Confused?
Fundraising, like so many other professions and industries is struggling to respond to the ever changing, evolution of a modern, well connected world. As organizations strive to achieve loftier goals and meet increased expectations in an environment where more charities are competing for fewer donors, it is imperatie that fundraising professionals maximize their organization's fundraising potential.
To achieve this, fundraisers must be willing and open to occupying two seemingly conflicting mindsets:
- The ability to remain educated and informed about "tried and true" techniques and practices that yield high results.
- The ability to innovate, take risks, challenge the "tried and true" and think differently.
The Safety of Mediocrity
Mediocrity may seem harsh - and perhaps it is. However, regardless of how well performing a "tried and true" technique is today, eventually, it will become bored and tired. Do you wait for the numbers to dwindle or do you take proactive measures to improve before your high performance race horse retires to the breeding ground?
It is, most certainly, a fundraisers responsibility to be aware of current research and methods that provide strong returns in the here and now. This shared body of knowledge provides well informed fundraiser's with the ability to enjoy the benefits of strong returns, with only minimal testing and investment costs to their organization. This is a good thing! However, there is a danger that in relying on the on this "safe" body of knowledge, people will forgo the opportunity to think independently, to take risk and ultimately achieve a higher level of success on behalf of their organization.
Fear of Failure
We humans are delightfully conflicted creatures. In many ways we are "risk adverse". We are born and raised with a deep desire and need to belong and fit-in. We aspire to do well and be valued by others. The innovator who succeeds may well be a hero, but, the innovator who fails, may be devalued, shunned, and in the case of a fundraiser - FIRED!
In the non-profit sector, individuals tend to care deeply about their organization and its mission and vision. If a fundraiser fails, the costs can be catastrophic. No individual wants to be responsible for failing to save lives, feed people, help people, clean up the environment, save animals etc. etc. The cost for thinking differently is frightening. But the cost is no different when we fail to think differently!
Dare To Differ
The person who "thinks differently" will of course ask: "What is the impact of failure?". However, these individuals will also ask: "What is the impact of NOT thinking and/or acting differently?".
People like heroes. They follow them. They see the momentum and enthusiasm of successful "different thinkers" and are drawn to them. Their ability to capture the passion, excitement and support of a growing audience is nothing short of awesome. Over time the status quo grows tired and people will ultimately seek something new and different. The inevitable result of doing the same thing consistently - is failure.
Bulldoze or Renovate?
On first glance it may appear that the fundraiser is damned if they do - damned if they don't; but this is not the case. The wise fundraiser and their team will recognize that thinking differently does not necessarily require bulldozing everything that works and starting anew. Although, that is absolutely a viable option!
Consider the examples of "Horshin and Kaizen" provided by Ross and Segal in their book: Breakthrough Thinking for NonProfit Organizations. Here we see two completely opposite approaches to "thinking differently", but each is extremely effective in accomplishing significant change. Horshin is the dramatic, potentially "bulldozing" top down change. While Kaizen is a bottom-up, incremental, approach to achieving dramatic results.
Fake It Till You Make It!
Our creature of habit nature can be broken by intentionally taking some simple steps to assist in the "thinking differently" process. Sit in a new place. Face a different direction. Write your DM letter by hand - while sitting outside on the grass. Intentionally create change in your environment until your brain naturally follows suit.
Imagine A World of Sameness
The world is a living, breathing, evolving, place. Although we enjoy the safety of sameness, we ultimately chase the new and different. Imagine the world without Ford's insistence that "horses will be gone from the streets". We're sending machines to Mars and people now LIVE in space for months! Barack Obama is a presidential candidate in a country which once went to war over the slavery of African Americans. Thinking differently is a survival skill!
In the modern day, competitive, non-profit environment, complacency and safety are a far greater risk than is the act of thinking differently.
As fundraisers, we must:
- Aspire to be great - and be pleased when we do good.
- Seek balance, but allow ourselves to risk.
- Think differently and accept that within failure, is the potential for incredible success.
We will certainly experience some failure - but we will also ensure a future of success.
Thinking differently is no less important to a fundraiser, than is breathing!
Great post Laurie. A lot of your points can be used by creative people who also work for charities. If I have learned anything as a designer who likes to do things differently when it makes sense to - is that it takes a lot of faith and trust from everyone who is involved... and that is the truly hard part...
Posted by: John Lepp | July 21, 2008 at 10:14 AM