Professional Development For Any Budget

Tomorrow I'm off to Chicago for my favorite professional development event of the year. I hesitate to call it a conference, and at times I'm not even sure it's a meeting. It's more of a convergence of some of my favorite people in the business. In fact, this year it's been coined a scrum. You should try it.

Every year, a small group of annual giving professionals from similar programs gets together in Chicago to share ideas, look at trends and pick each others' brains. We initially gathered because we participate in a common benchmarking group, but it's safe to say we would continue this practice regardless. We enjoy each other and respect our various opinions too much to miss an opportunity to gather. We actually get together twice annually, but this is the meeting has the looser format. And it's probably the better of the two.

Part of the meeting is facilitated by a consultant, part is not. We have a basic agenda of topics submitted by the attendees, but it's really an 'organic' meeting. We go wherever the discussion takes us. Outsiders might consider it to be the ultimate exercise in digression. However, if they paid attention, understood the purpose and opened their minds to the discourse at hand, they'd find a very productive and informative meeting. They'd leave with a notebook full of ideas. They'd feel recharged and ready to return to their offices to put those ideas to work. And they'd have quite a bit of fun, too. I often wonder what the new members of our group must think for the first hour or two. My best guess is 'what have I gotten myself into!?!' but it doesn't take long for them to become active participants. And by the end they're looking forward to next year.

With today's economic conditions, it's sad but true that organizations are cutting back on professional development of all types. The days of the formal conference in an exciting city are often distant memories, replaced with a discounted book from Amazon and perhaps a webinar or two. These are great, but nothing beats substantive face-to-face interaction with peers.

If you're saddled with budgetary constraints and unwilling or unable to invest in professional development, you're not alone. You might consider an ad-hoc gathering of professionals from similar organizations in your area or region. You don't need expensive conference fees, fancy presentations or luxurious surroundings - just good people, good ideas, and a shared purpose. Find an out-of-the-way hotel, share the cost of the meeting room (or find another similar venue) and stay for at least 2 days. Your only significant expense is the hotel and your experience will be worth that many times over. I do recommend getting away from the office and spending the extra money to spend the night. Getting away means getting away even if you're only 5 miles from home. If you want to take the next step, consider bringing in a facilitator. He or she can help guide the conversation and bring new annual giving ideas into the group. This would add an expense, but if shared among the participants it doesn't amount to much.

I'm fortunate to have made so many great friends in this business, and I very much look forward to this seeing many of them this week. We speak on the phone often, but the magic really happens when you put us all in one room. I may eat too much and stay out too late, but it's worth it. You should try it sometime.

If you're on Twitter, be sure to follow me and also look for the #TAG2010 hashtag. Perhaps you'll see some interesting activity and even an opportunity for an afterhours meetup!

Professional Development For Any Budget

You Asked For It

I've had a couple of folks ask me what happened to follow-up on my 'Pay It Forward' post back in September. That post referenced an interesting article about the impact David Robinson (NBA) superstar has made through his philanthropy and led me to discuss my philanthropic goals. You can find the original post in the September 2009 archive at the GettingGiving.Com Blog.

Beginning in September I set out on a mission to 'act more like an involved donor' and become more thoughtful about my support. I'm sure most of us who write smaller annual giving checks don't give much thought to their giving philosophy, but as gift size increases so does the research, soul-searching and analysis of various nonprofits. There is a big difference in your outlook when you are writing a $10 check than when you write a $1,000 or $10,000 check. I'd say the same is true as you get into $100,000 or $100,000,000 but I haven't had that pleasure. Yet.

The main goal of my endeavor was to do a better job distributing my personal philanthropy. Think 'focused giving' rather than 'sprinkle a little here and yonder.' There was, however, a fascination with the process as I wanted to learn more about the thoughts and tools one would use to really investigate the options, and what I 'felt' along the way as I made my final decisions. No research could provide me with that feeling. While "I am not my donor" I am a donor and that experience can't hurt.

I initially created a long list of criteria (which I seem to have misplaced) and I'll do the best I can to outline the big ones below along with my answers:

• National, Regional or Local (I chose local. I want to help close to home)
• Environment, education, arts, food/shelter (Ended up with a hybrid education/shelter)
• Must be able to see concrete examples, see that I made a difference (Done.)
• Must trust nonprofit (Done.)
• Must trust nonprofit's staff/leadership (Done.)
  
• Financially secure nonprofit, reasonable expenses, etc. (Done.)
• Must understand mission, long-term goals of nonprofit (Done.)
• Can I clearly define success of the organization (Yes.)
• Can I volunteer and/or participate somehow (It's an option, not now maybe later.)
• Will a gift of my size make an impact in a meaningful way? (I think it will.)

