A recent Chronicle of Philanthropy article in the February 9th, 2012 edition, entitled ‘Seeking Gifts from Wealthy Donors: Tips from Philanthropy Advisers,’ had some suggestions for seeking gifts from wealthy donors (made by philanthropy advisers).  While these tips were specific to wealthy donors, I believe they can work for donors of any size giving capacity. Here are my thoughts on just a few of their suggestions.  Continue Reading

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Here is your weekly roundup of recent articles and blogs related to fundraising and nonprofit organizations. As always, please feel free to forward this to others who might benefit from the information. Thanks for reading!

Fundraising

• Top 33 Donors – then ROUTINE | http://ow.ly/93ens   forimpact.org
• How Often To Ask? | http://ow.ly/93f1U The Agitator – Fundraising Strategies for Nonprofits
• Fundraising and Mobile. http://ow.ly/1GwKXl Katya’s Non-Profit Marketing Blog
• Creating a 60 Day Fundraising Plan: Days 31-60 | http://ow.ly/99maa Tri Point Fundraising

Leadership

• After bye-bye board member, then what? | http://ow.ly/93fuC Generous Matters
• 6 steps for handling embezzlement – http://ow.ly/1Gwasb The NonProfit Times
• How to Get Your Board Members To Help Identify Major Gift Prospects | http://ow.ly/1GwLGc Fired-Up Fundraising
• Are you counting the cost? How Much Does Fundraising Really Cost? http://ow.ly/99kK9 FundRaising Success
• Implementing a Strategic Plan | http://ow.ly/99kPs eJewish Philanthropy

Involving People

• Could this work for you? Text Generation Leaders: Texting for Nonprofit Outreach http://ow.ly/99kGe Blue Avocado
• Why You Must Give A Little To Get A Lot http://ow.ly/99ln1 Inspiring Generosity
• Don’t be stupidly cheap: Skimping on your donors can make you lose your shirt http://ow.ly/99lYX Future Fundraising Now
• 10 Tips for Engaging A Volunteer Community http://ow.ly/99m3Y Jeffrey Cufaude, Idea Architects

Other

• Valentines From the Nonprofit World http://ow.ly/99ljd The Chronicle of Philanthropy
• Impact on Nonprofits? President’s Budget and Charitable Contributions: Driving Revenue http://ow.ly/985GR The White House
• Non-profit fees for service and the smell test | http://ow.ly/1GwKJz Donor Dreams Blog
• 2011 Online Giving Grows 13%, Except … http://ow.ly/1GwLgn The Agitator
• Op Eds: Writing Leads that Grab Readers by the Lapels | http://ow.ly/1GwLRf Nonprofit Marketing

A recent Chronicle of Philanthropy article in the February 9th, 2012 edition, entitled ‘Seeking Gifts from Wealthy Donors: Tips from Philanthropy Advisers,’ had some suggestions for seeking gifts from wealthy donors (made by philanthropy advisers).  While these tips were specific to wealthy donors, I believe they can work for donors of any size giving capacity. Here are my thoughts on just a few of their suggestions:

1. Know your donor. Know what interests them – and how their company might have synergies with your organization. In today’s day and age this is becoming even more important. People are expecting much more personalized communication. And with technology, it has become possible to do so with those at all giving levels. Just make sure you have a good database and use the information you have.
2. Keep donors in the loop. Regardless of whether you have good news or bad news, it is so important to keep them updated about how things are going. You never know when someone could have a great idea that could help solve your dilemma. In addition, people can’t help if they don’t know that there’s a need.
3. Take no for an answer. This could easily go a step further. It is generally acceptable to ask for feedback – not because you think it would change their mind, but because you’d like to do a better job of describing your project in the future. I continue to be pleasantly surprised by people who want to help and are more than willing to provide that feedback.
4. Don’t address requests for support generically. I can’t emphasize this enough. How can you call me your friend if you don’t even know my name? Again, with the advancement of technology it doesn’t take much additional time to complete a mail merge and print out individualized letters. And another thought on this – customizing ask amounts on past giving amounts (while encouraging a moderate upgrade) helps donors determine how much they will give. Anything we can do to make it easier for our donors is a good thing.
5. Don’t take rejection personally. It’s about the mission of the organization you are raising money for – not you. In that same vein though, make sure that you – and everyone who represents your organization – is clear on what your vision is. It’s not as much about what your organization does – as it is about how your community will be different as a result of what you are doing. Also, make sure that you have clearly defined the community need that is being addressed – in a way that will help your potential donor truly understand the need.

