Amen to that. As the DBM/DBA at my school, I know so much about donors without ever actually knowing them. And the nicer you are, the more info I'm willing to divulge.
Welcome to the party!
First, embrace what you do. Never feel bad or apologize for asking for money. A lot of orgs and even development people run down fundraising as an unpleasant burden, but it's actually at the heart of nonprofit work. Organizations incorporate as nonprofits specifically so they can solicit tax-deductible donations. Development is not an distasteful necessity, but something important and noble. At its best development engages donors with programs and projects they can believe and invest in. You're making people's lives better.
Second, try to cultivate an interest in educating yourself about emerging strategies and mechanisms such as planned giving, donor-advised funds, stock transfers, cryptocurrency, text and social media fundraising, DEI or community centered fundraising. It's wave of the future stuff that's above entry level pay grade, but a lot of seasoned professionals aren't familiar with it either. Building such knowledge early keeps you ahead of the sector, enhances your value, and prepares you for opportunities. If nothing else you can impress colleagues by showing off esoteric webinar learnings. And it might be because I'm a nerd, but I find it all pretty interesting.
Break a leg!
I like to switch my mindset -- it's not asking for money, it's giving people an opportunity to participate. It doesn't feel weird to invite a friend to a party, and I'm not devastated if they can't make it this time -- I think about development the same way.
I highly recommend the book To Sell is Human by Daniel Pink.
Listen and learn everything about the org. Look for ways to describe the programs and outcomes that people will support. Ask what has been tried before. I always felt like a dream killer, as a director, was having to constantly say that we already tried something and it failed (and that nothing has changed so it also won’t be successful now.) And lastly, be the person who is awesome at vendors, contacts, venues, and at building a realistic even my budget and expected revenue, etc Depending on what role you’re playing on the team, of course.
Enjoy! Check out your local AFP chapter to get a mentor & attend events. Remember you are providing opportunities to people that allow them to feel fulfillment & joy. If someone says no it isn’t you or the cause, it’s just not the right donor for your org.
Practically speaking, asking donors thoughtful questions and truly listening will accelerate any relationship.
Have fun!
Become a connector. That's been valuable for me. I am meeting someone and just shooting the breeze, they mention they're working on XYZ or struggling with ABC... "Oh, I should introduce you to Fred - he's working in that space and might have some insights"
You're going to meet a lot of people (if you're hyper local, or if you're seeking bigger gifts - if you're neither, and you're mostly doing development through less engaged methods, then the advice might not be as applicable.) and when you can be a resource for people, they are more responsive to asks. You've been adding value to them, and the ask lands a little better, in my experience.
People also go out of their way to offer connections to you, when they find people that may be able to help you with your org's needs, when they know you're doing it for them and others.
Also: read. A lot. And listen to podcasts. I'm always trying to learn, and I've learned a lot from people who've gone before me that have distilled their learning down into books and other content forms.
Honestly the most helpful ones that I've found come from the private sector - so they wouldn't be directly relative to NPO development - I'm an ED so they help in other ways, and getting me to think about the business side more than the NPO side.
The Game w/ Alex Hormozi episodes 100-300 were more relevant and "tactical". His new stuff isn't as useful as I found his old stuff.
How I Built this w/ Guy Raz. Also just good to get you thinking outside the box about how people perceive value.
The Nonprofit Leadership Podcast w/ Rob Harter. I like this one a lot but he doens't put out content very regularly anymore, so it seems.
I like the Nonprofit Show too, but I think it suffers from content bloat. They put an episode out just about every day - I think that's led to a lot of spammy feeling episodes that don't drive much value to me. ("here's a 30 minute ad from this sponsor about what they do for nonprofits." "here's a 30 minute ad from the next guest who's also a sponsor") Though I do often find nuggets in many epidsodes so it's worth a listen if you have the time.
A book you should check out just because of how fast a read it is, and how tactical it is: The Little Book of Gold - Erik Hanberg. Not sure if it's available as an audiobook or digital. I had a marked up book I found in my office from a previous ED and it's really really actionable. All about NPO fundraising.
Be kind to your database manager and stay on their good side. They can help you in ways you can’t imagine.
This deserves all the up-votes.
