Peak Performance Philanthropy

New fundraising community under "construction"

2010-05-26T07:12:00.000-07:00

Visit Peak Fundraising Leaders to see what the excitement is about.

Outstanding idea?! ... Let the donors select the research projects to fund

2010-05-04T14:54:00.000-07:00

For the 30 years I've been in community benefit work, the conventional wisdom of non-profit voluntary health organizations (like American Heart Association, where I worked for 21 years, or March of Dimes, where I worked for 8 years, or American Cancer, or American Lung, or American fill-in-the-blank-with-a-disease-or-body-organ) was that one of the values that the organization adds is its expertise in selecting the most scientifically meritorious or promising research projects to fund.

As a consequence, these organizations have traditionally frowned on donors who wanted to restrict their gift to a specific scientist or institution, and certainly nixed the notion of letting the donor actually choose which project their money funded. The closest we could get was accepting very large (six or seven figure) gifts restricted to very broad research areas.

Plus, the financial accountants put down any effort to attract this kind of support. Their reasoning: the cost of tracking all of this and making sure a specific gift went to a selected project ... well, that outweighed any possible benefit.

So, even if you wanted to restrict your gift to the broad function of research (as opposed to education or community programs), you still had to give at a certain level ($1,000 or $5,000) to make it worth even bothering with from the charity's perspective.

But of course, that was before the technology-assisted online tools of today. Now, in the United Kingdom, a unique way to support cancer research has been launched. It allows the donors to:

choose which area of their work they want to support

choose the specific project that most interests them

follow the developments of the work they've helped to fund

Projects that need funds are described with a blurb about the science behind it, where the work is happening, and a photo/bio of the investigator, together with a thermometer showing how much has already been raised, and how much more is needed.

True, the charity, Cancer Research UK, has already committed to supporting the projects they promote. In this sense, a donation is not really leading to a go/no go decision on whether the project will proceed.

But the donation is, strictly speaking, restricted. It won't go to any other purpose. And once a project reaches its target, the system automatically stops accepting donations for it, and adds new projects to the site for donors to choose from.

It's all currently in beta, but I think it's a fascinating trend, and I'll very much be looking forward to the results. I would predict increased donor satisfaction and retention for repeat gifts. Plus, there's big potential for donor involvement, with donors becoming fundraisers, spreading the word about a project that's piqued their personal interest, using the usual social media forums.

Donors can form Giving Groups to join together, forming a little community, as it were, of friends and family, with all their gifts going to the same project.

Like I said, tradition-bound health organizations have hated this concept in the past. They have long disliked accepting funds with strings attached, even for efforts that are directly aligned with their purpose and plans. I understand their preference for unrestricted funds that can be used for whatever the organization thinks it needs. But the mindset still flies in the face of developing a donor-centered philanthropic culture.

This whole notion is crowdsourcing at its best ... trusting the wisdom of the many over the elite, behind-closed-door decisionmaking of a few.

I hope it succeeds big time. It will go to prove a point of view I've been espousing for years: Restricted gifts are not a bad thing when they are restricted to something you've already decided you wanted to do anyway. To the extent that donors choose a specific project, such resources are "fungible," meaning the funds that were committed to this approved project can now be freed up for something else the organization wants to do.

It's a no-brainer, if you ask me ... and it will be interesting to see how quickly the "disease" organizations catch on here in the US.

Key attributes for charity success

2010-04-23T09:02:00.000-07:00

On the heels of the recession, our sector is poised for changes. Some of it will be self-initiated and embraced; much will be imposed by realities of new times. Most probably these changes will be reluctantly accepted, if not outright resisted.

In light of shrinking budgets, how can community benefit organizations create difference-making initiatives without simply doling out more money? The answer is IDEAS. Increasingly, we need to look at changing existing practices, changing old habits, challenging persistent mindsets, and using existing budgets better. Continuously, we must ask ourselves: "how can we improve what we have without increasing the dollars we invest?"

The status quo is not sufficient (never was, of course, but it's especially inadequate now). In an ongoing way, we need to measure ourselves against a measuring stick of what success looks like. Well, what does success look like for non profits?
An interesting survey of people in the sector was just released by nfpSynergy, posing that question.

The chart at left shows that more than half of all respondents thought that quality of services, quality of leadership, and strengths of values and vision were important in creating a successful, high-impact charity.

Financial soundness, the ability to work in partnership and the capacity to innovate were also considered important to charity success, with each of these factors selected by more than one third of respondents.

Lowest on the list:

Modern IT strategy/attitude to digital media

Strong commitment to diversity

Internal communications

Management of brand, image and reputation

Campaigning and media/PR skills

The perceived importance of working in partnership increased from 30% in a similar 2007 survey to 40% in 2009. This finding may point to the increased difficulty of accessing funding when working independently, in light of the global recession.

Funds, funding, and fundraising really matter. While I suggested above that we need to figure out how to do more with what we've got, the fact remains that making ends meet is still a top challenge for nonprofits, especially those largely dependent on government funds. The sector badly needs and wants to grow other sources of income to make up for government shortfalls. Thus, charities' need for fundraising skill is increasing. More charities need to raise more of their funds themselves; if you can't afford to hire a development capacity, then existing staff need to become more highly skilled to adapt their fundraising to the new environment.

The online survey was conducted by nfpSynergy (a research consultancy dedicated to the nonprofit sector) in November/December 2009. Opportunity to participate was widely promoted, especially through Third Sector Magazine. There were 710 respondents.

National Volunteer Week is April 18 - 24

2010-04-16T05:21:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again! A time when nonprofit organizations across the nation will be celebrating the volunteers who help them be great. National Volunteer Week is a time to celebrate volunteers' accomplishments and honor their dedication to giving back.

Now would also be a great time to let the message of volunteerism spread by taking some time to get the people in your life involved. Whether you help them find a volunteer opportunity, or you invite them to join you, take a moment to help them connect with a cause that they're passionate about.

Facebook Beats Google as Most Popular Web Destination

2010-03-16T13:49:00.000-07:00

Guess it had to happen, and it did, last week. Hitwise figures show Facebook's national domination as the most popular U.S. web destination. For the week ending March 13, Facebook grabbed 7.07 percent of all U.S. web traffic, barely beating Google's at 7.03 percent.

See the graph above; clearly Facebook has been steadily rising in traffic since last year. Traffic to Facebook increased 185 percent compared to the same week last year, whereas visits to Google increased only 9 percent.

Compared to the rise of social games on Facebook (like Farmville and Mafia Wars), there was little happening at Google to encourage traffic growth.

However, when measured by reach .... the percent of the U.S. population that visit ... Facebook still has a way to go. Comscore, another analytics firm, ranks Google as the top site by reach, with 81 percent of the U.S. population. According to Techcrunch, Facebook's reach ranking still has it behind Google (and Yahoo and Microsoft, for that matter) at 53 percent of the U.S. population.

Social Media Count: No Longer Possible to Ignore It

2010-03-16T12:48:00.000-07:00

The rise of social media in the last few years has created exponential growth in web usage. Here's a "real time" app that shows just how dynamic and active the social side of the web is. It helps put the growth of social media in context:

Here are some of the key data points that the ‘Media Count’ is based on:

20 hours of video uploaded every minute onto YouTube (source YouTube blog Aug 09)
Facebook 600k new members per day, and photos, videos per month, 700mill & 4 mill respectively (source Inside Facebook Feb 09)
Twitter 18 million new users per year & 4 million tweets in April 2009 sent daily (source TechCrunch) ... now 50 million Tweets per day in February 2010 (source: eConsultancy)
900,000 blogs posts put up every day (source Technorati State of the Blogosphere 2008)
YouTube daily, 1 Billion videos watched per day, $1mill bandwidth costs (source Comscore Jul 06; Dec 2009 SMH)
Second Life 250,000 virtual goods made daily
Text messages 1,250 per second (source Linden Lab release Sep 09)
Money – $5.5 billion on virtual goods (casual & game worlds) even Facebooks gifts make $70 million annually (source Viximo Aug 09)
Flickr has 73 million visitors a month who upload 700 million photos (source Yahoo Mar 09)
Mobile social network subscribers – 92.5 million at the end of 2008, by end of 2013 rising to between 641.6-873.1 million or 132 million annually (source Informa PDF)
SMS – Over 2.3 trillion messages will be sent across major markets worldwide in 2008 (source Everysingleoneofus sms statistics)

It's undeniable: social media are here to stay. Every non-profit, regardless of size, needs to think about their presence in this sphere.

The flash app above was designed by Gary Hayes; here's his Personalizemedia blog.

Great Planned Giving Story: Do you know who your donors are?

2010-03-05T13:00:00.000-08:00

Grace Groner was exceptionally restrained with her money.

Her clothes came from rummage sales. She never owned a car. She lived in a one-bedroom house.

She was orphaned while quite young, and came of age during the Depression. Thus, her character was naturally frugal.