Regardless of the potential giving level of the person you are speaking with, these thoughts should help steer you in the right direction.

What additional ideas / thoughts do you have?

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Here is your weekly roundup of recent articles and blogs related to fundraising and nonprofit organizations. As always, please feel free to forward this to others who might benefit from the information. Thanks for reading!

Fundraising

• Climate Change Needed for Donor Centric Fundraising! http://ow.ly/1FG087 Reinier Spruit 101 Fundraising
• Free Direct Mail Webinar From the Best: Was It the Envelope? http://ow.ly/1FPcKq The Agitator
• Infographics for Nonprofits…The Good; the Bad; the Ugly http://ow.ly/1G97Es Karen Zapp’s Nonprofit News Blog
• Who Has the Money? Surprise! (hint: women) http://ow.ly/1FPA5J BLACKBAUD’S Prospect Research Blog
• Sage Advice from Tim Ahern: In Direct Mail, All Responses, Even Complaints, Are Good http://ow.ly/1FPBTr Kivi’s Nonprofit Communications Blog

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Leadership

• Ideas to Engage/Involve Young Professionals http://ow.ly/1FPhqA Meetings & Conventions
• Constructing a Better Board Orientation http://ow.ly/1FZt7Z Laramie Board Learning Project
• Inconvenient Truths About Committees http://ow.ly/1FZtAd Wild Apricot Blog
• Survey Results: How Boards Feel About Fundraising http://ow.ly/1FZsVZ Copley Raff’s Giving Take

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Involving People

• Have You Taken the Pledge Yet? Generosity Day is the 14th! http://ow.ly/1FPbkY Sasha Dichter’s Blog
• The Power of Stories in Social Change http://ow.ly/1FZqZG Allison Fine
• Procrastination Pays Off in the Form of Food Donations http://ow.ly/1FZscK Springfield News-Leader
• Donation (virtual) Street Party, the Social Way http://ow.ly/1FPfla Osocio

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Other

• Use Social Media to Get Volunteers and Donations in One Fell Swoop http://ow.ly/1FPgUU Engaging Volunteers
• Chicago Tribune Pulls ‘Doonesbury’ Because of Charity Appeal http://ow.ly/1FPznY The Washington Post
• Tips for Fundraising Writers – http://ow.ly/1FPAFO Future Fundraising Now
• Is Your Mission Statement Boilerplate? http://ow.ly/1FZhbl The Uncataloged Museum: Mission Accomplished?
• How to Use Technology to Inspire Good Habits http://ow.ly/1FZi40 The Chronicle of Philanthropy

Have you ever sat down at a board meeting and realized that no one was excited to be there? There could be several reasons for that. Maybe it was the end of a long day for everyone. Maybe they ate too much for dinner and are tired. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s something you can do something about. Maybe there’s something that simply got sidetracked somewhere along the way that you can do something to remedy.

Here are five reason boards stall with a suggestion (or two) for each:

• Group Think. Have you seen the studies that sent people out on the street to ask for help? An interesting situation unfolded. If there were just one or two people on the street, typically one of them would see what they could do to help. However if there were more than 2 or 3 people on the street, everyone appeared to wait to see if someone else would do something. In fact, in many cases, no one ended up doing anything. This situation often occurs in the nonprofit board room. Everyone is waiting to see what everyone else will do. One thing to try? Bring in an outside expert to provide a critical analysis of the situation. another option is to assign someone the role of the ‘devil’s advocate.’
• Wrong People. When you were recruiting your board, did you ask them to be a part as a favor to you? Or did you ask them because you thought they couldn’t say no to you? If you have the wrong people and the wrong skill sets represented, take a step back, identify what your goals for the board are, and identify the skills you need to accomplish that. Then look out in the community and seek out people who are well known and who are passionate about your cause.
• Unclear Expectations. When recruiting board members it is tempting to minimize the commitment that will be required of members. The right people will still want to be a part, and the people who are only trying to fill their resume will shy away. Having clear expectation will help ensure you are recruiting the right people.
• No Accountability. Our board members are busy people and its easy for things to slip their mind. Generally speaking, they appreciate check-in and reminder calls. Don’t rely on emails for this. Just pick up the phone and call – or ask another board member to make that call. This idea has taken root and resulted in forward movement more than any other with the organizations I have worked with. Waiting a month until the next board meeting to bring something up again only results in things being delayed – or sidetracked permanently.
• ‘Magical’ Thinking. Growing up near a major tourist destination in Orlando Florida and having a mom who worked as a chaplain in the local emergency room opened my eyes to this phenomenon early. We would hear stories of people doing things that they wouldn’t do under normal situations. Something about pixie dust perhaps. But sometimes, in the nonprofit world, we have our own kind of pixie dust. It makes us think that nothing bad can come to the organization we work with and that things will fix themselves. We must be proactive and not fall into this trap.

