Kelly McLaughlin on Building Individual Giving Programs | Nonprofit411 Podcast

In this episode of the Nonprofit411 Podcast, Sarah Barton is joined by Kelly McLaughlin, founder and CEO of From Scratch Fundraising. They discuss building individual giving programs from scratch, the importance of community-driven fundraising, and the unique approaches Kelly uses to help small organizations create sustainable funding strategies. Kelly also shares insights on engaging donors and making marketing an integral part of nonprofit success.

Kelly McLaughlin is the founder and CEO of From Scratch Fundraising, specializing in helping nonprofits build individual giving programs from the ground up. She brings years of experience in nonprofit fundraising and focuses on creating systems that enable smaller organizations to scale their donor engagement and fundraising efforts efficiently.

Key Takeaways:

• • Building sustainable individual giving programs from scratch is essential for nonprofits, and starting with simple systems can set the foundation for long-term success.

  • A focus on donor relationships and understanding how to make fundraising personal and mission-driven leads to higher donor retention and engagement.

  • Nonprofits need to show their donors who they are and build community with them, rather than just focusing on asking for donations. Show LInks

    • From Scratch Fundraising (https://www.fromscratchfundraising.com)

    • Nonprofit411 Website (www.nonprofit411.org)

    • Find Kelly on LinkedIn: (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-mclaughlin-funds/)

    • Visit Our Sponsor GiveSuite: (https://sales.givesuite.com/get-a-demo?am_id=sarah7593h7593)

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Hello and welcome to Nonprofit411, where we dive into resources and strategies that help nonprofits not just survive, but truly thrive.
I'm Sarah Barton, your host and fundraising advocate.
.346938776Each episode we bring you inspiring conversations with experts in fundraising, sustainability, and best practices to equip you with the tools and confidence you need to make a real impact. 4 00:00:22,557.346938776 --> 00:00:28,797.346938776 Today's episode of Nonprofit411 is sponsored by GiveSuite, and I'm really excited to share with you about them. 5 00:00:29,667.346938776 --> 00:00:40,17.346938776 I work with a lot of small nonprofit teams, and I often see incredible people doing really meaningful work using five or six different systems that don't talk to each other. 6 00:00:40,527.346938776 --> 00:00:47,667.346938776 They may have donor forums on one platform, an email platform, spreadsheets, ract donations. 7 00:00:48,222.346938776 --> 00:00:53,52.346938776 They often don't have tech support to call when something breaks, and it's really hard. 8 00:00:53,532.346938776 --> 00:00:55,722.346938776 That's why I'm so excited about Give Suite. 9 00:00:56,232.346938776 --> 00:01:03,372.346938776 I use a similar version to run my own work, and their nonprofit version really pulls everything together. 10 00:01:03,942.346938776 --> 00:01:11,982.346938776 Fundraising, marketing, supporter, communications, automations, giving pages all in one place. 11 00:01:12,762.346938776 --> 00:01:17,412.346938776 If your team is ready to invest in something that actually makes your job easier, take a look. 12 00:01:17,952.346938776 --> 00:01:25,782.346938776 I'm an affiliate because I believe in what this platform can do, and I've seen how much of a difference it can make for small teams who just need systems that work. 13 00:01:26,352.346938776 --> 00:01:30,162.346938776 You'll find the link in the show notes, and now let's get into today's conversation. 14 00:01:31,687.551020408 --> 00:01:35,477.551020408 Hello and welcome to this week's Nonprofit411. 15 00:01:36,67.551020408 --> 00:01:43,687.55102041 I'm Sarah, and today I'm with Kelly McLaughlin from From From Scratch Fundraising. 16 00:01:43,687.55102041 --> 00:01:45,667.55102041 She is the founder and CEO there. 17 00:01:45,667.55102041 --> 00:01:46,627.55102041 Hello, welcome. 18 00:01:47,257.55102041 --> 00:01:48,157.55102041 Thank you, Sarah. 19 00:01:48,157.55102041 --> 00:01:49,117.55102041 I'm glad to be here. 20 00:01:49,702.55102041 --> 00:01:50,122.55102041 Yes. 21 00:01:50,332.55102041 --> 00:01:51,52.55102041 That's tricky. 22 00:01:51,52.55102041 --> 00:01:54,232.55102041 I didn't realize how tricky that would say Kelly from from scratch. 23 00:01:54,232.55102041 --> 00:01:55,882.55102041 Yeah, it's, yes. 24 00:01:56,482.55102041 --> 00:01:58,672.55102041 So I set everyone else up for failure. 25 00:01:58,672.55102041 --> 00:01:59,122.55102041 It's great. 26 00:02:01,192.55102041 --> 00:02:13,42.55102041 Well, I'm so excited to have you on, actually, I don't know that you know this, but you were one of the first fundraisers that I reached out to when I started consulting as a fundraiser. 27 00:02:13,72.55102041 --> 00:02:13,102.55102041 Okay. 28 00:02:13,672.55102041 --> 00:02:14,62.55102041 Yeah. 29 00:02:14,62.55102041 --> 00:02:18,442.55102041 And so we had chatted and it was really helpful just to get feedback from you. 30 00:02:18,442.55102041 --> 00:02:22,792.55102041 And so I'm really excited to have you on and to introduce you to our listeners this week. 31 00:02:23,182.55102041 --> 00:02:24,472.55102041 Oh, that's lovely to hear. 32 00:02:24,472.55102041 --> 00:02:25,342.55102041 I'm so glad. 33 00:02:25,852.55102041 --> 00:02:26,302.55102041 Yes. 34 00:02:26,992.55102041 --> 00:02:38,872.55102041 So, Kelly, can you answer my favorite question before we start, which is, what is your favorite hobby? Okay, so I, fun fact that always catches people off guard. 35 00:02:38,872.55102041 --> 00:02:44,362.55102041 I trained to be a ballerina like I was in a pre-professional company, all of that. 36 00:02:44,512.55102041 --> 00:02:50,242.55102041 I got in an accident, a car accident when I was 17, which derailed my dance career. 37 00:02:50,922.55102041 --> 00:02:54,372.55102041 But my teacher actually got me really interested. 38 00:02:54,402.55102041 --> 00:02:56,52.55102041 She got me interested in teaching. 39 00:02:56,422.55102041 --> 00:03:08,572.55102041 And so I got to go to this pedagogy training when I was 17 with like the Ballet Master of American Ballet Theater and the world's leading expert on Vaganova method ballet pedagogy. 40 00:03:09,447.55102041 --> 00:03:22,117.55102041 And so I love nerding out on ballet pedagogy, like, not ballet, but like how do you teach ballet? And so, I actually teach in a community dance program on top of my consulting career. 41 00:03:22,117.55102041 --> 00:03:24,757.55102041 I also teach ballet in a. 42 00:03:24,947.55102041 --> 00:03:29,477.55102041 Community dance program that's making dance accessible to young people in my community. 43 00:03:29,817.55102041 --> 00:03:34,77.55102041 I teach ballet and ballroom 'cause I also did competitive ballroom in college. 44 00:03:34,477.55102041 --> 00:03:39,97.55102041 And, and you know, or gear we're already gearing up for Nutcracker and everything. 45 00:03:39,97.55102041 --> 00:03:40,927.55102041 And so that is, that is my thing. 46 00:03:40,927.55102041 --> 00:03:44,7.55102041 When I'm not consulting or parenting, I am I am dancing. 47 00:03:44,7.55102041 --> 00:03:44,188.55102041 Oh, that's awesome. 48 00:03:44,193.55102041 --> 00:03:44,817.55102041 Dancing. 49 00:03:44,817.55102041 --> 00:03:45,447.55102041 Yeah. 50 00:03:45,507.55102041 --> 00:03:45,927.55102041 Yes. 51 00:03:46,857.55102041 --> 00:03:48,342.55102041 So you said you have kids. 52 00:03:49,7.55102041 --> 00:03:49,427.55102041 Yes. 53 00:03:49,817.55102041 --> 00:03:52,197.55102041 Are, do they dance? My daughter, yes. 54 00:03:52,197.55102041 --> 00:03:52,557.55102041 Yes. 55 00:03:52,557.55102041 --> 00:03:53,457.55102041 I have one kid. 56 00:03:53,507.55102041 --> 00:03:55,307.55102041 She is avid, avid dancer. 