A #nonprofit secured a $150,000 grant to create Makers Spaces in two public schools in their region, but six months into the grant there was a serious problem. One of the schools had a leadership transition, and could not start the project. How does the nonprofit deal with the #funder so that the #grant is not in jeopardy?
If your organization is pushing its #innovation edge, then this is a likely scenario. Communicating with funders in an open and transparent way is key. Two mindsets are critical to the way you handle this communication...
a Design Thinking mindset and Funder-Partner mindset.
#DesignThinking is about creating a learning culture that works deeply with its intended beneficiaries-- conducting cycles of brainstorming, prototyping, implementing in real-world contexts, evaluating, and refining.
The #FunderPartner mindset enables a nonprofit to bring their funder into the project design work, share your learnings including the challenges and draw on the funder’s expertise to work on adapting your solution.
#Funders appreciate your honest assessment of the risks and challenges. Being part of your design process helps create a new collaborative space to work through the hiccups.
Now You: How have you communicated a bump in the road to a funder or client?
Fundrasing as a Practice-- Simply Begin
The only choice that we have is to begin. And the only place to begin is where we are. Simply begin” #SethGodin, #ThePractice.
You can begin your #fundraising effort, from just where you are. Just begin. If you have a few individual donors, extend your practice to create a systematic #majorgifts program. The way you do this is by establishing the practices of the major gifts program.
A practice is built by having daily habits and taking action, consistently over a period of time. “Action creates habits, and habits are part of a practice, and a practice is the single best way to get to where you seek to go. (Godin)
You create a major gifts program, by doing the prospecting, cultivating, communicating, soliciting, and stewarding—long before you have the major gift as an outcome.
Start where you are. The commitment is completely under your control, even when the end results cant be.
Now You: What action are you committing to today that will begin your practice?
#fundraising #nonprofit #leadership