She had very fond memories of her college days. So she set up a small scholarship program for her alma mater, Lake Forest College. She told them she planned to contribute more upon her death. But no one guessed it would be such a huge gift from one living so modestly.

When she passed away in January, at the age of 100, her attorney informed the college president what that gift added up to. Groner's estate was worth $7 million.

Here's the college president's reaction:

View more news videos at: http://www.nbcchicago.com/video.

I'm glad that the college was stewarding her lifetime gifts; clearly, they knew her and had the opportunity to thank her while she was alive. I can just imagine that Grace derived some pleasure out of knowing the secret surprise that they'd receive upon her death.

She worked as a secretary for Abbott Laboratories for 43 years. In 1935, she bought 3 shares of Abbott stock for $180. Those three shares are the asset that blossomed into $7 million.

The millions should generate more than $300,000 a year for the college. The money will help dozens of Lake Forest students pursue internships and study-abroad programs that they may not have had the chance to take advantage without Groner’s hefty donation.

Aside from the $7 million donation, she also left her small house to the college, which will house scholarship winners who benefitted from her donation.

But this story is one to add to the host of others told through the years: you never know which of your donors has the capacity to make a transformative gift to your institution. That's why it's incredibly important to be nice to ALL of your donors. Thanking the "little old lady" who sends in $5 twice a year is just as important as fussing over the six- and seven-figure donors. Fundraising basics 101, I know, but one of those fundamentals that is all-too-easily forgotten. Stories like this one provide a reminder.

A generous spirit; a life well-lived. Thank you, Grace Groner.

JK Rowling commencement speech at Harvard: The fringe benefits of failure

2010-03-04T09:05:00.000-08:00

JK Rowling, of course, authored the bestselling Harry Potter fantasy. Her creation -- a spellbinding, seven-installment series -- brought her from rags to riches.

At her Harvard University commencement speech, JK Rowling offers some powerful, heartening advice to dreamers and overachievers, including one hard-won lesson that she deems "worth more than any qualification I ever earned."

Her heart-felt comments encourage us to reach out to help our friends, our community, our government, and our world. Enjoy.

A Vision of K-12 Students Today

2010-02-01T19:13:00.000-08:00

Partnership for 21st Century Skills: Teaching 21st Century Learners

2010-02-01T19:07:00.000-08:00

It's 2010

2010-01-01T00:48:00.000-08:00

The first year of the second decade of the "new" millenium.

Greetings of the Season

2009-12-25T12:47:00.000-08:00

Oh No! Facebook fan page rating plummets to One Star! (But number of fans more than doubles!)

2009-11-30T16:12:00.000-08:00

Early in November, while on Facebook, I noticed that my Peak Performance Philanthropy fan page had attained a 5-star rating and a very high post quality score.

I proposed an experiment and promised to report back. The results are in.

The 5-stars rating has dropped to a measly 1-star. Why? Lack of interaction on the part of the fans. I guess the subsequent posts haven't been very engaging. Thus, the rolling 7-day average caused four of the stars to disappear.

What apparently created the "high post quality" score was a flurry of interactions in response to postings on Sesame Street and the election results in Maine. Over several days, there was an abundance of comments, likes, and wall postings. Together, they drove the quality score up to 112. Today, it's zero! On the chart at left, you can see several days' worth of interactions that elevated the post quality score ... preceded and followed by a flat-line. Not that I take this personally, but would it hurt you to click on like? Or jot a comment? Or even scrawl something on the wall?

What's really revealing is how few people need to do something to move the score. Less than eight people total "interacted" over a three day period to create the sky-high 112 quality score. Imagine if LOTS of people "interacted"?

Some of you did what I asked, and invited some of your friends to join the fan page. You can see the spike in total fan count that occurred just after the November 5 posting (in the red oval). That growth curve has continued at a slightly accelerated rate, so that, as of today, there are 64 fans of the page ... more than double what there were just 25 days ago!

So, not only was there an immediate bump in fan count ... but the "natural" growth was steeper after the experiment than before, perhaps attributable to the viral nature of social media. (Also, the fans are now from all over the world, including Canada, New Zealand, Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines. Before the experiment, you were all from the United States. Now, we have a multi-national audience!)

At this rate, there will be 100 fans by New Year's Day!

What's also interesting is to compare the makeup of the fan base, before the experiment (top chart as of 11/4) and after (bottom chart as of today). Or maybe it's not all that interesting, because the percentages didn't change all that much. Still slightly more male (53%) than female (45%).

Age-wise: not a striking change here either, but there's been a swing toward older fans.

Age 25-44:
Before, was 52%, now only 41%.

Age 45+:
Before, was 44%; now 56%.

So, what does this all mean? Beats me. What do you think?

And, if you're so inclined, I also invite you to visit the Peak Performance Philanthropy fan page (click here). Click on Suggest to Friends, carefully select some friends who might be interested in how people experience the joy of giving to their favorite causes (plus a smattering of other stuff with dubious relevance). In other words, invite some of your friends to become fans of this page.

My take-aways:

I need to post more frequently.
The posts need to be more relevant to your interests.

Let's see where this takes us.

Celebrate the National Day of Listening on November 27, 2009

2009-11-24T00:39:00.000-08:00

On Friday (that is, the day after Thanksgiving), each of us is encouraged to spend an hour recording interviews with loved ones, and preserve them for generations to come.

It's called the National Day of Listening -- friends and family are likely to be together and able to spend an hour honoring one another by listening. What a great idea to take time to tell people that their lives matter and that they won’t ever be forgotten. Interview a loved one or a community member whom you would like to honor—your grandfather, your aunt, a neighbor, a mentor, a veteran, or an old friend.

What a great gift to the future -- passing on a loved one's story to those who are too young (or not yet born!) to ask for themselves.

There's a complete do-it-yourself guide that details how to choose who to interview, prepare for the interview by creating a list of questions, and then record and save the interview. Here are just a few examples of questions:

What was the happiest moment of your life?

What are you most proud of?

What are the most important lessons you've learned in life?

What is your earliest memory?

How would you like to be remembered?

There are dozens of great questions like these on the site. Some are especially designed by relationship (grandparents, parents, spouse/partner, siblings, friends, older community members); others cover various life stages and personal topics (growing up, working, religion, love and relationships, school, marriage, raising children, serious illness, family heritage, war).

Here's a video that describes the process:

The National Day of Listening is a project of StoryCorps and its partners: NPR, the American Library Association, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and the Corporation for National and Community Service/Americorps.

Great Stewardship from DonorsChoose

2009-11-20T09:14:00.000-08:00

I just got an "impact report" today from a school teacher in Oakland.

Back in April, I went to DonorsChoose.org, an online charity that makes it easy for anyone to help students in need. Here's how it works:

1. Public school teachers from every corner of America post classroom project requests. The requests range from pencils for a poetry writing unit, to violins for a school recital, to microscope slides for a biology class.

2. You go to their site and browse project requests. The project is described by the teacher, but also shows detailed cost breakdown of exactly how the money will be spent. (I chose to help a reading intervention teacher in Oakland, California, who wanted to help fourth and fifth grade students get up to grade level at their Title I school. By reading parts of the books aloud, she found, the students are eager to actually read the books for themselves. Her students needed eight books in U.S. history content:

Longest Journey: The Story of the Donner Party
Cowboy Marc
Gold Fever!: Tales from the California Gold Rush
The Dirty Thirties
From Slave to Cowboy: The Nat Love Story
Birmingham 1963
Cherokee Rose: The Trail of Tears
The Story of Jamestown

The cost of this proposal was $161, which included a very reasonable fulfillment fee to DonorsChoose.)

3. Find the project that makes your eye twinkle and evokes a good feeling in your heart; give any amount. You can browse and search by city/state, grade level, subject area, teacher type, cost and/or by keyword. You can screen for projects that are close to their goal, located in an economically challenged area, have matching gift offers and by resource type such as books vs. technology vs. supplies vs. field trips or guest speakers.

(I gave an very modest sum, as I was out of work at the time. Within a day, I received a personalized thank you email from the teacher -- not an auto-generated thank you but one that referenced the remarks that accompanied my gift. Impressive!)

4. Once a project reaches its funding goal, DonorsChoose orders and delivers the materials to the school. (In my case, the teacher posted the project on February 28. It took seven donors, acting together, to reach the goal within a few weeks.)

5. Then, you get photos of your project taking place, a thank-you letter from the teacher, and a cost report showing how each dollar was spent.

If you give over $100, you'll also receive hand-written thank-you letters from the students -- a nice touch, for sure. But what's even better from my point of view is that you can give as little as $1 and get the same level of choice, transparency, and feedback that is traditionally reserved for someone who gives far more. They call it citizen philanthropy.

