Fundraising is Business!
There’s been a lively debate underway in the Chronicle of Philanthropy about whether about fundraisers are “selling” a product. Putting money at the center of the development relationship taints the process, argues veteran fundraiser Jennifer McCrea in her Exponential Fundraising blog. Yet the notion of “selling” shouldn’t be a dirty word because it solves problems and meets needs, counters Sasha Dichter of the Acumen Fund.
I brought this up the other day with an MBA graduate and trustee of a university planning a new capital campaign. His reply: “In the business world, we say, ’you don’t get what you don’t ask for.’…People are scrutinizing their philanthropic choices more than ever before. I don’t know anyone who isn’t looking more carefully at these decisions.”
In this economy, with greater competition for less money, 
many fundraisers are seeking coaching in sales skills for more focus, faster results and higher yields. Not only that, but another article in the Chronicle of Philanthropy says that people skills are no longer enough for fundraisers to be successful. The market is calling for fundraisers with multiple talents to compete for donations in a changing marketplace. Note the use of the word “compete.”
As a fundraising marketer, and, yes, that’s what I admit to, my job is to persuade donors and potential donors to invest in the causes I represent. A donor I interviewed at another institution a few months ago made it very clear that he would rather have a business plan than a so-called case statement. Why? Because development writing has earned a bad rap as a ”feel-good” document designed to tug at emotional loyalties rather than also sell a product.
That soft style is not going to cut it any longer, as economic discipline has forced more rigor in fundraising. Increasingly donors want to hear about an organization’s strategic plan, its technology infrastructure and the other administrative pillars as proof that the institution is going to operate like a business and manage and invest philanthropic dollars smartly and strategically.
Today’s fundraising case for support must develop the business case for investment. I thought Sally Patterson nailed it well last fall in “Creating a Case for Sustainability” in Advancing Philanthropy. She wrote that the case statement must convey that an organization has all the essential elements to survive — and that it has taken steps to ensure its long-term viability.
Donors have competing demands for their time and their money. They are often loyal to many organizations. They are bombarded with social media, email, get-to-know-you breakfasts and high-level dinners. Their time is valuable and they don’t have a lot of it. These donors have many options today, and they need to be sold. Case statements must anticipate the arguments that fundraisers must have when they are meeting face-to-face with prospects. Such documents are useless if they are merely internal wishlists or descriptions of what you do. Nonprofit consultant Tom Ahern made that “case” this week at the annual Association of Fundraising Professionals conference.
Fundraising is one of the most visible marketing tools an institution has — and the case for support must provide the persuasive roadmap. The best case statements are market-focused — credible and logical, realistically assessing current challenges and providing an aspirational vision of future possibilities. They give donors the information they need and they speak to the values they hold.
Too many case statements simply don’t make the case in this competitive fundraising environment – and waste time, money and, ultimately, opportunity.
Vision, implementation and change — these are the themes of a nonprofit’s case for support in a post-recession economy. So let’s not be timid about talking business. Donors who truly want to make a difference expect nothing less.
