Bon Voyage
I’m getting ready to leave for 4 weeks in Paris. I know, it really is a tough life. But I hate to travel. Not going to new places. That I rather enjoy. Not seeing new things. That is exhilarating and yes, fun. But the planning, packing, getting there (and then doing it all in reverse) almost defeats me. The getting ready sometimes is so daunting we never actually get off the dime. For some, it’s never getting past the planning to plan whatever it is they need or want to do. For others it’s just avoiding any planning at all. And for some, it’s constantly getting sidetracked by all that could be done, perhaps should be done, might be done that they never focus enough to get any part of it done.
Does any of this sound like you or your organization?
If so, here’s what you are going to do:
- Pick a destination. Any destination. Tbis year we will improve our donor retention by 15%. That’s a pretty good destination. Yours might be broader, a bigger stretch, or just the opposite—smaller, closer to get to. It doesn’t matter. Just decide where you are going to go.
- Consider your resources and decide how you are going to do that. Each week, our Board members will write personal thank you notes to every single donor for every single gift, and in that note, we will tell the donor why his or her gift matters so very much. That’s doable. The next step will ensure it gets done.
- Establish a way to measure your accomplishments. We’ll address the envelopes, and ask the Board members to drop off the notes for us to mail. A little clunky, but hey…whatever will work.
- Celebrate each success, no matter how small. At each Board meeting, we will make a big deal out of every follow on gift we get. That would serve two purposes—you’d be celebrating success and making Board members feel that their work had value (which, by the way, it does).
Once you get this under your belt, try a little side trip or another destination. Pretty soon, you’ll have a plan. And while it may not be Paris, it will be a very bon thing to do.
Janet Levine is a consultant, trainer and writer who works with nonprofit and educational organizations helping them to improve their fund development capacity. Learn more about her classes and her services at http://janetlevineconsulting.com. Follow Janet Levine Consulting on Facebook.