Note:  I've included this post here and in Nonprofit Now Today! as I typically put the longer posts here - just want to be sure you get to read this wherever you end up on the site

There are no small parts, only small actors....
-Constantin Stanislavski

I started my day by learning that this quote, which I had identified with an episode of Seinfeld titled "The Burning", originated with Constantin Stanislavski, a prominent Russian theater practitioner.  I had actually been mistaken about the quote; in the episode George riffs on this and says "I guess there are no small diseases, only small actors".    He's referring to Kramer and his buddy making some extra money acting out diseases for medical students at a local university.  I guess this gives you a sense of where my cultural references come from - I need to do some work on that.

So, what in the world does the above have to do with nonprofits or my coaching work?? Actually quite a bit....

I had been speaking with a nonprofit yesterday that's been around for nearly three decades.  They do groundbreaking preventative work on a health issue for which there is no cure.  They've raised anywhere between $500,000 and nearly $1 million annually.   And yet during our introductory conversation, the individual I was speaking with noted that "We're just a small nonprofit."  

Beyond the fact that size in general is always a relative, I'd like to suggest new thinking around this idea, particularly for nonprofits.  And the reason it's relevant to the quote above?  Small is a state of mind.  Small is a choice you make.  To go back to our acting connection, the literal meaning of this (as I see it) is that an actor who chooses to do so, can take a small part and make it big.    One great example (and more fun trivia): Anthony Hopkins only appeared in Silence of the Lambs for sixteen minutes out of a run time of two hours and eighteen minutes - he was on there for just 12% of the movie...Talk about an actor taking a small part (in terms of screen time) and making it big! 

So, back to nonprofits.  I'd suggest that nonprofit organizations start to look at and in fact, measure themselves in new ways.  And even more so, move away from labels like Big and Small that diminish (both internally and externally) the value they bring to their communities and the world.  Here's a start:

• Measure yourself by vision and creativity:  Is your organization developing new solutions to problems?  Are you being creative in your thinking.  Sad to say, many of the so-called "Big Charities" got so caught up in maintaining their existence, structure and processes that all the genius of new approaches, creativity and drive are sucked out in their need to maintain their reason for existence.  
• Measure yourself by connection:  Is your nonprofit operating in a vacuum or creating alliances, coalitions and bringing other organizations in around solving related challenges.  While yes, there is competition for money (I'm realistic), there are partnerships and opportunities to combine forces which can equate to impact and funding.  Really...
• Measure yourself by impact on your cause:  And the true bottom line...If you're an organization dedicated to working on a particular problem in a particular community, how effective have you been?  Whether your focus is a block, a business improvement district, a state or the nation, how has your work impacted those you want it to?  Raising lots of money but being ineffective doesn't make you big - it just means you raised a lot of money.  Raising the right amount of money needed to create the result you want means you're doing what you set out to do.

I hope you were at least mildly amused by the pop references - I think a little lighter thinking serves as well when we're all amped up about well, you know that thing that happens in a few days.   In the meantime,  I hope next time you're thinking about a nonprofit, forget about size and consider measuring them in some of the ways above.  ​

This past Saturday, I had a wonderful experience at a nonprofit’s fundraising walk.  The kickoff was a great opportunity to learn about the nonprofit.  We were introduced to the leadership team when they provided their background and told us what role they played at the organization.   Then we heard from the Executive Director who shared a bit of history and clearly articulated the mission and vision of the nonprofit.  Once the intro was done, we learned about the details of the walk, the day’s activities and options available.  Finally, one of the children who has participated in the nonprofit’s programs led us in a warm-up including jumping jacks, mountain climbers and sit ups (it was tough!).  And then we were off

Does the above sound like the beginning of the typical charity walk that’s become the anchor event of so many nonprofits? Having spent much of this past decade doing these walks, as well as bike and run events for charities, I would say so.  In fact, I’ve just described what went on at Walk For Their Future, the 10th Anniversary of the fundraiser done in support of  Today’s Youth Matter (www.tymkids.org)   This year’s very appropriate theme was Moving Forward and like most of the fundraising events taking place, it was moved from a live to a virtual event.   Yet despite the miles and distance, I truly felt a part of something very special.    

