The Tie That Binds

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Welcome. This is Frankly Speaking,a show about nonprofit life. Frankly Speaking
is sponsored by the Salvation Army ofPalm Beach County. The host of Frankly
Speaking is Frank Morangos, the directorof Development and Communication for the Salvation Army
of Palm Beach County. Welcome toFrankly Speaking, the weekly radio talk show

(00:23):
of the Salvation Army of Palm BeachCounty, and I'm Frank Morangos, the
Army's director of Development and Communications.Last week, I focused my monologue on
Thornton Wilder's famous play The Matchmaker todiscuss the topic of transformational giving. I
did so by discussing two of fourmajor principles of such high impact altruism.
Today, I want to continue thisconversation by examining the remaining two principles that

(00:47):
I would suggest philanthropic matchmakers should integrateinto their respective models of transformational fundraising,
namely issues and number two involvement.But before I dive into my subject,
I want to recall the royal weddingof Prince Harry and Meghan Markle that in
a few days will celebrate its fifthyear anniversary. The wedding took place in

(01:07):
the elegant Windsor Castle Sanctuary of SaintGeorge on Saturday May the nineteenth, two
eighteen. According to the media,the marriage ceremony was the result of a
blind date that was coordinated by amatchmaker two years prior in two sixteen.
Curiously, during a post engagement interviewwith the BBC, Harry and Meghan refused

(01:29):
to disclose the matchmaker's identity. Alternatively, however, since the BBC's interview,
the identity of Prince William and KateMiddleton's benefactor has been revealed. Unlike the
mystery surrounding his younger brother's relationship,William's matchmaker has been revealed as a location
rather than a person. It wasnone other than Saint Andrew's University, one

(01:52):
of Britain's top matchmaking institutions of higherlearning, where students are told that they
have a one and ten chance ofmeeting their perfect mate. Our title as
the top match making university in Britainsignifies so much that is good about Saint
Andrew's, said doctor Bryan Lang,the university's president. So during his commencement

(02:12):
speech at the royal couple's graduation,Lange urged the departing students. The following,
he said, go forth and multiplyin the most positive sense. Unlike
the recent appearance of an online datingsite, match making is not a new
phenomenon, nor did it begin inEngland's royalty. The presence of the consummate

(02:32):
matchmaker dedicated to helping singles find appropriatesspouses, has been a vital grandee of
different cultures, which have, atone time or another preferred the security of
arranged marriages. The earliest dating agencieswere run by religious marketing brokers, who
compiled lists of candidates they considered compatible. Match Making additionally played an important role

(02:54):
in a series of marriages with theRoyal House of Europe for the purpose of
maintaining and increasing British royal power.However, like William Kate Harry and Meghan
Young, dynastic errors often have plansof their own, fueled by strong wills
and romantic hearts. As I stressedin last week's monologue, the contemporary nonprofit

(03:16):
and institutional development officer must, likean old fashioned matchmaker, have the passion
and expertise to proactively pair those whocan in our willing to spread their resources
like manure in the most positive sense. In order to successfully do so,
however, fundraisers must strive to matchthe mission and values of their respective philanthropic

(03:38):
organizations with the aspirations of potential donors. Outdated agency focus fundraising and transactional stewardship
models that overly emphasize emotional appeals inbudgetary shortfalls must be replaced with more donor
centric sympathies that contribute to sustainable,transformational impacts. In a two thousand and

(04:00):
thirteen interview with The Nonprofit Times,Sister Georgette Lemouth, President and CEO of
the National Catholic Development Conference or oftwo thousand and two two nineteen, made
an insightful statement that differentiated the approachesof current development professionals. If you think
a financial gift is completed when thecheck clears, she said, you're a

(04:21):
tax collector, not a fundraiser.If you think the gift is completed when
the receipt is sent, then you'rean accountant. But if you think the
gift is completed when the donor senseswhat their donation has done, then you're
a transformational fundraiser. According to SisterGeorgette, who is named nine times as
one of the power and influenced topfifty in the nonprofit sector by the Nonprofit

(04:46):
Times. Transitional donors exhibit the followingcharacteristics. They seek values driven organizations.
They invest in results and in thevalues implicit in those result They want organizations
to accept their ideas and opinions,not just their money. They are impatient
for results. They are willing tomake long term investments with nonprofit agencies that

