I think I’ve heard from at least eight people that they’re lazing around on rafts or boats or in a pool, far from the madding crowd.
But September is around the corner and I’m thinking about all of the fall fundraising campaigns that will soon get underway. September is when we in the non-profit world gear up to ask.
So let me gently nudge your sun-soaked brains with an idea to cogitate between now and then.
This fall, why don’t you celebrate the efforts of all those people (staff, board, volunteers) who find the courage and will to ask for gifts on behalf of your organization. Don’t just celebrate success. Rather celebrate courage and action.
My friend Molly Galvin instituted a program of awards for fundraising volunteers at her organization that breathed new life into the program. Whereas before she had to pull teeth to get people involved, she now has board members getting in touch with her to say they’d be happy to help.
How’d she do it? Well, yes, she does a great job of organizing the fall campaign. She has clear goals, compelling talking points, good training and all the rest. But she also sweetens the pot is to give out awards. Funny awards!
Every solicitor received a unique award no matter what their success rate. Each award reflected something real about that person’s experience or temperament. They were all good spirited, recognizing each person for what they had accomplished.
Last year, someone got the Pin the Tail on the Donkey award because they got lost on their way to a meeting and showed up an hour late. Someone else got the All Hands on Deck award for pinch-hitting on a call at the last minute when another solicitor fell ill. And then there was the Pot of Gold award for the person who got the largest gift and the Tempered Steel award for the person who faced the most rejection. And the Whirlwind Award for the person who made the most solicitations.
Molly lets the solicitors know in advance that they will receive awards. And when all of the gifts are in, she has an informal get together at which she reports on the results and, over glasses of champagne, her ED presents each solicitor with a framed (cheap plastic frames) personalized award (yes, from her computer). Then, she distributes the list of awards and their recipients with a little explanatory note about each award to the entire board of directors!
These awards breathe fun and light-heartedness into what is a serious business. But more important, they make every volunteer feel that their efforts have been recognized.
So while you float down the river in the Dog Days of summer, start dreaming up awards you could give. A gin and tonic might help!
Watch Molly’s video as she talks about how she motivates her fundraising volunteers.
Read another post by Andrea – find out the advantages of Social Media in non-profit fundraising.
Learn more about Training Staff and Volunteer Fundraisers. Note, this is a members only part of the site. Not a member yet? Join NOW.