As a very committed runner, I’ve done several virtual 5K’s and half marathons as substitutes for the live races on my spring schedule due to the coronavirus.  It’s been a nice way to support charities I care about and add extra incentive as I do my solo runs.  Yet, I have to admit that I’ve been quietly skeptical about the ability for nonprofits to create an impactful experience that provide participants with a sense of community when moving their events from live to a virtual platform.  This past Saturday, I was pleasantly pleased to see how wrong I was!

I wanted to share several best practices based on my experience with Today’s Youth Matter (TYM).  And in the interest of full disclosure, I am a fan of TYM as I provide grant writing services for them.  If you’re in the process of moving your event from live to virtual, I hope the following can help you create the best possible experience for your volunteers, fundraisers and donors:
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• Leverage the Freedom....and the Technology:   TYM’s virtual fundraiser offered you the opportunity to participate with an activity of your choice - walk, run, bike, swim, skydive etc.  - anything goes!  I took advantage of the opportunity.  There was something very cool and unique about dedicating my five mile run in Florida to Today’s Youth Matters that is doing life changing work all the way across the country in the Bay Area of California.  I then shared a video - as did others - on an ongoing album highlighting all participant’s activity.     

• Attention to Detail:    I was truly impressed by the attention to detail in service of creating an event that paralleled a real walk.  TYM provided numbered bibs you could download from the site.  I don’t remember many live walks even offering those! And, as I mentioned earlier, we even started our event with a virtual warm-up done by an individual impacted by TYM’s work. 

And most importantly….
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• Create a real connection with the organization and the community:  TYM had a well crafted kick-off agenda that created connection with their organization as well, if not better, than many live walks I’ve been to.  Beyond that, the Executive Director asked intriguing questions about engagement with TYM, created cross introductions between participants and numerous other activities in service of an experience that truly created a community and family.  

While there are other key components to crafting an engaging virtual experience, these are some building blocks that will create a strong foundation for success.  

It started when the same ad kept coming up in my Facebook feed after I became a certified coach.  A self-described master coach continuously invited me (and many others I’m sure) to her free seminar.  She offered participants the “secrets to client acquisition success using sales techniques she learned closing customers while selling mops at a big box retailer.”  And no, I’m not kidding!  This was the culmination of my fascination - or perhaps call it what it is - my Love to Hate relationship with the myriad of gimmicks and tools aimed at professional coaches.  They dangle magical and oh so top-secret shortcuts as an alternative to offering real service as the key to creating value as a coach.  

But I don’t want to single out this individual coach.  The truth is you could spend endless hours (and $$) plowing through get rich quick books, seminars, and workshops geared towards making success seem like something you can grab for three installments of $39.99 (or fill in some ridiculous price).  As long as you ACT NOW!!

Don’t get me wrong.  There are many fantastic individuals out there offering very real support in helping individuals like me develop their coaching and consulting practices.  In fact, I’m incredibly grateful to be working with several of them such as my wonderful mentor-coach Angela Cusack of Igniting Success.  I’m also thrilled to be joining Melissa Ford for her Game-Film group coaching program.  Melissa’s book Living Service: The Journey Of A Prosperous Coach has been an absolute game-changer for me in the way I approach creating clients.

As an aside, this experience takes me back to my early days in the nonprofit industry when I was getting my start in fundraising.  I was bombarded with invitations to programs that would teach me how to be a better fundraiser, craft the perfect ask and opportunities to mingle with other fundraisers.  I have absolutely nothing against learning and networking.  Yet, I wasn’t quite clear how I was going to become a better fundraiser without spending the bulk of my time well, fundraising! 

Here’s my point:  Whether you’re a coach, consultant or fundraiser - or pretty much anything else, You’ve Got To Do The Work.  Yes, it’s worth capitalizing.  No matter what you do, there will always be someone - or several someones - telling you there’s an easy way to do it.  There will always be distractions from the real essence of what you do.  But remember: reading and talking about coaching isn’t coaching.  You become a better coach by coaching.  Similarly, learning about and networking with those who fundraise isn’t fundraising.  

As for me, the only way I know how to do this is the following (spoiler alert: a lot of this is crazy obvious but still worth staying)

• Be in love with what you do:    Why?  Simple, you’ll want to do it more.  You’ll naturally design your day and life in such a way that allows you to spend more time doing it.  If you want to be a great coach, you’ll spend those hours you’re not coaching eagerly looking for people that can be helped by coaching.  If you want to be a great fundraiser, you’ll spend the time you’re not talking to donors looking for donors to talk to.  

