The Rainmaker

In North American Indian Culture one of the most important people were what was known as the Rainmakers.  They were often a Shaman who were purported to have special powers to bring rain, the lifeblood of any community and at the moment here in Australia we understand the need for rain as we live in the driest continent.  Our local gardens suffer, but not as much as the farmers who see rain as the most significant part of their livelihood.

In the business world these days we talk about the ‘Rainmakers’ as the people who simply bring in the business, they are possibly not the best operators but they have that uncanny knack of communication, and are always bringing in new business into the company no matter what that company does.   It could be someone who has the ability to just tell the organisational story so well that people are captivated and when contact is made, someone else might make the sale but it was the rainmaker who was the key person.  ‘It is the rainmaker who can see far to the horizon and know that there is always more ....’ and can pass that inspiration on to others who will want to be part of it.  We all need to see our role as part of that rainmaker culture,  to pass on the passion of what we do so that others will want to be part of our culture and possibly use our services.

It’s not always easy as some of us; no matter how committed; struggle to see a great deal of success, but the rainmakers role is making the rain and possibly others role to use that rain to grow crops, harvest fruit; make the sale or make the business profitable.  Sometimes it is just hard and it is easy to lose heart.

However;

Mike Jobling tells the story of an Indian tribe who were going through drought and saw that another tribe  over the mountains always had good rains, so they went and asked what was their secret and were told that they had to perform this dance and it would rain.  They did this and nothing happened so the went and asked again and were told that they didn’t do it long enough, so back they went and danced some more, but still it didn’t rain so back over the mountains they went and asked why the other tribe had such success.  “Simple...” was the answer “... we just Dance until it Rains”.  Persistence always pays off we just have to keep doing it.

A quote today from my very cheap diary –

“Getting things done, is not the same as making things happen”

Successful Philanthropy - Steve Mourning

It is always worth reading the words of great people This is a tribute to Steve and his view of Philanthropy who was a great friend to Australian Fundraisers. 'Fletch'

I am finding, more and more, that the real test of executive leadership for those engaged in healthcare philanthropy is not so much how much money is being raised as it is how volunteer leadership responds to your efforts to focus them on the most productive and effective strategic issues and resolution.  For instance, in your question, it is clear that your leaders recognize a need for distinctiveness, but don’t recognize that the solution is sitting in each of their chairs.

In my experience, it has become clear to me – at least – that there are only four significant elements in successful philanthropy, healthcare-related or otherwise. 

One – and the one most people believe is singularly important – is your Case for Giving and the way it is perceived in your community relative to the customs and practices of philanthropy, there.  Is it relatively compelling and urgent?  Relative; that is, to the cases offered by other organizations that compete for the support of your donors and possible donors?  Does it focus on imperatives that are expressed from donors’ point of view or as needs of the healthcare organization?  Does it speak to the needs of your community and its well-being or does it – in reality – position gifts as important assets in your organization being able to compete with the hospital down the road?  These are important issues to resolve because the right answers can and will give you some distinctiveness in your donor market’s eyes and hearts.

The Second crucial element is the resources you invest in your development program, in general, and in creating and nurturing philanthropic relationships with donors of substantial giving capacity, specifically.  One way to think of your development program is as a “retirement account for the Hospital” . . . just as you want your retirement account to be a source of support for you when you’re enjoying bingo at the senior center, one important goal for healthcare foundations is to be a source of capital and other support for your healthcare institution in the future.  It’s crucial to invest in a solid and supportive infrastructure that creates an environment for success, excellent staff resources, and donor-centered programs and materials, to secure long-term philanthropic support.