My list was much more detailed and comprehensive, but you get the idea. It actually may have taken more time and energy to make the list than to answer the questions.

In the end, I knew I was already making significant contributions to my alma mater and this fulfilled my interest in education. Issues of poverty/shelter/food throughout our country are probably next on my list and I decided to focus my research there.

Utilizing a combination of Google, Charity Navigator, Guidestar, NetworkforGood and some others I looked for nonprofits whose mission closely associated with my goals. There were many you've heard of, many many many more you've not. It was almost overwhelming to see how many nonprofits are dedicated to this mission and the amazing number of different strategies they employ to address the issues. But I can't support them all.

I had originally thought location didn't matter, but by the end I was convinced I wanted to stay close to home. This helped reduce my options significantly (thankfully) and as I looked at the final few, it became clear what I needed most to make a decision.

Give me a good website! I need to learn more about you, your mission, your philosophy, your successes, your challenges. Make it easy for me to get the information I need and present it in a way I can understand it. Show me your progress. Make it easy to see your financials.

I need contact information! Give me a staff listing so I can call somebody if I have a question. Not just a 'contact us' form with no name, no numbers, no nothing.

Make it easy to give online! I didn't make a gift online, but I'm an annual fund geek so of course I looked around! Sometimes it takes an advanced degree to figure out how to use an online gift form. I don't have that kind of time.

Show your passion! If you don't believe in your organization, why should I? I want to read it in your stories, see it in your photos and, above all else, I want to hear it when I talk to you. Show your excitement about what you do and the impact you're making. Your enthusiasm is contagious!

Prove yourself! I was surprised that I needed as much 'proof' as I did that an impact was being made. I needed to see photos, hear real stories and be convinced that my gift would translate into some better outcome. Don't just say it's making an impact, prove it.

Respond! You don't have to answer the phone on the first ring or reply to my email within a few minutes, but do not blow me off! I had two different nonprofits ignore phone calls. That's right, I called out of the blue and left a message saying I wanted to learn more about their organization as I was thinking about making a gift. And they didn't call me back. That simply amazes me. Needless to say, I didn't call back either.

There are many more, but those six really stood out because my experience highlighted the lack of many to do these things well.

In the end, I chose a nonprofit I was already familiar with, Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County. Their mission is solid, their success evident. My gift will make a difference to them and the the lives of many. I can see the results. I can feel good about my investment. That's important to me.

I've been a Habitat supporter before, but not at my current level. The smaller gifts were transactional but now it's an investment. I studied the 990's, explored the website and had personal conversations with the Executive Director and a couple of board members. I went to an event at which I was able to meet a Habitat Homeowner. I treated it just like I would any other significant financial transaction.

If I had to identify one single variable that helped make my decision easier it was the personal interaction with the people I spoke with, especially the Executive Director. It's easy to see her excitement, passion and dedication. I can trust her. I believe my gift will be used appropriately and I know she is making decisions she believes are in the best interest of the organization and the people it serves. I didn't need hours and hours of her time, but if I had, she would have happily shared information and answered as many questions as I could come up with.

As you think about your organization, your processes, your customer service and your people, how would you have looked in this situation? If a prospective donor was thinking about making a gift to a nonprofit like yours? If they were 'investigating' you and others alike to make a final decision about the allocation of their philanthropic dollars?

They're looking. How will you look to them?

You Asked For It

Blackbaud Online Giving Report

Blackbaud recently released its annual report of trends in online giving and, if you haven't been living under a rock, you probably know that once again the trend was positive. In fact, it must be categorized as a 'really really positive' trend.

An analysis of giving to more than 2,000 of its users leads Blackbaud to report growth of 46% over last year. If you're keeping score, that's after 40%+ growth in '08 and 50%+ growth in '07. Keep looking back and you'll see the same story repeated year after year. Maybe this internet thing is here to stay!

Steve MacLaughlin, Director of Internet Solutions for Blackbaud, has a nice presentation detaling these findings (see below) as well as a presentation on "The Changing Nature of Online Fundraising" (also below) that I found interesting. He incorporates the Blackbaud data with some Pew research that I've mentioned before and some other interesting tidbits and advice. Additional info can be found on his blog at www.blackbaud.com/connections (I stumbled upon the 2nd presentation when looking at the first, and while I haven't dug deeper yet I anticipate more interesting reading when I do. I also learned that Steve is a fellow Indiana University graduate and while we haven't met I would assume that means he's an all-around good guy.)

