relationship building Archives

Rachel Bearbower’s 4 Templates That Every Nonprofit Leader Needs To Connect More With Donors And Raise More Funds

#054 – Rachel Bearbower is the founder and CEO of Small Shop Strategies, a nonprofit consultancy focused on coaching nonprofit leaders how to detangle their systems, so they can focus their time and energy on building relationships and raising more for their causes.

In just 3 years, Rachel has built a community where over a hundred nonprofit leaders are showing up for themselves and learning how to boldly fundraise, tell better stories and become even more impactful changemakers.

In today’s episode, Rachel shares the 4 templates every nonprofit leader should have locked and loaded and ready at all times to maintain connection with their donors:

#1 An immediate automated thank you note or receipt;

#2 Within 24-48 hours a heartfelt quick personal email that is NOT the receipt from your CRM that lets your donor know the gift was received and appreciated;

#3 An email or video depicting the impact of their gift and reminding them that you did what you said you were going to do with their gift; and

#4 A Connection email – Ask for their opinion / Send them an article / Find out why they gave

Rachel emphasizes how important it is to ditch transactional relationships and develop real meaningful relationships with your donors – connect donors to the mission, connect them to what their gift actually did.

“Donors don’t want to fund the process. They want to fund the impact. And so you, the organization, you are the process, and so you wanna remove yourself. So instead of saying, help us buy new uniforms, it’s, you can provide a kid with a new uniform.”

Be sure to stick around until the end to hear now being a farmer in training helps Rachel be a lifetime learner and makes her a better nonprofit consultant.

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4 Key Takeaways

#1 The best way to connect more and raise is to have a plan;

#2 Communicate as quickly as possible after the donation comes in;

#3 Automate and personalize your communication; and

#4 Make your communication about the donor instead of your organization.

Show Notes

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[2:56] The way to get good at thanking, connecting, building relationships, and raising more is having a plan
[5:01] Donors get buyer's remorse as soon as they hit DONATE.
[6:12] Send an immediate automated Thank You note from your CRM
[7:39] Organizations get tripped on being perfect
[8:44] Send a heartfelt Thank You in within the first 24-48 hours of the gift.
[12:30] FREE Thank You Template
[15:34] You're creating those connections because you're meeting the donor where they're at…
[19:11] Connect the donor's gift to an outcome
[21:43] Remind the donor that you did what you said you would do
[24:56] Donors don't want to fund the process. They want to fund the impact.
[30:21] The best time to ask someone for a second gift or a third gift is eight to 12 weeks after their original gift.

Some Things To Consider Before You Onboard Your Next Volunteers with Tobi Johnson.

#045 – Today I am speaking with Tobi Johnson. Tobi has 25 plus years of experience with nonprofits. Instead of simply moving to another job when she moved across the country 13 years ago, Tobi decided to start her own company where she could share her expertise and help organizations with volunteerism.

Tobi helps organizations of all shapes and sizes build their volunteer strategy by helping organizations replace old and ineffective approaches with new innovative and research-based practices.

One of her superpowers is showing organizations how to onboard new volunteers and make them feel like they are a part of something…

“This feeling of belongings ingrained in our nature as humans.”

“And when you are a volunteer and if you feel like you’re on the outside looking in, you’re just not going to engage and you’re actually gonna become not as productive.”

“The time that belonging matters most is the time when you’re onboarding new volunteers and welcoming people in to make sure that every single person feels like they belong.”

Through VolunteerPro, Tobi provides online volunteer management training, coaching & community to leaders of volunteers at all levels.

Be sure to stick around until the end to hear Tobi discuss using Bling for Belonging.

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4 Key Takeaways

#1 If your volunteers feel like outsiders, they are not going to engage and will not be as productive as they could be;

#2 Volunteers leave groups when they feel implicit promises are not kept;

#3 Make implicit expectations explicit by naming them;

#4 Giving informal recognition can much more powerful than formal recognition.

Show Notes

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[2:23] The feeling of belonging is a deeply human trait.
[5:43] When volunteers feel like outsiders, they're not going to engage and will be less productive.
[8:40] The new volunteer has expectations and they believe promises have been made.
[10:08] Make implicit promises explicit.
[12:53] Make sure new volunteers are connected to your mission.
[15:05] Six reasons why people volunteer
[19:33] Informal recognition is more powerful than explicit recognition
[21:56] Bling for Belonging

Linda Lysakowski shows us how small nonprofits can fundraise from local businesses by simply asking for advice.