(05:10):
are trustworthy and transparent. They wantto transform institutions and society. And finally,
they want to be personally engaged.Unfortunately, unable to find a suitable
match, many of these transformational mindedbenefactors have formed their own structures for expressing
their personal aspirations. The list ofsuch philanthropic channels include donor advised funds,

(05:33):
social venture organizations, giving circles,charitable lead trust annuities, and independent family
foundations. Whether we are professional fundraisings, institutional development officers and or faith based
stewardship directors, we should all seriouslyconsider Sister Georgette's typology the characteristics of the

(05:56):
new transformational philanthropists when developing a respectiveun raising strategies. As I mentioned last
week, the authors of the bookHigh Impact Philanthropy insist that transformational philanthropy is
one of the most important milestones inthe entire history of philanthropic growth in this
country. The authors consequently outline fourmajor principles of such high impact altruism that

(06:20):
I too would suggest philanthropic matchmakers woulddo well to integrate into their own respective
models. They are one issues,two involvement, three investment, and four
impact. Since I already discussed thecomponents of investment and impact last week,
I want to use the rest oftoday's monologu to briefly examine the elements of

(06:42):
issues and involvement. Number one,the liscitation of transformational assets requires the ability
to match make potential donors with missionbased issues, that is, transformational ideals,
values, and goals. Transformational donorsare rarely interested in supporting operational budgets
and incremental improvements worthy though they maybe process projects and programs that merely increase

(07:09):
capacity, rarely attract transformational gifts.What is needed to motivate transformational giving is
the vision and the drive to replacethe outmoded, ineffectual, logistics centered needs
with courageous, creative and entrepreneurial aspirationsin our philanthropic agencies. Schools and or

(07:29):
faith based organizations. If they wantto attract transformational donors, we must strive
to develop inspirational narratives, that is, case statements that focus on aspirational goals,
ideals and values that positively advance ourmission. The first characteristic of an
effective transformational matchmaking model should therefore focuson a non profits authentic identity, the

(07:53):
primary purpose of his existence, whichare often eclipsed by more immediate operational budgetary
demands. According to the How DonorsChoose Charity's Report, a study conducted in
two thousand and ten by the Centerfor Charitable Giving in Philanthropy at the University
of Kent, people do not giveto the most urgent needs. They give

(08:13):
rather, and they support causes thatmeans something to them and so The subty
cites four criteria that influence such donordecision making. Number One donor's tastes,
preferences and passions acquired as a resultof an individual's social experiences. Two donor's
personal and professional backgrounds, which shapetheir philanthropic autobiographies and influence their choice of

(08:37):
beneficiaries. Three donor's perceptions of charity'scompetence, notably the efficacy which with which
they are believed to use their moneyoften judged on the basis of quality and
quantity. And four, donors desireto have a personal impact such that their
contributions make a difference and are notdrowned out by other donors in governmental funding.

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So, in addition to issues investmentand impact, donor involvement is the
fourth and final component of an effectivematch making model of transformational philanthropy. Engagement
is an aspect of building and sustaininga culture of transformation within a non profit
organization. Increasingly, individual donors,families, foundations, and businesses understood that

(09:24):
philanthropy consists of much more than thattransactional act of writing a check or clicking
an online donation button. Today,philanthropy is seen is a strategic and intentional
investment that can be transforming for thenonprofit, for society, and for the
donor. In two thousand and fifteen, Abela, the nation's leading provider of

(09:46):
software and services to nonprofits and associations, published the Donor Engagement Report that explored
the following important questions with a largenumber of donors and nonprofit professionals. What
matters most to donors as they evaluatea nonprofit organization. What makes donors feel
involved and engaged with a nonprofit aretheir generational differences regarding donor engagement. Is

(10:13):
donor engagement driven by industry practices ortrue donor preference? Finally, what misalignments
exist between donors and the nonprofit organizationsthey support? The Results of the engagement
study indicate that donors want the organizationto support to execute well on the fundamentals.
They want the philanthropic agencies, schooland or faith based organization they support

(10:35):
to better understand them as individuals,their specific interests, communication preferences, and
the time and way they prefer togive. And more importantly, donors want
their contributions to be used wisely andshow that their contributions make a difference.
They want to feel involved by regularlyhearing personal stories, getting updates on accomplishments,

