I have also presented fund-raising
workshops to numerous foreign visitors in the United States who were
representing charities in their respective countries. In every case,
the people who attended my workshops came from nations in which there
was neither a tradition nor an established process of individual or
corporate philanthropy toward charitable and cultural agencies or
non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
Yet despite such challenges, people
from around the world sought advice and guidance regarding the U.S.
philanthropic-style of fund-raising. They did so because they
recognized that government support of charities, cultural bodies and
NGOs in their countries was rapidly eroding and in danger of
disappearing altogether. As a result, they were both willing and eager
to learn how to fund-raise in the American style.
"Just show us how to do it," they
told me. "We will find a way to make the process work for us."
Many of them succeeded in dramatic
fashion. And this article is intended to convey the message that you
can make it work, too.
A Heritage of
Giving
The United States, Canada and the
United Kingdom share a long-standing tradition of philanthropy.
Fund-raising for charitable organizations that promote human welfare
-- as well as for such cultural entities as art museums and
orchestras, and for NGOs that do good works -- is, therefore, both
accepted and encouraged in our societies.
While the U.S. and some other
countries enjoy a long heritage of private support for charitable
organizations, individuals in other countries are just as caring and
supportive as Americans, Canadians and Britons. Until now, however,
the philanthropic process of raising money has been entirely unknown
to them or, at best, only recently introduced.
But the fund-raising process should
be the same no matter where it is practiced. The only element missing
in countries with young or newly emerging non-profit and NGO
charitable organizations is the philanthropic system itself and the
habit of fund-raising. These are, of course, formidable challenges.
But I know from experience that they can be overcome.
Where Do You Stand?
First, let's determine exactly
what challenges you may face by reviewing the following questions:
- Is there little or no tradition or habit of
fund-raising in your country?
- Are there few, if any, favorable tax provisions
or other incentives in place to encourage charitable giving by
individuals and corporations?
- Is there a long-standing tradition of parents
bequeathing all, or most, of their assets to their children?
- When government funding of non-profit
organizations and NGOs is cut, do non-profit organizations in your
country turn first to the international community for support,
rather than developing fund-raising capabilities at home?
- Regarding the seeking of funds from the
international community, on the other hand, does your government
inhibit foreign funding from coming into your country?
- Do some in your government discourage the work of
charities for selfish gain? Do they themselves secure funding which
they directly apply to the public's needs so they can make their
constituents beholden to them, thus helping those officials retain
their positions in the government?
- Are your government's laws, regulations, and its
general oversight of charities operated through a maze of
bureaucracy whose red tape makes it harder for charitable
organizations to be established in the first place and to freely
function later?
If you answered "Yes" to even one of
these questions, you already know that change will be difficult to
initiate. But the charitable impulse is alive in everyone, no matter
where they live. And it is your job as a fund-raiser to introduce in
your country or to your charitable organization the successful
philanthropic fund-raising system we use in the U.S.
Growing the Philanthropic "Habit" in
Your Country
It is likely that you will need to
start a new philanthropic "habit" where none exists. This can be
accomplished by patiently and politely introducing people to the
process of fund-raising and explaining why it is necessary. You should
also explain that such expressions of charity and compassion can be
just as rewarding to the individual as helping a neighbor in need.
To assist non-profit organizations
in building the philanthropic spirit and the habit of giving in your
country, you must show potential donors that all contributions will be
used in exactly the way each organization promises. Openness, honesty
and reliability are key issues if you wish to build trust among
potential donors, so you must prove not only the value of an
organization's work, but also the efficiency and honesty with which it
delivers its programs and services. Only then are you ready to begin
real fund-raising.
Understanding the Fundamentals of
Fund-Raising
I can tell you from my own
experience that the American process of fund-raising will work as well
for your non-profits and NGOs as it does in the United States. First,
however, you need to understand the process yourself before you can
convey it to others.
Many people think of fund-raising as
the essence of myth and magic: What mere mortal can expect to succeed?
But this is merely an excuse for a failed fund-raising effort. The
truth is that successful fund-raising is simply the product of hard
work by dedicated people who are thoroughly prepared for the job.