57 00:03:55,307.55102041 --> 00:04:02,777.55102041 That's actually how I started teaching again, was I quit teaching when I had her and then she got way into it. 58 00:04:02,777.55102041 --> 00:04:09,157.55102041 And this, she was in this community dance program and the woman who runs the program knew about my history. 59 00:04:09,442.55102041 --> 00:04:13,72.55102041 She and I had actually danced together in a, in a company for a while. 60 00:04:13,422.55102041 --> 00:04:16,952.55102041 And so yeah, she came to me and it's because of my daughter. 61 00:04:16,952.55102041 --> 00:04:26,117.55102041 She came to me and said, you know, I, I've lost a couple staff this year and I don't know if we can do the Nutcracker this year if I don't have more help. 62 00:04:26,117.55102041 --> 00:04:32,282.55102041 And, and she's, and I, it's the first year that, that Lena is eligible to be in the Nutcracker. 63 00:04:32,282.55102041 --> 00:04:34,412.55102041 It would really be a tragedy, wouldn't it? And I was like. 64 00:04:34,677.55102041 --> 00:04:35,667.55102041 Would be a tragedy. 65 00:04:35,667.55102041 --> 00:04:39,327.55102041 And here I am three years later, still helping run the program. 66 00:04:41,7.55102041 --> 00:04:42,327.55102041 You know, she got me real good. 67 00:04:42,807.55102041 --> 00:04:43,467.55102041 Yeah. 68 00:04:43,467.55102041 --> 00:04:44,757.55102041 Well, that's awesome though. 69 00:04:44,757.55102041 --> 00:04:50,67.55102041 And what a great way to like also be able to connect with your daughter and do something fun with her. 70 00:04:50,67.55102041 --> 00:04:58,257.55102041 So Yes, it's a really, it's a really, really special to be in a creative space with your kiddo and watch them develop as an artist. 71 00:04:58,257.55102041 --> 00:05:02,157.55102041 And yeah, it's been, it is, it is a really cool life experience. 72 00:05:02,157.55102041 --> 00:05:02,607.55102041 I don't know. 73 00:05:03,117.55102041 --> 00:05:06,957.55102041 Not something I was looking for, but it, you know, it was, it's, it's incredible. 74 00:05:06,957.55102041 --> 00:05:08,247.55102041 It's an incredible experience. 75 00:05:08,757.55102041 --> 00:05:09,687.55102041 Well, that's awesome. 76 00:05:10,137.55102041 --> 00:05:12,297.55102041 Well, thank you for sharing that with us. 77 00:05:12,627.55102041 --> 00:05:18,277.55102041 And now can you just introduce yourself to the listeners and tell 'em a little bit more about you and from. 78 00:05:18,937.55102041 --> 00:05:20,227.55102041 Scratch fundraising. 79 00:05:20,317.55102041 --> 00:05:20,407.55102041 Yes. 80 00:05:21,757.55102041 --> 00:05:23,557.55102041 Beyond how difficult it is to say our name. 81 00:05:23,857.55102041 --> 00:05:24,157.55102041 No. 82 00:05:24,207.55102041 --> 00:05:37,7.55102041 So, I actually, I like to say if you, if you really take my life trajectory backwards from scratch, fundraising came from one, we help nonprofits that are starting individual giving programs. 83 00:05:37,307.55102041 --> 00:05:45,137.55102041 We help them, create them, build the systems, all of that that will support their individual giving program. 84 00:05:45,767.55102041 --> 00:05:52,187.55102041 So first off, the name from scratch is literally that's what we do, is we help build individual giving programs from scratch. 85 00:05:52,187.55102041 --> 00:05:53,687.55102041 We wanted to make that very, very clear. 86 00:05:53,687.55102041 --> 00:05:53,717.55102041 I. 87 00:05:54,367.55102041 --> 00:06:03,937.55102041 There are so many incredible consultants out there that can optimize a program or teach you how to really dig into monthly giving or major gifts or anything like that. 88 00:06:04,387.55102041 --> 00:06:09,307.55102041 What I really wanted to focus on was the leaders who are like, okay, individual giving. 89 00:06:09,307.55102041 --> 00:06:09,967.55102041 Got it. 90 00:06:10,627.55102041 --> 00:06:14,477.55102041 What? So that's, that's the gap that we. 91 00:06:15,187.55102041 --> 00:06:27,487.55102041 Kind of fill is we can come in, we can look at a program that's not working or isn't getting off the ground, or somebody who's saying, well, I know I need to get into individual giving, but I have no idea how. 92 00:06:27,867.55102041 --> 00:06:36,957.55102041 We come in and we craft fundraising plans and then build the systems to support those plans to get those programs up and rolling and going. 93 00:06:36,957.55102041 --> 00:06:38,787.55102041 And then often what we'll do is then. 94 00:06:39,362.55102041 --> 00:06:43,892.55102041 Pass those clients off to somebody who specializes in what we think. 95 00:06:44,132.55102041 --> 00:06:46,622.55102041 Maybe eventually they will excel in, right? Mm-hmm. 96 00:06:47,342.55102041 --> 00:06:56,672.55102041 But most of our clients can spend a few years working with our strategies and then we have clear growth paths for them to work with other specialists and that kind of thing. 97 00:06:57,42.55102041 --> 00:07:00,222.55102041 So that's part of how From Scratch came to be named. 98 00:07:00,522.55102041 --> 00:07:02,872.55102041 The other part is I. 99 00:07:03,497.55102041 --> 00:07:06,587.55102041 The first fundraising thing I ever did was a big sale. 100 00:07:07,697.55102041 --> 00:07:12,947.55102041 I like to say that that was my big learning experience about fundraising was I was five years old. 101 00:07:12,947.55102041 --> 00:07:16,7.55102041 I saw a news story on, I don't even remember. 102 00:07:16,7.55102041 --> 00:07:18,467.55102041 It was some refugee issue. 103 00:07:18,527.55102041 --> 00:07:18,557.55102041 I. 104 00:07:19,392.55102041 --> 00:07:23,292.55102041 And I just remember thinking like, that's horrible. 105 00:07:23,292.55102041 --> 00:07:27,462.55102041 These people are having to leave their home and it's not their fault and that's not fair. 106 00:07:27,462.55102041 --> 00:07:31,782.55102041 And I was five years old, right? And my sense of justice was really overdeveloped for a 5-year-old. 107 00:07:32,202.55102041 --> 00:07:33,942.55102041 And yeah. 108 00:07:33,942.55102041 --> 00:07:36,312.55102041 And so I went to my mom and I was like, I'm upset. 109 00:07:36,312.55102041 --> 00:07:42,497.55102041 What do I do? My five-year-old selves was like, I'm livid that this is happening to people. 110 00:07:42,837.55102041 --> 00:07:47,607.55102041 And my mom was like, we'll, we, you know, there's, there's a refugee resettlement nonprofit here. 111 00:07:47,607.55102041 --> 00:07:51,657.55102041 Why don't, why don't we have a bake sale? You can raise some money and, and we'll donate that. 112 00:07:51,657.55102041 --> 00:07:56,367.55102041 Plus you can save your allowance, whatever you want, and we'll donate that to that organization. 113 00:07:56,697.55102041 --> 00:08:01,317.55102041 And so I did, I saved my allowance for weeks and weeks, you know, putting my pennies in my jar, right. 114 00:08:01,377.55102041 --> 00:08:02,847.55102041 And then had this bake sale. 115 00:08:03,522.55102041 --> 00:08:11,952.55102041 And got to donate and it was really a neat experience, right? And I went, my mom took me to the organization and they, they were so sweet. 116 00:08:11,952.55102041 --> 00:08:15,252.55102041 They told me all about their work and, and all kinds of stuff. 117 00:08:15,252.55102041 --> 00:08:18,912.55102041 And I just thought, this must be the best place to work in the world. 118 00:08:19,132.55102041 --> 00:08:19,492.55102041 And I just. 119 00:08:19,672.55102041 --> 00:08:21,292.55102041 Fell in love with nonprofits. 120 00:08:21,292.55102041 --> 00:08:21,682.55102041 Right. 121 00:08:21,732.55102041 --> 00:08:25,272.55102041 At five years old and I've done fundraising on and off. 122 00:08:25,272.55102041 --> 00:08:29,922.55102041 I did fundraising for service projects in high school, all kinds of stuff. 