Fundraising: it’s exactly what you think it is

Fundraising is exactly what you think it is. To paraphrase Henry Ford, if you think fundraising is an impossible task, you’re right. If you think it’s a joyful opportunity to feed your mission, you’re right about that, too.

How you and your team think about fundraising is directly tied to your fundraising success. If you want to build stronger donor relationships and secure more funding for your organization, examining your fundraising mindsets is a great place to start.

Here are three mindsets you can use to frame your fundraising work:

Donors don’t give to you, they give through you. You might have a fantastic website, compelling content, and engaging events, but that’s not what is inspiring long-term support from donors. Ultimately, donors give because they want to belong to a cause that aligns with their values and their vision for the world. They’re not giving to you, but through you.

Think fitness. When thinking about fundraising, think about fitness. You can’t roll into the gym, lift a weight or two, and then say “well, that’s upper-body strength settled.”  You also can’t send one gift acknowledgment letter and say “stewardship is done!” Like fitness, it’s about consistency, incremental improvement, and occasional setbacks. Keep showing up, keep working!

Simplify. I was at a conference recently where a panel was devoted to the Washington state departments involved in nonprofit regulation. They helped the attendees navigate the complicated series of permits and permissions needed to run a raffle or auction at an event. But there was a simple path the speakers didn’t explore – move away from transactional fundraising and directly ask your donors for their support. Having a conversation – even a conversation that scares you – is simpler than the myriad processes needed to manage a raffle, auction, or event.

If you are struggling with fundraising – and want to raise more money and retain more donors – working on your mindset through coaching or training could be what you need.

Ready to get started? Let’s talk!

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