The nonprofit has a choice raise more money or make excuses. The downturn in the economy makes fundraising more difficult. The foundations have less. Government has less. Donors have less. Those are the excuses.
Mission Enablers works with nonprofits of all types. We see leaders of all types and fundraisers of all types. We see nonprofits at all levels of success. We help our clients build their capacity to serve and increase their sustainability. Success for us comes from creating success for our clients regardless of the economic conditions.
Consider this situation. Our client serves families at the lower end of the economic spectrum. It cost about $8,000 to serve a family for a year. The need for what they do is constantly increasing but in a down economy, generosity is on the decline.
The choices are turn people away or find more support.
Here is their plan for finding more support. The head of the development office is going to take his subordinate out to five of the current families and talk to them. He will lead the discussion for the first three. She will lead in the last two. She will then find a volunteer to go with her to the next five with her leading for three and the volunteer handling two. Then the volunteer will carry on while she trains another volunteer. As she continues to build the volunteer base, she will also monitor the success of the volunteers.
They are only asking each family for a monthly donation of $70. That small gift will allow another family to have the services they enjoy. Every 10 families that choose to participate will be supporting one new family.
Meanwhile the development manager will be repeating the process with other volunteers. Their focus will be alumni families and the adult children of those families. He will be building a similar volunteer pool with the same focus of $70 per month. He will also be looking for a volunteer to oversee his pool of volunteer fundraisers.
Will they replace all of the foundation and government funding they lost this year? It is doubtful that they will in the next 12 months. However, they will create a donor base that is more recession proof.
Is it hard tedious work? Certainly. The alternative is turning away the needy, discharging valued staff, and disappointing the donors and the community.
Will this work for every nonprofit? Of course, it will. However, adjustments are necessary. Are you willing to make the adjustments?
As always, if you want help contact us.
