Blueprint Fundraising

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I’ve changed the way comments are screened here on the fundit and it will now be much easier to comment. You used to have to log in — but no more. If you want to respond to a posting, just click on the “comments” button at the bottom of the post. I’d love to hear what you think.

Unusual sign photo from Flickr: “sorry” by mofo.

Are fundraisers outside the circle of trust?

Watched a movie this weekend… Meet the Fockers. After being an idiot, Ben Stiller found himself outside the “Circle of Trust” of his fiancée’s family.

That’s where fundraising professionals are increasingly finding themselves when it comes to donors. Annoying fundraising techniques, aggressive soliciting and a great resistance to designated giving mean that donors don’t trust fundraising professionals (or the nonprofits they represent) the way they used to.

I had lunch the other day with someone who works at one of the big banks. They are in the business of helping clients make philanthropic plans and determine who to give to and through what means (of course one way is through the bank’s own foundation). The recent Canada Revenue Agency extension of tax savings for gifts of stock to private foundations is going to encourage giving in ways that can easily leave nonprofit organizations out of the relationship, except as the recipient of the cheque.

It is a tough trend for fundraisers and nonprofit managers who want to build personal and direct connections with donors and prospects. It is increasingly difficult to be part of your donors’ lives if all you do is follow old fundraising formulas.

Technical difficulties

Apologies if you’ve noticed some odd things in this RSS feed or on the blog in the last few days. Whilst trying to upgrade to the new version of Wordpress, something went a bit haywire. We’re cleaning up and everything will be back to normal soon.

Unusual gift: billionaire gives mansions to low-income families

This is an interesting story — last year Japanese billionaire Genshiro Kawamoto invited low-income Hawaiian families to write to him and apply to live in one of his Honolulu mansions for rent of $150 per month. Three thousand people applied.

Last week Kawamoto selected four families and will choose another four next month. The families are ecstatic — some have been homeless, living on the beach. He decided to give the first two years completely rent-free with an option for families to stay on at a low rent until their last child graduates from high school.

Reviews from the neighbours are mixed… some have been unhappy that his unkempt properties are bringing down values and they suspect ulterior motives. Kawamoto said he wants to transform Kahala from an exclusive neighborhood to a more open community reflecting Hawaii and that his action “shows more dedication to helping Hawaii’s homeless than just handing out wads of cash.”

I love these stories of unusual giving. Some have criticized him, saying he could have helped more people by selling the multi-million homes and giving the money to charity. Probably true. But so what? From reading about how he selected the families, he wants a connection with the people his is helping and I don’t think you can really get that by giving at arms length. Here’s the letter he sent the lucky families.

Ricky Gervais in Kenya

I found this via the $5 Philanthropist… a hilarious spoof of celebrity spokespeople and direct response TV. An excellent way to spend the next eight minutes — watch for a special appearance at the end. The video is part of the UK’s Comic Relief and Red Nose Day 2007.

Federal budget: good news for private foundations

You can expect giving to private foundations to increase because of new rules announced in the federal budget yesterday. Many charities and donors benefit from the capital gains exemption on donations of publicly traded securities to public charities. Now donors will enjoy the same tax savings when they donate stock to private foundations (such as a family or corporate foundation). For more detail, check out this Globe and Mail article.

Secrets of a winning employee campaign

AFP Vancouver has launched a new feature on their site — member stories. The first one is by Wanda Dekleva and provides an inside look at how Simon Fraser University increased the success of their employee giving campaign (especially helpful: matching gift commitment from the president and several influential internal champions). This photo is from an employee campaign event.

On a related note, SFU has a new brand. I’m always interested in re-branding efforts. SFU seems to have modernized its look and added a new tagline “Thinking of the World.” Thank goodness they ditched the school coat of arms!

Completely off topic… the new UBC Botanical Garden blog

If you live in the Lower Mainland or ever plan to visit Vancouver you must spend a few hours at the University of British Columbia Botanical Garden. It’s an amazing place. My partner Andrew Hill is a horticulturist there and he’s recently started blogging about the goings on in the garden.

The Garden’s extensive website has incredible resources for gardeners and cool things for plant lovers such as the Botany Photo of the Day. The photo above was taken by Daniel Mosquin at the entrance to the Garden.

Four questions to ask, and a tea cozy to wear, when a prospect says “no”

Last night I facilitated a solicitation workshop for a client. Tips were shared, roles were played and there was lots of discussion about how to make a good case for the organization.

One of the crucial elements of preparing for an ask is to consider what you will say if the donor says no. You can’t just slink out of the room. It’s time for a little courage and more conversation.

Jerold Panas suggests that you ask four questions. They will give you clarity on why your prospect has said no and might even lead you to a yes in some other form.

You can read the full article here via Guidestar. In summary, you should ask the prospect:

1. Does something about the organization bother you?
2. Is this project not of interest to you?
3. Did I ask for too much?
4. Is the timing wrong for you?

The answers will help you understand whether there is potential for giving in spite of the “no.”

Wondering what this is in the picture?? It’s the HideAway, a human tea cozy, suitable for those times when your asks don’t go as planned.