(10:56):
and being thanked. According to thereport, while older donors feel most
engaged with an organization in the actof making a financial contribution, millennials,
on the other hand, preferred engagementthrough volunteering rather than merely writing a check.
More than fifty percent of responding sitereputation and trust as a top factor

(11:18):
in choosing an organization to support.And finally, the need for transparency was
also cited as a critical characteristic enablingdonors to understand where and how their contributions
and talents are utilized. The conclusionsof the Abila Donor Engagement Study underscores the
foundational principle and I want to underscorethis that transformational gifts are often more impactful

(11:41):
to the donor than to the institution. By emphasizing a cultivation process of authentic
care and personalization, donors can transitionto become partners who are intimately invested in
the philanthropic success of the organization.In fact, when implemented correctly, the
stewardship of transfer national matchmaking can helpa donor make a life changing gift that

(12:03):
not only addresses an institutions aspirations,but actually transforms the donor's life. So,
in the end, the four principlesof transformational philanthropy, namely the components
of issues, involvement, investment,and impact canon should all be strategically employed
to successfully match make donors with nonprofitagencies that closely align with their personal values

(12:28):
and their aspirations. The stewardship ofsuch a fundraising model, however, will
require three things. One a newdegree of scrutiny and mission based testing of
the case for support, two thenurturing of an organizationwide culture of fundraising,
and three the hiring of professional developmentofficers who are well versed in transformational philosophy.

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The subsequent royal partnership of such matchmakinghas the potential of helping both the
donor and the philanthropic agents to goforth and multiply in the most positive sense.
It's an annual luncheon that is notto be missed coming up Tuesday,

(13:13):
May sixteenth at the Pelican Club.It is the tie that binds. It
is a wonderful opportunity for all nonprofitsfrom across Palm Beach County to come together,
supporting each other along with those whosupport nonprofits throughout our community. The
featured speaker this year Stephen Mansfield,the executive director of the Center for Global

(13:35):
Leadership at PAB Beach Atlantic University anda New York Times best selling author.
For more information and to purchase tickets, go to Salvation Army, Palm Beach
County dot org. Thank you andmay God bless you. Welcome back to
frankly speaking Brian Mud with you andI was just talking about the Tie that

(13:58):
buys luncheon. It is such aspecial occasion, annual event hosted about the
Salvation Army of Palm Beach County inour community. It is coming up at
the Pelican Club Tuesday, May sixteenth, and so honored to have the chairwoman
of the event with us. Welcomingback to frankly speaking, Kristen McDermott.

(14:20):
Well, thanks for having me.Well we when we were last speaking with
you, we're talking about your methodand your new book. How are things
going with the McDermott method and especiallypost COVID At this pointest people are back
to their lives and I imagine thechallenges are are different, though there are
many similarities over the course of time. Yeah. So my method is all

(14:43):
about resilience and basically teaching resilience andreally short, easy ways so that you
don't have to have a lot oftraining. And mostly we do that with
teens, kids and teens, andso COVID had a very negative impact on
the men health of kids, particularteens and young adults, and so we

(15:03):
are actually launching a whole new initiative, So thank you for asking about that.
Actually, where we are bringing thesereally easy to use emails that start
conversations that yes, they teach resilience, but they also teach how to talk
to teens, you know, andthey're super simple and don't require any training.
So we're bringing those now into schoolsand sports clubs that work with kids

(15:26):
and mentor organizations. So it's reallyexciting because it's kind of building some momentum.
It's tremendous and by the way,Christen's book it takes two minutes,
you can find it on Amazon.When you talk about children and the need
for resilience, just to study outearlier this week that showed the extend of

(15:46):
the impact on children who were largelyremote learning versus those that were in the
classroom, those that were having tomask even once they were back in the
classroom. And so you have childrenin different places, and ultimately, over
the course of two years, thosethat were most removed from traditional education were

(16:07):
put back to where the expectation isthey're going to lose out, for example,
in seventy thousand dollars worth of careerearnings. You have people that are
in all these different crossroads at ayoung age, in an already challenging environment,
social media, all the other pressures. How is it that you kind
of navigate all those different challenges.Well, I mean, just the social

(16:29):
isolation was difficult for people, andthen the academic just on top of that,
and so you know, it's interestingbecause they're the mental health pieces of
it, but there's also just kidswho identified as I'm pretty academic, Like
I'm pretty good at this because thestructure of showing up and you're held accountable
because you have to sit in theclassroom and you've got the teacher there,

