The Right Tools
I am awash in sound. Things I haven’t heard for…years, I am guessing, suddenly flooding me. Music that had become pretty uninteresting is again mesmerizing. Best of all, I am no longer spending so much time trying to figure out what was said, that I would lose the thread of the whole conversation. Processing, which had felt as if it was in slow mode is back to being fast and I feel more energized and much more connected.
Having the right tools is, my husband the engineer tells me regularly, is the key to everything. The hearing aids I got several weeks ago simply prove his point. And even as I hate needing them, I do so love that I have them.
Nonprofits, too often, eschew the right tools. It’s too expensive; we don’t have time to implement; we don’t have anyone who truly understands how to use it, whatever it may be. It’s yet another way to buy into the philosophy of scarcity.
As an example, I am amazed at how many of the participants at my workshops do not have a CMS—a rational database to help them with fundraising. I tell them that if they take only one thing away from the workshop let it be this: A donor database is incredibly important to grow your fundraising abilities. Ironically, you can do major gifts without one, though being able to track all your touches and every move makes success more likely. But for those gifts you are dealing with one donor at a time. For annual giving, it is critical, and since most major donors don’t just happen but typically start as an annual donor, well it’s easy to see the importance of this tool.
A lot of organizations confuse fundraising software with Constituent Management Systems. They are compatible, and the former can help to increase the amount you raise, but they are not the same and should not be conflated. One manages your donors; the other helps with certain types of fundraising. If your organization is never going get past mass fundraising techniques such as crowdfunding, peer-to-peer, events, and recurring gifts, you may be fine with fundraising software. But if you really want to help your donors grow and make greater impacts on your mission, a CMS is vital.
Fundraising software and a CMS are not the only tools a good fundraiser needs to have. Adequate staff, support from your bosses, and an engaged and committed board are arguably even more important. As is having enough money to make a difference and be able to move your mission forward.