Fundraising Campaigns: Top 10 Meanderings

Lessons, teachings, reminders, and meanderings from some of the top minds in fundraising.

1. "There’s no shortage of 8 and 9-figure gifts. There's a shortage of 8 and 9-figure ideas."

- William Mountcastle

2. Impact-First Language

- Ali Paris (reinforced by J Thomas Forbes and Tom Mitchell )

• Lead with stories of impact - from donors’ and beneficiaries’ perspectives. Highlight impact.?
• No donor will support your campaign because of the size of it. You may get the opposite: “How much of a difference could my $1MM gift make when you’re looking to raise $1B+++?”
• A VP shared with me recently that in their last campaign, multiple donors apologized as they handed them a check for $1MM+ gifts stating, “I’m so sorry...I just wish I could do more.” ??
• Size does matter for your internal team. It gives them focus and tells them where the finish line is. It’s also great for your team’s LinkedIn and general experience. The bigger the campaign, the more voices and more complex - all relevant, but only beneficial for internal audiences. That’s about it.?
• “Our most ambitious campaign ever.” is tired and needs a nap. That's not s good reason to have a stretch goal. Make it about “Our most ambitious vision of the world we want to create. Together.”?

3. Vision

• On that note, offer a Vision that has depth and weight. An authentic one that humans can rally around - most notably leadership.
• A campaign’s vision needs to be backed by the leadership of your org and board.?And yes, of course, it needs to speak to your donors.
• Recently, I heard someone say “The buck stops with the President. They won’t throw you under the bus.” That’s what's needed for a successful campaign - folks willing to put skin in the game.?

4. 1% is what makes or breaks a campaign

It's a hard pill to swallow, but keep the top 1% of your donors top-of-mind.

5. That said, your mid-tier will make or break your next campaign

...so don’t overlook them.?

6. THAT SAID, this is a campaign for the next 5-10 years

• ...but how will it shape your next campaign? If done well, this campaign will create a windfall for the next and the next and the next.

7. You’re branding a campaign, not the organization

• If done well, this will influence the future of the organization, but this is a campaign brand, not a brand for the institution. Hold this front and center as well.?
• p.s. Secretly, this is a good way to test a future institutional rebrand without going all-in on something evergreen.?
• Don’t let that p.s. get in the way.?This is a nice-to-have, but not a must-have.

8. Authenticity > Differentiation

Non-profits are differentiation-obsessed. Stop.

• Differentiation matters, but don’t aim to be different for the sake of being different.
• Capture differentiation through the lens of authenticity. “What’s already authentically different here?” Don’t just invent something new. It will come across as contrived...because it is contrived.?This is cancerous.
• If it looks similar to how competitors are branding their campaign, be bold and own it more. Don’t be afraid to double down.
• Be unique - that nuance translates to authentically different.?
• There’s plenty of room to share a mission (for example: saving the planet - it's too big for one org), but do it from a place that’s unique and authentic to how your org wants to go about this. A mission like saving the planet through x, y, or zed will take armies, and if your vision is big enough, it will take armies as well. You just need a small piece of the pie to do it your way.

9. Give your fundraising team more resources.

It’s worth gazillions.

• 10:1 is a nice ratio and can be expected when you’re raising billions, but 2:1 is an amazing return.
• I heard someone recently say, “I’d take these odds on the stock market any day.”?

10. “Fundraising Campaigns are big Branding Campaigns.”

Many people, but most recently Laura MacDonald

• Again, your biggest audience is internal, not external.?
• No donor’s going to say “Wow. Love the brand and the design. Here’s a $20MM check.” They are going to say, “Wow. Love the bold vision, the direction of the org, and the clarity everyone exudes. This is all really exciting. I want to be a part of this. Tell me more.”?
• Branding is a piece. A big one, but it's just the tip of the spear.
• Donors will inherently see the benefits of that clarity and everyone rowing in the same direction. Again, internal-first that leads to external audience benefits.?

Bonus: We’re often asked how fundraisers should respond to the question, “You guys are loaded, how could you possibly need my ‘$xMM gift?”?

“Yes! We’re already doing so much, but we need to do more! With your support, we can do that!”

• This is where it helps to have a bold vision - one that’s purposefully out in front of your skies.
• Then, the response of, “Because we haven’t accomplished our vision of saving the planet. There’s still so much more work to be done.” will hold water.

There’s a difference between needy and need. Don’t be needy, but don’t be afraid of need. Needy = clingy, for fundraisers. Need = “We are serving those in need”. There’s no shortage of people in need in the world. Again, nuance.?

What are some of your recent nuggets?