The Third element is your probable donors . . . we used to call them prospects but guess what?  Most people don’t like being called prospects for anything.  Sounds like you’ve got them in some kind of targeting process.  You may be doing just that, but it’s just better not to talk about some things in polite company.  Add “prospect” to politics and religion as something to be avoided.  For this purpose, it is crucial that you have probable donors (people who have the ability to make large gifts, motivation to give that’s extant or achievable, and an opportunity to develop a relationship and ask) adequate to your resource development goals, downstream, or the money won’t be there.  Because of the nature of healthcare and the distinctive arena of major gifts and those who make them, healthcare philanthropy is generally a “low volume, high average gift” fund raising process.  Any attempt to deny that or to achieve remarkable success using a “high volume, low average gift” is probably doomed to failure, out of the blocks.  The short of it is:  you have to find those who can make big gifts and already love you, or who will fall in love with you, and let them express that affection – actually, it’s commitment – to you in the form of philanthropy.

The Fourth element and the one that distinguishes your organization the most is leadership.  Your case doesn’t distinguish you in most people’s minds as much as anyone “inside the tent” wants simply because it’s a very competitive environment and most people out there (Russ Prince says it’s about 91% of those in your donor market) simply care a lot more about what they need and want rather than what your organization needs and wants.  I like to think of the case as your ticket to the philanthropic dance.  Those who dance well once they gain admission, well, they’re the organizations that will succeed.  Hospitals and Foundations don’t dance.  Annual Giving or Major Gifts programs don’t dance.  People dance.  People talk.  Smart people listen.  If your leadership – and you’re part of that – builds strong, donor-centered philanthropic relationships with a coterie of solid probable donors, you will have achieved a level of distinctiveness that is unassailable.  “Innovative” names for your foundation or fund raising programs may make your leaders feel good, but they will do little to encourage the philanthropic support you seek.  “New” names for your special events or a radical departure from generally accepted annual giving processes may warm you like the sun for a while, but both will have only momentary effects.  Logos only mean much to those who design them and see them very often, as your leaders do.

What really matters is the quality and number of philanthropic relationships those leaders build with qualified probable donors, using your case for giving and the resources your organization invests ahead of the charitable gift revenue curve.  I believe the job of the development professional is to create and facilitate the processes of bring probable donors and leaders together in productive interactions.  That’s what brings home the gifts that make you successful and gives communities the opportunity to experience high quality healthcare.  Distinguish yourself where it matters – in people’s hearts and minds – because they have developed a commitment to your mission.  Changing things at the edges won’t help, but going to the core and making it effective will deliver the goods, every time. 

Steven L. Mourning, FAHP (2005)

The Think-Big Board

Being a small nonprofit does not mean that you have to think small in terms of your fundraising, says Sean Hammerle, CFRE. He offers some ways to help you and your board think big.

Recently, Hammerle sat down with the board members of a small nonprofit in Houston and said that he wanted to hold an event for 40 people where attendees would each pay $3,500 to attend. What proved to be the biggest stumbling block? Not the donors' ability to wrap their head around the ticket price, but rather the boards'. "It will never work...who would pay that much?" board members exclaimed.

In six weeks, the event sold out. What was the difference between Hammerle and his board? He knew, from experience, what the right connections and the right fundraising conditions can achieve for a nonprofit--even a very small organization. As for his board members, they're not going to be afraid to think big next time.

"Small nonprofits tend to think like small nonprofits," Hammerle says. "Especially for first-time board members, if they have never seen the way boards play an integral role in fundraising, they may be resistant to getting involved in development at all, let alone being able to imagine that donors to their organization could be so generous."

Often it is the mindset of the staff and board that determines the revenue limit, not the giving capacity of donors, he says. The first step to changing that mindset and having your board members think big is to start with good communication.

Knowing What They Don't Know

Fundraisers are often too quick to assume that board members understand the development function. When was the last time that you sat down to have a one-on-one conversation with one or more, or ideally every member of your board to get their thoughts and discuss fundraising opportunities? If the answer is two years ago, or even one year ago, realize that a lot can change.

"It is our job as Fundraisers to educate board members about development and the pivotal role they play in that process," Hammerle says. "We get frustrated when boards are always jumping from crisis to crisis and clamoring for a special event that will be the magic bullet for funding. But we forget that they don't know what we know-that fundraising takes long-term strategy and effort."