(Quite frankly, I'd forgotten that I'd even made that small gift back in April. But today, when I received the progress report, I was re-engaged all over again. I read the post-project thank you from the teacher. I saw the pictures of fourth and fifth grade kids reading the books I helped to buy. I reviewed the Live Update sequential stream of interactions, including notes from other donors sharing why they chose this project, with the teacher's personal thank you sent to each person contemporaneously. I felt a little sense of community around these like-minded people, strangers to each other who chipped in to make a little difference.)

Did the feedback make me feel good? Yes. Did the thank you reinforce that I'd made a good decision in making the gift? Absolutely. Was I prompted to go looking for another project to support? Of course I did.

The DonorsChoose business model is an exceptionally well-designed example of how technology can be used by a charity to actually personalize the giving process. I gave a modest gift. But I know more about the recipient, have had more interaction with her, and received a report to reinforce my choice ... far higher quality and quantity interaction than I've gotten from faceless organizations to whom I've made far larger gifts without so much as a thank you. Kudos to them.

By the way, if you're a teacher who has a project that needs to be funded, you can go here.

When you are laid off or involuntarily separated

2009-11-19T09:06:00.000-08:00

One year ago today, I took the shuttle from a White Plains, NY hotel to the headquarters office of the health charity where I worked -- day one of a four-day road trip, away from my Emeryville, California office. I walked into my boss' office at 8:30 a.m. to discuss an upcoming planning retreat.

By 8:45 a.m., I was no longer employed. I was unceremoniously escorted to my remote office. I turned over the laptop, cellphone, keys, credit card, and ID badge. I was closely watched as I packed a few personal possessions in a box. My briefcase was searched. And then I was escorted out of the building, returned to the hotel to checkout and pick up my luggage, and then was driven to the airport and put on a plane back home.

In retrospect, I could have (should have) seen it coming. But it came as a complete and utter shock. One moment, employed. The next, unemployed. I had been continuously employed for 28 years. And in the blink of an eye, I had no idea how I would earn a livelihood. Worse, I was totally unprepared for a transition.

Here's some advice to everyone who is employed about how to be prepared for the (unlikely?) event of an involuntary separation. Think of it like an earthquake preparedness kit ... you hope you never need to use it, but it gives you peace of mind when you've done these things:

Keep your resume updated. (I hadn't touched mine since 2001, and it wasn't easy to reconstruct, especially since I could no longer refer to source documents.)

Keep copies (safely, at home) of the following:

Your job description

Your performance evaluations (These usually contain valuable, high-level data about what you did. And, if you work for a firm that refuses to give references aside from confirming employment dates, these might be the only evidence you can show to someone that you were well thought of at the company before you were cut loose.)

A printed directory of your Outlook contacts. (How will you be able to reach out to your network of family, friends, professional and social connections if your only copy of their names, addresses, emails, and phone numbers are snatched from you moments after being told you no longer work there? Better yet, occassionally export your address book and import it elsewhere (a gmail or ymail account maintained solely for "just in case). And don't think that a service like LinkedIn serves this purpose. It doesn't. Without my Outlook and cellphone, I couldn't contact my housekeeper, my best friend from high school, the gardener, or even my mother-in-law!

At least a few work samples

Summary reports containing dashboard-level key metrics

User names and passwords for online accounts, plus URL's for blogs and online newsletters you subscribe to.

I'm not saying you should stash away sensitive or confidential materials that rightfully belong to the company you might leave one day. For example, in the context of a charity, I'm not suggesting you keep detailed donor or accounting records. But when the day comes that you are escorted out involuntarily, you won't be given any opportunity to take anything with you. I'd been there for seven years. Suddenly, I couldn't produce a shred of documentation showing what I'd done. How much money was I responsible for raising? What results did I produce? Were 2007 results an improvement over 2006? And was 2008 better than 2007? Can I demonstrate my ability to create products (training outlines, example handouts) or establish business processes (software documentation, manuals, or standard procedures)? Can I prove to someone that I possess writing skills (a brochure, a grant proposal, a fund-raising letter)?

Finally, set some money aside for living expenses. Otherwise, you risk tumultuous consequences (perhaps selling your home, dramatically cutting back on lifestyle, raiding funds intended for retirement). Yeah. I know -- you're not really going to do that.

That's my advice to be prepared. It's what I suggest you do while you still have a job. It's practical.

None of this takes into account the emotional aftermath of being let go ... the anger, the dread, the tears, the blame and self-blame, the shaken confidence, the fear. I have no real advice on how to deal with that, other than to say, give yourself exactly one day to lay in bed with the covers pulled over your head. Feel as sorry for yourself as you want for 24 hours. Then, get up, dust yourself off, realize that the past is past - you used to work there, now you don't. Time now to look forward and move on. Start reaching out. Start working your network. Start looking for the next-right-thing.

Now, one year later, I recognize that leaving that job was a very good thing for me. I had to confront the realities of the compromises I'd been making, settling for a different set of circumstances than I'd bargained for. Believing it was better to persevere rather than give up, I probably stayed in the position too long. When I touch base with "the survivors," I realize (recall?) that it is not a happy place to work. The separation forced me to think through what I really aspired to, and how the rest of my career would go. I've created a new practice under the brand Peak Performance Philanthropy, and provide coaching, consultation and training to organizations, helping them to understand how to help people experience the joy of giving to their cause. Life is good. But the transition would have been ever-so-much easier if I'd known then what I know now. Keep a back-up of important high-level stuff -- just to be on the safe side.

5 Star rating of Post Quality on Facebook ... Cool!

2009-11-05T16:57:00.000-08:00

I've got the greatest fans on Facebook! Checked in today to the Peak Performance Philanthropy fan page and saw this 5 Star rating of my post quality.

When one's fans choose to interact with posted material by commenting, liking, or writing on your Wall, it has the effect of spreading the content virally throughout Facebook (because their comments, likes, and wall scrawls show up in their News Feed that their friends see).

Apparently, "Post Quality" is determined by the percentage of fans that engage when content is posted to a fan page. It is calculated on a rolling seven-day basis.

The number of stars depends on how your Post Quality compares to similar Pages (that is, Pages that have a similar number of fans). I don't know how many stars one can get, but five seems like a great number, and I'm thrilled with that. And I'm not sure what 112 points means, but I know a lot of people with IQs that are lower, so I'm not complaining about that either.

On the scarier side, there's the question of how much Facebook knows about you. Yeah, the era of privacy is probably long gone. But here's just a snippet of the info Facebook can feed back to me about my fans. In the aggregate, I guess it's harmless enough. But, of course, Facebook has the actual details.

So, I love you men (56%) and women (44%); youngish (24% 18-34 years) and less-youngish (44% 45+) ... fans all!

Let's play a game. Invite some of your friends to join the page to see how the numbers shift. Just click on Suggest to Friends in the upper left corner of the fanpage. Will my Star rating plummet or soar? Will I attract more men or women? Will the age makeup skew; if so, which way? I'll report back in about a week's time.

Playing with social media to see how it works is fun. (Also a sign that I don't have enough to do!)

Click here to go to my fanpage and suggest to your friends that they join. Thanks!

Sad day for marriage equality. But now I'm moving on to the next skirmish.

2009-11-04T10:04:00.001-08:00

So the people of Maine have voted. And 53% get to take away the civil liberties of a minority.

Deja vu, all over again. In October 2008, my husband and I got married. We had made huge (for us) contributions to the No on 8 campaign. I worked my heart out as a volunteer on that one -- can't even guess how many phone calls I made. Then, it was just a year ago today that we went to the polls in California. Election day was spent staffing a "get-out-the-vote" hub. Woke up the next morning to find that Prop 8 passed, also with a slim majority.

I remember the hurt. I remember the tears. I remember the anger.

And today, I feel it all over again.

Last year, the election results awakened me, motivated me to become much more involved in my community at an unprecedented level. The results from Maine simply reinvigorate that commitment.

I still do not understand how equality can be put to a popular vote. The majority MUST not define the rights of a minority. That's the real outrage. Time after time, my rights and full equality under the law are being put to a popular vote.

Now the fault-finding and finger-pointing will begin. Sure, I'm filled with anger at the National Organization for Marriage and the Catholic church. And at a President who could have said something and didn't. But hold on a minute.

Based on the numbers, voters at the polls in Maine voted against their gay family and friends. How? Why? Is it really possible that all of those people voted to strip rights away from LGBT friends? Could they really have voted against people they love? I can't believe that.

I believe that, when people know us, it's far more difficult to vote against us. Which is why my own community -- despite the temptation of blaming others -- really needs to examine itself. Harvey Milk told us years ago: "Come out, come out, wherever you are." We’re a community; we need to act more like a community. Until we really start caring about what happens to each and every one of us, nothing will change for any of us.

We need to continue to reach out so that real people get to know the real us. Now is not the time to fight hate with hate. Hearts and minds are changed through honest, heartfelt discussion. I believe this. I must believe this.

It's time to reveal ourselves as the love-filled people we are. Let them know us. One-by-one. Face-to-face.

Yes, hurt, tearful, and angered. And the fight will go on.