123 00:08:29,922.55102041 --> 00:08:33,192.55102041 And so I like to say I've been fundraising since I was five. 124 00:08:33,272.55102041 --> 00:08:38,12.55102041 The first time I ever got paid for it professionally to fundraise was in 2009. 125 00:08:38,12.55102041 --> 00:08:39,562.55102041 But yeah, so I've. 126 00:08:40,102.55102041 --> 00:08:45,832.55102041 My whole career has been focused on fundraising and specifically individual giving. 127 00:08:45,832.55102041 --> 00:08:55,972.55102041 And even more specifically, it has been coming in as that first development director looking at an individual giving program and figuring out how to build it. 128 00:08:55,972.55102041 --> 00:09:01,72.55102041 So after I did that for three or four nonprofits as a development director, that's when I thought. 129 00:09:01,657.55102041 --> 00:09:06,37.55102041 Gee, this seems to be a thing that a lot of organizations have and can't afford. 130 00:09:06,487.55102041 --> 00:09:06,667.55102041 Mm-hmm. 131 00:09:06,907.55102041 --> 00:09:20,887.55102041 And that's really what drove me to start from scratch fundraising was like looking at the landscape, having so many friends, having built a network of people in nonprofits and seeing how many organizations couldn't afford a development director. 132 00:09:21,307.55102041 --> 00:09:25,897.55102041 And specifically seeing what organizations there were that were struggling with that. 133 00:09:25,897.55102041 --> 00:09:26,347.55102041 Right. 134 00:09:26,347.55102041 --> 00:09:27,307.55102041 Obviously. 135 00:09:27,307.55102041 --> 00:09:27,308.55102041 Mm-hmm. 136 00:09:27,952.55102041 --> 00:09:30,412.55102041 Marginalized, you know, it's, yeah. 137 00:09:30,502.55102041 --> 00:09:41,662.55102041 It's the organizations that need it the most, that are making the biggest community impact, that are the most community embedded, that are the most responsive to the communities they serve, are the ones that can't afford it, right? Mm-hmm. 138 00:09:41,902.55102041 --> 00:09:54,862.55102041 And so that's what I wanted to do with from scratch was create what I had really done in my career as a development director is really learned how to make things efficient and systematized and all of that. 139 00:09:55,642.55102041 --> 00:10:09,622.55102041 And so that's really when I started kind of con started consulting with my friends for these smaller organizations as I was a development director, just teaching them, okay, well just, this is how you do this really efficiently. 140 00:10:09,622.55102041 --> 00:10:12,292.55102041 This is how, here's the checklist, here's the whatever. 141 00:10:12,842.55102041 --> 00:10:16,652.55102041 And seeing how much they could do with just that little bit of help. 142 00:10:16,652.55102041 --> 00:10:17,12.55102041 Right. 143 00:10:17,12.55102041 --> 00:10:17,972.55102041 And it wasn't. 144 00:10:19,247.55102041 --> 00:10:22,727.55102041 That's really what motivated from scratch into being right. 145 00:10:22,727.55102041 --> 00:10:24,167.55102041 Was this like, okay. 146 00:10:24,227.55102041 --> 00:10:28,397.55102041 And, and I like say my mission is to make fundraising expertise. 147 00:10:29,42.55102041 --> 00:10:32,252.55102041 Accessible for small startup organizations. 148 00:10:32,252.55102041 --> 00:10:32,522.55102041 Right. 149 00:10:32,522.55102041 --> 00:10:33,542.55102041 That's what I'm doing. 150 00:10:33,572.55102041 --> 00:10:40,352.55102041 'cause I know the price tag on quality fundraising advice is very high in a lot of, in a lot of places. 151 00:10:40,352.55102041 --> 00:10:48,462.55102041 And I think that's where my focus immediately went to was like, how do I make this as systematic and scalable as I can. 152 00:10:48,462.55102041 --> 00:10:48,552.55102041 Mm-hmm. 153 00:10:48,792.55102041 --> 00:10:52,122.55102041 So when I started the business, that was really where my brain went, was. 154 00:10:52,437.55102041 --> 00:10:58,527.55102041 Where, how do I get this to a place where I can scale it really quickly so I can cost it really low? Right? Yeah. 155 00:10:58,527.55102041 --> 00:11:06,747.55102041 And so that's, that's been what we've been doing is, is, is serving more and more organizations with that model. 156 00:11:06,747.55102041 --> 00:11:07,167.55102041 Yeah. 157 00:11:07,532.55102041 --> 00:11:07,822.55102041 Yeah. 158 00:11:07,887.55102041 --> 00:11:08,517.55102041 That's awesome. 159 00:11:08,517.55102041 --> 00:11:22,447.55102041 It's, it's pretty aligned with what I have ended up doing it at nonprofit 4 0 1 1 because the organizations that come to me often, they're coming for fundraising advice, but there aren't really basic systems in place, right? Mm-hmm. 160 00:11:22,687.55102041 --> 00:11:22,747.55102041 Yeah. 161 00:11:23,107.55102041 --> 00:11:28,927.55102041 The systems that make it doable to do fundraising en mass. 162 00:11:28,987.55102041 --> 00:11:29,77.55102041 Mm-hmm. 163 00:11:29,277.55102041 --> 00:11:41,787.55102041 You know, and fundraising's this tricky thing, right, where we are doing it relationally one-on-one, but a lot of times the methodologies that we use are bulk. 164 00:11:43,137.55102041 --> 00:11:44,127.55102041 Bulk driven. 165 00:11:44,937.55102041 --> 00:11:45,717.55102041 Yeah, yeah. 166 00:11:45,717.55102041 --> 00:11:48,327.55102041 You know? Yeah, yeah, yeah. 167 00:11:48,327.55102041 --> 00:11:52,437.55102041 And, and just having simple systems to stop one offing it. 168 00:11:52,887.55102041 --> 00:11:54,387.55102041 Is Yes. 169 00:11:54,687.55102041 --> 00:11:56,667.55102041 Can actually make a world of difference. 170 00:11:56,667.55102041 --> 00:11:57,807.55102041 Yeah, yeah, yeah. 171 00:11:57,807.55102041 --> 00:11:58,377.55102041 Absolutely. 172 00:11:58,737.55102041 --> 00:11:59,307.55102041 Yeah. 173 00:11:59,457.55102041 --> 00:11:59,817.55102041 Yeah. 174 00:11:59,817.55102041 --> 00:12:16,787.55102041 And a lot of the, you know, it's funny 'cause as we talk about the new world of AI and how that is changing a lot of work processes for a lot of people, what I, what I often think, is really humorous is the workflow systems. 175 00:12:17,227.55102041 --> 00:12:21,767.55102041 You know, people are thinking that that's very new you know, new technology. 176 00:12:21,767.55102041 --> 00:12:29,597.55102041 But really that's the technology we've been using in fundraising for at least since I started and I started in 2002. 177 00:12:29,597.55102041 --> 00:12:29,657.55102041 Yeah. 178 00:12:30,467.55102041 --> 00:12:32,267.55102041 So I don't know how much. 179 00:12:32,777.55102041 --> 00:12:35,297.55102041 I mean, I know that workflows actually have gone back further than that. 180 00:12:35,327.55102041 --> 00:12:41,417.55102041 'cause we had, when I started, we had a DOS-based system, but it did have workflows as part of it. 181 00:12:41,417.55102041 --> 00:12:53,747.55102041 So, so workflows for the listeners, workflows are preset processes that your computer can help move you through when you're doing the fundraising process. 182 00:12:53,747.55102041 --> 00:12:54,877.55102041 So, yeah. 183 00:12:55,747.55102041 --> 00:12:59,137.55102041 But yeah, and, and it's not, you don't even have to have technology. 184 00:12:59,137.55102041 --> 00:12:59,437.55102041 Right. 185 00:12:59,497.55102041 --> 00:13:06,217.55102041 My, my first fundraising job, we had the world's most terriblest fundraising software. 186 00:13:06,217.55102041 --> 00:13:07,537.55102041 I'm not, I'm not gonna name names. 187 00:13:07,537.55102041 --> 00:13:12,877.55102041 It was awful, right? And 90% of the time I couldn't get it to do what I wanted to do anyway. 