As the fundraiser, you can hold a training for board members. You can educate them about the development function. Most importantly, you can start the conversation with members individually to find out what they want, how they view the organization's progress, and how big things can happen when they get involved.

Seeing is Believing

Hammerle also advises fundraisers that thinking big as a board member is much more likely to happen when they see what is possible with their own eyes. Set your board member up for success--send him or her out to make an ask when you know the donor is likely to make a large gift. Or, go out and find a donor who commits to a large challenge gift to get the ball rolling.

When the board sees that first large gift come in, it's like a football team up against a difficult opponent-one touchdown early in the game gives the team real confidence that winning is possible, Hammerle says. It's a great motivator.

The lesson? You, too, can have a think-big board. Don't expect them to "get it" automatically. You are in a position to show them what is possible.

Feb 8 2011

Sean D. Hammerle, CFRE, is chief development officer at Rothko Chapel in Houston, Texas. 

The Importance of 'Knowledge Management'

In the Not for profit sector we have not developed a good history of looking after our fundraising professionals, figures from around the world indicate that the average stay in fundraising is less than two years.  The fundraising profession in many countries has for many years tried to develop educational programs that will help to keep people in the profession but it does not seem to have transferred to the wider sector with salaries less than average for the comparative work required if we compare it with the ‘outside world’.

Even within the profession people move around so quickly that at each annual conference you have to read peoples name badges to know what organisation they are with this year.  I see the conference bio of a 15 year fundraising professional and it highlights the fact that it has been in 13 organisations.  It is, in some circles, seen as a sign of mediocrity if people aren’t moving on and up on a regular basis, finally achieving the top fundraising position or title.

There are many downsides to this regular movement of fundraisers, either to other organisations or out of the profession altogether, lack of confidence by donors, lack of continuity of program, and many more but by far the biggest negative is the loss of knowledge.  Unfortunately we have failed to recognise this phenomenon for too long and now we have to catch up really quickly.  It has often been said the knowledge is power and it was Andrew Carnegie who once said;

…..“The only irreplaceable capital an organization possesses is the knowledge and ability of its people. The productivity of that capital depends on how effectively people share their competence with those who can use it.”

Now it is easy to advertise for the best fundraiser and then try and entice them to a more senior position but how are we going to capitalise on their knowledge when they are enticed somewhere else?  How are we going to use their capabilities for the benefit of the organisation for the years after they have left for ‘greener pastures’? 

It has been estimated that when someone leaves an organisation, particularly in a creative leadership role that a huge percentage of the knowledge capital that they have developed in their tenure walks out the door with them.  This can be disastrous for the organisation and the always hoped for year on year increase in financial support. 

I was with an organisation that was in the habit of rotating its staff every two-three years.  Long term statistics indicated that most incumbents were able to make an increase in income each consecutive year that they were in that particular position; however when a new person took over the role there was a significant drop in income in their first year.  Their second year was better but you always knew that when that person was moved on there would be a significant drop in income.

This of course hampered the continued growth of the organisation and needed to be addressed.

Knowledge Management has been recognized as an essential component of a proactively managed organization. The key concepts include converting data, organizational insight, experience and expertise into reusable and useful knowledge that is distributed and shared with the people who need it.

Today most thinking organisations will recognise the importance of the management of the knowledge that is held by all the staff in the organisation and will take significant steps to guard, and preserve it for the future health of the organisation.  To gain the competitive edge in today’s world it no longer is good enough to employ the best people and have the biggest financial turnover in this financial year but it is all about ‘long term sustainability’.  By its very definition this means gathering and protecting all the information that will be required for the future health of the organisation; whether it is in the ‘Not for Profit world’ or the for ‘Profit world’.  A number of years ago it was predicted that by the year 2010, one-third of the workforce in the United States will be comprised of knowledge professionals. It is incumbent upon all organizations to embrace this need for managing knowledge.