Sesame Street 40th Anniversary!

2009-11-04T08:05:00.000-08:00

Can it be forty years!? Google says the day is today (Wednesday, November 4). I thought it was later. Either way, it's been forty years since its premiere broadcast, and Sesame Street will kick-off its landmark 40th season on PBS next Tuesday, November 10.

How great is that? I remember when it came on the air. I was a high school senior, and already interested in radio and TV as a career. I already loved Jim Henson's Muppets from previous incarnations. He was my hero. (I was into puppetry as a child -- another story for another time.)

And then came Big Bird, Oscar, Elmo, Cookie Monster, Grover, Bert and Ernie, and all the rest. And Kermit! (How did I forget Kermit?) Each day was a whole new set of adventures, fast-paced animation, lessons, catchy songs, games and sketches.

Even though I was decidedly not part of the target audience, I was enamored. I knew that this was quality. This was meaningful. This was going to make an impact.

And it did, in so many ways. It affected the way we think about education, childhood development and cultural diversity, to name a few.

Back in the day, kids were glued to the sets, hypnotised by test patterns! Bozo the Clown and Romper Room kept us pretty mindlessly entertained in the fifties and sixties. The idea that toddlers could learn was, well, new and untested. TV largely ignored preschool children's intellect, probably reflecting the larger society which pretty much did the same.

During that first season, they tried to show that kids could count to ten. Seems incredibly simplistic now. Soon, it was clear that two and three year olds could learn to count to twenty. (Nowadays, the counting goes all the way to 100!)

When those preschoolers started showing up in Kindergarten already knowing their letters and numbers, their teachers had to change. Much of the reform we've seen in education can (arguably) be traced back in part to Sesame Street's impact. As one of the most researched shows on television, studies on Sesame Street have shown its positive effects on reading and achievement last through high school.

But the bigger impact was made through its quiet activism. It always targeted urban, lower-socio-economic kids. From the beginning, it showed kids of different races living together. And the African American kids were shown as equals to the white kids. This didn't go over real well in some parts of the South, but it also challenged the "norm" throughout America.

It's shocking that Nielsen tells us that Sesame Street ranks only 15th among the top children's shows on the air. Today's tots are more likely to recognize Dora or SpongeBob than Big Bird or Cookie Monster. They used to create 130 new episodes a year; now, only 26 each season. This is the most important children's TV program ever (with apologies to Captain Kangaroo and Mister Rogers). It would be truly sad if it fell off of the cultural landscape.

Just as a tip-of-the-hat to Sesame Street, I invite you to watch a video of "outtakes" where comedian Ricky Gervais interviews Muppet Elmo. Not quite appropriate for pre-schoolers, but good fun anyway.

This posting has been brought to you by the letter P and the number 5 and number 9.

Brand name power: Motorized DWI chair for sale on eBay (but it's not a La-Z-Boy!)

2009-11-03T12:06:00.000-08:00

OK, now, this is just plain weird.

A Minnesota man pleaded guilty for driving while intoxicated in a recliner.

The man who built the machine, Dennis Anderson, 61, was driving it from one bar to another in late August in Proctor, MN. He hit a parked car while in the chair, and he then tested .29% on a breath alcohol test. He was arrested for DWI and sentenced to 180 days in jail when he pleaded guilty.

The jail time was stayed providing for a 2 year probationary period, but Anderson forfeited his chair and forked over $2,000 to the state in fines.

The chair is a traditional recliner, but it includes a converted gas-powered lawnmower engine. The engine is connected to a steering wheel, and the chair is also outfitted with headlights, roll bars, a stereo and cup holders. The chair is reported to run about 20 miles per hour at full throttle. But, to fully disclose its condition, I must share that the seat cushion is missing.

Apparently having no internal use for the vehicle, the Proctor police department put the chair/vehicle on eBay for auction, calling the item the DWI La-Z-Boy. The closing bid on Friday was $37,300. Sadly for the police, the La-Z-Boy people invoked their VERO (VErified Rights of Ownership) with eBay, which pulled the item for inappropriately using the La-Z-Boy name.

Exhibiting remarkable perseverance, the Proctor police have re-posted the recliner without the La-Z-Boy name. As of the date/time this posting was made, 45 bids had been placed with just 2 days and 4 hours left to bid. At the moment, the current bid is only $5,800, which just goes to show the power of a good brand name!

If you want to place a bid, go here.

Now, don't you think you've squandered about as much time as you can afford on this? No??

Well, then, waste just a bit more by watching the video below.

Did I mention that the chair's builder/former owner is now selling autographer photos of him sitting in the chair on eBay? Is this the greatest country in the world, or what?!

How to ask for a gift ....

2009-10-19T17:48:00.000-07:00

Here's a video snippet from the HBO show, Entourage. Matt Damon and Bono are featured as they ask Vince (played by Adrian Grenier) to make a gift to their favorite cause (a children's hunger charity).

Now I wouldn't actually suggest you ask the way Matt Damon does here, but there are some lessons embedded in the video.

Among them:

Total absence of call reluctance (since he believes in his cause, Matt Damon asks everyone!)

Asking for involvement in addition to monetary support

Persistence and the importance of follow-up

Importance of making your own gift first (because donors, even if they don't ask, will KNOW in their gut whether you've done your part)

Framing the ask amount in relation to capacity and what other leadership donors have given

Ask as part of a team, in person (see how much more effective the ask gets when LeBron James joins Matt in the ask)

How to make it past gate-keepers ("He Jason Bourne-d me!")

Linking back to the cause when making the ask ("it's for the kids!")

Warning: Some crude language here. Click here to watch.

Earthquake in San Francisco Bay Area, 1989, Remembered

2009-10-16T09:29:00.000-07:00

Twenty years. It actually doesn't seem all that long ago. Or maybe it does.

It was a Monday. It was a red-letter day for me. I was promoted to a VP position in charge of all fund-raising for the American Heart Association in California. And my boss was sending me later in the week to an American Management Association course on leadership (which was huge in a corporate culture that self-importantly leaned toward in-house training).

I was working in Burlingame, just south of the SFO Airport and maybe ten miles from Candlestick Park. I was sitting at my desk, listening to a voicemail, a congratulatory message, as I recall. It was just after 5:00 p.m. The third game of the "Battle of the Bay" 1989 World Series -- with the SF Giants playing the Oakland A's -- was just underway.

And the earth moved! Boy, did it move! I got up from my desk to move to the doorframe, where I saw my office neighbor Kent had done the same. Inexplicably, I was still holding the phone (never one to let an earthquake interrupt the message I was listening to!), though moments later, the phone went dead. Chandeliers were swaying back and forth; file drawers slid in and out of their cabinet. It seemed to last forever. Actually, it was only 15 seconds.

When things settled down, we walked downstairs and outside to check on things. Across the street was the Amfac Hotel, 12 stories as I recall.
But the top couple of stories of the center tower were crumpled in at a twisted angle, and water was shooting up maybe 30 to 40 feet in the air, as though someone was standing on the roof, aiming a fire hose straight up. Dozens (hundreds?) of people were streaming out of the hotel's exits.

That's when I knew this was a BIG earthquake.

The parking lot at my office became a makeshift emergency headquarters, with ambulances and police vehicles swarming around the scene. About an hour later, my car was no longer blocked in the lot, so I could leave to go home, about a 15 mile trip back into San Francisco, where we lived in a flat in the West Portal neighborhood. The power was out as were the traffic signals. Volunteers tried to direct traffic, and drivers seemed to exercise appropriate caution. By the time I got home, it was pretty dark. Feeling my way through the darkened space, I found pictures fallen off the wall and bookcases that "walked" about a foot from their usual spot, but overall, not very much damage.

Kevin had been at school in Walnut Creek in the East Bay. The Bay Bridge was, of course, closed -- and would be for several weeks after. So, instead of a 34 mile trip that usually took 45 minutes, he had to go south almost all the way to San Jose and back up to SF, a 90+ mile trip that took him about three hours.

In Oakland, the collapse of the Nimitz Freeway, where about a one-mile section of the top deck buckled and fell, would become an indelible image of quake. Only later would we find out that a friend of ours, Cathy Scarpa, had been in the front seat of the UCSF-furnished vanpool vehicle. There were eight people in the van.

The van had gone airborne off the broken upper deck, then slammed head-on into part of the structure before dropping into the rubble of the double-deck structure. Cathy's head had gone through the windshield; her legs were jammed up into the engine. The impact had severed her seat from the floor.

Five people in the van were killed. Cathy, miraculously, lived. She had head injuries, her legs and feet had been badly broken, her liver lacerated and her right arm cut to the bone.She was in and out of the hospital for nine months and endured at least 20 surgeries related to the crash.

The toll: 63 dead, 42 of them on the Nimitz.