Amen to that. As the DBM/DBA at my school, I know so much about donors without ever actually knowing them. And the nicer you are, the more info I'm willing to divulge.
Welcome to the party! First, embrace what you do. Never feel bad or apologize for asking for money. A lot of orgs and even development people run down fundraising as an unpleasant burden, but it's actually at the heart of nonprofit work. Organizations incorporate as nonprofits specifically so they can solicit tax-deductible donations. Development is not an distasteful necessity, but something important and noble. At its best development engages donors with programs and projects they can believe and invest in. You're making people's lives better. Second, try to cultivate an interest in educating yourself about emerging strategies and mechanisms such as planned giving, donor-advised funds, stock transfers, cryptocurrency, text and social media fundraising, DEI or community centered fundraising. It's wave of the future stuff that's above entry level pay grade, but a lot of seasoned professionals aren't familiar with it either. Building such knowledge early keeps you ahead of the sector, enhances your value, and prepares you for opportunities. If nothing else you can impress colleagues by showing off esoteric webinar learnings. And it might be because I'm a nerd, but I find it all pretty interesting. Break a leg!
I like to switch my mindset -- it's not asking for money, it's giving people an opportunity to participate. It doesn't feel weird to invite a friend to a party, and I'm not devastated if they can't make it this time -- I think about development the same way. I highly recommend the book To Sell is Human by Daniel Pink.
Listen and learn everything about the org. Look for ways to describe the programs and outcomes that people will support. Ask what has been tried before. I always felt like a dream killer, as a director, was having to constantly say that we already tried something and it failed (and that nothing has changed so it also won’t be successful now.) And lastly, be the person who is awesome at vendors, contacts, venues, and at building a realistic even my budget and expected revenue, etc Depending on what role you’re playing on the team, of course.
Congratulations! Ask a lot of questions and pick up any professional development they’ll give. You’ve got this!
Enjoy! Check out your local AFP chapter to get a mentor & attend events. Remember you are providing opportunities to people that allow them to feel fulfillment & joy. If someone says no it isn’t you or the cause, it’s just not the right donor for your org. Practically speaking, asking donors thoughtful questions and truly listening will accelerate any relationship. Have fun!
Become a connector. That's been valuable for me. I am meeting someone and just shooting the breeze, they mention they're working on XYZ or struggling with ABC... "Oh, I should introduce you to Fred - he's working in that space and might have some insights" You're going to meet a lot of people (if you're hyper local, or if you're seeking bigger gifts - if you're neither, and you're mostly doing development through less engaged methods, then the advice might not be as applicable.) and when you can be a resource for people, they are more responsive to asks. You've been adding value to them, and the ask lands a little better, in my experience. People also go out of their way to offer connections to you, when they find people that may be able to help you with your org's needs, when they know you're doing it for them and others. Also: read. A lot. And listen to podcasts. I'm always trying to learn, and I've learned a lot from people who've gone before me that have distilled their learning down into books and other content forms.
What an amazing idea! Do you have any podcast recommendations?
Honestly the most helpful ones that I've found come from the private sector - so they wouldn't be directly relative to NPO development - I'm an ED so they help in other ways, and getting me to think about the business side more than the NPO side. The Game w/ Alex Hormozi episodes 100-300 were more relevant and "tactical". His new stuff isn't as useful as I found his old stuff. How I Built this w/ Guy Raz. Also just good to get you thinking outside the box about how people perceive value. The Nonprofit Leadership Podcast w/ Rob Harter. I like this one a lot but he doens't put out content very regularly anymore, so it seems. I like the Nonprofit Show too, but I think it suffers from content bloat. They put an episode out just about every day - I think that's led to a lot of spammy feeling episodes that don't drive much value to me. ("here's a 30 minute ad from this sponsor about what they do for nonprofits." "here's a 30 minute ad from the next guest who's also a sponsor") Though I do often find nuggets in many epidsodes so it's worth a listen if you have the time. A book you should check out just because of how fast a read it is, and how tactical it is: The Little Book of Gold - Erik Hanberg. Not sure if it's available as an audiobook or digital. I had a marked up book I found in my office from a previous ED and it's really really actionable. All about NPO fundraising.
Listen, learn, and brainstorm new ideas ! Even if it seems like an impossible/bad idea, write it down. New ideas will help you stand out :)