(16:51):
and it's you know, it's youcan kind of figure it out. But
a lot of kids, once theywere put back in their own homes and
you had to stare at that screenand their video games are right next door,
they didn't really recover their identity assomeone who's academic. And so it's
just sort of compounded the mental healthand academic components that it's a pretty big

(17:11):
hole to dig out of. Well, and you know, thankfully you're in
our community and practicing to help individualsand working with organizations like the Salvation Army
of Palm Beach counting on on thetime. Then buyds, tell us how
you got involved with this and you'rethe chairwoman as well. Well. I
love the Salvation Army and I thinkit's one of those organizations that people know

(17:33):
the name of it, but manypeople don't really know what the Salvation Army
does, and it's so much sothe way I think the Salvation Army is
we are there for the kind ofas the last resort a lot of times
for people who are really suffering andfalling through the cracks. And so because
of that, we want to workwith other organizations to see where there are

(17:56):
gaps in services so that we canfill those. And so that's really the
whole idea of the Ties that Bindis bringing other organizations together to see are
there places where we can collaborate,because you know, especially when people can
get you know, they want toprotect their own donors, so organizations can

(18:17):
sometimes you know, kind of getprotectionists and not work together. You know,
they just do their thing. Andso we are trying to say,
hey, we just want to dothe most good, so help us figure
out how we can collaborate to justfill any of those gaps. Now,
Christen, it's actually the premise ofthis program of frankly speaking, Frank really
wanted to pull as many nonprofits inour community together and to have that that

(18:41):
collaboration rather than that competitiveness. Areyou seeing more collaboration are you? Are
you seeing less of that kind ofold school mindset of ay, we're competing
over the same donors or whatever thesituation might be. Absolutely so. Last
year was the first luncheon, andit was just kind of a let's just
see if you know, if itworks, if people want to do it,

(19:02):
and so then there are breakfasts followingthe luncheon, you know, every
few months to actually get down tohow we can work together, and those
have been super successful, and sowe're really excited about this second luncheon to
just do more of that. Itseems like mostly it's been well, I
wouldn't even say mostly, I wouldsay overwhelmingly positive that people want to collaborate.
Well, that's great. The feedbackreally was tremendous coming off of last

(19:25):
year's luncheon. In that event andthis year, a really tremendous guest speaker
and somebody who's I imagine kind ofin your wheelhouse as well, given what
you do professionally and how you advocatefor people becoming their best selves. Stephen
Lee Mansfield. He is renowned inmany respects. He's been really a claim

(19:47):
for his ted talk the most famousunknown people in the world. I remember
a book that became a New YorkTimes bestseller of his, The Faith of
George W. Bush, which actuallybecame a documentary as well. Tell us
a little bit about your your thoughtsabout Stephen and what people can expect that
at ten. Well, mostly it'sabout leadership, and it's just about leading

(20:08):
from a mission driven place, whichis what we're all about. And so
even though everyone has little bit differentmissions, you can find the overlap and
the similarities and that people are justtrying to help, right These are these
are people from the goodness of theirhearts and from a place of service and
really trying to better the world.And so that's what his message is going

(20:29):
to be. Also, Yeah,that's tremendous. And in terms of people
who are are good candidates to cometo this luncheon, maybe some folks truck
and you know, I don't runa nonprofit. Is this for me?
I'm so glad you asked that question, because it is for people who are
interested in philanthropy in this location.So in this you know county, whether
you have anything to do with anonprofit already that you support or are just

(20:53):
interested in or you know, soyou can work there, or you can
donate or But the point of thisis not about money. So this luncheon
is not about raising money. We'veintentionally kept the ticket price low. It's
about awareness, about getting to understandwhat are all the different organizations that are
helping people in this county, whatare they already doing, and how are

(21:14):
they going to do more by workingtogether? And the luncheon itself again,
it is Tuesday, May sixteenth,It's from eleven thirty untill one at the
Pelican Club. Tickets you can youcan obtain them by going to Salvation Army
Palm Beach County dot org. DownSalvation Army, Palm Beach County dot org.
Do need you to RSVP by Mayeighth, so please make a point

(21:37):
to it to go and pick upyour tickets as soon as you're able.
And you know, you talk aboutthe different folks who might be you know,
a good good prospects to come tothis particular luncheon, it's really about
that sense of community as well thatyou're talking about. How there have been
the subsequent breakfast and get togethers,and as we collaborate a community, no