So much has changed in these twenty years. The Bay Bridge is still in the process of being retro-fitted. The Nimitz Freeway has been replaced. As part of my 29 year non-profit career, I've been a "fund raiser" for exactly twenty years, as of October 17. Learned so much, it seems much longer than twenty years ago. Kevin and I now live in Oakland. Cathy Scarpa now lives in Grass Valley with her partner Kay, miles away from the Bay Area. Who can blame her?

Below is a brief collection of live footage captured during the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake in San Francisco, which was created by the U.S. Geological Survey. It might be unsettling, but it isn't gory, or anything. It reminds me I need to be better prepared for the "Big One."

USA TODAY launches online community, "Kindness: New Ways We Give and Volunteer"

2009-10-13T16:16:00.000-07:00

We could joke and call it Philanthropy-Light. Or Giving-Digest. But our nation's top-selling newspaper has launched its newest online community, and its theme is charity, good causes, giving, and giving back.

No small audience: the print and online editions of USA TODAY reach more than 5 million a day. Here's how they're positioning the online community:

Kindness is your daily source of inspiration and guide to making a difference in fresh and exciting ways, no matter where you are. Each day, this site will unearth unique stories of giving with exclusive interviews, fresh takes on news stories, plenty of tips, and links to interesting resources. But we're also building a community, and we look forward to hearing from you.

The community can be found here. You can see a lot there, but of course, you have to register and all that to participate in commenting, connecting, blogging, posting in (or creating) forums ... the usual social networking stuff. But it's all under the USA TODAY brand. No doubt there will be an on-going promotion of it. Who knows? Maybe it will become a generalized philanthropy portal for those who are interested, attracting donors and organizations alike.

(USA TODAY also published its third annual philanthropy section in the newspaper, entitled "Sharing in the USA.")

Marriage Equality: One Year Later

2009-10-10T14:07:00.001-07:00

One year ago this weekend, I was married to my partner of 23 years. I'm celebrating this first anniversary, feeling joy, anger, disappointment, and hope.

Joy, because I am married to a wonderful man with so much love to share.

Anger, because of last year's Prop 8 election result, and the California Supreme Court's subsequent upholding of the stripping away of a right from a group, because a slim majority of the public wanted it so.

Disappointment, because while I am still legally married (the Court didn't nullify my marriage), I feel a bit like a freed slave. I have my rights, but my brothers and sisters in my community don't have theirs.

And hope. Hope, because today is Coming Out Day and tomorrow, thousands will march in Washington and elsewhere, for equality ... demanding equal protection in all matters governed by civil law in all 50 states.

If you want to see what a gay wedding looks like (well, my gay wedding anyway), click on the video links below.

Part 1 is the ceremony.

Part 2 is the reception.

Moving and ordinary at the same time. I've been married one year as of Sunday, October 11. And the world hasn't wobbled off of its axis. The sanctity, validity, and meaning of hetero-marriages in California weren't threatened by my marriage.

Glad to celebrate. Sad that others don't have the same right.

Equal protection, as guaranteed under the 14th Amendment. We will accept no less and will work until it is achieved. We should not have to beg or bargain for the right to work our jobs and go to school free of harassment and discrimination, the right to safety in our daily lives, the right to equitable healthcare, the right to marry, and the right to serve in the military openly.

Customer Service Week, October 5-9

2009-10-05T10:22:00.000-07:00

In 1992 the U.S. Congress proclaimed Customer Service Week a nationally recognized event, celebrated annually during the first full week in October.

Of course, this makes about as much sense as having a seperate Customer Service Department. EVERY week should be Customer Service Week, just as responsibility for customer service should rest with everyone in your organization, not just one department. For your organization, providing really great customer service can be THE difference between thriving and going extinct.

There are lots of ways to encourage a culture of service in your organization. Ways that won't work include:

Writing a memo
Making a speech
Imposing new behavior standards ("Smile, dammit!")

Genuine change happens when people buy in. A way to start that is to have a simple conversation about it.

So on this occasion, let me offer you something for free. Here's an exercise to help you get the conversation started. Use it at your next staff meeting, or even in the lunch room.

There's two pages of quotes about customer service, meeting needs, reputation, and trust(they're all related, you know). Have people read through the quotes and then, in pairs or small groups, share which one they most responded to. I can almost guarantee an enthusiastic conversation will ensue, and perhaps some altered notions about who is responsible for keeping the customer.

Get your free copy: simply click here to sign up. Give me your name and email, and I'll send you the exercise right away.

And remember what Lewis Carol said:

One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is really
worth doing is what we do for others.

100 Days Left In 2009

2009-09-23T12:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the autumnal equinox arrived. The Earth on its tilted axis was at the point where day and night were precisely the same length at the equator. In no time at all, it will be the winter solstice, the longest day of the year.

Between now and then, lots will happen. The passage of time through the seasons allows us to mark progress and take note of things that have changed. As autumn arrives, we're mostly in back-to-school mode, with thoughts of football and turning leaves. In December we'll be in the midst of holiday frenzy and the countdown toward a new year. The next three months, inevitably, is a busy time of the year.

Earlier this year, in January, you probably made some resolutions to yourself. Today, with just 100 days left in 2009, you might find yourself with unmet goals and unfulfilled promises.

Right now, you have the opportunity to close out the year like a winner. The question I'd ask is whether, 100 days from now, you will have accomplished what you wanted ... or if you'll just have been so "busy" that you'll wonder where the time went.

Every day, of course, is a moment of choice. But today, with 100 days left in 2009, is a highlighted moment of choice. My advice: Pick one mid-range target -- something significant that's important to you, a personal breakthrough that can be accomplished in 3 months.

Commit now to focusing on that outcome with discipline. Break it down to smaller pieces, bite-sized chunks you can work on day-by-day. Keep this target clearly in mind, and work on it regularly, each day if possible. Think of how you'll feel when the target is reached, the mission accomplished.

Today, you are facing an awesome opportunity to finish the year strong. If you stay motivated and focused, then your challenging target will be reached by December 21 (90 days from now) ... or at least by December 31, and you'll close out the year like a winner. Then, you can make another resolution for 2010.

Big Shout Out to Our Friends in Cyberspace

2009-09-23T11:35:00.000-07:00

It's gratifying when people read your blog. It really is. Sometimes, one wonders: "Is anybody out there?"

Well, recently, traffic has been really picking up. In just the last 24 hours, look who has dropped by!

In California, visitors came from Cypress, Irvine, Los Angeles, Oakley, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, San Leandro and Vacaville.

From elsewhere in the US, people visited from Atlanta, Brooklyn, Buffalo Grove, Canton, Cheshire, Chicago, Dallas, Duncanville, East Longmeadow, Fairport, Glendale, Greenbrier, Houston, Jacksonville, Kissimmee, Louisville, Lyndhurst, Manhattan (the one in Kansas), Milwaukee, Mohawk, New York, Pella, Plano, Portland, Provo, Raleigh, Richmond, Seattle, Syracuse, Troy, Washington, DC and Yonkers.

Then there are the globetrotters who stopped by from Australia, Canada, England, Ireland, Netherlands, and Switzerland.

All in the last day. Whew. I hope you found something useful here.

Isn't the World Wide Web wonderful?

Cool News for (non-profit) YouTube Users: Annotations and External Links!

2009-09-22T03:15:00.000-07:00

I've refrained from doing a lot of posting on social media. For one, even though I'm a long time user of LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, et.al., other people know more than I, especially about the nuts and bolts. For another, I don't want to do "me too" postings, joining the landslide of commentators and advice givers, immitating and repeating essentially the same old stuff.

But THIS is news. In fact, if you haven't already put up whatever video your organization has on YouTube, then now is the time to explore that. The last possible "excuse" is gone!

Michael Hoffman of See3 Communications explains the new, special YouTube Annotations functionality available only to organizations that are part of YouTube's Nonprofit Program. With this new functionality, you can create "buttons" inside the video player that allow your viewers to connect to an external page---your website, your donation page, a petition, a call to action, anything!

Annotation has been around for awhile, but they always had to link to another YouTube video. This is the FIRST TIME that YouTube has allowed traffic to be directed away from its site. Watch ...

Cool, right? Well, there's maybe ONE excuse remaining:

"I don't know where to start."
Then check out Gear Up for Giving, a series of tutorials, to help nonprofits and their supporters understand how to use key tools and techniques to create awareness, catalyze civic action and cultivate new supporters and donors for their causes. Watch this introductory video to learn more about social media. Then, go to Case Foundation for further information.

Kudos to YouTube and Case Foundation.

Personal blindspots: Doing what's in front of me to do, NOW

2009-09-21T11:53:00.001-07:00

Confession time: There is part of me that LIKES complicated. The first time I heard about the KISS principle (the acronym meaning "Keep It Simple Stupid"), I HATED the idea.

I mean, I do get it in concept. Even I don't want to get bogged down in detail, or pursue the rabbit trail toward needless complexity.

But we've got a complicated world to deal with. It moves fast, and we try to tame it by creating process to codify and standardize.