What other ways have you seen organizations stall – and how have you seen them overcome the challenge? I look forward to reading your responses!

Continue reading my thoughts about where to look for potential board members and also a very high level view of helping new members get off to a good start.

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Here is your weekly roundup of recent articles and blogs related to fundraising and nonprofit organizations. As always, please feel free to forward this to others who might benefit from the information.

Fundraising

• Dreams Can Come True – http://ow.ly/8OomJ Nonprofit Blog Carnival: Getting Attention Blog
• You can’t hurry love…or collaborative fundraising http://ow.ly/8Qj50 The Butterfly Effect (Blog)
• Creating a 60 Day Fundraising Plan: Days 16-30 | http://ow.ly/1Fqagv Tri Point Fundraising
• Nonprofit fundraising depends on accountability and trust http://ow.ly/1FBwPI @sandyrees

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Giving Trends/Research

• Thornhill: Nonprofits can profit from boomers http://ow.ly/1FgKIO | Richmond Times-Dispatch
• Minority Communities Gaining Philanthropic Steam | http://ow.ly/1FqbuH Inspiring Generosity
• Infographic: A Peek Inside Donation Trends and Why We Support Charities http://ow.ly/1FqbHq Frogloop

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Communications

• How A Donor Communications Program Keeps Donors Giving and Giving http://ow.ly/1FuPtH Gail Perry Associates
• Building Relationships Take Work, But Pay Off | http://ow.ly/1FgJPI Inspiring Generosity
• How my pissed off donor came back… (HINT: know your donor) http://ow.ly/8QibF 101fundraising
• How to get people to sign up for your emails http://ow.ly/1FqaLW – Future Fundraising Now

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Technology/Social Media

• Facebook Timeline apps: A new way to engage nonprofit constituents http://ow.ly/1FuNP4 Socialbrite
• Google+ for Nonprofits: Invest Time or Not? Nonprofit Starter Steps | http://ow.ly/8Pq2J Beth’s Blog
• Could you make this work for your org? Amnesty, street campaigning, an electronic billboard and an iPad http://ow.ly/1Fk22I Paul de Gregorio
• Another bright shiny object? 12 ways to use Pinterest for your nonprofit http://ow.ly/1Fk31k Socialbrite 

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Leadership

• Investments in board development reap guaranteed returns. I promise. http://ow.ly/1Fk2m0 | Generous Matters
• One way you can build a stronger nonprofit organization: Developing You http://ow.ly/1Fqbf0 Guidestar
• Making Partnerships and Cooperative Relationships Work http://ow.ly/1Fk2B4 | eJewish Philanthropy

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Innovative Ideas/In The News

• Great idea! Ask and Acknowledge Fridays http://ow.ly/8QiZ1 @lorijacobwith
• ‘Text 2 CureDuchenne’ Campaign Launched at Super Bowl XLVI http://ow.ly/1FuP9w Fundraising Success
• How Will Facebook’s IPO Affect Charities? http://ow.ly/1FuOWF The NonProfit Times
• Need Project Management Training? Check out these scholarships for nonprofit employees from PMI! http://ow.ly/8Sv86 Project Management Institute

Are you scratching your head trying to figure out where to find new board members? It can be challenging to find the right people who want to be involved for the right reasons.Several years ago I was able to work with a community health center to identify and recruit potential board members. I enjoyed meeting people in the community, but soon realized that there were many thoughts related to what it meant to serve on a board of directors. Some people were truly dedicated to the cause and were coming in with their eyes open. However others just thought it would look good on their resume and others were committed to the cause but didn’t want any responsibility. I quickly came to the realization that it was much harder than it looked!

