are you building them?

Tip #1: Share your message as often as you can with as many people as you can in the most-effective way.

Tip #2: Offer opportunities for people to be involved in your program and even invite the people within the organization/foundation granting money. They are not likely to attend but will appreciate the thought of inclusion to see how their money is being used.

Tip #3: Accept the way people participate in your program. This helps you to keep momentum going and maintains a positive perspective. A happy person says good things and can provide a testimonial for you later on. This looks good on applications.

Tip#4: Respect and appreciate everyone within your community. By this, we mean anyone associated with your mission and your organization. The same is true with those organizations offering similar services. Maintain the feeling of abundance. There’s enough to go around. Be thankful. SOAR (acronym for relationship development, which is outlined above).

Consider the following data, also provided by Amy Clinton (see her full article):

1. If an organization is submitting applications to already-established funders who know them well, they can expect:

a. For existing programs, high success rates, up to 90 percent
b. For expanding existing programs, good success rates, up to 80 percent
c. For new programs, lower success rates, generally 30 to 40 percent

2. If submitting applications to NEW funders, an excellent success rate would be 30 to 40 percent

3. If submitting applications to a combination of existing and new funders, an organization should expect a success rate of between 50 and 60 percent.

#soarwithnetworkfundraising assists organizations and individuals when they are determining the best way to GROW Community among their constituents. Increasing market share and raising money goes hand in hand. It’s easy when you choose to SOAR.

Fundraising Goals – In the Bag!

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Basically, “in the bag” means your fundraising is secured! You know it’s true because you’ve already accomplished the goal. Whew – a sigh of relief.

Last quarter of the year…is it really in the bag or are you kidding yourself?

As a nonprofit, it can be hard to focus on year-end goals when it’s only August. You undoubtably wear many hats in the organization. It can be even harder to decide what you need to do to achieve success when you’re still trying to meet Q2 or Q3 financial goals. Q4 builds powerful momentum for 2019. Speaking of ways to do this:

1. HAVE A CONSISTENT STORY TO SHARE

A story builds trust in your mission. It has the potential to increase donations when the story is one people repeat to others. The same story has time to build momentum, and you’ll also save resources when you avoid creating something new. ALL. THE. TIME.

2. CUSTOMIZE HOW YOU COMMUNICATE

A donor is different than someone new learning about your program. Look at your connections and specifically at your monthly donation amounts. Align the way you communicate with different donor segments. Check your social media accounts to see which posts get the most engagement, and build articles for newsletters and subsequent posts based upon those topics. Share with people donating to your organization (time, money, resources).

Customizing communication increases trust in your organization.

3. APPRECIATE DONORS AND VOLUNTEERS

Connect with highly engaged donors and volunteers, who frequently support your mission. They are your advocates. They share your mission with others in a GOOD way when they feel respected. Now is the time to make sure there’s a program of appreciation in place, which is well-developed within your organization.

4. CONNECT WITH BUSINESSES AND SPONSORS

Increase awareness and revenue for your nonprofit when you grow the awareness of your organization within your community. Meet with people and share your mission. This is not asking people for donations unless they are ready to give.

Get to the top of your market because people have confidence and trust in you. Take the test! Prove it. Here’s a quick way to decipher your trustworthiness:

Do you serve the best interests of others?
(Not your own interests)
Do you communicate all the information people need to be successful?
(Don’t make assumptions about what you think “they can handle”. Leaders who underestimate the intelligence of their teams generally overestimate their own.)
Do you keep your commitments?
(Leaders must watch their words because even a casual comment can be interpreted as a commitment.)

Keeping commitments is very important to establish trust.

SOAR is dedicated to helping businesses, non-profits and donors build community. Email us at iwantto@soarwithnetworkfundraising.com with questions.

Getting donations because your non-profit gives the donors what they want

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A list, compiled through donor interviews, is below. These are the common answers for what a donor wants in order to feel good about a donation they make.

good community standing for the non-profit they donate to
a non-profit that works with others to pool resources
respected fundraising tools
fiscal responsibility of how they spend the gifts they get
not being asked again and again for gifts to fund the same purpose
donation they make reflect positively on themselves
a feel-good system in place for everyone involved
a well-outlined strategic plan for the future of how the money they give now impacts the future
a realistic fundraising plan with resources already in place
realistic and clear goals determined by the non-profit
financial report to share
legitimate mission, vision and purpose defined
adequate service area in the community
impact metrics for when their donation is made
a way to connect the donor to the mission
updates on progress as well as outcomes of their gift
ways to create a personal connection for the donor
respect for the donor (thank you’s and acknowledgements done promptly)
a trustworthy cause to give to, meaning the non-profit accepts responsibility, and stands by their decisions
attention to solicitation requests made – the number sent, the messaging, and the follow through afterwards
Transparency of the organization and all systems (they do not want to be asked by more than one person for the same thing)
a way for the donor to make a difference with whatever they give
heart-warming stories
clear explanation of need so there’s no guessing
excellent customer service
a way to solicit donors for advice
a way for donors to be heroes
honesty
online systems – updated and accurate
good communications
photos of how dollars are impacting society – the results
an organized way to volunteer their time

A person who feels good about their donation opens the door for others to give because they share their great experience. It also gives them the idea to give again, and to potentially give more.