So what does this mean?  I guess that for many organisations it means getting into the 20^th century or for some being dragged kicking and screaming into the 20^th Century.  No longer is it the lowly role of a data entry operator, who is looked at as a starter in the organisation with a suitable lowly title of Administration Assistant, they need to be recognised for the significant role that they play and a title such as ‘Guardian of the Organisations Treasure’ because that is what that is what the Knowledge Managers role really is; without doubt.  There is now no excuse for employees to be ignorant of the importance of guarding the organisations jewels in regard to the future sustainability of the organisation.

I said a long time ago that I believe the Fundraiser of the future will not be known for the amount of money that they have raised – but for how far that they can see into the future’.  I still stand by that but maybe I could be permitted to re write the quote, seeing as I made it in the first place.  It will be along the lines more about how they can preserve the current knowledge to benefit all future dreams, plans and actions of the organisation.

There will come a time when an organisation will not simply be known for its logo or for who works there, but for how well they preserve their knowledge to benefit future growth and development of the organisation; where all the staff have confidence that all the current knowledge is recorded, accessible and usable in future years.  Not just by the ‘Data Base Entry Person’.

Knowledge professionals will become the dominant force behind the new economy, not unlike the farmer who changed the face of farming by developing a plough.  Everything changed forever.

 It is incumbent upon all organizations to embrace this need for managing knowledge. Just take a look at those organizations that seem to create value against the competition. You will invariably find a strong emphasis on ‘knowledge management’.

At last it seems like the humble data base has come of age, but will organisations and their staff keep up with it because it does not require nimble fingers to manipulate a keyboard but a nimble brain to see the possibilities for all that we are involved with.

Nimble fingers are easy; but .......... 

The Music of Philanthropy

I have very eclectic tastes!  There have been those who have thought of me as a little strange because musically they vary between the Village People, Amici the Opera Band, Queen and Brass Bands with a smattering of Carpenters and Beach Boys thrown in for good measure.  I guess that gives away my age within a few years but I like to think I am a good wine.

Now the reason that I love brass bands is that I have played for many, many years in Brass bands of all sizes and quality.  It started in England when just a wee lad and I used to go to my Uncle Bob’s so that he could teach me.  Week after week I would prop the music up on the mantel piece and he would conduct with a pencil to encourage me with the rhythm and the timing.  Unfortunately all his efforts did not turn me into a musician of any great quality but somehow I developed a love of Brass bands that has stayed with me to this day.

Having played in a variety of combinations I have been privileged to appreciate the finer points and they come down to a very few characteristics.  No it is not the correctness of the playing, although that is very important.  Getting all the notes in the right place is vital and people practice for years to do that and go to great lengths to have all the notes almost perfect.  It’s not the rhythm or the tempo that is vital but all of these things are absolutely necessary.  It is not the choice of music that is played either it is something that is far, far more important than that. 

Many years ago I became familiar with a Salvation Army band in Australia when I lived there called the Melbourne Staff Band.  It was made up of some very special people who played together and were looked at as the leading band with really good players, great music but what was it that made the difference.  I went to their rehearsal one evening and in their rehearsal room was a big sign behind where the Bandmaster/Conductor stood that said in big letters that could not be missed that simply said ‘THINK ROUND’.  It was at that moment that I realised where this big, fat, round, sound came from.  They were all thinking in their head that every note they made had to be round.  I have no doubt that there were bands at the time that were more technically brilliant but what made this band stand out was its big sound, and it was electrifying.  So for me this was what made them stand out as brilliant; their sound.

Another band that stood out for me was a New Zealand Youth Band.  They were on a tour of Australia at the time and I was part of the organising group that heard them a few times.  Now here was a group of young people all under 20 from all over New Zealand brought together with only a few weeks to practice.  Technically again they left something to be desired but their success was heralded all over the place.  What they had; was a youthful energy that made everything they played full of excitement and emotion.  You could see that thy enjoyed all that they did and it looked like it and it sounded like it.