My temperment naturally tips toward complicated over simple. Give me the chance, and I'll tend to create a flowchart or multi-step approach to address the most basic issues. But time and again, I'm reminded ... often painfully ... that simple and direct is better.

And it's taken me years to understand why that is.

Too often, my first impulse is to create a new system, invent a new rule, form a new standard. Too often that urge is, in reality, a ... (wait, I'm about to get the words out): ... a delaying tactic. There, I've said it.

For example, now is the right time to approach a likely supporter and say:

We're working on an issue/problem you care about. Here's how we approach our top priorities. Will you join in our cause?

Instead I'm tempted to say "a little more research is needed," "let's do one more cultivation move," or "today might not be the best time so let's wait for a few weeks."

Over the years, I've taught myself to catch myself doing this, and I usually do. Long ago I pledged that I would attend no more meetings with prospects where, at the end, the prospect is left to wonder "why didn't they ask?"

But my personal blindspot becomes glaring when I see it manifested in others. (Isn't that always the way?)

So ...

One of the best values I offer to others in my consulting is to be hyper-sensitive to delaying tactics, no matter how cleverly disguised or manifested. I'm always pressing to get people to admit that the time is now. My magic question: "What is it that we need to know about this person's ability or interests or motivation, that can be known, before we can make the ask?" Almost always, their answer: "Nothing." The inescapable conclusion: it is time to ask.

It sounds obvious.

But, clever procrastinators that we are, we can almost always find an expert reference from "the book" that says that we should cultivate before asking. So it always seems easier to cultivate, cultivate, cultivate, cultivate ad nauseum.

After stripping away all the excuses, we're left with a classic case of call reluctance. Get over it!

Too many opportunities are missed because we get wrapped up in procedures that we've created as stalling tactics in the name of building relationship. And then we fail to recognize that the moment is right. Done right, asking for the gift is the BEST way to build relationship. 99 times out of 100, the time to ask is NOW.

You are starting a new fundraising venture; how would you go about it?

2009-09-17T14:51:00.000-07:00

In the course of qualifying for a potential project, I was just asked to respond in writing to four essay questions. I decided to share this result with you because it's kind of an interesting question. (You should have seen the other three!)
_________________

The possibility of starting with a blank sheet is intriguing. In my career, even when I have been brought in to create a new revenue stream, I have always inherited the history and culture of an existing organization with deeply embedded values and practices that limited what was acceptable within the environment. While I have spent a career creating change within such organizations, it is tantalizing to consider forming an organization from the ground up in its early stages.

Without hesitation, I would start with an in-depth conversation with the person or persons who initiated the new undertaking. First, I would seek absolute clarity on the endeavor’s justification, its raison d’etre. Whether it is organized as a for-profit or non-profit is beside the point. That’s the how, and right from the start, I need to understand the why. Or, said in another way, I want to know the void that would be created if the venture ceased to be. Surprisingly, not all organizations or founders are clear on this. They might be able to recite a mission statement by rote, but there’s no real understanding of the cause that is being championed or there is ambiguity about the unmet need that led to the creation of the organization.

At this early stage, it would acceptable, even desirable, if the direction of the project was not yet fleshed out. Nevertheless, I would attempt to discover the two or three driving forces behind the likely priorities of the organization, answering in broad terms the question: “How will the money be spent?”

Finally, I would query the founders on how they envision others being involved, answering the question: “What do we want others to do to support our cause?” This might range from lending expertise to being an ambassador in the community, referring us to others who might be interested, or opening doors to others who can influence the project’s outcome. Regardless, others would most certainly be invited to make their own commensurate investment in our work.

Following this exchange with the founders, I would cobble together a one-page tool for sharing the story of our purpose and our priorities, and presenting the opportunity to become involved. Later, this would evolve into a case for support and a formal funding plan or chart of gift opportunities. For starters, though, a simple plan for how much we need, over what period of time, and how we will get on our way is all that’s required to start the discussion with likely supporters. This plan might be as basic as declaring that we need ten angel investors at $x each. It might even entail approaching one benefactor to underwrite the entire project in its start-up phase. More likely, I’d draw a three-level pyramid (with one lead gift, several substantial commitments, and many moderate contributions, together totaling the start-up cost. Whichever approach I chose, I would make the total amount rational by framing it within the context of the vision. In addition, I would stamp the word “DRAFT” on the page.

Then, I would begin to find and single out a group of persons who are known to care (or are presumed to care) about the cause. In existing organizations with half-way decent fundraising records, the starting point is looking at people who are already giving to the cause or, failing that, identifying who may have benefited from past encounters and who might feel a measure of gratitude. Where no donor or beneficiary history exists, I would work to identify connections with the founder’s family, associates, friends, and acquaintances. I would seek out related or similar communities that have already organized themselves, both online and off-line, and that might share an interest in our issue. This process would not take too long, as the list serves only as a launching point for networking and conversation.

After that, I would work to personally visit with likely supporters, ideally one-on-one or, alternatively, in small groups. With each one, I would lay out the purpose and probable programs of the enterprise, and engage in a dialogue about the plan for funding. Knowing that they are being approached at the early stages of organization, I would ask for their response to the concept, and invite their involvement at a leadership level.

In a relatively brief period, a substantial amount of starting capital would be raised, and the program could commence. After some consensus has been built from early investors “buying in” to our plans, we can elaborate on the programmatic priorities and add detail to the development of additional supporters and revenue generation. We will, of course, continue to keep the early supporters engaged by updating them on what their investment has made possible and by finding opportunities for their ongoing involvement.
_________________

So, how would you have answered this question?

Community Centers Change Lives

2009-09-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

Bet you didn't know it, but today is LGBT Center Awareness Day. Vital services are offered by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community centers. I'm proud to serve as a volunteer board member for the Center in San Francisco.

LGBT community centers are the front doors to the LGBT community, and in the United States serve over 40,000 people weekly. They become the backbone of the LGBT community, reaching across metropolitan, suburban, and rural areas. Click here to find one near you.

While progress has been made, it is still challenging to "come out" in today's society. Often, people feel isolated, and don't find welcoming entree into being who they are.

Even in progressive, uber-liberal San Francisco, newcomers to the community -- whether arriving from Kansas or the City's Sunset district -- have to make their way through a confusing maze.
The San Francisco LGBT Community Center empowers those individuals to build community. Yes, San Francisco is rich with organizations and agencies serving specific needs of the LGBT community. The Center works to enable collaboration. Rather than duplicating existing services, The Center works alongside each of them, fostering connections and insuring that people in need find them.

The Center is not only a meeting place and shared headquarters space for dozens of groups (though that's important, too). It also provides activities benefiting the entire lifespan of LGBT people, from our KidSpace program (childcare for program participants) to elder services. I'm personally proud of The Center's youth support, HIV support, computer access, and economic development/business assistance efforts.

Click on any of the links to learn more, or to support the Center, click here.

And tell someone you know that today is LGBT Center Awareness Day!

Nonprofit Dating

2009-09-14T07:48:00.000-07:00

I've frequently drawn the parallel between romantic courtship and the process of "romancing" a prospective donor. Something draws the two parties together (their eyes meet across a crowded room?). After some time, once you know this person is "the one" for you, the object is to pop the question at the right time. Presumably not the same evening you first encounter them ("hey baby, wanna get married?!") ... the premature ask. But also not after dating and going steady for years and years and years ... the "cultivate, cultivate, cultivate, cultivate, cultivate" phenomen.

Five or six weeks ago, I came across this video which pokes some fun at how some of us choose to speak when first approaching a prospect, the language set that sounds so stilted. Today, I ran across it again, and decided I just had to share it. So, if a nonprofit were a guy and the donor a girl, it might go something like this ... click and enjoy.

By the way, this was done using a free, do-it-yourself movie creation service called xtranormal. "If you can type, you can make movies," they say. You choose the setting, the characters, and then type in dialogue. Voila -- an animated movie that you can then blog, share on Twitter or Facebook or YouTube, or whatever. I immediately registered for a free account, but I didn't start playing around with it. Knowing me, I'd have gotten sucked into the tool for hours. But it seems like a great idea for animating a message inexpensively. It will be interesting to see how it is used by community benefit organizations.

September 11: Service and Remembrance

2009-09-11T10:07:00.000-07:00

September 11, 2001 was a day of tragedy. In response, many people rallied as one to support families who had lost loved ones and to help in recovery efforts. A powerful spirit of service and sacrifice united a nation -- ever so briefly. The echo of that impulse to help still remains, as September 11th is now officially designated a National Day Of Service and Remembrance.

My own vision of volunteerism changed as a result of what happened eight years ago. We each have a personal story about 9/11: where we were and how we felt. But it is perhaps more important to remember 9/12 and the successive days, when individuals joined in community with each other. Yes, let's remember that lesson.

