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Successful fundraising is not about asking
for money. If it were, anybody would be able to do it, and everybody
would be successful at it. It would be just a matter of saying, “Here
I am. I represent a worthy cause. Please contribute to it.” End
of story. |
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In fundraising, as in business, money follows great
ideas. Thought rules the world, sets everything in motion. Mother Teresa
was consumed by her desire to care for the poorest of the poor. President
John F. Kennedy energized the country when he declared that we would
put a man on the moon. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. inspired millions
when he led the civil rights movement in the United States. |
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Such passionate devotion to purpose is not reserved
only for the famous and powerful, however. The owner of a store that
sells only organically grown food may sincerely believe that he is helping
improve his customers’ quality of life. A researcher at a medical
technology company may be committed to developing non-invasive diagnostic
and treatment procedures because she cares about people’s well-being.
A teacher may be driven to discover a way to teach autistic children
to communicate. |
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As a fundraiser, you too must have, or you must find,
a purpose that has heart and soul in it. You must be consumed by a “burning
desire” to change something in the world for the better. You will
know it when you see and feel it. It will become your be-all-and-end-all.
You will experience an “ah ha” about it. You will not be
able to imagine doing anything else. |
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Having a “burning desire” does not mean
being emotional, unrealistic, effusive. You can’t tilt at the
proverbial windmill and do much good. You also need to be grounded.
The most successful fundraising efforts are a mixture of the idealistic
and uplifting with the practical and doable. They must have vision,
promise, and scope, but they must appear to be accomplishable. Then,
you will inspire, impress, and excite others to believe that they too
can make a difference in the world by contributing to your purpose. |
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Too often, in the day-to-day search for funds, fundraisers
forget or take for granted the underlying idea that inspired their purpose
or project, focusing only on asking for money. Too often, having repeated
their message again and again, they assume potential donors already
know how worthy their cause is. They forget to connect the dots, to
make a riveting case. |
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Sometimes, an idea that started as a “burning
desire” burns out over time and needs to be rekindled. Be flexible.
Be willing to go back to basics. Where there is no heart, there will
be no success. Be sure that you can fan the flames of your “burning
desire” before you ask anyone for money or you will shortchange
yourself and your worthy cause. |
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You should be able to express your “burning
desire” in one carefully crafted sentence. And, from it, others
should be able immediately to grasp how compelling your purpose is.
Try expressing the “burning desire” for which you want to
raise money in a single sentence. E-mail it to me at trendsman@aol.com
and put “Charter School” in the memo, and I’ll rate
it from 1 to 10 and get back to you. Go to www.fundraisingguru.blogspot.com
for other articles on fundraising by Dr. Stephen L. Goldstein. |
Dr. Stephen L. Goldstein, author, lecturer, columnist, and consultant to non-profit and for-profit organizations, is president and CEO of Educational Marketing Services, Inc., a company he founded in 1977. Dr. Goldstein earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. from Columbia University. His latest book, 30 Days to Successful Fundraising, was published by PSI Research. E-mail him at trendsman@aol.com and visit his blog: www.fundraisingguru.blogspot.com.