#044 – Today I am speaking with Linda Lysakowski. In Linda’s thirty plus years as a philanthropic consultant, she has managed capital campaigns that have raised more than $50 million and has helped hundreds of nonprofit organizations achieve their development goals.

Today we talk about how to raise funds from your local business community. Linda shares great actionable steps on how to build relationships with your local business leaders. A great way to start a conversation is to simply ask for advice.

I might call that person and say, do you mind if I just take you to lunch one day? I’d like to talk to you about what we can do to improve the technology in our business or what we can do to improve the marketing or what we can do to improve our financial picture.

You could ask for advice in many, many different areas, but look at your needs and then try to find businesses that can help those needs.

Most business people are flattered by that. Who doesn’t love talking about themselves and giving advice? This simple ask can be the gateway to more financial support.

You know, the old saying that if you ask for money, a lot of times you get advice. And if you ask for advice, a lot of times you end up getting money.

Linda is a prolific writer and has authored more than 30 books.

Be sure to stick around until the end to hear how one of her clients went from $0 to a half million dollars in less than 1 year.

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4 Key Takeaways

#1 Hang out where the business leaders are;

#2 Invite them in so they can see what you are doing;

#3 You have to build relationships to understand what motivates each business to give;

#4 Your ask must show the economic and the social impact your organization is making on the community.

Show Notes

**Click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode

[2:20] First step is really obviously identifying what businesses are in your community
[3:14] Hang out where the business leaders are, which is usually the local chamber of commerce
[5:04] Ask businesses questions, like what's important to you about your corporate philanthropy
[6:10] Invite them in and let them see what you're doing
[12:45] So you have to understand what motivates the businesses to give
[16:16] Your case for support has show the economic and social impact your organization is making on the community
[17:09] Asking for advice is a GREAT way to start a conversation
[17:55] If you ask for money, a lot of times you get advice. if you ask for advice, a lot of times you end up getting money
[22:20] The Pandemic caused a lot of companies to re-think their special events
[25:05] Use a Cultivation event to start relationships
[30:16] From $0 to a half million dollars in 1 year

Meet Polly Lagana Who Shares Her Fundraising Framework That Creates Happy Donors Who Give More Money More Consistently. She Tells us Exactly How To Do It!

040 Today I am speaking with Polly Lagana. Polly is a New York based Behavioral Scientist who has been researching happiness for years – it is her life’s work. Her formula is PLEASURE + PURPOSE + COMMUNITY = HAPPINESS. Through her research, Polly found that…

“people want to belong- they want to feel a sense of community – they want to feel like they’re part of something”.

Polly discovered that quick interactions that aren’t about asking for money carry a lot of weight with donors. We should focus our relationship building on putting in time to develop those small connections, unrelated to the ask.

After moving to Switzerland she found philanthropy was BIG, but very quiet. That is where she began to see the intersection between happiness, self satisfaction, donor satisfaction.

“Philanthropy actually comes out of this idea. That’s part of you as a member of the community. It’s a way to have a positive impact on your life”.

She used her research to create her SPARK Framework which results in happier donors who give more money more consistently and get others to give as well and join your donor community:

Simplicity of the ask and the task

Personal connection

Alignment of goals between the donor and your organization or institution

Research and information guiding your decisions And

Knowledge of a positive outcome

Be sure to stick around until the end to hear what Polly learned while living in Switzerland for 3 years.

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4 Key Takeaways

#1 Make it really simple and reduce the amount of choices for your donor.;

#2 People have short attention spans – keep your ask and pitch to 3 minutes;

#3 Have your best messenger deliver your message;

#4 This is the time to try new things – don’t be afraid – don’t let fear hold you back.

Show Notes

**Click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode

[2:44] Look at this intersection between happiness and philanthropy
[4:13] PLEASURE + PURPOSE + COMMUNITY = HAPPINESS
[5:00] People want to belong
[5:49] The SPARK Framework
[8:33] Make it simple and reduce the choices for your donor
[9:35] Turn your pitch into a
[11:40] Make it as easy as possible
[13:22] Find your best messenger to deliver your message
[17:00] Those quick interactions that aren't about money carry a lot of weight
[18:07] Make a list of the different types of interactions you could have
[21:23] Don't let fear hold you back

How AJ Steinberg Became The Queen Bee Of Fundraising By Creating Amazing Committee Chairs And How You Can Do The Same.

#039 – Today I am speaking with AJ Steinberg. AJ is a professional event producer with a background in both fundraising and engagement neuropsychology. She produces, consults, and trains but, above all else, considers herself an engagement strategist because…

“engagement is what it takes to work with volunteers and also to create engaging events.”