Opportunities to work towards positive social change abound. A great video linking the Twin Towers tragedy to how we can personally help people is here. I invite you to watch:

09-09-09

2009-09-09T09:09:00.000-07:00

In case you haven't noticed, today is September 9, 2009 -- the ninth day of the ninth month of the ninth year.

Some numerologists feel that the date is an auspicious omen. But, for most people, it's likely to be just another day, and it will be what you make of it.

Still, today is the 252nd day of this year. Add 2+5+2, and you get "9." Ooooh! That's weird.

We're at the end of a run here, that started with 01-01-01 (that was January 1, 2001) and continued through:

02-02-02 February 2, 2002

03-03-03 March 3, 2003

04-04-04 April 4, 2004

05-05-05 May 5, 2005

06-06-06 June 6, 2006

07-07-07 July 7, 2007 and

08-08-08 August 8, 2008

This cycle won't repeat itself for another 100 years, and I won't be around.

So, I'm going to enjoy the day. I invite you to do the same.

Labor Day: As summer winds down ... turn your computer off

2009-09-04T12:36:00.001-07:00

Labor Day Weekend.

Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, the bridge between San Francisco and Oakland is closed in what's becoming a nearly-annual occurrence. A huge chunk of the bridge is being cut out and a new section is being slid in, creating a detour that will allow the completion of a more seismic-safe span. The closure is forcing the region to pause from the usual frenzy. I say, good!

What's this holiday all about, anyway? It arose from congressional reaction to Grover Cleveland's shut-down of a labor strike in the 1890s. The powers-that-be granted an annual "worker's holiday."

The picture above left shows a workers' Labor Day parade down San Francisco's Market Street in 1934. Ordinary working men and women have long struggled for an 8-hour workday, better pay, the right to unionize, health care benefits, and such.

When I was growing up, the first day of school was always the Tuesday after Labor Day. These days, back-to-school has crept earlier for a variety of reasons.

Now, Labor Day weekend is just an occasion that marks the unofficial end of summer. Labor Day has devolved into a marketing platform for mattress sales and used car clearances.

So how much progress have the workers really made?

Today, many people just count themselves lucky to have a job. Today, jobs frequently become task masters far beyond eight hours, increasingly demanding greater shares of people's attention. And the driver behind it all (in my opinion) isn't some sinister push-pull between labor and capitalists so much as the spread of 24/7 technology and raised expectations for instantaneous response. Remember the days before the curse of email?

Can we slow any of this down? No. It's impossible to roll back to "the good old days." But we CAN occassionally turn it off.

Are you doing anything fun to the celebrate Labor Day? How about declaring Monday to be an email-free day? Turn off your computer. Don't check Facebook. Don't issue any tweets on Twitter. Focus on real-time, person-to-person interaction. Spend some time with friends and family having fun. Or do whatever it is you do to recharge your batteries.

Because, more than anything else, Labor Day now represents the last chance to catch your breath before sprinting through fall, the holidays and the end of the year.

Do yourself a favor: recharge and refresh. Turn off your computer. Just for a day.

When will things start looking up? How will you know?

2009-08-24T16:53:00.000-07:00

So there's lots of chatter about hints of recovery in many economic indicators. Maybe we've reached a turning point?

Let's look at some of the data.

New home sales up 9.6% between June and July. (Sales of existing homes also up, 7.2%)
Consumer confidence, especially expectation of where we'll be in six months, rose in August to the highest level since December 2007.
Orders of durable goods rose for third time in four months in July (up 4.9%), beating consensus estimates
Last week, Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke told a financial conference that the economy is on the verge of growing again.
Second quarter Gross Domestic Product declined "only" one percent, much less than expected
First-time filings for state unemployment benefits fell by 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 570,000 last week, marking the first drop in initial claims in awhile

Many scoff at this optimism, and for every positive data point it's easy to produce one to show the glass is half-empty. Caution is completely understandable and warranted.

But what does this mean for philanthropy? For your organization, in particular: How will you know when it's over? What indicators are you looking for? Average gift creeping back up? Direct response rates returning to "normal"? Corporate contacts no longer ducking your calls and interested in talking to you about sponsorships? Top investors willing to visit? To stay ahead of the curve, what signs are you monitoring to know when recovery is at hand? Or will you miss those signals?

To challenge you, I ask: What will you do first when you see those early indicators? What new practices will you roll out? What new initiatives will you pursue?

And then I will pose the most challenging question: What are you waiting for?

If you have a plan in mind for when things get better, what really is preventing you from going ahead and making those intentions a reality now? If that idea or strategy or tactic will be a good idea at some future "better time," I can almost guarantee you that it's a great idea now.

If there's any way to do so, get ahead of the curve. Implement those plans now.

Cool tool to visualize grantmakers and grants

2009-07-17T12:46:00.001-07:00

I love maps. Something about them makes life understandable, helping me to know where I am and helping me to navigate how to get where I want to go. So, when I saw this, I knew I had to check it out.

The Foundation Center has just unveiled a nifty tool that maps data on grants and grant-makers. It's called Philanthropy In/Sight.

This interactive mapping tool was developed for grantmakers, policymakers, researchers, and others interested in the impact of philanthropy around the world today. It mashes up all the Foundation Center's rich data with the familiar Google maps interface. Clicking around reveals patterns of giving, funding relationships, areas where philanthropy has made an impact, and areas where opportunities exist to fill critical needs. Zoom out to see the data mapped internationally. Zoom in to see it displayed in a country, state, or county, or city.

Two databases feed this tool, with comprehensive information on:

97,000+ U.S. foundations and grantmaking charities, that can be filtered by:

1.6 million+ grants, filterable by:

Choose your filters, and data is displayed on a map. Then you can click-and-drill down for more specific information. You can also save or print your map to share with others.

All of this data, of course, is available in other formats and always has been. Prospect researchers have relied on this information for years, sifting through and looking for that needle-in-the-haystack -- the grantmaker perfectly suited to approach for their cause or project. But, for those of us who just think more visually, this is a boon.

Many people like tons of data. But, if you're the sort of person who gets a thick computer printout and skips past the details to the last page to see the bottom line, you'll love this. Me -- I'm one who sees the forest and doesn't so much like getting lost in the minutiae of the trees (or branches or leaves!) I really appreciated it.

A free trial is available, as is a brief tour . I've played with it, and might just have to subscribe myself. I certainly wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to a client organization who depends on foundation revenue.

Mid-Year's Eve

2009-06-30T04:31:00.000-07:00

So, June 30. Hmmm. The year is half gone.

Remember those resolutions you made six months ago? How has your work on those been going?

I'll bet this sums up how you are feeling these days: you've been working too hard, worrying too much, feeling overwhelmed by all of it.

As a coach, I can help you focus more. If you'd like that kind of help, let me know. We can talk about what kind of support will benefit you.

Charitable giving drops in 2008, Giving USA report shows

2009-06-10T10:29:00.000-07:00

Every year about this time, Giving USA releases its report on charitable giving for the previous year. Results for 2008 came out today.

Giving in the worst economic climate since the Great Depression exceeded $300 billion for the second year in a row, $307.65 billion to be precise.

The 2008 number is the first decline in giving in current dollars since 1987 and the second since Giving USA began publishing annual reports in 1956. Adjusted for inflation, total giving was down 5.7 percent.

Two-thirds of public charities receiving donations saw decreases in 2008.

Charitable giving being down when the economy has been down is not news, really. Who would expect any different? The good news: Charitable giving is still more than 2 percent of the US Gross Domestic Product. Meaning: Giving is as strong historically as it’s ever been. Relatively speaking.

As always, giving from individuals (vs. corporate or foundations) was by far the largest slice of all contributions, 75 percent of the total, in 2008. Interestingly, individual's giving was only down 2.7 percent.

Conclusions:

It could have been worse. People could have chosen to pull back on giving.

They didn't (relatively).

Individuals and families remain the best source for seeking support.

Want to know more details? Go here for a Giving Institute news release.

Finding time to focus on Real Results: Review what you're doing and ...

2009-06-09T11:51:00.000-07:00

We seldom take the time to re-evaluate what we're doing to be successful. Over time, our behavior can drift from what we should be focusing on. Here's a powerful but quite short eye-opening exercise. Ask yourself:

What can I do to ...

Start doing more of what I'm already doing that produces results? Well, of course, that's self-evident.

Stop doing something. Eliminate from your daily habit some low-impact activity (or activities). Look at things that used to serve you well, that you've ingrained in your routine, but that have outlived their usefulness. Time-suckers in this category could very well be little stuff that adds up to a lot of time. Or, maybe it's major, like routinely setting aside your own critical priorities to help someone else with their non-emergency tasks (simply motivated from wanting to be liked or be helpful).

Start doing something else? Think of what you're not doing, but have intended to do, filtering in those things that could be make a significant contribution to getting better results.

Start doing less of what is proving to be quesitonable? (If you can't stop doing it, at least do less of it.)