Here are some thoughts about where to look for potential board members and also a very high level view of helping new members get off to a good start. While identifying the right board members for your organization is a matter for another article, here are some ideas for where to look:

• Local Business Journal. Many communities have a business journal that provides information about, well, businesses and business leaders. Often, the biographies will provide very telling information that can help you identify whether they might be interested in becoming involved with your organization. It will also include new businesses, listings of people who have recently been promoted or newly hired, and other information. Spend some time reading through it. Not only will you identify potential donors and board members, you may also find information about your current board members and donors.
• Civic Associations / Chambers. What community doesn’t have Rotary, Kiwanis, Sertoma, a Moose lodge, a chamber of commerce, etc? People who are involved in these types of organizations typically have a desire to give back to the community and be a part of something bigger than themselves. And often, these organizations are looking for speakers, so reach out, attend a couple of meetings, and see who you meet.
• Houses of Worship. Just like with civic associations, people who have a desire to give back to the community and be a part of something bigger than themselves.
• Donors. Your current donors have already raised their hand to say that they support your cause. Perhaps there are a few who would like to get more involved with the organization!
• Volunteers. Current volunteers are another place to look for board members. Are there people volunteering who are well-connected in the community or have other skills your organization would benefit from?

Now you know where to look. What will you say when you pick up the phone to call them or when you see them in line at the grocery store? Here are a few words of advice:

First, identify very clearly what the goals of your organization are – and how the board will be a part of accomplishing those goals. Next, be very clear with incoming board members about what your expectations are for them (providing a job description is just the first step in this process). If you have an existing board that hasn’t been as involved as you would like them to be, keep in mind that new members will often confirm to the norm in the board, so if you’re hoping to have a new person shake things up, make sure they know that’s what you’re hoping. And finally, don’t be afraid to talk about the fundraising responsibility that board members have (again, being clear about how your organization measures that involvement).

Those are just a few thoughts. What are yours?

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Here is your weekly roundup of recent articles and blogs related to fundraising and nonprofit organizations. As always, please feel free to forward this to others who might benefit from the information.

Fundraising/In The News

• Do You Have a Master Prospect List for Your Nonprofit Fundraising Program? The Master Prospect List | http://ow.ly/1ELZTB http://forimpact.org
• How to Get Started: What is Peer-to-peer Online Fundraising Anyhow? http://ow.ly/1EOpNW | Inspiring Generosity
• Why a Warm Welcome to First-time Donors Matters http://ow.ly/1F9sb3 | Generous Matters
• Fundraising Campaigns Smaller but Omnipresent in the ‘New Normal’ http://ow.ly/1EY9HW About.com

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Communications

• Why You Need Someone Else to be Your Messenger. http://ow.ly/1ELVUD Katya’s Non-Profit Marketing Blog
• Provide Common Info to Make it More Real: How to Make a Stat Work in Nonprofit Marketing http://ow.ly/1EOmgL Kivi’s Nonprofit Communications Blog
• It’s That Time of Year Again: Annual Reports – Print or Online | 101fundraising http://ow.ly/1ES2k1 | Graeme Russell
• 10 Essentials for a Killer Thank You Letter | http://ow.ly/1EY9ua Pamela Grow’s Grantwriting Blog
• Infographic: The History of Advertising http://ow.ly/1F7csG | Marketing Technology Blog

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Technology/Social Media

• Join In, It’s Not That Scary: Facing Your Fear of Social Media | http://ow.ly/1ELYoY Inspiring Generosity
• Email: Still Not Dead! – Online Fundraising, Advocacy, and Social Media – http://ow.ly/1EOnFw Frogloop
• What Do Facebook’s New Timeline Apps Mean for Nonprofits? | http://ow.ly/1EOo7K Beth’s Blog
• Impossible to Control Social Media: McDonald’s Twitter Campaign Becomes Horror Story http://ow.ly/1EQSXf Business First
• Nonprofits Successfully Embrace Social Media | http://ow.ly/1EY8CE JGA Counsel

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Leadership/Innovative Ideas

• Breaking Down the Silos: Organize Around Audiences, Not Departments http://ow.ly/1F1P2t : FundRaising Success
• Secrets Revealed: The Best New Resource for Volunteer Recruitment http://ow.ly/1F7d1v | Engaging Volunteers
• PR Idea for Your Nonprofit: Newsjacking: The New Way to Get Media Attention http://ow.ly/8M42Y Kivi’s Nonprofit Communications Blog
• President Vows Not to Deter Wealthy From Giving – Government – http://ow.ly/1EOoQD The Chronicle of Philanthropy

If this describes you and your feelings about your organization, then I have a message for you:

It doesn’t do any favors for anyone for you to continue to think small, to continue to stay out of the lime light, to be a martyr for your cause. All it does is burn out your board and volunteers, disengage your donors and keep people from getting the help they need.

