Tag Archives: investment

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

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.

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.

Reality Impact for Growing Market Share & Raising Money

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Reality – we impact and are impacted.

Social impact is something we hear a lot about. Businesses are choosing to give time, dollars and resources to organizations who create impact and offer value in return. During your next board meeting – make a list of the ways you’re giving back to the people giving to your organization. This goes for everyone! Every business has other people involved. A client gives any business they frequent their support. This, in turn, raises money.

Everyday reality changes. Let’s talk about how you do business. Stuck in what worked twenty years ago? Stuck in what worked a year ago? You know everything is time sensitive in this ever-changing world, right? You may have noticed what has worked in the past is not working as well any longer. It’s because we’re not in the same space any longer. It’s the impact of reality.

Staying on top of reality takes balance and the ability to move quickly. Stuck doesn’t work anymore. SOAR works with boards to create reality through natural talents and focused directional shifts. Something, which always remains true is the desire for success. The reality is – it’s something we can impact and it will definitely impact us!

Understanding Corporate Giving

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By Gayle Gross

Companies are more cautious about revealing too much about their philanthropic activities, for fear of:

being inundated with requests they cannot fill.
raising the expectations of potential beneficiaries in a good year.
angering shareholders who may perceive the company’s charitable activity as giving away profits, or who don’t approve of the organizations or causes supported.
losing public support by giving to something considered controversial.

http://granspace.org is a great resource. The information above was borrowed from their website for this article.

Companies giving gifts requires a delicate balance. Engagement on behalf of the non-profit is important PRIOR to an ask.

I worked for a bank and EVERYDAY new requests for donations came in. EVERYDAY is not an exaggeration. I could add 1 – 3 new requests every day and on average it would still be correct. People the bank didn’t know came walking in the door with all of the right tools. The request letter, statement about their need, and a brochure about themselves.

Eventually, companies get the the point where there has to be a “giving back” component to the ask. What is the non-profit giving in return? Over time a strategic system began to develop at the bank. In 2017 the system was named and training others on the program began. There’s one catch. YOU have to SOAR and not be afraid to leave the ground!

At the bank, giving changed. Requests came in and they were strategically organized by which ones we could truly help. The reality was, we didn’t have a lot of money to give at the time. Instead, we did something new. The request would be for $5000 and we’d give $1000 along with resources (training) on how to fundraise $4000 more dollars. I’d sit on non-profit boards, and represent the bank through development functions. In the end, everyone grew market share! People saw the bank helping others in a new way.

SOAR goes above the basics for fundraising and lifts organizations into collaborative partnerships. Businesses, large and small, partner with non-profit(s) to create social impact where everyone benefits.

See what SOAR is…

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Gayle Gross is the founder and CEO of SOAR. It’s time more businesses connect to increase market share. Collaborative Networking Events are making it happen! Email Gayle to learn more: iwantto@soarwithnetworkfundraising.com

Ready to Give Up on Fundraising? TALK

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Have a simple conversation. There are two kinds – Motivational and Informational. They are both important when you’re ready to throw in the towel. You make these conversations happen in order to increase your enthusiasm.

Motivational conversations are with people who are:

Supportive of our mission – who is that? Can you think of a couple of people who are interested in the work you do?
While thinking of names think about – is this person positive? Are they going to see things from a good perspective? Ask yourself – will they raise my spirit?
Creativity is important. A person with the ability to see the big picture and come up with ideas to help you get through the valley of doubt. KEY player!

Informational conversations remind us why we do what we do. They also increase our desire to achieve success because they happen when we are sharing our mission with others. These conversations are with people we interact with spontaneously. They are:

People in stores, at restaurants, coffee shops, at the park and anyone we begin a conversation with while passing by.
Members of groups where we spend our time. This could be at work, church, during extracurricular activities and hobbies, or at networking events.
Someone we talk with at events and parties.

A conversation reminds you why you do what you do and how important your role is. NO DOUBT there are times when the amount of dollars you have to raise is overwhelming and you’d rather shut down and run to where there’s comfort. Go there, for sure, but only for a short time. Consider it an opportunity to refresh.

Need a good conversation? Schedule a complimentary motivational call with SOAR. See our calendar.

SOAR with Network Fundraising helps people all of the time! Here’s a Feb. 2018 testimonial:

Crossing the Gap of Fundraising

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Answers to the following questions are your framework for crossing the gap:

How do you educate people about your organization?
What action steps do you have in place already?
Where do you position yourself in the market?
How do you plan to achieve your fundraising goal? Refer to your fundraising plan.

We began working with an organization February 8 who answered the questions the following way. The updated answers follow (2 months in).

