I had a few thoughts about how generous people become this time of year.  And it made me think about the direct mail appeals that charities send out.  After all, this is the time of year non-profits always worry about them.  And, they should.  The majority of Americans make their charitable contribution (events aside) between Thanksgiving and January 31^st.  Some of it is driven by taxes, but mostly it is driven by the spirit of the season.  Already on the news this morning I heard about a turkey drive with a goal of 19,000 turkeys to be donated by next Wednesday – the day before Thanksgiving.  As of this morning, they only had four, but I’m sure they will make or exceed goal.

Coat drives, food drives, the Salvation Army kettle, are all as much a sign of the season as are lights and trees and store windows touting holiday sales.  Perhaps even more.   The season begins with our giving thanks, and for many culminates with a celebration of faith.  We smile more, push and shove a bit less (discounting Black Friday holiday sales) and relish in the joy of giving gifts to loved ones and the special people in our lives.  We are often filled with the “holiday spirit”.  So, yes, we also give to our favorite charities.

That  is why non-profits send out their appeals … to hopefully be the beneficiary of that giving spirit.  The problem is getting through all that clutter with a message that resonates.  This year, I think we are all still concerned about the economy, loss of jobs, loss of homes, debt that won’t dissipate – but seems to be climbing even higher.  And, if we are weathering the storm, we know that our neighbor or people in our own community might not be.  Our desire is to help that person next door, or in our town.  For many, this is the new charitable giving.  Bringing a neighbor that casserole or bag of groceries, helping take a sick friend for medical treatments, watching their children while they are out seeking a job.  Writing a check might not be on the top of their mind.  So, it is important that you clearly share how your organization is helping or can help their friends, their neighbors or their community.  Charity begins at home has never been more heartfelt.

It is also just as important to remember people who have been giving to you regularly.  Reach out to them.  Perhaps add a personal, hand-written note of thanks with their appeal.  You might think about calling them when they do renew their gift.  And, if they didn’t respond to your request, maybe you didn’t cut through the clutter – or the day your letter came it accidently went into the wastebasket with the pile of ads and other direct mail appeals.  Do send a second reminder – or call and ask them to renew their gift personally.

It is intrinsic in us, I believe, to want to give.  It is in our nature.   And people are just waiting to be asked.  Do so considerately, thoughtfully and with a little reminder now and then.

Let the season begin.

Sharon Danosky
The Philanthropy Therapist

For some reason we live in a society where we feel we have to apologize for asking for money for a good cause.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  And experience has shown me that when “you put it out there” – your volunteers and your donors embrace it.

Several years ago I was working with an organization and we really wanted to “step-up” the fund-raising at our event.  It had been relatively successful, but we felt it could raise significantly more.  Each year we were able to generate lots of excitement and enthusiasm at the event – but we had never figured out how to parlay that energy into financial support.   There was a reticence among some of our volunteers to change the event.  But they all wanted to take it to the next level.  So, at our pre-event planning kick-off party, we decorated everything in green, put out faux gold coins on the table, distributed pencils decorated as dollar bills and passed out monopoly money when people arrived.  And then we stated our purpose was to raise money – and all our efforts were going toward that.   We didn’t say we were “friend-raising” (ps – I hate that term), or thanking our donors, or cultivating new donors.  We were up-front, direct, honest, and there was no confusion of why we were there – to raise money – and yes, to ASK PEOPLE TO GIVE TO YOUR CAUSE!.  Committees were formed for the express purpose of raising money (not planning the menu).  It worked.  It set the organization on a new course – and yes, that year we tripled what we had raised in the past.  

There is one indisputable truth you must remember when you are raising money.   Raising money – whether it is at an event, through an appeal, or face-to-face happens for one reason and one reason only – your cause, the reason you exist, the difference you make in this world.  It has touched people’s hearts.  This is truly the one time in life you can say it is all about you … and mean it! So, that is the ultimate reason you are having a fund-raising event, or any other fund-raising effort.  Because you make our world a better place to live – and you need to raise the money to do that.  So go ahead, – ask unabashedly.

PS – If you would like to learn more about asking unabashedly at your next event click here to check out my Fundraising EventBox.

For the past ten plus years my local library has been planning a renovation and addition to its current building.  It is woefully small and cramped and crowded.  In spite of that it provides such an incredible service to the residents in the town and always has. The planned expansion has spanned the terms of many Boards and has had its share of ups and downs.  And there are still hurdles to overcome.  I should know – I am the current President.  As of this moment in time we have the architect, all the town approvals, and over 80% of the funds have been raised.  This Friday at the Library’s Annual Meeting, we will be updating our membership on the status of this proposed expansion – and for the occasion – we created a photographic video which shows the progression of the library from 1926 and concludes with a walk-through of the new building.  It is very exciting.

As I previewed the video, I was struck by the library’s history and the thread that weaves together past, current and future generations.  The original library was built because of “fundraising, some very generous contributions and the efforts of many.”  Today, the new library will be built because of fundraising, some very generous contributions and the efforts of many.  In so many ways, this is the natural progression and mirrors community organizations throughout the country.  Everywhere Boards struggle to do the right thing, to make progress, to build on what has gone before, and to strike out in new directions.  I often think of it as a relay race – with one Board passing the torch to the next and so on, and so on.  We learn from those who have gone before, we add our own mark, and we move the process forward.  And when we have the luxury of looking back over decades of progress we are struck not so much by our differences – but by our similarities.  The common thread is mission.  How we run the race matters – and never losing sight of the finish line matters even more.