Over the years I have appreciated these two characteristics more than anything else in my listening pleasure of Brass Bands.

Now, what does this all mean for me as a fundraiser?  I have been a fundraiser for a long time In Australia and in the UK, and like many people I have asked myself, sometimes out of frustration, ‘Why do I do this?’  Now this is not a bad question to ask to help clarify in one’s mind the reasons behind what we do.  Nothing we ever do is a stand alone act but, because of …….’whatever it might be’- and so this question should ring loud and clear for us all.  ‘Why do I do this?’ 

As I indicated; I was just an average musician, so too as a fundraiser I would not make any claim to be better than average.  I have had some dramatic failures where I just did not have the skills, I have been fortunate to have also been in the right place at the right time where I was ‘lucky’ to work with some great people and a lot support was realised, but generally I have found it to be hard frustrating work, trying to fulfil so many peoples unrealistic expectations where you are expected to not only walk on water but reap harvests where nothing has been sown, and all this by next Friday lunchtime.  So why do I do it?  I could add another question on the end of it to also confuse matters ‘.. and why do I love it so much?’

Having been around for so long, with coming up for nearly 14 years in Healthcare Fundraising one really does have to answer some significant questions.  Like many people I never cease to be amazed at the number of educational offerings that are provided for fundraisers.  You can go and learn all about Individual Giving and Direct Mail, Planned Giving and Special Events, Fundraising Management; and so it goes on.  If we are to analyse most of the education that we offer it is almost all about technicalities, doing the right things in the right order for the right people for the right result.  Like most fundraisers who have been around for a few years, I have done my share of these courses and love the environment, so much so that I have would love to go back to University full time and sit under wise lecturers simply to learn and understand more about many things.

One of my favourite sayings is ‘there is no rocket science in fundraising’ and I have been at times quoted out of context, that I am not in favour of education.  Not true, and I would encourage all fundraisers, young and old, to get as much education as they can, you just simply have to have all the knowledge that you can get.  In all our organisations we need to be the authority on all fundraising matters, no question and one of the great things about the CFRE program is that it requires that continual learning to be ahead of the 8 ball in all that we do around fundraising.

But there is more …..

Like in my experience of Brass Bands, it is not just the need to be a technician, getting all the notes in the right place, at the right time and at the right tempo and volume, there is a need to have the sound right and the energy at the optimum level.  So how does this transfer to Fundraising?

Having been to more conferences and seminars that I can count and spoken at a few which is really fun, I have a collection of principles that have been promoted by various presenters from the exciting acronyms, to the involved principles revolving around how we do this ‘stuff’.  However I would like to boil it all down to one principle that I have found to be the genesis of why I do this and why I enjoy it so much. 

Fundraising Principle # 1: is Fundraising is all about people.

The source off my passion for this profession is the people, not just the people who benefit from the fruits of our labours, but the people who provide those fruits no matter how small or large they might be.

Over the years, I have made a point of asking as many of our supporters as possible why they give and recording the story behind the donation they have made.  No one gives away money for nothing and there will always be a reason why some one has made the donation.  On so many occasions in the fundraising office of the day, I have been moved by the story of some of reasons behind donations.  A woman comes to make a donation to a consultant who gave her husband an extra 18 months of life, and she tells the doctor that those 18 months were better than all the previous 14 years that they had spent together.  She went on to tell amazing things that they were able to do together that had not seemed important before.  There were the grandparents of a young woman who received a Kidney transplant that saved her life and now she is looking to a ‘normal future with marriage, family and maturity.  When I was thanking her grandparents for the very significant donation they chided me quite strongly because it was they who should be saying thank you to the Hospital.

There is no need for me to go on about this as so many of you will have been in a similar situation, but do you realise what power those stories have on potential supporters?