If I had a dream for 2012, it would be that fewer nonprofit leaders would allow themselves to think small.

So what happens when you start to look at the bigger picture? Let’s take the idea of a soup kitchen. It is very important that people have access to food. But if you only look at feeding people physically, your story is very limited. What if you expanded your vision to talk about the hope that people receive when they see that others really care for them. What if there were a way to easily build on the programs you offer to insure that people you are serving are also helping them become self sufficient. What if you could encourage your recipients to formally organize to see how they could help each other? Teach leadership skills, help to really provide a hand up?

And what happens to your organization when you start to look at the bigger picture?

Board and staff members are reconnected with, and inspired by, the vision of the organization. You can more easily identify groups, people and companies who benefit from the work that you do (hint: these are your potential donors). When you approach people who are interested in your cause, they can more easily see how their community is being transformed by your work (hint: the materials you use are telling stories about lives being transformed, rather than just talking about some number of people who are receiving meals). As more people are engaged in the work you are doing, more funds are available to support your cause.

Yes, I hear you. It’s not always that easy. But I have seen this work with organizations. And no, it doesn’t happen overnight. If you’re looking for a get-rich-quick scheme or an overnight success plan this will not do it for you. However if you’re willing to invest some hard work up front (yes, I understand that you’re probably already burning the candle at the both ends, but a change of approach will yield different results), then this approach could transform your organization.

Here’s a summary of the steps you’ll need to take:

1. Get in touch with your ‘big idea.’ Work together with your board to identify your vision (that is, how you see the community you serve changing as a result of the work you are going).
2. Rework your communications materials (talks, website, fliers, Facebook page, email messaging) to reflect this big idea.
3. Start inviting people to be a part of your organization – and build new opportunities for engagement. Not sure how you can add managing volunteers to your job description? In the short-term, you might be able to find a volunteer or intern to help get things started for you.
4. Get out there. Offer to speak at local Rotary and Kiwanis clubs, to congregations and any other groups in your community that are looking for speakers. Consider setting up your own monthly ‘get-to-know-us’ events.
5. Meet with community leaders. Share your story with them – and ask for their help (not money, at least not right away, but ask what ideas they have that would help you get your story out). There are very few people who will say no to a short meting if you are genuinely asking for help.
6. Send out press releases. Of course making sure that they are timely, relevant and newsworthy (but do this on a regular basis, I recommend monthly). Reporters have less and less time to do research, so having a resource they can contact with questions about the issue in the community that you address is valuable for them. This press release can also be sent out by email to major donors, community leaders, elected officials, etc. as a way to ensure that they are kept up-to-date about your organization.
7. Continue to invite people to engage with your organization.

That’s my dream. More organizations getting out there in a big way, transforming our communities and creating a better world.

Here is your weekly roundup of recent articles and blogs related to fundraising and nonprofit organizations. As always, please feel free to forward this to others who might benefit from the information.

Fundraising

• 3 Key Major Gifts Strategies for 2012 | Fired-Up Fundraising | http://ow.ly/1EqrCj Gail Perry Associates
• Check these out: Free Non-profit Webinars for February 2012 http://ow.ly/1EqwwK Wild Apricot Blog
• Love this anecdote: Peer to Peer Fundraising: It’s Not What You Think http://ow.ly/1Eqxc8 Guidestar
• Relationship building tool: Do You Survey Your Donors? | http://ow.ly/1EqzjU The Good Steward
• Charity events buck tradition to draw young crowds – http://ow.ly/1EqtZB The Denver Post

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Giving Trends/Research

• Enid Ablowitz: Social investing by women – http://ow.ly/1Ecd0z Boulder Daily Camera
• The Changing Faces of Philanthropy | http://ow.ly/1EceTn Minnesota Council on Foundations Blog
• Report from Growing Philanthropy Summit: Let’s Spread the Word http://ow.ly/1EqtBh The Nonprofit Quarterly
• 4% Growth In Giving Forecast For 2012 | http://ow.ly/1Equs3 The Agitator

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Communications

• Getting Started with Cause Marketing is as Easy as 1-2-3 | http://ow.ly/1EcbsC Inspiring Generosity
• Email still the best (online) way to reach our donors. http://ow.ly/1EchhB Katya’s Non-Profit Marketing Blog
• Three Thank You Templates and You’re OUT! | http://ow.ly/1Equn7 eJewish Philanthropy
• Tips on how to talk with your lapsed donors http://ow.ly/1EchKu The NonProfit Times