188 00:13:13,267.55102041 --> 00:13:23,557.55102041 And I, I honestly just had a little sheet of paper, like printer paper that I put on my wall that was like, gift comes in, send, you know, do thank you. 189 00:13:23,557.55102041 --> 00:13:25,87.55102041 Call, send letter. 190 00:13:25,87.55102041 --> 00:13:25,537.55102041 Right. 191 00:13:25,567.55102041 --> 00:13:26,347.55102041 You know. 192 00:13:26,547.55102041 --> 00:13:30,387.55102041 Email still then was like a weird thing to cultivate donors around. 193 00:13:30,387.55102041 --> 00:13:46,497.55102041 But you know, it was, it was very, and that's what I did every check that came in, I would, I would, I would copy the check, right? Take the check to the finance people, and then I would write like phone call letter, like, thank you, email. 194 00:13:46,737.55102041 --> 00:13:49,647.55102041 Right? And I would check it off and then I would file it, right? And so. 195 00:13:49,852.55102041 --> 00:13:49,942.55102041 Yep. 196 00:13:51,82.55102041 --> 00:14:00,402.55102041 And I, I feel very old saying that, but you know, it, it was a system, it was a process and it's how that organization, I spent four years there. 197 00:14:00,402.55102041 --> 00:14:02,52.55102041 I started as the department assistant. 198 00:14:02,52.55102041 --> 00:14:08,262.55102041 I ended up being the person running their individual giving programs in the time, in the, in four years. 199 00:14:08,262.55102041 --> 00:14:11,382.55102041 My first four years there, we grew from $300,000. 200 00:14:11,742.55102041 --> 00:14:14,232.55102041 In individual giving income to 1.2 201 00:14:14,232.55102041 --> 00:14:14,862.55102041 million. 202 00:14:15,552.55102041 --> 00:14:15,642.55102041 Mm-hmm. 203 00:14:15,882.55102041 --> 00:14:21,912.55102041 And like literally all I was doing, I feel like, I feel like all I was doing was just processes like that. 204 00:14:21,912.55102041 --> 00:14:22,302.55102041 Right? Yeah. 205 00:14:22,332.55102041 --> 00:14:32,437.55102041 It was just how, how do we steward more people in a way that feels really personal, but is at scale, right? Mm-hmm. 206 00:14:32,517.55102041 --> 00:14:33,162.55102041 And how do we. 207 00:14:34,632.55102041 --> 00:14:34,992.55102041 Yeah. 208 00:14:34,992.55102041 --> 00:14:42,792.55102041 And, and, and then it was crazy that my little checklist that I wrote on every single check that I scanned, or, you know, we got an online donation, I would go print it out. 209 00:14:42,792.55102041 --> 00:14:44,202.55102041 So I could do my same. 210 00:14:45,162.55102041 --> 00:14:45,522.55102041 That's right. 211 00:14:45,792.55102041 --> 00:14:46,92.55102041 Yeah. 212 00:14:46,212.55102041 --> 00:14:48,642.55102041 Because I needed, I needed to do it that way. 213 00:14:48,742.55102041 --> 00:14:48,942.55102041 Computers. 214 00:14:48,942.55102041 --> 00:14:49,977.55102041 We kept real files. 215 00:14:49,977.55102041 --> 00:14:53,847.55102041 We had real files on all of our donors originally too. 216 00:14:54,307.55102041 --> 00:14:57,637.55102041 And so we actually had a room full of donor files. 217 00:14:58,27.55102041 --> 00:14:58,87.55102041 Yeah. 218 00:14:58,87.55102041 --> 00:15:03,397.55102041 You know, and you could go into the donor files and you could see all of the various gifts that they had given. 219 00:15:03,397.55102041 --> 00:15:08,237.55102041 And there would be cards from them and letters from them stuck inside of it. 220 00:15:08,237.55102041 --> 00:15:08,567.55102041 So. 221 00:15:09,7.55102041 --> 00:15:10,717.55102041 And that wasn't too long ago. 222 00:15:10,717.55102041 --> 00:15:12,277.55102041 I mean, we are not ancient. 223 00:15:13,747.55102041 --> 00:15:14,167.55102041 No. 224 00:15:14,267.55102041 --> 00:15:23,557.55102041 Really in the last 25 years have we seen a lot of these processes go from much more manual to very automated? Yes. 225 00:15:24,307.55102041 --> 00:15:31,807.55102041 But there's so much to be said for understanding all of the manual processes. 226 00:15:31,812.55102041 --> 00:15:32,12.55102041 Mm. 227 00:15:32,17.55102041 --> 00:15:32,347.55102041 Mm-hmm. 228 00:15:32,797.55102041 --> 00:15:33,517.55102041 Because. 229 00:15:34,517.55102041 --> 00:15:37,847.55102041 Understanding what they're like manually helps you be able to. 230 00:15:38,347.55102041 --> 00:15:48,667.55102041 Visualize what should be happening for every person so that when it goes wrong or when it doesn't work out the way that you think it is, you have somewhere to look, right? Yeah. 231 00:15:48,667.55102041 --> 00:15:52,207.55102041 And I'm, I, I'm kind of grateful that, you know, I'm a millennial. 232 00:15:52,207.55102041 --> 00:15:54,157.55102041 I'm, I'm grateful that I. 233 00:15:54,192.55102041 --> 00:15:59,292.55102041 Kind of came in at that edge of fundraising before we had all the cloud base. 234 00:15:59,322.55102041 --> 00:16:02,52.55102041 You know, I'm, I'm the one that like pivoted the organization. 235 00:16:02,172.55102041 --> 00:16:05,592.55102041 I was one of boomerang's first customers with this organization. 236 00:16:06,162.55102041 --> 00:16:06,672.55102041 Oh, that's exciting. 237 00:16:06,677.55102041 --> 00:16:06,687.55102041 Exciting. 238 00:16:06,692.55102041 --> 00:16:08,22.55102041 They had just launched. 239 00:16:08,472.55102041 --> 00:16:16,422.55102041 And I remember the big debate was like, well, but all of our donor files in the cloud, is that secure? I mean, is that blah, blah? And I'm like. 240 00:16:17,347.55102041 --> 00:16:23,707.55102041 Somebody, if somebody like ruffles through my desk drawers enough and finds the key, they can get the donor in inform. 241 00:16:25,177.55102041 --> 00:16:37,567.55102041 Really, I mean, so let's talk about data security, right? But like, yeah, it was, it, I'm grateful that I had that experience that year or two of fundraising. 242 00:16:38,317.55102041 --> 00:16:49,87.5510204 Pre tech age, because this is something I, I, I talk about all the time on webinars and things is we're really relying on technology to do our job for us. 243 00:16:49,667.5510204 --> 00:16:56,147.5510204 That, like those automated thank you notes and everything well, but, but my, my CRM send the thank you to the donor. 244 00:16:56,147.5510204 --> 00:16:58,247.5510204 Why do I need to do anything? And it's like. 245 00:17:00,87.5510204 --> 00:17:06,957.5510204 Be because I used to call every single donor, even if they gave $5, right? Just to say thanks. 246 00:17:06,957.5510204 --> 00:17:15,507.5510204 Right? And I saw our donor retention rate skyrocket when I did that because I didn't have a CRM that was worth anything. 247 00:17:16,167.5510204 --> 00:17:25,947.5510204 So I called every donor because I, you know, I was coming up in the age of like donor centered fundraising, right? And you gotta mail the letter within 24 hours, right? Mm-hmm. 248 00:17:26,667.5510204 --> 00:17:26,787.5510204 Yeah. 249 00:17:26,787.5510204 --> 00:17:27,117.5510204 Which. 250 00:17:27,732.5510204 --> 00:17:30,342.5510204 You know, and I, I couldn't do that. 251 00:17:30,342.5510204 --> 00:17:31,992.5510204 I couldn't get it done that fast. 252 00:17:31,992.5510204 --> 00:17:41,292.5510204 So what I decided in my, not trained at all in fundraising brain was, okay, well I can't, I'll send a letter once a month or every other week, something like that. 253 00:17:41,292.5510204 --> 00:17:47,172.5510204 I'll do all the letters then, but I will call every donor the day we get their gift and say thank you. 254 00:17:47,862.5510204 --> 00:17:51,462.5510204 Right? And I did that for a while, and then I was looking at our stats. 255 00:17:51,487.5510204 --> 00:17:57,187.5510204 And our donor retention went from 40% to 60% the first year that I worked at the organization. 256 00:17:57,817.5510204 --> 00:18:04,747.5510204 And, and that's just be because I couldn't rely on anything other than my own ability to interact with the donors. 