The author Antoine-Marie-Roger de Saint-Exupéry once said, “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” Unfortunately, for many advancement professionals, this wishful thinking model of fundraising is more the rule than the exception. It often leads to an activist environment where staff rushes from one event to the next or from one donor engagement to the next with only the current year’s fundraising goals in mind. This may help your institution achieve short term financial success but it often also leads staff members to become overworked and donors to feel like the only time they are engaged is when dollars are on the line.
As we approach the mid-year point in our advancement work, the best run organizations are those who put a premium on planning throughout the year. They challenge themselves to develop a long term vision and create advancement plans that will help them achieve that vision. They spend time studying their donors and creating strategic moves that will enhance future giving. And they create a goal oriented environment that helps them achieve their vision while creating accountability as they pursue those goals.
The following are a few ways your institution can develop a culture that plans in order to turn your wishes into tangible impacts in support of your mission:
Schedule a development leadership retreat to discuss long term goals
The best way to go from good to great is to create an inspiring three to five year vision that motivates bigger gifts. You might start with your current year budget and increase it by 10% each year. Then determine what you could do with that increased funding to improve your impact. With that information create a narrative and/or “elevator pitch” that can be used as the basis of future development marketing and solicitations.Conduct bi-annual donor reviews
At the beginning of each fiscal year identify your top donors and prospects and set an annual solicitation goal at the beginning of each year based on data. Review donors’ giving histories, their passion for your mission, their engagement with your organization, wealth screen ratings, their giving to other organizations and the relationships they have to your staff and volunteers. Create a solicitation plan for each that takes into consideration each donor’s unique relationship with your organization. Now that we are at the midway point of the fiscal year, review all of those donors to see how you’re tracking along the plan and whether you need to implement or adapt it.Set SMART Goals with your solicitor team
At the beginning of each year challenge your solicitors to set goals for their donors that are Specific (my goal is to raise $100,000 from my caseload of 100 donors), Measurable (in order to hit my financial goal I will have 50 face to face donor meetings this year), Achievable (my caseload donated a total of $80,000 last year so I believe I can inspire that same group to give $100,000), Relevant (I am not going to meet with 1 donor 5 times in order to hit my meetings goal), and Timely (I can meet with 50 donors in a 12 month period). By encouraging a goal setting culture and being SMART about it you will start to see income increase, performance improve and team morale grow.
It is never too late to create a plan and the midpoint of the fiscal year is a great time to determine if you’re on the path to achieving short term goals as well as taking time to plan for longer term growth and success. Don’t wish it could happen. Create a plan and make it happen.
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