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Technology/Social Media

• How Facebook Changes Are Impacting Engagement and What Nonprofits Should Do About It | http://ow.ly/1EqpIN Beth’s Blog
• 40+ Social Media Dashboard Tools for Tracking Stuff http://ow.ly/1EqqbV Barry Hurd
• How to use Google Insights for your nonprofit or business http://ow.ly/1Eqz0d Socialbrite
• How Facebook Social Plugins Increase Engagement On Your Nonprofit’s Website | http://ow.ly/1EDxfS John Haydon

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Leadership/Innovative Ideas

• Chief Fundraising Role for Presidents (or executive directors) Never Ends | http://ow.ly/1EqzMI JGA Counsel
• Decide How You Are Different, Be It, and Forget the Rest http://ow.ly/1EquQc Kivi’s Nonprofit Communications Blog
• Does Your Nonprofit Need Legal Counsel About Using Social Media? | http://ow.ly/1Ecfrf Beth’s Blog
• Government-Funded Nonprofits Brace for Steep Cuts, Uncertain Futures | http://ow.ly/1Eqvcb http://PNNOnline.org

In November, I had a coaching session with the Executive Director of a small organization. Things were in dire straits. Payroll was behind by more than a week. The ED was tempted to throw in the towel, but wasn’t quite ready to let go. However, it was easy to get mired in the details and in everything that hadn’t worked before. The board wasn’t actively engaged in fundraising. The mission of the organization had gotten somewhat fuzzy. And while their program efforts had been successful, supporters had been slowly drifting away. I got the feeling from our conversation that they felt like they were getting very close to the edge. They needed a good size cash infusion – and quickly.

Does this sound like any organization you’ve been involved with? There are at least seven organization that come to mind for me without putting much thought in to it. Having been on staff with such an organization at one point, I know how easy it can be to slip in to a state of hopelessness.

So how do you start to turn things around? How do you rekindle hope when there doesn’t seem to be much left – and when you’re feeling like no one else quite understands how dire things are?

Here are a few thoughts to get you started.

First, take a step back – and take a deep breath. You’ve simply gotten too close to the edge. Find someone safe to talk things through with who will not get drawn into the bleakness of the situation with you. Someone who can look at things from an outside perspective (and preferable someone who is well-acquainted with fundraising and nonprofits.

Review your organization’s mission. Is it still needed? Are you clear on what your vision is or has it gotten diluted as you try to keep funding coming in? Reconnect with the core things that the organization was started to accomplish. If necessary make the mental adjustments to reflect what is most needed in your organization today. Ideally, this would be done as part of a board meeting or board planning retreat, but as a first step you can do this on your own. Don’t just look at what your organization does, identify how the community will be different as a result of your work.

Next, recognize that the same thinking that got you into this situation will not get you out of it. Spend some time reviewing what you’ve tried over the last few years, but don’t be constrained by it. Put together an outline of a plan (one-page is fine) that includes: (a) what could be accomplished in the next 2-3 years if the money were there, and (b) how you will rebuild a funding base if given the opportunity.

Now, take a close look at who your largest donors have been over the last few years. Is there a foundation whose giving priorities align with your organization? Is there an individual, or group of individuals who were instrumental in getting your organization started? Who have you been out of touch with? Who is still in the area and might want to help be a part of turning things around for your organization? Now is not the time to start trying to build new relationships as it can take 3-6 months (and up to several years) to cultivate a new large gift. If I’m understanding your situation right, you don’t have that kind of time.

Go talk to the people you have identified. I know that it’s tempting in cases like these to try to sugarcoat the situation. Be honest and see if there is still a place in their heart for your cause.Lay it all out – how much is needed to get the bills back up-to-date, how much it costs annually to run the organization, and all the great things your organization could do – if given the chance.

This next step might catch you off guard, but don’t ask for a gift. Ask for their advice on how to get through this time. Chances are, they  don’t want an organization that they’ve supported in a significant way to go away. They may offer to make a large gift themselves, or they may be able to introduce you to others who can help bridge the gap between now and when your long-term strategies start kicking in.

Once you have a commitment to get you through the short-term dilemma it’s time to start implementing your long-term plan. Start building new relationships, adapt your materials to reflect your vision of how the community will be different. Build your base. And don’t wait. Start as soon as you are able. And keep your primary supporter up-to-date about how things are proceeding. If things start getting off track they might be able to help.

Let me know if you’d like someone to walk this path with you. I’d love to help.