Tag Archives: Leaders

Seeking 5 Innovative Fundraisers

SEEKING 5 innovative fundraisers to become winners with SOAR!

SOAR gives back and now, one fundraiser in each of the 5 areas of the U.S. will be selected to learn SOAR’s system without cost. Send an email with “why you” described.

Send no more than 200 words by April 20 to iwantto@soarwithnetworkfundraising.com Put “Innovative Fundraiser” in the subject line.

SOAR’s system has the potential to increase gifts 126% in four months and 371% in sixteen months and we want you to WIN the opportunity to participate. The value is $8000! Your simple reason for why you’re a good selection is important. We will do phone interviews beginning April 23.

Areas for selections are diagramed below:

Need Help Raising Money? Do a Monthly!

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A monthly…what is that? It’s a no-long-term commitment month of time where you get what you need to raise more money because WE’VE been in your shoes for a very long time. We’ve heard:

“Double gifts within the next six months.” (Double $23,000, oh my…)

“Raise $7000 within the next two months.” (There’s nothing in place for where to begin, oh my…)

“Raise enough money to cover your salary.” (Oh my, oh my, oh my…)

Losing sleep was the problem for CEO and founder of SOAR, Gayle Gross. She was working in relationship development and fundraising, just like you. The goals were high and they had to be met quickly, which she was able to do…by developing a system. But, that’s not why you’re here.

There’s a program we offer, which helps to get you on track for reaching your financial goal. We call it a “Monthly with SOAR.” There’s no strings attached, no continued commitment. We begin by doing an audit of your current systems because that’s where we find the simple tweaks you can make to shift momentum! Honestly, we do what we do because not everyone has the ability to see things close up, and it’s hard to step back to see things objectively.

You begin a “monthly” by answering a questionnaire. Here’s the beginning:

What is your current individual goal for dollars raised?
By when would you like to achieve this?
How do you prepare for an ask?
What happens after the ask – when you get the money and when you don’t get the money?
And, so on…

We include a Link to pay in an email when you decide to move forward. But, talk to us first to see if it is a good fit. It is $225 for a month of focused direction to achieve your goal. This includes:

Open lines of communication, which means calls are welcome and encouraged. We take and answer questions related to your fundraising program and what you’ve hoping to accomplish
An audit of current systems, which includes suggested areas to tweak for better results
Steps are determined to accomplish goals. And, we put the parameters in place based on the audit and what we work on together
There’s an in-person visit (video conference for people outside Colorado Springs area) and at least one voice call scheduled for coaching
Fundraising templates are shared based on what you need

Denise at ESM in Colorado Springs said just yesterday that the calls really help her focus. She always has so many things going on and we talk once a week for twenty minutes. She feels it helps to get her back on track. She has also taken the bull by the horns and is hosting SOAR’s networking events to get the word out. Again, this is for another day!

Email iwantto@soarwithnetworkfundraising.com with your questions or schedule time to chat about a Monthly with SOAR. See the calendar by clicking this link. Gayle is the founder and CEO of SOAR. She takes time to work with everyone to accomplish their goal.

One more example: A major gifts officer from a local college just began this program. The goal is to come to you where you are, metaphorically. We begin at whatever level you’re at; beginning fundraiser or advanced officer with a desire to freshen things up.

Why People Donate & Why They Avoid You if You’re Asking for Gifts

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Have you ever asked people why they give? This can be a donation of time, money, or resources. It is crucial to know why a person gives if you’re looking for donations. It is also important to know why some people may avoid you!

The top reason a person gives, believe it or not, is because someone they know has asked them to give and they want to help. Simple and sweet!

The next eight reasons for why people give, according to experience:

Usually a person or someone they know is affected by what the mission is helping. They donate with a feeling to alleviate need.
People give because of what they get in return. It could be a good feeling, tax benefit, recognition, or some sort of driving force they achieve for another mission
People often feel emotionally moved by someone’s story. It becomes a personal connection and they have a desire to help
A person wants a sense of closeness to a community or group
There’s a desire to memorialize someone
Charitable family traditions – it’s the way a person was brought up
A person wants to leave a legacy
The feeling of being fortunate and wanting to help others

Going back to the TOP reason about why people give; people asking people they know AND getting the donation.

The reality is – there’s a downside. People get tired of being asked again and again to give. The sense of obligation soon subsides and a person being asked begins to avoid the person asking. Take a simple test:

Are your calls going unanswered, again and again?
Do you feel the notes you send get lost in the mail?
Do you leave a lot of voice messages, which are rarely returned?