SOAR is a relationship program, an acronym, which covers all the bases for helping non-profits coordinate the above list. It’s a way to grow market share and increase dollars.

S – share your message

O – offer opportunities for involvement

A – accept the way people want to participate

R – respect and appreciate others

People who SOAR spread their networking arms, expand their market, and increase the dollars they raise. They SOAR – all of the time with practices they implement. To learn more – iwantto@soarwithnetworkfundraising.com

Raising Money? A Result of Good Choices.

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You have choices to make.
You weigh the options while educating yourself.
You make a choice.

This is an ideal scenario but it’s not always the way it goes.

A corporation growing market share (AKA raising money) often limits their options to what they’ve always done and then expects different results. You’ve probably heard a quote, often attributed to Albert Einstein:

“Insanity Is Doing the Same Thing Over and Over Again and Expecting Different Results.”

Insanity is a BAD choice when it comes to building confidence in your community for increasing market share. People wonder why an organization is STILL ASKING for money. Why have they NOT MET their financial goal? Will they ever be sustainable? Are they using their dollars wisely? Many times a development professional at an organization becomes the scapegoat. In reality, it costs more money to replace that professional than to work on building them into the model fundraiser. Most times, an employee challenged with raising money is so lost on what to do, they lose sleep at night, and their health deteriorates. Their self-esteem suffers. They feel they’ve let the organization down. They stop trying because it’s too painful.

Organizations choosing to SOAR lighten the burden on their fundraising professional. SOAR is an acronym for a system. People who have followed the program double awareness within two months. They increase fundraising 126% in four months. The metrics in every scenario are off the charts. SOAR only works with organizations and a fundraising professional who are willing to step outside of their box and see relationship building as a necessary tool for raising money.

CAUTION: Grants and donors seeking tax benefits are NOT guaranteed. Recently, a client lost their $100,000 block grant. It’s something they’d received for many years. Now, GONE with the blink of an eye. Fortunately, they are growing their program with SOAR. They’ve found ways to educate people about their mission. They are developing a culture with people in the community. They will survive.

Your choice is to SOAR for success. Discuss options. Schedule a quick call by clicking here.

Value of Follow up – PRICELESS

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People who follow up in a timely manner achieve greater success. It’s a bold statement. Do you agree? Take a look at someone who is doing well in growing their future. They share their message and then what?

OFFER opportunities to be involved. It’s the “O” in SOAR. First, you share your message and then make an offer. A person must follow up with individuals they shared their message with. The follow up includes an offer for the person contacted to participate in something for free with “no sale” involved. This is required for the next step in developing a solid relationship.

Timelier follow up is best. Meet today, call tomorrow, benefit forever. Does the benefit mean it’s a sale? Benefits arrive in many ways. Consider the basic fact and keep this with you, we feel joy within ourselves when following through on something. The act of contacting someone, preferably via phone because it allows for two-way conversation, brings enlightenment. Again – in many ways.

There’s one thing, which rings true time and time again. You’re encouraged to take notice. Following up gets put on the “low priority list” nine times out of ten. People get too busy with what’s next and forget about what’s happened. Those “easy” leads coming forward lose power over time. The longer we wait the more we lose.

Following up is truly THE KEY for moving forward in growing just about anything. This is a bold statement, in bold lettering, for a reason. People are encouraged to address the underlying reason for why they put less effort into following up when IT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP in building trust for relationships.

Take the scenario of follow up calls – Have you been a procrastinator? Hands going up. YES, we all tend to put off for today what we can do tomorrow. The following list has been helpful for people wanting to shake this

Set up a favorite spot to do calls and go there with the intent of ONLY doing calls
Get comfortable with your favorite coffee or tea
Avoid distractions (i.e. when doing calls happens at home, avoid doing laundry at the same time)
Jump right in – the sooner the better (Meet today, call tomorrow, benefit forever)
Always have something to invite people to participate in. This is the next step. This is offering opportunities. This comes in many forms.

SOAR offers 10 – 15 minute calls to anyone interested in talking more about growing market share. This is the next step we offer to you for increasing your market share. Schedule a call through this link and speak with the founder and CEO of SOAR.