257 00:18:04,747.5510204 --> 00:18:05,107.5510204 Right. 258 00:18:05,207.5510204 --> 00:18:13,187.5510204 And so, yeah, that's something I talk to my clients about all the time is just like, no, you can't, technology can't do it for you. 259 00:18:13,187.5510204 --> 00:18:15,257.5510204 AI can't write a letter like you can. 260 00:18:15,257.5510204 --> 00:18:15,707.5510204 Right. 261 00:18:15,757.5510204 --> 00:18:16,482.5510204 You know, yes. 262 00:18:16,502.5510204 --> 00:18:17,677.5510204 All of those types of things. 263 00:18:17,677.5510204 --> 00:18:17,887.5510204 Right. 264 00:18:18,307.5510204 --> 00:18:21,7.5510204 That, I think, I think that's part of it. 265 00:18:21,7.5510204 --> 00:18:21,337.5510204 Right. 266 00:18:21,337.5510204 --> 00:18:24,67.5510204 I, I just did a talk on this recently was. 267 00:18:24,667.5510204 --> 00:18:27,157.5510204 You know, we're, we're trying to outsource. 268 00:18:27,487.5510204 --> 00:18:30,97.5510204 Relationship building to technology. 269 00:18:30,487.5510204 --> 00:18:32,677.5510204 And then donors don't like that. 270 00:18:32,677.5510204 --> 00:18:34,447.5510204 And then we're calling it donor fatigue. 271 00:18:36,337.5510204 --> 00:18:36,397.5510204 Yeah. 272 00:18:36,397.5510204 --> 00:18:48,187.5510204 And I'm, I'm like, I don't, but people are coming to you 'cause they believe in your cause and they're getting automations and things that read like AI and they wanna be in a relationship with you. 273 00:18:48,187.5510204 --> 00:18:54,37.5510204 And so we're, we're not building the efficiencies we think we are, whereas. 274 00:18:55,432.5510204 --> 00:18:58,582.5510204 It really didn't take me that long to call every single one of my donors. 275 00:18:58,702.5510204 --> 00:18:58,792.5510204 Mm-hmm. 276 00:18:59,92.5510204 --> 00:19:04,492.5510204 It really wasn't that big a burden, and it did so much for the organization. 277 00:19:05,62.5510204 --> 00:19:05,512.5510204 Right. 278 00:19:05,512.5510204 --> 00:19:06,472.5510204 And right. 279 00:19:06,817.5510204 --> 00:19:18,397.5510204 Yeah, I have an organization who has just started and she's in her first year and she does thank you cards, and she's like, you would not believe the feedback I get on my thank you cards. 280 00:19:18,427.5510204 --> 00:19:26,437.5510204 She's like, it's, I'm not even trying to get feedback, but they're just like, they're so grateful to get real mail and for it to be a thank you. 281 00:19:26,497.5510204 --> 00:19:27,967.5510204 You know? And you're right. 282 00:19:29,62.5510204 --> 00:19:33,322.5510204 We are in an age where we are learning a new balance with technology. 283 00:19:33,322.5510204 --> 00:19:33,802.5510204 Right. 284 00:19:33,912.5510204 --> 00:19:43,362.5510204 What is that balance? And I think we've been in this age of learning the balance for a while, but each generation has a new challenge with it. 285 00:19:44,52.5510204 --> 00:19:44,202.5510204 Mm-hmm. 286 00:19:44,442.5510204 --> 00:19:52,872.5510204 And, this generation has a challenge because we've interrupted some of our relational interactions, right? So it's gonna be some new things. 287 00:19:52,872.5510204 --> 00:20:08,142.5510204 And these skills, these really concrete manual skills of relationship building are things that our organizations need to teach even to their staff because it may not be skills that the staff has coming in. 288 00:20:08,502.5510204 --> 00:20:08,682.5510204 Yeah. 289 00:20:08,732.5510204 --> 00:20:11,762.5510204 Where we may have built some of those, we may have had some of those. 290 00:20:11,942.5510204 --> 00:20:20,602.5510204 When we started in fundraising, you know, hard writing letter writing wasn't a foreign thing, but my kids have to ask me. 291 00:20:20,602.5510204 --> 00:20:30,652.5510204 My kids are a, my oldest two children, which they're twins, they turned 21 this year, but like, it wasn't very many years ago. 292 00:20:30,652.5510204 --> 00:20:36,442.5510204 I remember one of them like asked me to check their envelope to make sure they had addressed it, right? Yeah. 293 00:20:37,642.5510204 --> 00:20:47,572.5510204 And, and it's like no fault of theirs, right? Do we send real mail? And they were just wanted to make sure everything was in the right space. 294 00:20:47,902.5510204 --> 00:20:53,812.5510204 And so that's something that is really interesting that we need to think about when we're training fundraisers. 295 00:20:53,812.5510204 --> 00:21:05,222.5510204 Like, do you know how to make sure, you know, address your envelopes? Do you know how to write a letter? Or when you're writing a note, what might you want to include in it? You know, yeah. 296 00:21:05,222.5510204 --> 00:21:10,472.5510204 I actually, it's so funny you said that my daughter, I was helping one of my clients who's local to me. 297 00:21:10,812.5510204 --> 00:21:16,302.5510204 Send out their annual impact reports and I took my daughter along to make her like, put the stamps on things. 298 00:21:16,802.5510204 --> 00:21:18,332.5510204 These are hard life skills that I want you. 299 00:21:19,172.5510204 --> 00:21:19,982.5510204 Yeah, she's eight. 300 00:21:20,232.5510204 --> 00:21:23,622.5510204 But you know, I was like, I still, I want you, I want you to understand that. 301 00:21:23,622.5510204 --> 00:21:27,192.5510204 I mean, one, I wanted her to understand what my client did. 302 00:21:27,192.5510204 --> 00:21:35,617.5510204 I wanted her to, you know, take your daughter to workday, right? I wanted her to understand what I do and why I do it, right? Mm-hmm. 303 00:21:35,672.5510204 --> 00:21:36,752.5510204 But also. 304 00:21:37,457.5510204 --> 00:21:44,687.5510204 Yeah, just the very real I, you know, and I told her, I was like, oh, we're sending these annual reports and they're going to the people who fund this work. 305 00:21:44,687.5510204 --> 00:21:47,627.5510204 And she's like, oh, so these are really important people. 306 00:21:47,897.5510204 --> 00:21:50,957.5510204 And I was like to, yeah, to the client. 307 00:21:50,957.5510204 --> 00:22:00,17.5510204 They're really important people because they, they are providing the funding that lets this organization do the great work, right? And so she was so, it was so cute to watch her sit there. 308 00:22:00,397.5510204 --> 00:22:07,987.5510204 Just trying to perfectly square the stamp in the corner because she, she wanted the donors to feel appreciated and everything. 309 00:22:08,587.5510204 --> 00:22:20,697.5510204 It was very, like, it was a really fun experience helping her see that, that side, but also helping her understand that like, you know, yeah, you just took this off of one of their workers' plates so that worker can do more stuff. 310 00:22:20,697.5510204 --> 00:22:23,67.5510204 So, you know, and this is, this is volunteerism. 311 00:22:23,67.5510204 --> 00:22:23,757.5510204 This is. 312 00:22:24,772.5510204 --> 00:22:27,172.5510204 This is how, you know, our industry works. 313 00:22:27,172.5510204 --> 00:22:28,582.5510204 This is how you serve your community. 314 00:22:28,582.5510204 --> 00:22:28,792.5510204 Right. 315 00:22:28,792.5510204 --> 00:22:33,152.5510204 She's in Girl Scouts too, so, she's getting that community service thing down. 316 00:22:33,152.5510204 --> 00:22:36,782.5510204 But yeah, it's fun to kind of train up that next generation. 317 00:22:36,812.5510204 --> 00:22:37,487.5510204 'cause I think mm-hmm. 318 00:22:38,767.5510204 --> 00:22:39,57.5510204 Yeah. 319 00:22:39,377.5510204 --> 00:22:41,162.5510204 I, I don't see enough. 320 00:22:41,312.5510204 --> 00:22:42,122.5510204 I don't see enough of that. 321 00:22:42,842.5510204 --> 00:22:43,172.5510204 Yeah. 322 00:22:43,802.5510204 --> 00:22:46,352.5510204 Kids getting involved in making the difference and stuff. 