How do you educate people about your organization?
- Feb. 8 – We share our message through newsletters. We invite people to come into our office and we show them around. We do pretty good with our Facebook page. We are members of the chamber and go to events.
- April 5 – We invite people to a networking event and facility tour at our location each month. We reach out to our partners, invite them and encourage them to become advocates because of the benefits we offer in return.
What action steps do you have in place?
- Feb. 8 – We invite people to come in and learn about us. They can volunteer too.
- April 5 – We designed a postcard invite for our networking events and tour. We give these out to people at events, and encourage advocates to share. We developed benefits for our advocates and share this with people. We train people on how to talk about our services. We talk more about our services and invite more people in. There’s momentum building.
Where do you position yourself?
- Feb. 8 – We help people who are ____________. We have grown so much these last couple of years as more people have gotten to know who we are but our fundraising program is struggling. We host an annual event and two years ago we had 300 people attend. Last year we had 200. We have not met our fundraising goal but feel changing our event to a dinner will help.
- April 5 – As a leader in the community. We educate people on services and we help people to get back on their feet. I love my job. It’s super, super busy but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
How do you plan to achieve your fundraising goal?
- Feb. 8 – We will host our annual event in six months. Most people cannot come during the day so we’re doing a dinner instead of a lunch. We’ve already secured a speaker and the location. We will host in six months. Invitations will be sent to our mailing lists.
- April 5 – Continue moving forward one day at a time. Keep this system that’s building active, among all of the other things I have to do. Our level of success is when we continue to move toward the goal. The process will take time but we will get there and it will be beneficial because of the relationships we’re building.

The statements above were paraphrased. The organization mentioned here learned about the program described in the book “SOAR with Network Fundraising” on

February 8. They have chosen to begin hosting networking events and to follow the system through consulting.

SOAR

Share your message with others
Offer opportunities for people to be involved
Accept the way people want to be involved
Respect and appreciate all people, ideas, and decisions

SOAR offers monthly, six month, and year-long programs. There is also a fundraising workshop during the summer, July 6 and 7, in Colorado. This is for people to learn the system and resource the tools to help grow a fundraising program. Learn about the different avenues to be involved through this link.

Simple Steps for Building Networks to Raise Money

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Collaborative Networking Events – THE way to spread your wings and SOAR! This is when you partner a business, nonprofit, sponsor and attendees. The business and the sponsor may be one in the same.

Business – provides location
Sponsor – pays for event amenities (food, etc)
Non-profit – featured during presentation
Attendees come to NETWORK and will see the presentation

The Collaborative Networking Event is a mix n’ mingle partnered between two presentations. SOAR is an acronym for a relationship management style. Network Fundraising is the system. SOAR with Network Fundraising is described in a book – by the same name. There are also educational platforms described on the website. soarwithnetworkfundraising.org

Why network at all?

Develop relationships for business
Grow market share
Create sustainability

When does networking really work?

Growth happens within your network because of reciprocal services you provide to others
Reciprication happens when you’re giving back in meaningful ways because you know what someone values.

Networking methods – there are many. The one to consider, which happens officially in three meetings, is 1:1 networking.

Meeting #1
- Learn more about the individual
- Listen to ideas
- Determine where there’s an overlap
- Mutually share information about networks
Meeting #2
- Offer support in meaningful ways
- Add value
- Determine how to recognize
- Provide network leads and opportunities
Meeting #3
- Determine the best way to develop a collaboration
- Make the ask

SOAR with Network Fundraising – the book on Amazon – Click to order

Let’s connect on Social Networks

soarwithnetworkfundraising.com (FB)
gaylegross.com (FB)
gayle_gross (Twitter)
Linkedin.com/in/gaylegross (LinkedIn)

The V formation for Fundraising

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The V formation is a volunteer format. Think of birds flying in a flock.

V Formation is a pattern most often used by a flock of birds. Birds maintain a healthy balance and do not get tired while flying because they lift each other up. Their wings create an updraft as the flock works together to reach its common goal. They soar.

Leaders and Followers are part of the V formation for birds. They have a leader at the head of the V formation and there are many followers, which form the flock. The leader drops back into the flock when they become tired. Another bird takes over the lead when this happens in order to continue the momentum.

Building a V formation for your fundraising efforts starts with you, the leader of fundraising. There’s a three step process, which involves meeting with a person you’d like to bring on board. We (SOAR with Network Fundraising) suggest putting the process into three months because it takes time to build relationships but you can change it. Each situation is different.

Month 1: Leader meets with an individual to learn more about them, listens to their ideas, and determines where the organization and individual overlap. In addition, they also share information about the networks where they each belong. This is considered a one to one (“1:1”) networking meeting.

Month 2: Leader supports the individual in ways, which are meaningful for them and adds value to their business or other interests. The Leader determines how this new person likes to be recognized, and provides network leads and opportunities.

Month 3: Leader determines the best way to integrate the new person into the formation as an Advocate and makes the ask with an established role already in mind.

People want to know how much time they are committing to you for your V formation
They want to know what their job description looks like
The biggest and most important thing to remember is that these people are giving of their time to you and to your organization. This is energy they can spend elsewhere – be appreciative