Maintain your focus, your productivity, and your sanity in the contemporary fundraising environment
In Focused Fundraising: How to Raise Your Sights and Overcome Overload, accomplished nonprofit management strategists and leaders Christopher Cannon and Michael Felberbaum deliver a must-read combination of the latest mindfulness techniques and operational strategies that will equip you to succeed in an increasingly chaotic, noisy, and confusing fundraising environment. You’ll find concrete strategies to navigate the challenges of modern fundraising, including technology changes, scarce resources, and shifting donor expectations.
In the book, you’ll also find:
- Hands-on skills for sharpening your focus while those around you are giving in to endless distractions
- An insightful combination of big-picture views and micro-considerations that offer a practical roadmap to set and stick with your priorities
- Practical applications of tried and true mindfulness and nonprofit strategy research that you can implement immediately in your organization
An essential, desk-side resource for nonprofit board members, managers, leaders, and team members, Focused Fundraising is a one-of-a-kind toolbox designed to help you tackle the challenges you face every day.
Author(s): Michael Felberbaum, Christopher M. Cannon
Publisher: Wiley
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 241
City: Hoboken
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Contents
Welcome to Focused Fundraising: How to RAISE Your Sights and Overcome Overload
How to Use This Book
Part I The Challenges of Focused Fundraising
Chapter 1 The Constant Craziness of Nonprofit Life
Slowing Down Is Not the Answer
Chapter 2 Focus Begins by Valuing the Work
Myth #1: Fundraising Is Primarily About Money
Myth #2: Fundraising Is Brainless Cheerleading
Myth #3: Fundraising Is Done by a Solo Solicitor
Value Leads to More Value
Chapter 3 You Can Focus Because You Are Mindful
Mindfulness Aids Focus
Spinning Forward
Chapter 4 The Tech Tug and Instant Overload
The Organizational Tech Tug: Keeping Up with the Dot-Joneses
The Organizational Tech Tug Means Continuous Change Management
The Personal Tech Tug
Instant Overload
Chapter 5 Why Instant Overload Is Here to Stay: The 4 Ms
Should We Expect More or Less Distraction?
Can Our Amazing Brains Cope with the 4 Ms?
We Are All in It Together
A Day in the Life
How to Focus with the Four Ms?
Chapter 6 This Is Not the Focus You’re Looking For
Maggie’s Story
The Depth of Focus
Goal-Oriented versus Present Moment–Oriented
Focus Does Not Follow Directions
Multi-Tasking on Purpose
Focus Is Not About Avoiding Bad Stuff
Focus Is Not Always Laser-Like
Focus Is Not Broken by Noise
Distraction Can Enable Focus
Maggie’s Story Continued
Part II Focus-First: The RAISE Framework
Chapter 7 How RAISE Helps
Focused Direction
Three Requests for Direction
Making Room to Focus: A List, a Mob, a Waiting Line
Remember the RAISE Mantra
Framing a Topic to RAISE
Chapter 8 Recognize Your Point of View
Four Key Perspectives
Steadying Your POV
Chapter 9 Assess Your Standards
Common Pitfalls to Establishing Standards
Common Standards for Measuring Fundraising Performance
Total Dollars Raised
Cost per Dollar Raised
Return on Mission
Engagement (or Sometimes Retention)
Best Practices versus Practices That Work Best
Knowing Your Standards Means Avoiding Noisy Data
Chapter 10 Inspire Your Efforts
Bright Spots
The Spinning Top
Focus on the Top
Making a Choice
What Is Changing That Makes Focus Possible?
An Alternative to No: “Yes, and …”
Chapter 11 Structure Your Work
Structure Is Personal
Being Overwhelmed Is the Point, Not the Problem
Too Much of a Good Thing
Chapter 12 Evolve Your Approach
Where Are We Now?
Evolving the Pyramid
Angry Donor Policies: The Problem with Stories
Part III Focused Fundraising Teams
Chapter 13 The Importance of Culture
Culture and Change Management
Authenticity Is Vital to Evolve
A Tale of Two Fundraisers: The Artist and the Scientist
The Unfocused Fundraiser: A Cautionary Tale
Chapter 14 Prospect Development
Prospect List
Getting the Initial Visit
Virtual Visits
Chapter 15 Engagement Strategies
Brand Matters
Get Your Engagement Game Plan
Chapter 16 Fundraising Operations
Technology Change and Operations
Give Gift Administration Its Due
You Cannot Improve a Process You Do Not Value
Focus from (and on) Governance
Chapter 17 Strategic Information Management
Priming Principled Professionals
Righteousness of Recording Data
From Data In to Data Out
Chapter 18 The Power of Maturity Models
Maturity Models
Major Giving Maturity Model
Chapter 19 Focused Fundraising Maturity Model
Level 1: Frenetic
Level 2: Reactive
Level 3: Controlled
Level 4: Proactive
Level 5: Focused
Chapter 20 Further Thoughts on Thought Work
Train Your Brain
Be Decisive
The Value of Heuristics: Big Rocks, Iron Triangles, and Rules of Thumb
Big Rocks
Iron Triangles
The “People, Process, Tools” Triangle
Project Management’s Iron Triangle
Fundraising Operations Triangle
The 80/20 Rule
The Golden Rule(s)
Practicing Rules of Thumb
Chapter 21 Causativity
Conclusion
Toolkit: RAISE: Practical Examples and Coaching Prompts
Bibliography
Acknowledgments
Index
EULA