 

• Always be striving for better:   I love reading, listening to passionate professionals (the real experts!) and learning.  You’ll get better by a combination of doing what you do i.e. coaching, fundraising etc. during client facing hours and learning during the non-client facing hours.  PS - It’s never a bad idea to start your day with a few pages of something that adds to your knowledge base.  

 

• Share what you do with as many people as possible:  It’s been my experience over the past 30 or so years that many people hate sales and selling.  I happen to not be one of these people.  Nevertheless, the cool thing here is that if you’re coaching because you love - and actually get a natural high - from watching people get unstuck, chase and catch that big vision and so much more - you’ll never be selling.  You’ll just always be looking for others to share that experience with.  Share it with anyone and everyone you can.  

As I’ve been coaching leaders during the coronavirus crisis and observing others, I’ve noticed that they tend to fall into one of three categories in terms of their response to the times:
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1. They’re taking a wait and see approach;
2. They’re taking a proactive approach; finding ways to continue their good work, articulating it appropriately to their community and still seeking support (but with respect to the unique economic environment); 
3. They’re not only going with option #2, they’re also using this time to learn, grow and develop...

It won’t surprise you that I’m a huge fan of #2 and love #3 even more!  The reason I love doing what I do is that I’m always amazed and inspired by the leaders I work with.  In fact, I thought I’d make this week’s an opportunity to inspire others by highlighting the actions and approaches I’ve noticed among the amazing leaders I work with over the past two months:

• Roll With It:  Michael Campbell is the Founder and Executive Director of the Street Smarts (www.thestreetsmarts.org). This growing organization helps aspiring students land their first post-college professional jobs in finance and accounting.  The Street Smarts had a major fundraising event scheduled for May and like so many others, it’s been cancelled. Michael has re-imagined the event to be virtual.  What’s impressed me is that 1) Michael is truly excited about the opportunity to re-imagine his event and has fully embraced the technology to do it. He’s even worked extra hard to develop a relationship with one of the biggest companies in his area to learn how to maximize the event for both the fundraising potential as well as community building.

• Going Deeper:  Jim Garden is a leader I work with that is incredibly reflective about himself as well as the value proposition and impact of his organization Good Karma Bikes (www.goodkarmabikes.org).  Fortunately, his nonprofit has been able to continue operations during the coronavirus.  In fact, they’ve re-tooled some of their resources to serve their community in a way that is both incredibly helpful while keeping well within their mission.  Beyond current operations however, this thoughtful leader is using this moment to consider longer term strategic questions including the clients they serve, the depth of impact and as well as partnerships and collaboration.

• Keep Moving Forward:  Katie Wyatt is an incredibly passionate leader that created incredible programs and the infrastructure of an organization prior to her move to the United States.  Her work provides self worth programs to women and children affected by trauma. She’s been incredibly determined to bring this vital work to the United States. While she’s needed to be mindful and sensitive to the times, she hasn’t let the current challenges stop her from moving forward in her quest to launch her organization No Rain No rainbows www.norainnorainbows.org.   She’s recruiting leadership and creating a sustainable model for change.

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I hope these quick stories serve as reminders that the work of you and your organization is important.  That was true before this crisis, even more critical while we’re in the midst of it and still will be when it’s over.   If I can help you and your organization navigate through these challenging times and plan for better ones ahead, please contact me at robert.grabel@yournonprofitnow.com 



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For the long holiday weekend, my wife and I went back to her hometown.   As is our longstanding arrangement, she was doing the driving (everyone is happier that way!)  I wasn't sure where we were headed and to my surprise, we pulled up to a newly built animal shelter.  I knew another pet for our household was off the table so I asked why we were here.  My wife explained that we had donated to the building.  An old friend of hers had been a member of the campaign leadership team that drove the fundraising to build the shelter.  She was eager to see how everything turned out.

As we stepped out of our car, I sensed some hesitancy on her part.  "Do you think we'll be allowed to take a look around?" she asked.   Her question seemed surprising to me.    I couldn't imagine a reason why we as donors wouldn't be  welcome to see how our support was being used.  I am happy to share that we stepped in and were warmly greeted by a team of friendly volunteers.  We spent the better part of an hour touring and visiting pets that were treated with dignity and compassion.  

