When treading water is the right choice.

Let’s face it: a lot of nonprofits start and grow from a place of urgency. There’s a critical need in the community, and we build an organization to respond to that need. There are people who need our support, and they need it now. So we don’t put a lot of time and thought into building our organizational foundation at first.

It’s normal. It’s common. I’ll even say it’s necessary at first. Too much thinking at the front end, and you’ll never get out the door. (I’ve seen it…founders with a brilliant idea who put too much thought in the front end and never go from idea to action.)

But at some point, usually when you’re starting to feel like there’s too much to keep up with or like your initial launch has stalled out, nonprofits benefit from taking a break from action in order to assess. 

We need to figure out what is working and what isn’t. What is the essence of what we’re trying to accomplish, and what’s fluff? 

At some point, we have to look at our mission statements and make sure they aren’t word salad, but a meaningful statement that can attract the right audience. 

Let me show you what I mean by using a client who started working with me last summer.

The organization had been trying to grow the organization for a few years; after an initial boost of interest from the community, they weren’t finding success–mainly because they were very focused on the services they were providing to clients, but had to explain why it mattered to anyone they were seeking funding from.

Their mission statement was clear and specific, but also fairly generic: To provide equine assisted therapy services to individuals in need at free or reduced costs.

I liked the clarity and the specificity, but it lacked inspiration. Also, by their own admission, most people didn’t understand why equine assisted therapy was even a thing (also, they had to explain that it was mental health therapy, not the more common equine-assisted physical therapy). 

Step One of the Framework for Sustainable Fundraising:
Find your deep WHY

After going through my Finding Your WHY program, here’s where the organization landed: We engage the human-horse bond to break through unhealthy patterns of behavior for adults experiencing trauma, bringing hope to them and those around them.

WOW! I got chills the first time they read it to me. Still very clear, but that one packed so much more punch into those 25 words. (Note that they only added 10 words over their first mission statement, but the impact of those words were tremendous.)

Then we were able to really think about who this mission would resonate with–and it was quite a lot of people. First of all, just saying the mission statement aloud, the founder was finding more people were taking note and asking more and better questions about the nonprofit.

After that, we figured, if the mission is to use the human-hose bond to break through unhealthy patterns of behavior, that doesn’t have to be just in therapeutic settings. They could just get people around horses and show them the power of the human-horse bond to advance trauma healing—while fundraising as well. That is the essence of my goal—to center fundraising around the mission so that advancing your mission isn’t a separate activity from fundraising.

Step Two of the Framework for Sustainable Fundraising
Define your ideal donor and figure out where to find them

Before working with me, this organization had trouble figuring out where their next best fundraising opportunity was, and, like many organizations, was leaning into event-based fundraising (wine tasting parties and restaurant nights) utterly unrelated to their mission just to bring in the cash, leaving staff and board exhausted. And the worst part was, nobody from one fundraising event came back to another because, TBH, the attendees didn’t really even know what cause they were supporting by coming to the event.

With a clear and compelling mission, they were able to define their ideal donor audiences: clinical therapists, local businesses, women’s groups, and veterans’ groups. 

Okay, so how would we attract them to the cause and help them understand the mission?

Last month, this client hosted their first open house, inviting local therapists, women’s groups, veterans’ groups, and the local Chamber of Commerce leaders (who broadcast the event to their members). With the power of their new and improved mission statement, this first effort was a huge success! 45 people showed up and stayed for hours–outdoors on a rainy day–learning about the horses, interacting with the horses, and learning about the power of equine-assisted therapy. Many volunteered to be significantly more involved in the nonprofit, and the Executive Director has spent the past few weeks follow up on all the leads this event opened up for them.

This is the fundamental thing that the Framework rests on: Nonprofits don’t have to be everywhere all the time. Nonprofits just have to be in the right place at the right time with the right people. 

But too often, we don’t take the time to figure out where that is, so we chase every lead. And then we wind up feeling like someone who has been tossed overboard in a stormy sea; we’re struggling to keep our head above water. 

Here’s the thing my uncle taught me about falling into choppy water: If you panic, you die. If you don’t panic, you’re only probably going to die. (Real reassuring guy, my uncle.) But he’s right, the more you kick and fight the water, the faster you get tired; and you’re so frantic and desperate, you can’t see your way to the life preserver. Sometimes taking a moment to just tread water gives you the ability to see the way out of a dangerous situation.

I want to toss you a life preserver. The Framework for Sustainable Fundraising isn’t your fastest fix. I’m not promising an instant influx of funding overnight (and honestly, if someone is, it’s too good to be true). Investing in the time it takes to learn the Framework and apply it to your nonprofit is worth it because it will yield dividends for years to come–in effectiveness, in efficiency, in engaged donors, and in less stress-out staff/board.

But learning it is worth your while:

“It is the best fundraising class I have been a part of, and I have tried lots over the years. I had given up on them and something about the application for this one intrigued me. I’m so glad I joined.”

- Megan Seifert, Executive Director, Headwaters Science Institute

“When I signed up, I thought I had mastered some of the key aspects of fundraising and all I had to do was polish up. Little did I know that I did not even know the half of it!! If you would like to take your fundraising career to the next level, this is the place to be.”

- Doris Mitti Kimuli, Director of Partnerships & Fundraising, The Remnant Generation

Need help with that? We’ve got you! Schedule a discovery call today to see if we can bake up a better fundraising recipe for your nonprofit so this year’s bake can rise to new heights!