My role at any of the hospitals that I have been employed by could be just a fundraiser but I see it as relationship consultant between the hospital and the potential supporters.  If we just see every dollar raised as a success story, we are missing out on the real reason why we do this.  What we do is really Organisational Marriage Counselling, and it is more important why we do it than how we do it.  If we can put as much energy into finding out peoples motivations as we do in raising funds of any amount we will not only be helping our organisations financially but we will be improving the experiences of our supporters.  I know one hospital that had on the websites home page the details of how to make a complaint about their treatment.  Wouldn’t it be great if we made a focal point of getting the good stories and spreading the good news?

What then is the ‘Je-ne-sais-quoi’ of tomorrow’s fundraiser?  I would like to think that it is a passion for people.  Just like a passion for sound and enthusiasm marks out an outstanding Brass Band, a passion for people and an enthusiasm for the task will mark out tomorrow’s fundraiser.

Artful Leadership.

I spend a lot of time in second hand book shops.  There is something magical about reading a book that already has someone else’s notes in it, that has been underlined and thumbed with an intimacy that speaks volumes about the person or people who have read those words before.

I found one a few years ago that is called ‘Leadership is an Art’ by Max DePree.  It is not a along book, neither is it new so it does not have the more modern language of recent management or leadership ‘speak’, ‘The seven secrets of great leaders’ or ‘The 15 steps to being a creative leader’ or even ‘How to be a successful leader’.  In its stead it makes excellent use of ‘the narrative’; the story telling about what Leadership involves and the ‘Tribal Story Telling’ that sometimes happens around the water cooler or in the lunch room.  There are some amazing stories that speak about how a company or its leadership can be successful without resorting to a list of ‘do this and you will be successful’; very refreshing.

He tells the story of a city in America who would invite business leaders from around the country to look at their state and invite them to transfer their operations there or do more business with them.  As part of this promotion he talks about one committee where they were discussing how they could dress up a particular facility that needed some dressing up.  Some well meaning individual suggested that they put pink ice in the urinals.  Strange though this may sound they were quite serious but the writer took it into another and related a question that was asked of him as one of the main leaders in his company; “what is one of the most difficult things that you personally need to work on?”  His response was ‘The Interception of Entropy’[1]

He was using the word in a very loose way and for him he explained that what leaders need to learn is to recognize are the signals of impending deterioration.  He then goes on to list a number of things that are signs of this condition.  Among them he talked

·         A tendency toward superficiality

·         No longer having the time for celebration and ritual

·         When people stop telling ‘tribal stories’ or cannot understand them

·         When problem makers outnumber problem solvers

·         Leaders who seek to control rather than liberate

·         Manuals

·         Leaders who rely on structures instead of people

·         Etc etc

The list goes on and if we were looking at some of the organizations that we are familiar with I guess we could come up with a lot more.  His final statement is that we need to beware of putting ‘Pink Ice in the Urinals’.

Those of us who have positions of leadership in an organization could take note of some of these signs and address them before it is too late and we daily fill our own urinals with pink ice.

So much has been said about leadership that a single definition is hard to come by but one of Max DePree quotes resonated with me, in that he simplifies it into two responsibilities.  The first is to define reality and the last is to say thank you’.  How simple is that?  But he goes on to say that in between the two, the leader must become a servant and a debtor; that sums up the progress of an artful leader.

---

[1] In information theory, entropy is a measure of the uncertainty associated with a random variable.

Berlin Symphony Orchestra

We have had in Australia for a little while the Berlin Symphony Orchestra.  Reputedly one of the finest in the world and they play to packed audiences all round the world.  They also have a very strong commitment to getting young musicians to want to play at the higher level.

Sir Simon Battle, who is the enigmatic principle conductor, takes a very passionate interest in these young people and their involvement in the workshops that the BSO hold wherever they are playing, says 'When a footballer goes to training to be the best he can be they do not sit in the stands and watch they go out and play football; music should be no different'.

