I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we’ve got some serious work to do. Many of our precious not-for-profit organizations are struggling to secure the funding and support necessary for their survival. Some of the most important social justice advances that we’ve made in the last decade are under threat. Threats to our democracy, such as misinformation and voter suppression, are becoming more prominent. What can one person do? (I’ll get there in just a few paragraphs, but indulge me for a moment.
Music has a way of speaking to me at just the right moment, and sometimes, song lyrics seem to jump out at me. Does this happen to you? I’ll be struggling with something, and all of a sudden, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” wafts through my brain. It cracks me up, but it also makes me think I should listen closely to that one… especially when I’m reminded that “You get what you need” follows it! It turns my frustration into a hunt for what I need and a belief that it’s out there if I only get out of my own way.
Are you a James Taylor fan? I happen to be. Each summer, around the 4th of July, James Taylor shows up for a ton of fans at Tanglewood, a wonderful outdoor music venue in the Berkshire Mountains in Massachusetts. He plays some new music, but what really gets the audience excited is when he plays some of his classics… “Fire and Rain” and “Sweet Baby James”.
James knows his superpower. He wrote a song about it called “That’s Why I’m Here”. Give it a listen. Here are the lyrics that illustrate my point:
That’s Why I’m Here
“Fortune and fame’s Such a curious game Perfect strangers Can call you by name Pay good money To hear Fire and Rain Again and again And again
Some are like summer Coming back every year Got your baby Got your blanket Got your bucket of beer
I break into a grin From ear to ear And suddenly It’s perfectly clear
That’s why I’m here (that’s why I’m here) Sing it tonight, tomorrow, and every day That’s why I’m standing (that’s why I’m here) Oh, that’s why I’m here!”
Inspired by James, I realized why I help not-for-profits achieve financial abundance. Because it’s what’s needed… we truly need to hone in on the abundant resources already surrounding our organizations now. We need our missions funded by a community of individuals. We must stop relying solely on state or federal grants, or on a single major donor. With a diversified portfolio of funding sources, we will not be beholden to one agency, one foundation, one state, or one federal government. That’s Why I’m Here! (And that’s why Rainmaker’s here!).
Steps to Unlock Financial Abundance for Your Organization
How do you access financial abundance in your life and in your organization? Here are four critical steps:
- Get back to your mission. What are you up to? What change are you committed to making? Embrace it, step into your brilliance. Recognize that that’s why you, the person reading this article, are here.
- Do not buy into scarcity and fear. Pull your head out of the sand (if you happen to use that approach!). Do not let anyone, and I mean ANYONE, convince you that we’re helpless and that everything is out of our control.
- Look at what has worked in the past to bring you success. Take those success stories and let them inspire you… learn from them. What aspects of those successes could we adopt now? What aspects of those changes were not enough to sustain the change that was made in the past? How can we do this better? Let your brilliance shine and be a glorious stand for the work you are doing.
- Engage your community. They already love you and want to make a difference. You deserve to be fully funded.
Aim to be that person who says… despite the obstacles, despite people saying that this cause looks hopeless, that no one will fund ____ (fill in the blank), you be the one who says… “This is why I’m here. To make this difference.”
We need you.
P.S. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that we can help you raise the financial resources you need by building a foundational culture that fosters generosity and giving. Shoot me an email if you want to talk about this!