For over 20 years she has produced more than 100 successful events all over North America and raised millions of dollars for nonprofits from her Los Angeles based production company. Some of her best advice is simple yet effective – make your volunteers feel like the superstars they are….

“I do not ever have an email that doesn’t either end or begin with – hey there, I, first of all, want to thank you for the time that you’re putting into this. I love working with you. I make them feel like superstars because they are superstars.”

She is a recognized subject matter expert and trainer, presenting on subjects such as nonprofit event planning, event sponsorships, committee and volunteer leadership, generational giving, and guest engagement.

Check out AJ at – https://queenbeefundraising.com/

Be sure to stick around until the end to hear what AJ has to say about committee chairs stuck doing all the work.

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4 Key Takeaways

#1 Community and engagement is the #1 most important thing when you’re interacting with volunteers;

#2 87% of volunteers become more meaningfully involved with the organizations after they have their volunteer experience;

#3 Clear and regular communication with your volunteers is key to your event’s success;

#4 Make your volunteers feel like the superstars they are.

Show Notes

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[3:00] 87% of volunteers become more meaningfully involved with the organizations after they have their volunteer experience.
[5:54] The most effective way to use your volunteers is to build it into a team.
[7:49] Energy comes from choosing the right people.
[9:40] Create your hive so that it is set up for success.
[10:11] If you don't choose the right Queen Bee your experience leading them is going to be difficult.
[11:24] You need a cheerleader.
[14:24] Committee members become more involved, happier, and bigger donors ultimately.
[15:20] I consider myself an engagement strategist
[19:38] Community and engagement is the number one most important thing when you're interacting with volunteers
[20:50] When you really understand the value of relationship building it's it makes everything worthwhile
[26:32] Find AJ

How To Build A Better Fundraising Foundation, Especially In The New Post Pandemic World, With Jenni Hargrove.

#038 – Today I am speaking with Jenni Hargrove. Jenni is a nonprofit guru who advises nonprofits on management, marketing, and development strategies. She has amazing free resources on her website including her podcast The Nonprofit Jenni Show. In this interview, she shares the risk many nonprofits face when they limit their fundraising efforts to only 1 big event per year.

“I always tell them that when they’re thinking about stabilizing their revenue in the long term is that you need to think about your revenue streams sort of as a stool. So that’s why we don’t like to have just one or two revenue streams because that only gives you one or two legs to stand on. You really want at least three different types of revenue streams. And so that, doesn’t mean having three fundraising events that would only count as one leg on the stool because it’s only one type of revenue.”

She began her career working in corporate philanthropy for a really big international corporation. Her job included picking and choosing which nonprofits would get funded. She wanted to create resources for the so many nonprofits she had to turn down. AND Nonprofit Jenni was born.

“It is just much more fulfilling for me to be able to serve the 99% versus the 1%.”

Check out Jenni at – https://www.nonprofitjenni.com/

Be sure to stick around until the end to hear all about the Nonprofit Jenni Book Club.

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4 Key Takeaways

#1 You need 3 legs to your fundraising/ revenue stream;

#2 Nonprofits can use social enterprises to fund their missions;

#3 Consult with an accountant and an attorney when setting up your nonprofit; and

#4 Corporate Foundations can be a better place to look for money than the corporation itself.

Show Notes

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[2:35] Think about your revenue streams sort of as a stool with 3 legs.
[6:08] The business should fund AND fuel your mission.
[9:50] Oasis Bike Shop in Nashville, TN.
[11:50] The money that they earn from you is then used to fund kids going through the program.
[16:00] if you want to start a business for your nonprofit, talk to an accountant and attorney.
[19:30] Foundations can be a better source than corporate donations.
[23:41] Creativity isn't what inspires people - your mission inspires people.
[24:10] How Jenni got started

Should your nonprofit fundraising focus on high-net worth individuals? Absolutely. Here is what you need to know from Rhea Wong.

#037 – Today I am speaking with Rhea Wong. Rhea is a New York based nonprofit consultant who trains nonprofit leaders to fundraise more money from high-net worth donors. At the age of 26, she became the Executive Director of a nonprofit with a $250k budget. The first day on the job, she Googled 2 things – 1) what does an Executive Director do and 2) how to fundraise?

Rhea did something right – very right. In her 12 years as the ED of that nonprofit, she grew that $250k budget to over $3 million through private philanthropy.