He also said that "We must not only be High Priests of our art, but we should be Evangelists".

As professionals in our field we must recognize that this is a noble art, and we should be promoting it at every level we can.

I don't just 'do' fundraising; I 'am' fundraising.

The Beacons Wheel Chair Dancers

It’s Tuesday night, quite a long time ago, and we have just returned from Torquay where I was speaking about ‘Strategic Planning for Dummies’.  It was to a group of voluntary organisations within the Torbay Council District.  Judy came with me and on Monday afternoon we had a look at the town and decided that we would possibly never need to be here again, but it was an interesting experience.  Although they call it the English Riviera, for us there was not a lot that commended itself to us, although it is still hugely popular and in the summer every road would be grid locked with people coming down here to stay.

They paid my expenses and the Hotel we stayed in would have been a very special one but time had taken its toll and it had that old world decrepit look that matched the very ornate out of date décor.  In the dining room where we had breakfast there was this glass domed roof that would have been spectacular a few years ago but now was just an interesting bit of art deco that was in need of a good clean and tidy.  The whole ambiance seemed to reflect the era of Mrs Marple and we expected Hercule Poirot to walk in the door stand by the fireplace and tell us who killed the butler.  With all the people at Breakfast we brought the average age of the diners down quite dramatically because it seemed that this was the time when coach loads of OAP’s (old age pensioners) flooded the town and had dancing sessions.  It was also a bit scary to see almost all of them after they had visited the breakfast buffet carrying back a plate of prunes to assist their internals and I imagined that they would sit around after breakfast and the topic of conversation would be how their bowels are working this morning.

The Conference, for me, was two sessions, Morning and Afternoon and each went for ninety minutes.  In both my sessions there were 60+ delegates and I had a real good time.  There were people from all backgrounds and it was very interesting to try and connect with them with a little bit of banter about the cricket and my accent and I found them a very easy audience to work with.  I can be quite challenging at times but they got over it very quickly and responded well to my sessions.

At Lunchtime there was something different.  There were about 300 people there for the day and as I looked at the list there were only about two or three national charities represented as I guess most of them think that Torquay is not really close enough to London to worry about and so this vast number of people represented organisations like; a historic cinema and a heritage listed railway line, a local drug rehabilitation agency run by a couple who are ex addicts, and happy to tell me about it, there was the very senior gent who is raising money for a Christian Guest House and an animal refuge who have just lost their funding and their building and wondering which way to turn next.  So it wasn't the usual conference timetable.

For half an hour before lunch they had a demonstration by ‘the Beacons Wheelchair Dancers’.  The Beacons have been together as a team for something like 20 years and have a range of ages from what seemed to me about 16, a young woman in an electric wheelchair right up to a very ripe age of possibly nearly 80.  They performed dances from ballroom styles to formation sequences.  With such a variety of ages and disabilities, wheelchair styles from electric to hand propelled ones to some that were very new and very old there seemed at first to be a little bit of uncoordination and lack of togetherness.  I was sitting close to the front and taking this all in congratulating them in my head for their ability to be ‘out there’ and doing it in style despite their disability.  However it really took on new meaning for me when it was announced that Sue Cummins, the organizer and Debbie Pickerson would ‘sign’ a song for us.  Sue although in a wheelchair is very articulate and has eye and hand movements in line with some professional entertainers and although confined generally to a wheelchair does it very well.  They both started left stage and came on together and did a few turns to the introduction before they started their signing.  Debbie on the other hand I judged to be about 18-20, not in a wheelchair but with severe Cerebral Palsy.  It appeared that her ‘staggering across the floor’ would not be conducive to ‘signing’ but they took their places and ‘signed’ to the theme from Robin Hood Prince of Thieves; ‘All I do, I do for you’.

As this song progressed I was transfixed by this brave young woman who with all the difficulties of her life was able to get out their and entertain this large group of people and obviously enjoyed the experience.  Disability is really in the minds of those who arrogantly see themselves as normal.