323 00:22:46,502.5510204 --> 00:22:48,932.5510204 But definitely my mom spent a lot of time. 324 00:22:49,262.5510204 --> 00:22:51,2.5510204 Instilling in me for sure. 325 00:22:51,2.5510204 --> 00:22:58,52.5510204 Yeah, it's interesting you say that 'cause I think that that's a great space to help build community. 326 00:22:58,172.5510204 --> 00:23:07,752.5510204 So I, most of my work in the last eight years has been in rural communities and I definitely have a soft spot in my heart for rural communities. 327 00:23:07,992.5510204 --> 00:23:09,702.5510204 It's a different type of fundraising. 328 00:23:09,732.5510204 --> 00:23:12,222.5510204 And I was just writing an article about it actually. 329 00:23:12,522.5510204 --> 00:23:15,162.5510204 Like, you have to think of creative ways. 330 00:23:15,567.5510204 --> 00:23:22,77.5510204 To really engage your community when you work in a rural community, because having that community support is so important. 331 00:23:22,607.5510204 --> 00:23:33,857.5510204 But getting kids involved and getting teens involved, your local high school, like those are great ways to build community with your nonprofit organization. 332 00:23:33,857.5510204 --> 00:23:34,637.5510204 If you haven't. 333 00:23:35,387.5510204 --> 00:23:40,127.5510204 If you haven't done it before, because there are so many skills that they can learn from. 334 00:23:40,547.5510204 --> 00:23:42,317.5510204 You have to plan and be thoughtful about it. 335 00:23:42,317.5510204 --> 00:23:45,347.5510204 I used to work at a university, so I recognize like the challenges. 336 00:23:46,337.5510204 --> 00:23:50,622.5510204 But when they learn how rewarding it is, it can be great, you know? Yeah. 337 00:23:51,707.5510204 --> 00:23:51,977.5510204 Yeah. 338 00:23:51,977.5510204 --> 00:24:06,647.5510204 And I mean, I think that's something that's definitely something I think a lot about is, I mean, just burnout is so high in this sector and especially these days where I feel like people are actively trying to tear our sector down, right? Mm-hmm. 339 00:24:07,152.5510204 --> 00:24:18,647.5510204 It's, it's, so, I think it's so critical to let young people see and engage with this and see, you know, yeah. 340 00:24:18,647.5510204 --> 00:24:21,737.5510204 I mean, communi community is so important and I think. 341 00:24:22,682.5510204 --> 00:24:26,972.5510204 Again, I'm, I'm grateful to be a millennial that like Understood community building. 342 00:24:27,2.5510204 --> 00:24:30,512.5510204 You know, I did grassroots advocacy before I got into fundraising and stuff. 343 00:24:30,512.5510204 --> 00:24:36,992.5510204 Right? I spent a lot of years as a, as a organizer, you know, that in real life community build. 344 00:24:37,22.5510204 --> 00:24:40,712.5510204 I'm grateful I had that experience before social media came around. 345 00:24:40,712.5510204 --> 00:24:41,42.5510204 Right. 346 00:24:41,92.5510204 --> 00:24:50,212.5510204 Because there's just something so different about being in a room with people working together on a goal when you're physically together that. 347 00:24:51,217.5510204 --> 00:25:09,352.5510204 I, I like I said, I teach in this community dance program and so many of them were coming up during the pandemic and social media and everything, and it's, yeah, I just it's, it's interesting to see how it's morphed in, in good ways and bad ways and in ways that I think are gonna let them revolutionize things in so many ways and other ways that. 348 00:25:10,117.5510204 --> 00:25:15,637.5510204 That make me kind of sad that they didn't have a pre-social media life. 349 00:25:15,697.5510204 --> 00:25:16,387.5510204 Right? Yeah. 350 00:25:16,417.5510204 --> 00:25:21,277.5510204 Well, we still have purpose then we still have purpose because we have to share with them like, you know, yes. 351 00:25:22,42.5510204 --> 00:25:24,217.5510204 What, what that is, that's what, yeah. 352 00:25:24,352.5510204 --> 00:25:28,117.5510204 So yeah, it is, it can be discouraging. 353 00:25:28,117.5510204 --> 00:25:34,87.5510204 I think it's great as you see your kids grow, like, like I said, I have two that are about to graduate from college. 354 00:25:34,157.5510204 --> 00:25:35,142.5510204 They're 21. 355 00:25:35,812.5510204 --> 00:25:42,42.5510204 So they really did grow up with social media you know, with it being part of their norm with phones. 356 00:25:42,372.5510204 --> 00:25:46,92.5510204 They've had phones since they were, Hmm. 357 00:25:46,422.5510204 --> 00:25:47,622.5510204 12 maybe. 358 00:25:47,712.5510204 --> 00:25:48,162.5510204 Yeah. 359 00:25:48,232.5510204 --> 00:25:52,642.5510204 My youngest one, maybe even probably about that same age, probably about 12. 360 00:25:53,2.5510204 --> 00:25:56,242.5510204 You know, so they've had phones this kind of, this entire time. 361 00:25:56,752.5510204 --> 00:26:14,662.5510204 But they're eager to learn too, right? Yeah, they, they do see that we have some relational skills that are different from what they know, and they've seen us use them in the workplace and they know that they're important, but they also can recognize that like. 362 00:26:15,67.5510204 --> 00:26:16,927.5510204 They're not super great at it, you know? Yeah. 363 00:26:17,977.5510204 --> 00:26:20,167.5510204 And that's where I love being involved. 364 00:26:20,167.5510204 --> 00:26:30,787.5510204 My daughter does theater in addition to dance, and I, I, you know, like I said, I'm in this community dance program, and so I, I love watching them work in that space. 365 00:26:30,787.5510204 --> 00:26:31,57.5510204 Right. 366 00:26:31,57.5510204 --> 00:26:32,467.5510204 I love watching them come together. 367 00:26:32,467.5510204 --> 00:26:34,807.5510204 I love watching them mentor each other. 368 00:26:35,362.5510204 --> 00:26:46,672.5510204 Because again, I also think that the beautiful thing about this new generation is so many of them are so compassionate and they're not afraid of their feelings, and they're not afraid to share their feelings. 369 00:26:46,672.5510204 --> 00:26:49,647.5510204 And that's such a beautiful thing to watch. 370 00:26:49,817.5510204 --> 00:26:50,167.5510204 Right. 371 00:26:50,307.5510204 --> 00:26:53,647.5510204 And I, yeah, like I said, I think I, I. 372 00:26:54,742.5510204 --> 00:27:02,302.5510204 I like seeing nonprofits open up more space for young people to get involved because I think, I mean, we're in an industry where there's a lot of burnout. 373 00:27:02,302.5510204 --> 00:27:06,352.5510204 We need, we need young people aspiring to work in our sector. 374 00:27:06,352.5510204 --> 00:27:06,802.5510204 Right. 375 00:27:06,802.5510204 --> 00:27:11,752.5510204 And, and I think this generation of kids, at least the high schoolers that I work with in my dance program. 376 00:27:13,417.5510204 --> 00:27:13,867.5510204 Yeah. 377 00:27:13,957.5510204 --> 00:27:18,967.5510204 They just, they have such beautiful spirits and they're gonna change the world if we let 'em. 378 00:27:18,967.5510204 --> 00:27:19,387.5510204 Right. 379 00:27:19,417.5510204 --> 00:27:29,17.5510204 And like, yeah, I just, I wanna see more nonprofits harnessing the energy that that young people have today because they're, they're ready and they're. 380 00:27:30,577.5510204 --> 00:27:31,567.5510204 Yeah, I, I don't know. 381 00:27:31,567.5510204 --> 00:27:37,537.5510204 I don't know how to ex, I, I am, I, I'm overflowing with love for my, for, for these kids that I work with. 382 00:27:37,537.5510204 --> 00:27:46,287.5510204 But yeah, I think it's so important that we invite them into our organizations and in ways that are mentoring them, but also in ways that harness. 383 00:27:46,587.5510204 --> 00:27:51,717.5510204 The passion that I see in this generation, right? Because 'cause they're ready to do stuff. 