Louis Fawcett’s RE-IMAGINING NONPROFITS – Charity Must Change
March 17, 2024Linda Lysakowski’s Review of Major Gifts Ramp-Up is my review of the new book by Joanne Oppelt and Jimmy LaRose.
The authors of this book, Jimmy Larose and Joanne Oppelt know what they are talking about because they have both led numerous organizations through this process. I have been consulting on annual and capital campaigns for more than thirty-five years and I have seen that the principles outlined in this book work. I could tell you quite a few horror stories about organizations that didn’t follow these steps and fell flat on their face, but I identify more with winners, and I think you will agree that all nonprofits want to be successful in their fundraising efforts so they can transform their communities.
Organizational development is one area that you might think has little or nothing to do with fundraising. But, as the authors point out, this is the first step in the process and actually is fundraising. You need a strong CEO, as this book stresses, to lead the organization to success. Not only will you reach your goal by following this method, but you will have happy volunteers, grateful donors, and a staff that is jumping for joy, but perhaps even more important is building community pride in your organization. Every nonprofit wants to be the nonprofit the community talks about as making a difference, Your nonprofit should engender as much or more community pride than your local sports team, or famous landmark in your community.
But this doesn’t happen overnight. You need to carefully follow the steps in this book, and you will achieve success. Starting with organizational development, this book points out some frightening statistics about the percentages of nonprofits that have mission statements (almost all of them), vision statements (significantly less, and a plan to reach their vision for the community (barely any). This book will tell you how you can go from your “as is” state (even if it’s pretty dismal) to your “to be” state (think big here). I really liked one of the quotes in this book “It feels so good to raise money.” It also feels good to give money and this book will help your donors feel good about supporting your organization.
The thirteen steps in the Major Gift Ramp Up process will help you leave donors feeling proud to support you, rather than feel like they are being nickel-and-dimed to death by numerous fundraising appeals, events, and communications. You must start thinking about major gifts even if you are a new organization or feel you’re too small to raise major gifts. Following this method faithfully will help you raise the money you need.
The thirteen steps in the Major Gift Ramp Up process will help you leave donors feeling proud to support you, rather than feel like they are being nickel-and-dimed to death by numerous fundraising appeals, events, and communications. You must start thinking about major gifts even if you are a new organization or feel you’re too small to raise major gifts. Following this method faithfully will help you raise the money you need.
It all starts with building your infrastructure, including assuring that you have a strong CEO, prioritizing fundraising and not looking at it as necessary evil, clarifying the roles of board, staff, and volunteers, and building an advancement calendar that will be the plan you follow throughout the campaign timeline.
If this book hasn’t convinced you of the importance of major gifts, I suggest reading it again, especially the part that shows the effectiveness of direct mail, online giving, grants, and special events. You MUST focus on major gifts to make the best use of your resources, human and financial.
The process outlined in this book simplifies and takes the fear out of asking for transformational gifts, I guarantee it!
You will learn the importance of creating a compelling case for support that is donor focused and will inspire people to give a gift that is meaningful for them and for your organization. Your case will be focused on all your needs—annual operating, capital, and endowment, so you will not fall into the trap of going back to the donor multiple times every time a new need arises. When you create your case, be realistic, but dream big. Make sure it covers all your needs. I can assure you this is the way to go because I’ve been in the nonprofit sector to see the good, the bad, and the downright ugly. Some examples I have seen are a women’s shelter that raise enough money to build their building but did not have enough operating money to fully utilize the building, an organization that ran so many special events, its members got tired of being asked to participate in a monthly event—some with a hefty price tag—that they just stopped attending these events, an organizational that turned off its donors by not using person-first language in its case when the people they served felt person-first language is critical, an organization that hired a grant writer to run a capital campaign even though this person had no experience with major donors, and an organization that rested doing donor research because they felt it would violate donor privacy and ethical standards, even though DonorScope and other research programs all use public information.
The three-part ask is essential in your case. Do you really want to go to your donors this month and ask for an anal gift to support your operating needs, and then a month or two later present them with a capital campaign case and ask them for a gift for that? And then three months later, invite them to leave a legacy gift to your organization through their will or trust? It’s like having your kids ask you for $3.00 for ice cream today, and then $5.00 to see a matinee movie the next day, and then, two days later, ask you for $10.00 to buy comic books. Wouldn’t you rather give them a weekly allowance and let them decide how they want to send it. Your donors aren’t kids and may not be parents, but they might feel like you do when they are approached too many times. As a parent, I would rather know I only have to give my kids an allowance once a week and then let them decide how they want to spend it. And, after talking to many donors, I know that most want to be approached one time with a menu of options. This way they see the whole picture, and even if they don’t support al three, they will do the best they can to support what they think is important.
On the positive side I have seen organizations that carefully build their campaign cabinet by choosing people who have the ability to make major gifts themselves, know other people who can make major gifts, and are enthusiastic about the organization. This book gives you all the details on how to build a strong campaign cabinet, how to develop the materials they need to be successful, and how to train them in the principles of major gift fundraising.
One of the outstanding features of this book is the lists of exactly what to do at each step of the way—creating your case, building your advancement calendar, running your non-ask event, running the ask-event, cultivating donors, building you campaign cabinet, and more. I also think the case studies of how other organizations carried this process forward are helpful to other organizations like yours, even if you think you can’t possibly raise these big gifts. Trust me, YOU CAN.
Linda Lysakowski’s Review of Major Gifts Ramp-Up was first posted at: LindaLysakowski.com
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