I had had a few emotional weeks recently where the tears have come very easily, nothing dramatic but I guess a little tired and emotional day when again I looked for Edith at the Memorial Service last Sunday, but on this occasion as Debbie’s ‘gangly’ presentation took place I was literally transfixed and moved significantly at this young woman’s powerful demonstration of overcoming adversity.  I do not think that I was alone in that audience when the tears started to run down my cheeks but I just could not take my eyes off her.  I was so impressed. 

I would like to think that I have always had an appreciation of disability, ever since the days of Noweung in Bairnsdale where I taught Religious Instruction to the kids of this handicapped association, and working with Cory Hopkins at Muscular Dystrophy in Adelaide but this was something that almost made me feel insignificant in comparison to the achievements of this beautiful young woman.

Thank you Debbie!  For allowing me to see again that I am just a small part of the universe and that people like you have a far more significant place in it than I could ever hope to have.

It was a great day.

Twelve months passed and the Torbay Council asked if I would go back and do a plenary presentation about being ‘Motivated for Fundraising’ to the whole group.  I was using the illustration that there are times when some activity can spark the emotions enough to encourage people to support and, because we were in the same venue as the Beacon Wheelchair dancers used the previous year, I used them as an illustration.  I asked the group who was there last year and who had seen the Beacon Wheelchair Dancers last year?  There were quite a number of people who put up their hands and so I asked them if they were as moved as I was and most of the people called out their agreement.

At the conclusion of my presentation there were a few questions and then I saw the woman with the Microphone waving her hand for one last question.  It was Sue Cummins from the Dance Group.  Her question was ‘Is it too late to have an appeal now?  Of course it was a long time ago but I had to answer that it is never too late and I happened to have £20 note in my Jacket pocket and so I simply stepped to the edge of the platform and placed it on the floor and asked people to join me during morning tea.  I then left the stage and my moment in the spotlight was over.

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I received a letter from the Finance Officer of the Torbay Council a week or so later and he informed me that quite a number of people had joined me and a significant sum had been reached.

 All I had to do was ‘ask’!

What is the sign of a Failed Fundraiser?

Again I am having interesting conversations with people looking for fundraisers; and again the requirement is that you will need to do 'the ask'.  It seems that we fundraisers are being backed into a corner of our own making by some consultants who simply seem to want to run sessions on 'How to do the Ask'.  Where in actual fact I would propose that if you have to ask for the gift then you have failed in your role as a fundraiser.

Yes I would agree that we are there to raise funds but how we do that has a whole lot of different methods and modalities about it.  Doing the ask in a mail appeal requires a totally different set  of skills to that required for a major gift appeal. and yet is that we are looking for.

If, as a fundraiser I believe, and I do, that fundraising is more about people than it is about money then I will be committed to informing prospects about the role and urgent need of my organisation for funds.  I will need to do it in such a way that they are in no doubt that they have a significant role to play in the future funding of my organisation.  They will know how much we need and by when and what will be the result of their gift even before they make it and they will be so empowered and supported that they will want to give it.

If I have to ask then I have failed in my role.

So what is my role?  It is to place before appropriate prospects the aims and needs of my organisation so that people will want to support it before they have to be asked.

'2' in TEN

'2' in TEN is underway.   The committee have met and the Chapter 1 executive have approved our work and so it is a goer.  For so many years I have seen Fundraising Conferences deteriorate and simply become a opportunity to talk about the same things over and over again ad nauseum.  the '2' concept is different.  Yes we talk about fundraising but it has at it's heart personal development.

The best way to make better fundraisers is not to teach them how to 'do' fundraising better, but to teach them the skills that will help them in their personal relationships, at work, at home and simply to become more comfortable in their own skin.  Making better people will indeed make better fundraisers.

It is locked in and the dates are 16th 17th July 2010.  I am looking forward to it and I have no doubt that it is going to be a great Event