Biggest major gifts fundraising mistakes (and what to do instead)
If I wanted to be miserable and struggle to raise more money, here's what I would do:
Purchase $6k wealth engine that “tells” you wealth indicators you don’t know how to interpret
Email your entire list a long, wordy newsletter with a “Support” button at the very bottom
Update website
Update social media
Wonder where major donors are 🧐
Attend free webinar on major donors
Do one or two things webinar teaches for 1 week
Put out fires 🔥
Ask email list to share your organization with their networks 👩🏽💻
Apply for grant, contest, or award with a lot of other applicants, spend 30 hours on it, get $0
When you do meet with donors, say “I hope we can rely on your support again this year” 🐔
Ask board members to help you fundraise, make introductions, and they cheer you on but remain unhelpful 🤷🏻♂️
Get a surprise $1M from a random person and think you need to keep it a secret because donors won’t give if they find out 🤫
Wait until Sept to ask for meetings with major donors to ask them for their donation this year
Go to all internal meetings and events (and not really pay attention because I'm actually multi-tasking on my phone)
If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. This is alllll too common.
The problem isn't strategy. The problem is a lack of courage.
We never have time to do things that we're scared to do or that we believe aren't going to go well.
I know because I was that person. I did it all. My hair was falling out. I lost a lot of weight and was not sleeping well. I exceeded my goals and it cost me my health. And I still got fired because it wasn't good enough!
Here's what I know is at play when we don't know where donors are and can't find the time to fundraise:
We concoct fancy, smart ways to procrastinate sitting across from people and asking them straight up for a major gift.
Who are these people? People who already give, already support, already know who you are, and are passionate about the mission or the organization.
This is so common and I saw no one in the marketplace addressing how fearful people are to do their jobs. This is why I created my program CourageLab.
It's designed for leaders like you to learn how to build personal courage alongside peers who are taking courageous action to ask for more and build relationships with mission-aligned donors.
Here's your mini strategy (in the meantime):
Reach out to your current donors and find out why they give (when you understand their why, you can ask for more)
Ask them to donate more "Would you consider doubling your gift this year?"
Focus will set you free. Stop thinking about the volume of folks on your list or who have given a dime *EVER* and start thinking about the ones who are bought in. Start there.
The focus that I start with every client is current donors. Who is passionate, could give more and you have a relationship with them?
It *is* that simple. Not easy.
Need help? That's why I created CourageLab.
When you're ready, there are three ways to work with me:
💪 CourageLab: Get the courage & strategy to ask for more and raise $10k gifts in 6 weeks
🚀 Million Dollar VIP: 1:1 Customized major gifts strategy and fundraising coaching for ambitious CEOs
⚡️90-minute 1:1 strategy intensive: Major gifts consult for you and up to 3 team members