If I had to point out three take-aways from this information:

1. If I've said it once, I'll say it a million times more - the internet should not be thought of as a 'young donor tool' because people of all ages use the web to surf, shop and support. Look at your own data if you don't believe me;

2. The 2008 Giving USA data shows more than $15 BILLION given online. That's a B folks. It's still a small piece of the pie compared to the rest, but it's not insignificant and it's not all $10 gifts. If you aren't paying attention or investing resources in your online programs, you should be;

3. I don't believe, in the near future, that online gifts will surpass phone or mail for most. It may happen someday, but for now let's say it's 3rd place and gaining steam. Successful organizations will think of them holistically. You don't have a phone program, a mail program, an online program and a face-to-face program. You simply have a program. Many pieces, working together, make up that program - think integration;

3B. See above. Don't put all your eggs in one basket. I've told the story before of the person who told me they were considering an elimination of direct mail because e-mail was cheaper and everyone preferred it. Wrong. Again, repeat after me: holistic. Donors have preferences. The various channels we use to communicate/solicit have advantages and disadvantages. Choose wisely, listen to your donors, measure your results, and allocate your resources accordingly.

Presentations are below. I'd love to hear your thoughts. . . . .

Two unrelated comments:

1. In the 'Changing Nature' slideshow, there's an Apple II on slide 6. I had that exact computer. I'm sure my iPhone is 100x more powerful, but it made me miss the one I had many years ago.

2. My new year's resolution was to blog more frequently and consistently. It's January 6 now and my last post was 15 days ago. Hope you're doing a better job with your resolutions!

2009 Online Giving Trends

View more presentations from Steve MacLaughlin.

The Changing Nature of Online Fundraising

View more presentations from Steve MacLaughlin.

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Blackbaud Online Giving Report

Working With Vendors

Late last week, a representative of one of our most important vendors informed me that he is leaving to pursue a new opportunity. After I recovered from shock and wished him well, I had a chance to reflect on his contribution to our program and the value that he and his organization have brought to mine. I have been fortunate to work with him for several years and believe both of us have learned from the relationship. We've also developed a friendship that extends beyond doing business together.

Some believe the client-vendor relationship is somewhat adversarial - and at times it may be - but generally I feel that most vendors are much more than companies feeding off our programs. They are valued members of the team, and should be treated as such. It's not 'bad business' to develop positive relationships with these folks just because they send us bills for their services.

At the end of this post, you'll find a video that pokes fun at the vendor-client relationship. This video has become quite famous and you've probably seen it at one time or another. Some parts may even ring true, unfortunately, and I'm sure I've been guilty of some of this behavior at least once. But generally, I believe it paints an unfair picture of the vendor-client relationship. In reality, I believe the relationship is positive for both sides and I hope my treatment (and yours) is better than this.

Following are just a few guidelines I recommend when working with vendors:

1. Select vendors who match your organization's culture and values. Look for somebody you can work with frequently, will perform work at the level you expect and will contribute equally to the project. Work WITH them to partner on the projects you work on together. They are not here only to serve you, but rather they should become a valued member of your team. They're providing a service that you either don't want to provide yourself or simply don't have the ability to perform. Welcome them, as they truly are an extension of your team.

2. Once you have selected a vendor, treat them as you would any other member of your team. It's ok to be be open and honest about your successes and failures. It's ok to become friends. It's ok to show them how the sausage is made. The result will be a better relationship and final product that will benefit your organization. And it makes it more fun to work with them as well. Treating them as 'that company that just takes money to provide a service' doesn't benefit either party.

3. As a member of your team, treat the vendor with the same respect as you would anyone else on your payroll. Be fair. Expect the best. Set realistic goals and expectations. One of my mentors spoke often of "making insiders out of outsiders" and this is just as true for vendors as it is donors. As they learn about you and your organization, they will strive to provide the best result possible.

4. Understand that vendors receive payment for providing a service, but that doesn't translate into being a servant for your organization. Getting the best from those with whom you partner means allowing them to provide ideas, feedback and truly PARTNER rather than simply doing as you demand. You don't have to take every suggestion, but respect them enough to listen. Hiring a vendor who learns early on that it's better to always say 'yes' will likely create a less-than-optimal result. You're hiring them for their expertise. Let them provide it.

5. When you have problems (and if you work with anyone long enough you WILL have a problem or two) let them know. Be honest and provide feedback to help them understand what you will expect in the future. Vendors are nothing more than collections of people, and people sometimes make mistakes. You wouldn't hold your employees to a 'one strike and you're out' policy and you shouldn't hold vendors to that standard either. You obviously can't allow repeated mistakes or problems, but don't overreact to the first one even if it's a doozie.

6. Be realistic. Vendors provide services, not miracles.

7. If a vendor performs well, tell others. They'll appreciate it. If they don't, there's no reason to spread the word. That's not professional behavior. If you're asked to provide a direct reference on a former vendor, by all means be fair and honest. But don't seek out ways to damage somebody's reputation. Sometimes things just don't work out, let it be. There's nothing to be gained for unprofessional behavior.

