“Success is neither magical nor mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying the basic fundamentals.” - Jim Rohn, American entrepenuer, author and motivational speaker
And so begins the first edition of Fundamental Fridays, a blog devoted to making your organization fundamentally sound. I’ll begin with ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. My mother tenderly reminded me of the power packed in these two words, and I now believe they’re the two bookends of fundraising fundamentals. Steady, on-going stewardship is the middle that is held firmly in place between these bookends – and should they fail to be propped up and tended to with constant care and attention, that middle will fall away.
Sadly, your organization may find itself in disarray.
No one sets out to intentionally sabotage all the hard work and efforts that nonprofits engage in, but an interesting point is raised here. Exactly where IS your intention or mindfulness in all of this? Your intention is required at any development or planning meeting just as much as good data and metrics are. And here’s how it ties in with ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. PLEASE is the intention or active ingredient that should be baked into your organization’s DNA. It establishes your donor cultivation and appeals strategy. THANK YOU, on the other hand, anchors your acknowledgement strategy and efforts.
Think of it like this. Guys – if you’ve ever proposed marriage, you’re basically asking (begging), “PLEASE!”. No doubt, a lot of planning (donor cultivation) preceded that please. And if you were replied to with a “YES, I WILL!”, I’m sure you gave ample thought to your follow-up ‘thank you’. PLEASE and THANK YOU. My mother was right…