A successful fund-raising campaign
is not magic. It is a straightforward process of executing
well-defined tasks that are arranged in a step-by-step progression. I
know this to be so because I have seen it done over and over again. In
fact, I have never found a fund-raising campaign to be an impossible
task -- inside or outside the United States -- if it is well-planned
and well-executed.
The best way for you to begin your
fund-raising campaign is to explain each of its components
individually and in their proper order to your organization and to
prospective donors. Taking these early steps helps you to establish
your overall goals, divide responsibilities for tasks and gain a
measure of acceptance from people who may later be asked to provide
you with funding.
The very first task you should
undertake is to lead the organization itself through an evaluation of
its own capability to raise money. To that end, I suggest you follow
the link below to my Web site, where you will find a checklist that
can be used to evaluate your organization's fund-raising readiness:
--- "Check Out Your Organization's
Fund-Raising Readiness And Learn The Secret Of Fund-Raising Success"
http://www.raise-funds.com/a98forum.html
On the list, check each statement
that you can honestly claim to be true for your organization. When you
have gone through the entire list, I suggest that you reread it to
make sure you understand each affirmation. Don't let their brevity get
in the way of developing a full understanding of what they represent.
You should evaluate their relevance to your particular situation, look
for ways to maximize their effectiveness and value for you, and
consider adaptations and adjustments that better tune them to your
organization.
Of those forty-one
campaign-readiness affirmations, you may find a number of them missing
from your plan. You may have others in place, but not to the degree
they should be working. What can you do to install the new components
and improve the others? Below you will find links to my "Libraries" of
fund-raising material. An examination of the table of contents of my
"Fund-Raising Forum Library," will point the way to articles which
specifically address each of the affirmations in working detail for
you to follow, step by step to meet your goal to develop, produce and
implement the best fund-raising campaign possible to meet your needs.
You will be in position to
plan and execute your fund-raising campaign with a command and control
of each and every one of those components in their operating
progression. For example, to touch on just a few of those steps in the
fund-raising process, you will learn how to:
- develop a mission statement.
- be certain that you have effective and fully
engaged leadership from a Board of Trustees.
- know how important it is for your organization to
have a written and reliable long range strategic plan.
- identify potential donors who care about what you
do, or who could care.
- ensure that you get your financial house in order
to know exactly what it costs to operate your organization.
- develop and set fund-raising goals.
- write a compelling case for support of your
mission.
- rate and evaluate your prospective donors in
order to allow them to know what you would like from them.
- recruit the fund-raising campaign's volunteer
leadership and solicitation team.
- produce effective campaign communications and
publicity plans.
- learn how to ask for the money
- manage and produce campaign progress reports.
... and much more.
At the same time, of course, you
must ensure that the organization's leaders embrace and will use the
U.S.-style fund-raising process. Once those tasks are accomplished,
you must introduce the process to your constituents and to the public
with a campaign that accelerates their acceptance of the concept by
increasing their awareness and building their trust.
Long-Distance Personal Mentoring
Additional information and guidance
about almost every other aspect of the fund-raising process can also
be found on my Web site. Just click the links below to reach the Table
of Contents of my current Fund-Raising Forum Library of feature
articles, as well as my Exhibit & Document Library. Of course, there
is no charge, nor any obligation of any kind, for your free use of the
material at any time.
-- Fund-Raising Forum Library
http://www.raise-funds.com/library.html
-- Exhibit & Document Library
http://www.raise-funds.com/exhibitlist.html
All of these written materials are
based on the hundreds of fund-raising workshops I have presented over
the years and from my scores of consulting engagements. When you read
them you will find that the experience is almost the same as if we
were discussing your fund-raising questions, challenges and
opportunities face-to-face.
Download Now for
$9.99 - Buy Here!
I encourage you to review as many
articles, exhibits and documents as you can. I hope that you will find
them to be of value and support as you develop and conduct the
successful fund-raising campaigns your organization needs and deserves
to thrive in your country.