384 00:27:52,227.5510204 --> 00:27:52,887.5510204 They are. 385 00:27:53,67.5510204 --> 00:28:10,757.5510204 And that fresh energy, you know, kind of even, even doing bringing in new fundraising techniques like you do for organizations and, and bringing in fresh energy with new people from your community, from young people that fresh energy revitalizes. 386 00:28:11,627.5510204 --> 00:28:22,727.5510204 Passion in your nonprofit, both within you as the leadership or the professionals, and within the whole body of fundraisers. 387 00:28:22,727.5510204 --> 00:28:22,817.5510204 Yes. 388 00:28:22,877.5510204 --> 00:28:35,607.5510204 It's contagious, right? And so we really need to, like, for me, it's part of the, it's part of the fundraising strategy is to bring in the energy, you know, find opportunities. 389 00:28:36,132.5510204 --> 00:28:41,462.5510204 I think when I think of fundraising strategy, and you can tell me you know, kind of your thoughts on this. 390 00:28:41,822.5510204 --> 00:28:50,42.5510204 I think of all of those community building activities that don't have anything to do with money, but really have everything to do with. 391 00:28:50,597.5510204 --> 00:28:57,707.5510204 Building that energy of our community about the exciting thing that we're doing, right? Yes. 392 00:28:57,797.5510204 --> 00:28:58,307.5510204 Yes. 393 00:28:58,307.5510204 --> 00:29:03,227.5510204 I think one, one of the things I, I was really, really lucky. 394 00:29:03,227.5510204 --> 00:29:07,757.5510204 I think my first fundraising job was so different than so many other people's fundraising jobs. 395 00:29:07,757.5510204 --> 00:29:12,857.5510204 I had a really great executive director who really wanted me to succeed. 396 00:29:13,427.5510204 --> 00:29:18,197.5510204 And I, I can't count the number of times I went to her and was like, I wanna try this. 397 00:29:18,197.5510204 --> 00:29:20,537.5510204 And she, she was like, I don't know that that'll work. 398 00:29:20,537.5510204 --> 00:29:24,257.5510204 And I, I would tell her all my reasons and she'd be like, okay, try it. 399 00:29:24,257.5510204 --> 00:29:25,307.5510204 Let's see what happens. 400 00:29:25,307.5510204 --> 00:29:25,607.5510204 Right. 401 00:29:25,967.5510204 --> 00:29:32,87.5510204 And that level of trust from somebody here, I mean, she retired within my tenure at the organization. 402 00:29:32,327.5510204 --> 00:29:32,477.5510204 Right. 403 00:29:32,537.5510204 --> 00:29:36,107.5510204 And like, I, I was fresh outta college and. 404 00:29:36,932.5510204 --> 00:29:45,692.5510204 That, that trust that she placed in me one to try absolutely ridiculous things, they felt really ridiculous. 405 00:29:45,692.5510204 --> 00:29:54,242.5510204 Like now that I'm looking back, I was like, that, that, wow, the level of trust she had in me was, I didn't appreciate enough when I was young. 406 00:29:54,722.5510204 --> 00:30:04,112.5510204 But, but also what we ended up building at that organization was just based on my instincts and my background as a community organizer. 407 00:30:04,112.5510204 --> 00:30:04,442.5510204 Right. 408 00:30:04,442.5510204 --> 00:30:05,402.5510204 And, and. 409 00:30:06,377.5510204 --> 00:30:09,437.5510204 So I, I like to say I fundraise like a community organizer. 410 00:30:09,437.5510204 --> 00:30:20,957.5510204 So I, that's how I inherently think about fundraising strategy is, is how do we build community with this? How do we achieve mission while getting money? All of that, it works together for me. 411 00:30:21,812.5510204 --> 00:30:34,832.5510204 And, and I, I love to tell this story about, this is how I knew I'd made it building a donor base that was also deeply, deeply invested in our organization was this is an advocacy organization. 412 00:30:34,832.5510204 --> 00:30:43,682.5510204 We were in Washington DC and we, we were fighting an advocacy campaign and we, we were just not getting anywhere. 413 00:30:43,742.5510204 --> 00:30:45,932.5510204 We, we were losing the campaign. 414 00:30:45,932.5510204 --> 00:30:46,172.5510204 Right. 415 00:30:46,712.5510204 --> 00:30:47,642.5510204 And. 416 00:30:48,707.5510204 --> 00:30:58,667.5510204 And we, it was kind of coming time to talk to donors about what we'd accomplished and, and my executive directors Kelly, how we can't tell the donors about how bad this is going. 417 00:30:58,667.5510204 --> 00:31:03,767.5510204 Like this, you know? And that instinct, right? That so many nonprofit leaders are like, oh, this is bad. 418 00:31:03,767.5510204 --> 00:31:05,597.5510204 We cannot tell our donors this. 419 00:31:06,437.5510204 --> 00:31:10,792.5510204 I said, why not? She's like, 'cause they're never gonna fund us again because we can. 420 00:31:11,122.5510204 --> 00:31:12,502.5510204 I'm like, no. 421 00:31:12,592.5510204 --> 00:31:23,452.5510204 If we tell them what's really happening, what we've tried, why it's not working, if we actually break it down to them, they'll understand this is bigger than something we can change right now. 422 00:31:23,452.5510204 --> 00:31:24,292.5510204 And, and. 423 00:31:25,57.5510204 --> 00:31:34,577.5510204 I don't can, can we just trust them to have our backs? And she was like, okay, let's do it right Again, that blind faith in a 23-year-old was shocking. 424 00:31:34,577.5510204 --> 00:31:44,537.5510204 But but yeah, we gathered our donors together and we did, we laid out, this is the campaign, this is the strategy, this is what we've tried this, this is why we're not getting where we wanna get to. 425 00:31:44,567.5510204 --> 00:31:49,427.5510204 These are the doors that we're not able to open this, that, and the other, and the donors. 426 00:31:50,942.5510204 --> 00:31:54,362.5510204 Gave extra and we didn't even ask for money. 427 00:31:54,392.5510204 --> 00:31:54,482.5510204 Mm-hmm. 428 00:31:54,812.5510204 --> 00:32:01,262.5510204 But one of our donors immediately in the meeting, what, what more do you need? What I got my checkbook? What do you need? Right. 429 00:32:01,362.5510204 --> 00:32:02,502.5510204 And, and. 430 00:32:03,762.5510204 --> 00:32:11,772.5510204 I think the, even the most beautiful thing, there was this older guy who gave us, you know, I don't know, a residual from his, you know, his Yeah. 431 00:32:11,872.5510204 --> 00:32:14,512.5510204 His, his monthly retirement income and whatnot. 432 00:32:14,512.5510204 --> 00:32:18,812.5510204 And he was like, I can't give you any more money, but I will provide moral support. 433 00:32:18,812.5510204 --> 00:32:25,772.5510204 And every week for a year, that man clipped his favorite comic strip from the newspaper and sent it to me in an envelope. 434 00:32:26,282.5510204 --> 00:32:26,432.5510204 Aw. 435 00:32:26,852.5510204 --> 00:32:31,22.5510204 And we had a wall of his comic strips outside my office. 436 00:32:31,572.5510204 --> 00:32:32,382.5510204 That's awesome. 437 00:32:32,432.5510204 --> 00:32:37,712.5510204 But that was what was so beautiful is we, we just came to the community and we were honest about what was going on. 438 00:32:38,22.5510204 --> 00:32:48,792.5510204 But because we had built such a strong relationship with our donors, 'cause again, like I approach fundraising as a community organizer, so it was like, I want your money, but I also want, I want you, I want you mobilized. 439 00:32:48,792.5510204 --> 00:32:48,822.5510204 Yeah. 440 00:32:48,822.5510204 --> 00:32:50,112.5510204 I want you ready to activate. 441 00:32:50,112.5510204 --> 00:32:52,92.5510204 I want you to care about the mission. 442 00:32:52,92.5510204 --> 00:32:53,982.5510204 I want you to understand what we're doing. 443 00:32:54,502.5510204 --> 00:32:57,382.5510204 Because we had built a donor base that was so. 444 00:32:59,7.5510204 --> 00:33:20,87.5510204 Well-informed on our work and so invested in the outcomes and everything that even when we were losing, right, losing this campaign, it, it, the donors rallied with finances, moral support, all of it, right? And and the boost that that gave to our advocacy staff was incredible. 