“So I’d figured out the foundations, the corporations, the events, the individuals and the one area that I thought had the most potential for growth were the major gift individuals. When we look at the pie of philanthropic gifts, nationally, the biggest chunk of the pie are individuals. They’re responsible for upwards of like $350 billion or something. So many nonprofits focus on, you know, the grants and like corporate sponsorships or whatever. It’s really about the people.”

After working on projects for her ED friends, she decided to focus on major gift fundraising because that is where people had the most anxiety.

Be sure to stick around until the end to hear all of Rhea’s great dating analogies for fundraising.

Check out Rhea at – https://www.rheawong.com/

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4 Key Takeaways

#1 Think of fundraising like a party and you just want to see who wants to come to your party;

#2 Don’t think you are taking something away from donors. You are inviting them to be part of something special;

#3 Fundraising is just a math problem – offers minus NOs equals YESes. So the more you ask, the more nos you’re going to get, but the more yeses you’re going to get;

#4 If everybody’s your donor, then nobody is your donor.

Show Notes

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[2:12] I was super clueless about fundraising.
[2:43] The biggest chunk of fundraising comes from individuals.
[8:30] In my family money was about stability and freedom.
[11:45] Fundraising is just a party and you just want to see who wants to come to this.
[12:50] Fundraising is not on your knees, it's on your feet.
[13:59] Fundraising is just a math problem.
[15:26] Date your donor.
[16:35] Money is trust in paper form - when people give you a donation, they are saying they believe in you.
[19:20] If everybody's your donor, then nobody is your donor.
[21:57] There should be no surprises - it should be pretty clear that we're not just hanging out for fun.
[23:20] The Pandemic
[27:10] Find Rhea

Your Guide To Creating A For Profit Business To Fund Your Nonprofit, According To Tracy Clark

#036 – Today I am speaking with Tracy Clark, the Founder and CEO of Clark & Clark, a nonprofit consulting firm she runs with her husband Robert Clark. Tracy has been coaching and setting up non profit organizations for over 10 years. Together, they have set up over 4,000 Nonprofits and received over 10 million dollars in grant funding.

Clark & Clark teaches self-sufficiency and business development. Their top priority is to see more minorities access the required funds to pursue their purpose.

In this episode, we talk about how some nonprofits start a real for profit business that sells products and services and then use the funds generated by that business to fund their programs.

Tracy says:

“even though they may have had some successful fundraising campaigns, what they’re realizing is they want a little bit more control over the funding that’s coming in.”

Be sure to stick around to hear how Tracy started her 1st business at the age of 10.
Check out Clark & Clark at – https://www.clarkandclark.org/

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4 Key Takeaways

#1 Grant funders want you to demonstrate sustainability;

#2 You can likely operate a business without a storefront;

#3 Nonprofits face a lot competition so make sure you understand why people will want to support yours;

#4 Make sure you do a good job of budgeting.

Check out Groupfinity.com for the show notes and links for this episode.

Show Notes

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[2:14] Nonprofits are realizing they want more control over the funding that's coming in.
[8:10] Do I need a storefront?
[9:22] I would really challenge you to really think about ways to share space with others.
[11:24] There is a lot of competition in the nonprofit world.
[12:34] Find an area of need and think about how you can provide a service and add value.
[13:47] The first thing that you should start thinking about is your budget and what you really need.
[17:30] Find something that you're passionate about and fulfills a need.
[19:27] The biggest thing I learned in the pandemic is you really have to cut out the fluff.
[21:10] When it comes to the virtual space, nonprofits can reach new areas of the world.
[21:53] I started my first business at the age of 10.
[25:13] Connect with Tracy
[26:03] A nonprofit organization does not mean that you don't generate funds.

All The Deets On Peer To Peer Fundraising With Chris Hammond

#035 – Today I am speaking with Chris Hammond. Chris founded CGC as a full service consulting firm offering nonprofits strategy on communication, marketing, development, and fundraising. They free up nonprofit boards and staff so they can spend more time on their missions and less on admin stuff.

One of CGC’s superpowers is Peer to Peer Fundraising. They teach their clients how to leverage their supporters’ networks to raise money by committing just 15ish minutes per week to educate their friends and family on this organization they love.

This is A LOT less cost and stress compared to an annual gala.

As for challenges organizations face, Chris says:

“One of the biggest things we’ve seen our clients facing is change and evolving and innovating.”

Be sure to stick around to hear how one of Chris’ clients turned a $2,500 donor into a $15,000 donor.