Answering yes to any of these questions shows there’s a problem. We can help. There’s a quick remedy. Read on.

Develop a fundraising system, which does not rely on the same people giving over and over again because the group you ask continues to grow AND you know them. When you ask – they will give!

At SOAR we work with progressive people and organizations. Become part of our network, Get Free Tips – click here!

We also offer a look at your fundraising system through this quiz. Click here!

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

The 8th thing to do when asking for money!

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1.) KNOW the person/organization you’re asking. AND, know why they will say yes when you ask for a donation. Ideas for getting to know them:

Invite them to attend activities you’re hosting (when you’re not asking for money or anything else in return) so you can talk and learn
Take a genuine interest in the things they do
Get involved in things they support
Attend something of their choosing

2.) Discover a general overlap of interests. This helps with building lasting relationships. It is always good to focus part of your appointments on a friendly discussion. Ideas:

FORM – family, occupation, relationships and mission/message

3.) Avoid boring anyone with information they already know. ASK for perspectives upfront. Find out what is already known and what participants would like to learn. Questions to ask to get clear:

What would you like to get from today’s meeting?
How would you see me being more involved in your mission?
Do you have a specific interest in the mission I’m involved with?

4.) Set an agenda for your meeting. Let anyone involved with the meeting know the meeting’s agenda. Also, ask anyone involved to add items ahead of time. Tips:

Set the agenda one week in advance
Send the agenda to everyone with a deadline date for adding new items
Always have the last section scheduled for new business and setting the next meeting

5.) Determine mutual benefit. Share this when asking for an appointment. What will the attendees gain through your meeting?

6.) ASK for the donation. Realize the benefit of giving to your organization and feel good about someone doing so. When you know why they will say yes it is time to ask.

7.) Thank everyone involved with a phone call and/or hand written note. Respect and appreciate others for the time they give to you.

If we were to add #8 it would be to attach yourself to a system for fundraising. Whether it is one you develop or one you adopt from someone else. A system is the way you implement fundraising. SOAR lays some groundwork below for our system.

Share your message with others.

Offer opportunities for people to be involved with your mission.

Accept the way people want to participate.

Respect and appreciate others.

We also have a networking event, which helps organizations increase their volunteer base, engage people interested in growing the program, and see the benefit for being involved. Want to learn more? See this link.

Raising Money & Building Networks!

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“The more people you know, the more places you’ll go.” Sounds like a familiar quote, right? It’s close but not quite the same as Dr. Seuss (if you’re wondering).

Building networks goes hand in hand with raising money and increasing market share. Take the text literally. The more people you know and share your message with, the more growth you’ll have. NOW, the caveat. There are ways to do this without appearing overt and this is where developing your skill comes in.

“I want what I want, not what I need” may seem familiar if you know the band The Federal Empire. Take this text literally and ask for what’s needed while also giving what’s needed to the person you’re asking. Confused? You’re not alone. What a person needs is not always what they ask for because they ask for what they want, remember? There are ways to get everything sorted out to put yourself on the right path toward achieving fundraising success and asking for what you need. There’s a simple system, which you may not want to do BUT it is what you need to do!

Organizations go through growing pains – that’s right – growth in fundraising through a new system causes the same pain you feel while growing in other ways. The good thing is that it doesn’t last long. The reality is 4 – 8 weeks and then, the process and persistence pays off. It’s happening now. Statistics prove raising money is done through building networks. SOAR is the way to go when you’re ready to fly.

FREE strategy sessions available – Schedule Now – Click Here!

Reaching Fundraising Goals

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Raising money – it’s a cakewalk! Certainly you can make money doing a cake walk** but what we’re talking about now is “making it EASY to raise money.” Making sure it’s a piece of cake. Setting things up so raising money happens without too much effort. Finding the SWEET spot. What does it look like?

Set goals you can achieve

Watch for opportunities

Engage people in your program

Elevate your volunteer’s skills

Thankful heart – BE thankful for all people, places and things, which come your way! And, let it be known.

Simple enough! Spend time focused on the the SWEET areas within your program.

**Cakewalk: As music plays, people walk around a large circle of numbers. When the music stops, a number is picked from a container and the person standing closest to the corresponding number on the circle wins a cake. It’s a sweet deal! Especially if you get cakes donated and the players pay a small fee to participate. Then, it becomes a fun way to raise a little cash!