[B59]Back To Basics Sunflower

Okay ... let me just start by asking, "What in the world is going on??!!" Although this is a common colloquial expression, we are living in a time when all types of people across annual earnings, professions, race, and partisan lines are collectively (and privately) pondering this question in our daily lives. We are thinking of it when we go to the grocery store, at the gas pump, reading the newspaper, listening to the radio, and checking e-news or receiving alerts from Internet sites.

The cause of this colloquial turned reality expression is due in large part to the American economy being hammered by four unforgiving realities—a declining labor market, a faltering real estate market, high fuel and food costs, and the credit-lending squeeze. All across this country, life as we have known it for the past ten years or so is changing right before our very eyes. We feel it personally; and those of us who are charged with the now daunting task of securing donor support for our not-for-profit organizations feel it professionally. Funders and senior management executives are playing the "We can't (fill in the blank), due to the economy" card left and right—trumping overdue pay raises, needed new hires, enhanced or even continued contributions, and other exigent operational expenditures. Staff is operating on eggshells, wondering if they will have their job next week, while expecting to successfully perform the responsibilities of at least two full time workers.

Changes are happening on all levels, but heightened scrutiny is given to those who are supposed to bring in the money—no, not the Board of Directors—the Fundraisers. These Fundraisers sometimes wear the hat of President, CEO, Executive Director, Development Director, Development Manager, or Fundraising Consultant. Often accountability unjustifiably starts from the bottom up; so many fundraising administrators are doing all they can to remain stoic despite the increased percentage of declination letters and decreasing levels of support...hoping for the best.

Do Non-Profits Receive Bailouts?

Why does it appear that the bar has been raised for senior not for profits administrators, but forgiven in the for-profit, public sector? Some of America's brightest minds, with deep resources, are (apparently) having a difficult time sustaining their operations without massive debt. How are not-for-profit organizations that are undercapitalized, understaffed, underpaid and overworked expected to perform comparatively better than these top executives with bloated salaries, annual bonuses, stock options, and exotic corporate retreats? Should not government bailouts be limited to entities in the business of service to the community, as opposed to capital gain? And at the very least, when taxpayers have to collectively bear the bailout burden, should it not be a burden for salaries befitting the middle class? We wouldn't want the poor and middle class taxpayers to have to finance the retirement plans of the wealthy elite—yes, I digressed.

But seriously, how on earth are senior fundraising managers supposed to optimistically develop fundraising plans or implement planned fundraising strategies when the sources of their contributed support have dwindling budgets and unrealistic performance standards?

Back to the Basics

The answer, although not necessarily easy to execute, is relatively simple. Fundraising executives are going to have to get back to the basics. There must be an authentic realignment with:

*Individual Donors (historical and present)

*Elected officials

*Local corporations

*Community board members,

*Ministers, educators

*All other uniquely identifiable stakeholders that inherently value the difference your organization makes in the community.

It is they who will carry the organization during these lean years. These stakeholders are not driven by planned funding priorities or political agendas, but by the good of the community. They want executive administrators to stay true to their missions, set high deliverable benchmarks, create mechanisms for real-time community feedback, and timely measure the success of targeted objectives.

In the arts and culture sector, these stakeholders want exciting cultural events to attend on the weekends and in the evenings. They desire youth-based arts classes to counter the diminishing arts programs in public schools. They want artists to have a creative space to develop their work and the community to benefit from the spillover economic impact received by local businesses. People want to believe and see that they are making a difference.

Fundraisers must reconnect to the heart of these supporters. They have to diversify their fundraising initiatives and passionately articulate the uniqueness and continued need of their programs in the community. The approach to each of these constituents must be driven by a values-based strategy, and then strengthened with supportive statistical data demonstrating the organization's impact. When fundraisers return to the basics, donors become more inspired than compelled to support the organization. Inspired donors often give more than they may have originally budgeted because they feel the need to sacrifice for the greater good of the community. These are the angel investors of the not-for-profit sector. Here are the low hanging fruit for fundraisers to grasp during these questionable financial times. Find them. Engage them. Realign them with your core values. Show them how your organization contributes to the greater good of the community. And let them feel that they too are making a difference by fueling your program with their support.