Fundraising is a human decision to help and create change
Fundraising wasn’t anything I aspired to do. Yet, the work pushed me to get a masters in business and become a certified coach.. Fundraising has enabled me to become the leader I am today. It amazes me.
Fundraising began for me as a volunteer leader with the League of Women Voters (LWV), Money was needed to produce forums, debates, and candidate meetings. I headed out to the community to raise the money needed. These events served the community and were opportunities for community to come together to learn and decide on issues.
People were supportive and attended the events. After a forum a couple came to me thanking me for asking them to help. As they experienced the forum, they felt good about helping to make it possible. It was a moment that I learned the importance of fundraising.
It’s the community connection that interested me.
As my daughter prepared to attend college, I chose to pivot to professional fundraising and began work at public broadcasting inviting business support. I increased business support 4x using authentic interaction and how program support served communities and who in the communities valued programs.
Changing fundraising positions to the local medical center for a capital campaign as the first development director was a challenge as the hospital wasn’t well liked in the community. In addition, my boss passed away quickly eight months after I began.. I became my own boss as no-one else liked fundraising.
The community felt much more positive about the hospital after the campaign. Employees and staff surprised themselves with their generosity. Community donors, hospital leaders, staff and employees joined together in support, knowing the value of a new children’s care center for their community, and made it happen.
The time I have spent writing, reading, talking with others, becoming a coach and getting new perspectives, I believe fundraisers can change fundraising to be more focused on mission, and community building in ways to live together with empathy and generosity.
To learn more about Mission Centered Fundraising contact me for a no-cost conversation to connect and learn if this is right for you.
For 30+ years I have been fundraising and know that donors and organization people are involved to serve a mission they care about. Fundraising enables any person to join in support of the mission they care about.
You will learn to grow or create an individual donor program in which:
Renewing individual donors is a priority
Donors become partners
Relationships and interactions, not only money.
Provides meaningful connection with the real value of the mission for the larger community and beneficiaries.
Donors know the value of their gifts through real stories and information
Donors know the vision, plans, goals, financials, and results of their gifts.
Together we can make this happen. I work 1-1 with the fundraiser or CEO or work together. My coaching will enable fundraisers to take responsibility for donor relationships and manage their experience. I create presentations for the board to understand and support building strong individual giving programs making renewal a priority.
My experience in fundraising includes building strong relationships with donors and changing their experience. I managed a capital campaign at a small rural hospital. We raised $6.3 million dollars in 13 months in-part because of the community-building the campaign motivated people in the town. Everyone wanted to share in building a new children’s center at their hospital. Over 3300 people made gifts to the new center….a shared community commitment with fundraising.
If you are a CEO or fundraiser and want to create fundraising as a community building program, invite donors to join in support and renew them, I can help you. We will focus on the mission engaging the entire organization to build a generous giving-community.
For a look at my experience Click here for my full resume.
Vision
Fundraisers and philanthropists at the vortex of enabling communities to be caring, livable, strong, and successful places to live.
Mission
To create innovative fundraising programs that enable fundraisers to lead in authentic relationships with donors providing meaningful giving experiences and inspiring their commitment to renew.
Values
Accepting: Mission is the goal and money is how the donors participate
Autheticity: Donors renewing their commitment annually is a priority
Flexibility: Human-to-human interaction is the process for donors to belong, have meaning, and understand how they help.
Celebrate: Generosity is celebrated, and a cooperative and collaborative culture is created
Team Work: Fundraising and philanthropy are at the vortex building strong, livable communities
Helping: Honor the human desire to help with meaningful connections