10 Lessons Learned For Success From A Fundraising Trainer

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From day one I vividly understood that most people rank asking someone they know, face-to-face, for a nonprofit gift on par with a root canal or a colorectal exam. Even business and community leaders who are virtually fearless in everything else they face in their personal, professional, and civic lives are terrified of asking for gifts.
After leading more than 200 workshops and webinars I’ve come face-to-face with these fears, and developed pragmatic ways to overcome them. I start with the premise that most people are afraid of fundraising because they really have no grasp of the art and science involved. More than anything else, a fear of the unknown is what drives this.
But here’s the good news: Through nominal study, practice, and preparation, those who are devoted to promoting the noble missions of their nonprofits can — and do — become effective fundraisers. As with learning anything else–playing piano, computer programming, enjoying tennis–this paradigm works over and over again: (a) learn it, (b) do it, (c) do it better.
This list is not exhaustive. Certainly there are other techniques, methods, and exercises that can and should be embraced to bolster a nonprofit leader’s comfort, confidence, and capacity in asking for gifts. They should never forget that they possess a near superpower in their passion, conviction, and commitment that their nonprofits can improve the world and merit gifts of time, talent, and treasure.
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