(22:00):
doubt we've become stronger. I'm sureyou've seen this in your work well,
and people want to not just supportwith their money, they want to support
with their time. You know,it feels good to go out into the
community and participate in a project whereyou're actually feeling like you're interacting and helping.
And so that's a big part ofthis is just learning about how can
you actually give your time. Youbring up such a good point there where

(22:22):
there's that sense of gratification that manypeople do obtain when they do something you
in person or physically in some casesthat maybe just writing a check doesn't necessarily
bring the same level of satisfaction.I mean, both are important, right,
but I just think it's it addssuch a level of meaning and purpose

(22:45):
to our lives when we kind ofget out of our own problems and actually
do something proactive to serve other people. What is given you your expertise,
one thing that you think we allcould do better of better with as a
community right now? What's something that'slacking throughout the Palm Beaches. I think

(23:07):
actually just being able to talk andopen and learn to listen in a way
that isn't about winning. Right,So I think a lot of times the
way people listen is to just wait, hold their tongue for their opportunity to
make their point. And if wecould just be more open, we don't
have to give up our points ofview, but to actually just understand other

(23:30):
people's points of view better, thatwould be my thing. Is just like
to actually practice listening for understanding insteadof winning. That is a really good
one. What is a good tipfor somebody who isn't necessarily wired that way?
It's one of those things where,no doubt it is easier said than
done somebody who is not used tobeing a good listener. So here's a

(23:52):
tip. So I always think ofconversations as like tennis, right, It's
like point point. You kind ofgo back and forth from one person to
the other. And that can befine, right, But if you want
to practice listening instead of making yourpoint or your counterpoint to the other person's
point, ask a question. Soask a question that takes them deeper.

(24:15):
And if you just have that inyour head, just as an experiment to
see how the conversation feels, toask a follow up question and then ask
a follow up question, and suddenlyyou're taking them deeper onto their side,
and likely they'll do it to youtoo. But either way, it's just
interesting to kind of develop that selfawareness. I hear my wife coming through
in your awards ask questions, allright, and somebody that is a really

(24:40):
good person to ask questions of christand McDermott again her book. It only
takes two minutes. You can pickit up on Amazon. And you also
must go obtain those tickets to thetie that binds the luncheon Salvation Army Palm
Beach County dot org Again Tuesday,May sixteenth, we need you to RSBP
by may A Chris and thank youso much, thanks for having me,

(25:03):
thank you for joining me today onthis broadcast of Frankly Speaking, the weekly
radio program of the Salvation Army,which according to Forbes, is the fourth
largest nonprofit in American ranked number twoon the list of America's Favorite charities by
the Chronicle of Philanthropy. Each week, before we close, elect to share
a select quote from William Booth orhis wife Katherine, who founded the Salvation

(25:23):
Army in eighteen sixty five. Butthis afternoon, I want to consider what
William Booth would say but philanthropy ifwe had the opportunity to interview him today.
Here's the answer that Sean Reid,the executive vice president of The Ringer,
the official blog of the Salvation Army, provided on behalf of William Booth

(25:44):
to the fallen question posed to himin a fictitious interview in twenty twenty one.
General Booth read asked, do youbelieve that the needs of our times
are essentially the same as those inyour time? There are more distractions today,
Booth answers than we ever imagined.The world then was changing rapidly,
but few would have imagined the waythat industries, science and travel would transform

(26:08):
your generation. Yet poverty remains,Disease still plagues us, Ignorance and hate
still spark and flare. With massivemovements, cracks are formed, people fall
through them. A large harvest isneeded, Booth said, but we still
have too few workers. So tillnext week. This is Frank Morangos,

(26:29):
the Director of Development and Communications forthe Salvation Army of Palm Beach County,
and you have been listening to franklyspeaking a show at the cross road of
philanthropy societal need in faith. Myhope is that this in every broadcast of
Frankly Speaking, will inform and helpinspire all of us to become agents of
good to those in need in ourPalm Beach community. If you would like
to share a question and or suggesta future guest or topic, I would

(26:52):
love to hear from you at Frankat frank talk radio dot com. You
can also listen to this and otherprevious podcasts of Frankly Speaking by downloading and
using the iHeart app