This got me thinking back on my experiences with donor visits or what I often refer to as Show and Tell. I've worked with several organizations - particularly in major gifts and institutional fundraising roles - where donor visits, tours and learning opportunities were an assumed part of the cultivation strategy.  At the same time, I realized that too often individuals that didn't meet a predetermined threshold were rarely - if ever - encouraged to get an upfront look at how their donations were being put to work.  This is a missed opportunity on the part of the charity.     

While not every nonprofit may not be able to provide donors with opportunities to see, connect or even talk to those who benefit, if yours does, take full advantage of it.   Here are some suggestions for a good start:  

Make donors aware they can visit:  Sounds obvious doesn't it? But using our case as an example, we didn't know that we were 100% welcome and were concerned that we'd be interrupting the work. As it turned out, there were volunteers that were more than willing to provide guidance.  Remember, this is your chance to shine!  Be sure you're getting the word out that your volunteers, prospective donors and donors are welcome and encouraged to see your mission in action.  Make it part of your messaging on your collateral, social media and every part of your communication.  

Make sure the visit has a specific structure:  Ensure that your organization has a set structure for encouraging donor interaction and engagement when visiting.   Involve your volunteers, staff and (if appropriate) clients in designing a tour that introduces visitors to the core elements of your mission, best practices and most importantly, the impact of your work.

Make the visit inspiring:  In a recent post, I noted the "Johnny Can't Read" approach to introducing donors to the work of a charity. This is the classic tug-on-the-heartstrings approach and I'm not a fan.   You show the children that can't read, the family without a home or food on the table, the isolated at-risk teen...you get the point.  Do the opposite!  Use your visit to highlight the impact your donors have made possible through their donation.   Show them the children that now can read, the family that has a home and food on the table and the teens that are the first to graduate and go to college in their families.  Tell them stories of Inspiration - not tragedy.  

Make the visit actionable (with a range of options):  You've had a great visit, your donors are enthusiastic and inspired.  Now what?    Be sure donor visits conclude with a specific and timely call to action or better yet, several options for action.  Sure a donation is fantastic but there are other ways your donor might want to get further involved.  Maybe your organization has a need for in-kind contributions or services.  Let donors know that these are welcome.  Encourage donors to volunteer or even consider board service.   Think beyond dollars.  

If your donor has taken the time to visit, you're already doing something right.  Use the visit to educate, inspire and move them on to an even deeper level of connection with your organization.  . 

Exercise and fundraising.

What do these activities have in common?   At first glance, very little. 

But they take on a special meaning for a client of mine named Thea Wood, founder and President of Backstage Chats Foundation, a wonderful organization doing transformative work around music and gender equality. She groups them together as the activities she tackles first thing in the morning before moving on to the work that inspires her, drives her and what she’s most passionate about: amplifying the voices of women in music — both the entertainers as well as the industry itself.  
If you’re a leader for a small or a newer organization, taking a regimented approach to your fundraising
efforts (much like daily exercise) can be invaluable.

For example, blocking out an hour of your day for person-to-person fundraising activities can be transformational.

There’s an important distinction here: I’m not talking about fundraising-related activities, i.e. writing grants, managing social media, etc. While these are important activities, they don’t involve the definitive work of development: cultivating relationships and sharing your mission with others. Rather, this hour is dedicated to true one-on-one fundraising work with real people and where you’re speaking as opposed to emailing or texting.  To get started:

• Create a list of your most unlikely prospects: Yes, you read that correctly. Think of both your inner and outer circles. Who has no interest in your cause? Who has limited resources? You get the picture. You’re looking for those folks where there’s a pretty limited probability of a yes.  
• Create your pitch: Here’s the fun in this: It doesn’t have to be perfect (yet!) Enjoy being a beginner in figuring what you need to say to get prospective donors excited. This is your chance to articulate who your organization is, what you do, why you need funding to do it and of utmost importance, why you believe the individual or organization you’re speaking to would have an interest in supporting you.
• AND MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL…PRACTICE your pitch on them! Regardless of their potential for donating to your organization, these are still live beings that will give you real time response, questions and feedback on your pitch. And who knows? They may even surprise you with a donation, interest in volunteering or serving in another capacity.

This is an invaluable practice to start now. The cool thing is that by the time you’re starting to find high-quality prospects, you’ll be getting good, comfortable and articulate. The only difference would be that you may have a shorter transition from the lesser-quality to the higher-quality prospects.
And much like exercise, it gets easier over time.

​Give it a try, in just an hour a day!