At Rainmaker we are committed to your dreams. Today we are challenging you to consider what Breakthrough Fundraising Goal would be for Your Organization?
In our course, the Choose Abundance Intensive, one of the first things we do is have teams set a goal for themselves.
Let’s take a moment right now and do this exercise together. We suggest inviting a colleague to join you.
When we set goals in our organizations, we tend to think in two different domains…
1. What is absolutely needed?
OR
2. What do I think I can raise?
These are numbers that are not in the realm of breakthroughs. They are based on the past, and have certain limiting parameters.
Take the time now and think about what a breakthrough fundraising goal would be for you, and for your organization.
- Have you ever asked for a 6 or 7 figure gift?
- Has your organization ever gotten large multi-year donors?
- Do you have a robust major donor program?
You might consider closing your eyes to block out any distractions.
Which of these goals would be a breakthrough? Now open your eyes and jot it down. (Remember these answers are unique to you – each organizations challenges and breakthroughs will be their own)
Go ahead – write it down – say it out loud – share it with your peers!
Fundraising breakthroughs do not come from doing the same thing you did in the past. It takes thinking and being different. And it starts with taking a stand – making a declaration – for something better.
I speak from experience here. Lynne Twist (author of The Soul of Money and Living a Committed Life: Finding Freedom and Fulfillment in a Purpose Larger Than Yourself) challenged me during a workshop. After she told a story about a million dollar donation, I blurted out “We need a million dollar donor” and right then Lynne challenged me to take a stand to find a million dollar donor for the nonprofit I was working for. I did and soon after I secured a 10 year $100,000 per year pledge!
And mine is far from the only success –
“We were able to use some of the learning in an ‘ask’ that led to a $3 million gift, half of which is for expanding capacity specifically—and this came right from [this Culture of Philanthropy intensive].”
We know the reasons that our course participants have unexpected breakthroughs and achieve quantum leaps in their fundraising capacity and success are many. In the coming weeks we’ll look more deeply at the importance of having a team, the different roles that people can take on, and the critical importance of mindset.
Set up a meeting with Laurie to Learn More!
