Sustainability Awards Tonight in MN September 25, 2006 By Steve Fafel

Today I'm travelling to Minnesota to the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul (yes, the one where all the children are above average) for the annual Sustainability Awards, which is produced by the Alliance for Sustainability. I'm on the board and this is my first event, and I have the honor of delivering the event dedication; it's to Paul and Sheila Wellstone. Kind of overwhelming, I have to say.

Tomorrow we have a board meeting, and it's my first one so naturally I'm a bit nervous but it's such a great group of people. Terry Gips of AFS asked me to join the board back in Spring, after I had him out to lead Mission Research through examining our impact on community and planet in our work. He's a Natural Step expert, and I'd have to say he had a transformative effect on us.

You'll be hearing a lot more about sustainability and and socially responsible practices from us; many of us assume nonprofits are naturally socially responsible, but simply look at nonprofit salaries and benefits and you know that there's much to be desired.  it's time the nonprofit sector starst raising the bar when it comes to taking care of itself: the more we treat nonprofit employees as equal to their for profit counterparts, the healthier and stronger the sector will be in general.

So for your next board meeting, make sure you talk about increasing salaries to match market rates and livability standards, and make sure your health insurance is adequate and provides financial protection for you and your fellow employees. Build that into the budget, build it into the fundraising plan. And from there, start looking at how and where you spend money and start voting for a better world with your dollars.

At Mission Research, we're going through that process of examining how we can do better, and it's been a very enlightening and enriching experience. I think we're a better company for it, and we think we're having a more positive effect on the world through these practices. So tell me what you think about all of this-click on Comments below.

When Things Go Wrong September 18, 2006 By Steve Fafel

I'm on the boards of a number of nonprofits. Over the past year two of them have had some serious issues arise which could lead to lower fundraising revenues. In one case, a significant number of longtime supporters are unhappy about one of the nonprofit's employees, and have discussed moving their support to another organization. The move would mean a loss of important supporters, their funds, and part or all of the program they support.

In the other case, the nonprofit has a significantly undersold event and is struggling to hit break even. A thin crowd could weaken its work, and a loss would truly hurt it. Unfortunately I can't help them that much because I'm in a completely different part of the country and can't help fill seats.

In the first case, I recommended either moving or removing the employee. The longtime supporters have a decent beef and should be respected through action, and their participation is too critical to just let it pass. In the second case, I recommended hitting the airwaves, while developing a contingency plan to give away tickets cheap or free, with the hope that the attendees will pitch in once they get to the place. It's more important at this point to get a strong showing and promote ideas than to hold on tightly to the ticket price.

What disasters have you encountered? What did you do to solve or avoid them?

giftworks | nptech | nonprofit | fundraising | software |

Fall Fundraising: Back to School September 6, 2006 By Steve Fafel

You've planned, you've sweated, you've mailed, and now people are showing up at your events. So what now? Take notes at the events. Make sure you know and connect with your top donors--the ones who provide 50 to 80% of your funding. Know them by name. Introduce them to your key staff. Thank them for enabling your work, and mention specific successes. Do this one on one, not just in your speech during the event.

When the event is over, hold a post-event review with your staff about who attended, who expressed additional interest, who might be great future supporters, etc. Send a special mailing to these folks and give them a call, and make sure you contact other attendees as well. Reaffirm your commitment to the mission they are supporting, and thank them again for their continued support.

This series of positive, reaffirming touches will help strengthen your relationships with your donors, and, likely, will lead to more consistent and larger donations over time. The cost is minimal, and the effort well worth it. I'm personally applying these practices in my advocacy for universal healthcare, and I can tell you it works.