445 00:33:20,87.5510204 --> 00:33:20,447.5510204 Right. 446 00:33:20,447.5510204 --> 00:33:20,987.5510204 And. 447 00:33:21,622.5510204 --> 00:33:26,632.5510204 I, it was a really interesting moment because, you know, I think a lot of fundraisers experienced this. 448 00:33:26,632.5510204 --> 00:33:27,772.5510204 It's like, there's your office. 449 00:33:27,772.5510204 --> 00:33:28,492.5510204 Go fundraise. 450 00:33:28,492.5510204 --> 00:33:30,112.5510204 Don't talk to me until you have money. 451 00:33:30,112.5510204 --> 00:33:31,12.5510204 Right? Yeah. 452 00:33:31,92.5510204 --> 00:33:32,322.5510204 I, that was the moment. 453 00:33:32,322.5510204 --> 00:33:35,352.5510204 I think most of my advocacy staff looked at me very differently and we're like, whoa. 454 00:33:36,377.5510204 --> 00:33:38,832.5510204 Like, that's in like. 455 00:33:39,282.5510204 --> 00:33:44,802.5510204 She's getting our mission done and, and a few of our donors were donors to the politicians we weren't getting in the rooms with. 456 00:33:45,162.5510204 --> 00:33:45,612.5510204 Yeah. 457 00:33:45,702.5510204 --> 00:33:47,232.5510204 And were able to open those doors. 458 00:33:47,622.5510204 --> 00:33:55,62.5510204 And so that was the other thing that was incredible was they were like, oh, if I just come to you, I was like, yeah, you just come to me. 459 00:33:55,422.5510204 --> 00:33:59,382.5510204 And that was what was so interesting about that moment to me, was just like. 460 00:34:00,72.5510204 --> 00:34:02,922.5510204 That's when I was like, oh, this is not a donor centered program. 461 00:34:03,762.5510204 --> 00:34:04,842.5510204 This is not what I'm doing. 462 00:34:04,872.5510204 --> 00:34:13,512.5510204 What am I doing here? Which I, I've more recently started naming as like mission centered fundraising, right? Is that that's what I was doing there. 463 00:34:13,512.5510204 --> 00:34:18,582.5510204 It was mission centered fundraising was like rallying my donors around the mission so that they cared. 464 00:34:19,152.5510204 --> 00:34:35,772.5510204 So deeply about the mission that it didn't, you know, they were ready to be there with the resources, with the support, with the calling members of Congress as soon as we needed them to, because they were, they were so invested in what we were doing and so informed on what we were doing. 465 00:34:35,772.5510204 --> 00:34:36,102.5510204 Right. 466 00:34:36,282.5510204 --> 00:34:37,842.5510204 So that was, yes, those needed. 467 00:34:37,842.5510204 --> 00:34:37,962.5510204 Yeah. 468 00:34:38,517.5510204 --> 00:34:42,122.5510204 Commitment is so much more than just a dollar figure, right? Mm-hmm. 469 00:34:42,202.5510204 --> 00:34:42,522.5510204 Mm-hmm. 470 00:34:42,528.5510204 --> 00:34:42,947.5510204 It is. 471 00:34:42,947.5510204 --> 00:34:43,547.5510204 Yes. 472 00:34:44,57.5510204 --> 00:34:49,577.5510204 So, yeah, that's a great story and I'm so grateful that you, you shared that, because I think that's so true. 473 00:34:49,577.5510204 --> 00:34:59,922.5510204 And I think every, every fundraiser and every nonprofit needs to understand that because that's really how we have to build our communities if we wanna have sustainable funding. 474 00:35:00,182.5510204 --> 00:35:00,602.5510204 Mm-hmm. 475 00:35:00,707.5510204 --> 00:35:02,207.5510204 The sustainable funding is. 476 00:35:02,552.5510204 --> 00:35:16,202.5510204 What is kind of a byproduct of building our community, right? Like that? Kelly, can you tell our listeners where they can find you? Yes, I am from scratch fundraising.com. 477 00:35:16,512.5510204 --> 00:35:17,952.5510204 That's kind of our primary place. 478 00:35:17,952.5510204 --> 00:35:19,992.5510204 We've got links out to LinkedIn. 479 00:35:20,22.5510204 --> 00:35:21,672.5510204 I'm fairly active on LinkedIn. 480 00:35:21,702.5510204 --> 00:35:25,962.5510204 My staff is really trying to get me to do Instagram reels and TikTok videos. 481 00:35:26,12.5510204 --> 00:35:30,302.5510204 We're experimenting with that, so you, you might find me on Instagram and TikTok more in the future. 482 00:35:30,582.5510204 --> 00:35:33,582.5510204 But primarily I'm on LinkedIn and. 483 00:35:33,682.5510204 --> 00:35:36,592.5510204 And of course on from scratch fundraising.com, 484 00:35:36,682.5510204 --> 00:35:41,212.5510204 and we work with organizations just starting out. 485 00:35:41,432.5510204 --> 00:35:46,112.5510204 The organizations who are looking at, I, I wanna start an individual giving program. 486 00:35:46,112.5510204 --> 00:35:47,312.5510204 I have no idea. 487 00:35:47,312.5510204 --> 00:35:47,342.5510204 I. 488 00:35:48,317.5510204 --> 00:35:49,397.5510204 Where to start. 489 00:35:49,457.5510204 --> 00:35:52,487.5510204 We, we have a program where we train you to do it yourself. 490 00:35:52,487.5510204 --> 00:35:54,617.5510204 We have a program where we can do it for you. 491 00:35:54,997.5510204 --> 00:36:01,747.5510204 Yeah, so we've got kind of everything, everything in between, whether you wanna DIY it or you wanna offload it, we, we can do it. 492 00:36:01,747.5510204 --> 00:36:04,27.5510204 So that's, that's what we do. 493 00:36:04,567.5510204 --> 00:36:05,467.5510204 That's great. 494 00:36:05,977.5510204 --> 00:36:06,397.5510204 Yes. 495 00:36:06,397.5510204 --> 00:36:08,287.5510204 And the website is super cute. 496 00:36:08,287.5510204 --> 00:36:10,567.5510204 For all of you listeners who might go check it out, it's. 497 00:36:12,202.5510204 --> 00:36:14,932.5510204 Recipe, like themed and focused. 498 00:36:14,932.5510204 --> 00:36:17,122.5510204 A lot of it's so, it's so cute. 499 00:36:17,272.5510204 --> 00:36:17,662.5510204 Yes. 500 00:36:17,662.5510204 --> 00:36:19,252.5510204 We, we like the baking puns. 501 00:36:19,252.5510204 --> 00:36:20,662.5510204 We like the baking puns a lot. 502 00:36:20,662.5510204 --> 00:36:21,112.5510204 So yeah. 503 00:36:22,522.5510204 --> 00:36:43,692.5510204 And then the last question that I always ask our guests before we exit is what is one piece of advice every nonprofit needs to hear? I, I wrote this in a LinkedIn post recently that I got really good feedback from, but I, I would say like your donors wanna know who you are, so go show 'em who you are. 504 00:36:44,832.5510204 --> 00:36:45,42.5510204 Yeah. 505 00:36:45,192.5510204 --> 00:36:45,702.5510204 Oh, I like that. 506 00:36:45,792.5510204 --> 00:36:46,32.5510204 Yeah. 507 00:36:47,772.5510204 --> 00:36:48,852.5510204 Go show them who you are. 508 00:36:48,852.5510204 --> 00:36:50,22.5510204 So, yeah, that's great. 509 00:36:50,232.5510204 --> 00:36:50,442.5510204 Yeah. 510 00:36:50,472.5510204 --> 00:36:52,572.5510204 Thank you for being on the show today, Kelly. 511 00:36:52,572.5510204 --> 00:36:57,252.5510204 It was such a great conversation and I'm so glad that you were able to share with our listeners. 512 00:36:58,977.5510204 --> 00:37:05,217.5510204 To all of our listeners out there, I wanna thank you for listening and for tuning in, and I hope to see you for conversation. 513 00:37:11,757.5510204 --> 00:37:14,737.5510204 That's a wrap for today's episode of Nonprofit411. 514 00:37:15,117.5510204 --> 00:37:21,867.5510204 I hope our discussion with nonprofit professionals and experts gave you actionable ideas to take your fundraising efforts to the next level. 515 00:37:22,347.5510204 --> 00:37:28,587.5510204 At Nonprofit411, I partner with leaders like you to develop strategies and guide you through implementation. 516 00:37:28,947.5510204 --> 00:37:31,87.5510204 Visit www.nonprofit411.org 517 00:37:31,107.5510204 --> 00:37:33,777.5510204 to learn more, and let's take the first step together. 518 00:37:33,957.5510204 --> 00:37:34,887.5510204 See you next time. 519 00:37:35,282.5510204 --> 00:37:35,502.5510204 Bye.