8. Like any member of your team, a vendor must meet your expectations. If the performance level just isn't acceptable and you've given it a fair shake, it's time to find a new vendor. When severing the relationship for performance problems, let the vendor know why you are doing so and how they might improve in the future. This type of feedback will allow them to exit the situation with knowledge that may benefit them (and other clients) in the future. It's also helpful to document these expectations and problems so you can address them with others as you search for a replacement.

9. Treat your vendors well. I know so many people who seem downright mean to their vendors. Then they sit back and expect holiday gifts, birthday cards, trinkets, etc. They want to be treated like royalty because they're paying the bills. Try returning the favor. Remember, this is a mutually beneficial arrangement. Show your appreciation for their efforts just as they show theirs for your patronage.

10. Remember: you get more flies with honey than with vinegar! Having a positive relationship doesn't have to mean becoming somebody's best friend, but it doesn't hurt to maintain goodwill. When you need additional service, speedy turnaround, last-minute changes or something else that involves the vendor going out of their way to make something happen, you'll have a better chance of getting that preferential treatment if you have a great relationship. All that nagging and complaining over the years might come back to haunt you when you need them most.

I hope, for the most part, I follow my own advice. From direct mail shops to telemarketing services to consultants and beyond, I have been fortunate to work with some very good people in the business. I've learned from them and they've learned from me. They provide valuable services and we provide solid business for them. It's a true win-win for everyone.

I treat my consulting clients the same way. As the vendor, I am providing advice in a variety of areas, but I also enjoy developing relationships that last beyond the stated term of the engagement. I'm happy to stay in touch and hear how things are going. I continue to provide advice, and I gain knowledge from them as well. I love hearing of their continued success. I'm fortunate to have a full-time job and this allows me to be pretty picky about which clients I choose to work with. I won't take a client for whom I can't provide value, and I won't take a client who doesn't seem like they'd be enjoyable to work with. I hope the vendors we work with feel the same way.

Back to my friend and soon-to-be-former-vendor-partner. Mark, I wish you the best in your new endeavor. I'm confident you'll be a great addition to your new team. I appreciate the counsel you've provided over the years and look forward to continuing to chat with you in the future. Eventually, I'll even make you a better video poker player! While you'll no longer be one of our vendors, you'll always be a great friend. I fully expect to continue our chats about the business and more. I'm looking forward to meeting your replacement. I'll make some stuff up and feed him/her stories. Then they can feed the rumor mill at your former employer!

Finally, I want to wish everyone who reads the GettingGiving.com blog a wonderful holiday. I hope the final few weeks of 2009 bring you many more donors. If you're a vendor, substitute donors for clients!

The video I referenced at the beginning of this admittedly long post follows. If nothing else, maybe it'll make you laugh a bit and teach you how NOT to work with a vendor.




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Working With Vendors

Random Efficiency Suggestion

When I started the GettingGiving blog, I had several goals in mind. You may have noticed the ‘blog at least once a week’ goal hasn’t been met. Sorry about that! I plan to have a New Year’s resolution to address that issue. Another missed goal, however, has been bothering me as well.

I had hoped to share a few ‘general interest’ items in a wide variety of areas. Generally these would have some professional value to fundraising professionals, but I reserve the right to share an unrelated random item now and again.

This came to mind earlier today when I used the Google Desktop Search application once again to find a long-lost document. If you’re anything like me, you have thousands of documents, files, emails and other items filed electronically in a variety of local and networked locations. Mine have strange names, are filed in the wrong folders and have a variety of other issues that make it difficult to retrieve them at a moment’s notice.

Enter Google Desktop Search.

This free application (available at desktop.google.com) creates a local index of your files and emails and allows you to do a comprehensive search. It’s like having Google attached to your computer, and it’s very very fast. With GDS, the days of guessing what you named (and where you put) a file or email are gone.

Looking for the memo about direct mail expenses you wrote in 2004? Try keywords “direct mail 2004 expenses” and see what happens. Too many documents and emails have those keywords? Try adding the recipient’s name to further narrow the results. Need to find that spreadsheet listing every member of your team and the items they’re bringing to the holiday pitch-in? Enter several of their names as well as the words “corn” and “pie” to see what happens. Voila! There it is!

I’ve used GDS for a long time and every time somebody sees it in action they act surprised and ask how they can get it for themselves. I understand Windows Vista has similar functionality, but if you're stuck on prior versions of Windows,this is one of those killer-apps that nobody seems to know about. Well, now you do.

Anything that helps manage the ‘digital clutter’ in our lives is worth investigating.

Random Efficiency Suggestion