Check out CGC at – https://cgcgiving.com/

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Resources

4 Key Takeaways

#1 Use a welcome email series to onboard new supporters;

#2 Dealing with change is one of the biggest challenges for organizations;

#3 Peer to Peer Fundraising is a more formulaic and predictable form of fundraising;

#4 It is as important to have supporters open doors with potential donors as it is to have a super compelling message.

Check out Groupfinity.com for the show notes and links for this episode.

Show Notes

**Click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode

[2:45] We focus on organizations with 3 people or less in their marketing or development departments
[4:15] Started helping with grant writing, but realized that was not the best use of my time
[5:35] Dealing with change is one of the biggest challenges for organizations.
[8:35] People don’t have the time to strategically think about how they should evolve and innovate.
[11:13] We work with organizations to create a welcome series.
[13:52] Welcome Series is separate from your newsletter.
[17:30] We’ve seen an uptick in Peer to Peer Fundraising.
[20:18] We develop the messaging templates and the content.
[22:30] Peer to Peer with a Gala Fundraiser.
[27:29] If you have a fairly active group of donors, you can do P2P Fundraising.
[28:45] Example: Center For food Action.
[32:54] Connect With Chris.

Never Worry About Collecting Annual Membership Dues Again – Not Quite, But You Should Hear What Shane Sams Has To Say About What You Can Do Instead

#034 – Today I am speaking with Shane Sams. Shane has one of the most popular episodes on Pat Flynn’s Smart Passive Income Podcast. His episode #122 is one of SPI’s most popular. To put this in perspective, SPI has more than 500 episodes and over one million downloads. Shane’s episode has more downloads than Tim Ferris and Gary Vaynerchuck combined.

Shane started the flipped lifestyle with his wife Jocelyn. Their mission is to help 100,000 families flip their life by turning it upside down thru starting, building, and growing an online business.

Although they primarily work with individuals, they also work with nonprofits and I think there is a lot of potential for our small mission driven organizations, especially those that rely on membership dues. Our organizations can use what Shane teaches to start a fun online business and use the funds generated from that effort to fund their organization’s programs and ditch their membership dues.

Shane says that in building a successful membership group….

“You’ve got to provide value with content. You’ve got to provide value by uniting the community and you’ve got to bring access to the people”.

AND

“People are only going to exchange their proof of work, which is money, for your proof of solution”.

Be sure to stick around to hear how Shane, in his words, “about wrecked my lawnmower”.

Check out Shane at – flippedlifestyle.com

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4 Key Takeaways

#1 You make money when you sell your knowledge, your wisdom, and you help people solve problems;

#2 The membership model will work, whether you’re for profit or non-profit, doesn’t matter;

#3 Create content that solves a problem and a place for your people to hang out and connect;

#4 It’s simple – you create content, you build an email list, you get people in your membership.

Show Notes

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[4:05] Shane’s story.
[9:43] And I about wrecked my lawnmower.
[14:06] Shane and Jocelyn started elementarylibrarian.com.
[16:55] After we quit our jobs, we helped someone in our Sunday School group.
[17:50] You can monetize that with training, leadership, and coaching.
[18:10] The membership model will work whether you're for profit or nonprofit, it doesn't matter.
[23:59] Provide content that solves a problem, a place for your people to hang out, and provide leadership.
[25:34] Two success stories - a financial one and a crazy one.
[29:43] Our mission is to help a hundred thousand families flip their life.
[30:33] Find Shane

Rachel Bearbower’s 4 Templates That Every Nonprofit Leader Needs To Connect More With Donors And Raise More Funds

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4 Key Takeaways

Show Notes

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Some Things To Consider Before You Onboard Your Next Volunteers with Tobi Johnson.

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Linda Lysakowski shows us how small nonprofits can fundraise from local businesses by simply asking for advice.

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Meet Polly Lagana Who Shares Her Fundraising Framework That Creates Happy Donors Who Give More Money More Consistently. She Tells us Exactly How To Do It!

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How AJ Steinberg Became The Queen Bee Of Fundraising By Creating Amazing Committee Chairs And How You Can Do The Same.

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How To Build A Better Fundraising Foundation, Especially In The New Post Pandemic World, With Jenni Hargrove.

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Should your nonprofit fundraising focus on high-net worth individuals? Absolutely. Here is what you need to know from Rhea Wong.

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Your Guide To Creating A For Profit Business To Fund Your Nonprofit, According To Tracy Clark

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All The Deets On Peer To Peer Fundraising With Chris Hammond

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Never Worry About Collecting Annual Membership Dues Again – Not Quite, But You Should Hear What Shane Sams Has To Say About What You Can Do Instead

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4 Key Takeaways

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