It helps to spend about an hour in reflection on these four points, at least twice a year (better yet, quarterly). If you can't remember when you've spent some time pondering these four quesitons, then schedule an hour within the next three days. Turn off the phone and email, and think about this.

Then, settle on at least four things you'll do differently. More of. Stop doing. Start doing. Less of.

I'd love to hear any stories from you about actually doing this!

The Buddha said ...

2009-06-08T07:20:00.000-07:00

If you knew what I know about the power of giving, you would not let a single meal pass without sharing it in some way.

- Buddha (563 BC - 483 BC)

There is joy in giving, and great power, too. (Who am I to contradict the Buddha?!)

Whoever we are, there are pieces of the divine within us, and I believe that is what we tap into when we share of ourselves and our treasure.

As a fund-seeker, I've had the delightful experience of watching the physical changes that occur when a person moves from contemplation to decision during the giving process. It's like an aura, radiating, an almost-palpable energy coming from within. (Sorry to go "new age"-y on you, but it is oh-so true.)

When done with the understanding that there's something deeply human about the act of sharing, those of us who facilitate this choice realize that it (the act of asking) is a natural and authentic interaction. The converse is also true: when done poorly, it does not feel good at all, regardless of the outcome.

Thank you, Buddha.

Started in marketing - drifted toward engagement

2009-06-04T12:55:00.000-07:00

Someone posed a question to me: What do you know now that you wish you'd known then?

(In truth, I bristled at this. I like to be the one posing the questions!)

But it boils down to this. At the start of my career, I was involved in a one-to-many gig. It was public relations, outreach, marketing. Whatever you call what I did back then, it was all about getting the word out to as many people as possible. Not a bad thing; just presumptuous. It presumes the mass audience gives a damn about what I'm talking about. These days we'd refer to this approach as "push marketing."

Over the years, I discovered a more effective way. Not one-to-many. No. One-to-one or one-to-few is ever-so-much-more effective in the end, especially when the "one" or "few" you relate to are known to care about the cause I'm representing.

Instead of me telling you my story, and me hoping you will do what I want you to do, I get to know you. Relate to you. Become involved with you. Call it what you want. I personally like the term engagement, mainly because I like the dating-to-marriage metaphor that it evokes.

When someone is engaged to you (with you), your beloved doesn't walk into the room and hand you a four-color brochure listing his good qualities. He doesn't force feed you his list of projects he's implementing. He doesn't spend his time droning on and on about his great past accomplishments. While you know quite a bit about his past, it's not because he told you his life-story right off the top, or in one sitting.

No. You got engaged to (engaged with) the other person because you came to figure out that you care about the same stuff. You care about each other: he about you, and you about him. If I were to eavesdrop, I'd hear you sharing with each other your hopes and dreams, and joint plans for the future. Together, you would craft the terms of your relationship, your promises to each other, your intentions for spending a long time together, supporting each other, for better or worse. That's much more along the lines of how we should be "engaged" with a donor. Shifting this mindset entirely changes the conversation.

So, what I know now that I wish I knew then is: It's all about the relationship, a two-way relationship. If the relationship is founded on me always getting you to do what I want you to do, then it's headed for, uh, well, a messy divorce.

But if I engage you as one who cares passionately about a shared cause, you will do whatever you can. It's really that simple.

Call your legacy society members

2009-06-03T07:14:00.000-07:00

If this doesn't apply to you, please forgive the nudge in advance. It isn't my intent to offend.

There are some basic self-evident strategies for planned giving. The mere mention of them results in people looking at me and saying, "Well, duh, of course."

Here's one: Everyone in your legacy society should be called at least once a year.

That's obvious. So obvious, that it might never have made it into your fund-raising plan. Or, so obvious, that it feels like an inconsequential and somewhat tedious task, one of those things you never quite get around to.

But it needs to be done. No excuses! That's right. I mean you. Whether your legacy society has 10 people, or 100, or one thousand. Every single one of those people deserves a call from someone in your organization at least once a year.

For one thing, it's simply good stewardship. Most of your planned giving donors have probably become legacy society members by virtue of a bequest intention. Well, remember, bequests are revocable. With the stroke of a pen, they can write you into the will for more (perhaps giving you the portion that was going to another cause that never talks to them). Or write you out of the will entirely (perhaps giving "your" portion to another cause that does stay in touch).

Second, it's an old rule of thumb that a planned giving donor, stewarded well, is likely to make a second planned gift within a couple years after their first legacy commitment. Old rules of thumb get that way because they are true more often than not. It's especially true for annuity donors, but holds for others as well. I guarantee it is one of the best uses of your time.

General mailings or your quarterly newsletter don't cut it. I'm not against a schedule of mailings; they just don't suffice for this purpose.

Here are a few guidelines:

Schedule time for them. Staying in contact with people shouldn't be a burden or a hassle. Most people only find the task tedious because they go so long in between contact that they feel nervous about getting in touch again, they don't know where to begin or because they feel like they need to "catch up" and they don't have the time to do so. Take some time in your daily routine to devote to staying in contact and it won't be so hard for you. Don't try to do all of the calls at one time. Spread them throughout the year, a handful each month, or each week.

Your call needn't be long. Just a “thank you” and a “how are you doing?” Yes, for many of your legacy society members, the phone rarely rings, so your call will be welcome. You can preempt a long conversation by saying "I only have 10 minutes before a meeting; I just wanted to say 'hi.'"

Your call shouldn't be scripted. In fact, it should feel spontaneous and completely unrehearsed. "I was going over some progress reports on the great work we're doing, I saw something that made me think of you, and I thought, let me just pick up the phone and call." If you haven't spoken to them in a long while, there's no need to try to bring them fully up to speed.

Two final notes:

If it's been a looooong while since you've spoken (perhaps there's been no personal contact since the gift opening?) ... Just say, "I'm sorry I haven't been in touch. I'd love to catch up when we have time but I just wanted to say hello and see how you are." Something to this effect will show that you are thinking of the person. Don't get trapped into thinking you have to make excuses or over-explain everything that has happened since your last contact.

If you can't reach them by phone, send a personal handwritten "I tried to reach you" note. Nothing pre-printed or canned.

Try not to get so wrapped up in your daily jobs responsibilities that you forget some of the people who are most important to your cause. You will feel great after one of these calls -- and that's reason enough right there to go ahead, pick up the phone, and call one of your legacy society members.

Finding Your Voice

2009-05-21T13:17:00.000-07:00

Preparing today for a presentation I'm making next week, I ran across this. Somehow, it spoke to me, because in many respects, it echoes what I'm striving to do with my new business:

Once you've found your own voice, the choice to expand your influence, to increase your contribution, is the choice to inspire others to find their voice. -- Stephen Covey

Change and Transition - Part II

2009-05-20T08:04:00.000-07:00

(In Part I, I introduced William Bridges and his Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change.)

Years ago, I heard someone else speak about this (and for the life of me I can't remember who), and they compared the change/transition process with jumping out a one-story window. You know you can probably do so pretty safely. You're just not going to do it until you have good reason to leave the space you're in. And, as you teeter on the window sill, trying to take action, the hard part, the pain of change, is the leap itself. Once you're committed and airborne, you reach the ground in a few moments. And then ... everything is all right!

Bridges calls the period of the leap -- the time between deciding to end the "old" and the beginning of the "new" -- the "neutral zone." On this, I disagree with him. It's more like the "chaos zone," during which all the rules are unclear for the time being.

All organizations -- especially community benefit organizations -- are well served to compress major changes into as brief a period as possible. Sure, think it through before doing it. Make everything as clear as possible in announcing changes. But once you've decided, go.

Nothing's worse than the memo that reads: "Effective six months from today ...." As the leader, it will not serve you to hold on to the window sill with your fingertips, desperately hanging on to the old. For one thing, it serves as a bad example for all of your followers.

Take the leap. Then, not wanting to confuse the change with the transition, take a look around you to see if anyone else joined you.

Problem is, everyone responds to change differently. Not everyone jumps out the window at the same time. You need to make sure everyone else joins you in the leap.

Faced with the uncertainty of what it will be like "after the leap," some of your people will make up stuff -- especially if things are unclear and especially if they don't feel they had any control or part in the decision. If the future is unclear, they'll invent one to justify their behavior. They'll "grieve" -- with all the associated phases of denial, anger, depression, bargaining, and (finally) acceptance. At nearly every point, there are unproductive side effects.

Bridges would define the leader's work as making four things clear:

1. What’s the purpose of this change?

2. What’s the picture of how things will be when we achieve that purpose?

3. What’s the plan for creating the picture?

4. What’s my part and your part in the plan?

How clear are you on those questions? How clear is your organization? What can you do to raise the level of clarity that will move people through crazy time and onto the new beginning?

The failure to identify and prepare for the inevitable human psychological adjustments that change produces is the largest single problem that organizations encounter when they implement major change initiatives.

Unfortunately, many managers, when confronted with predictable change-induced resistance by those charged with implementing a change, respond in punitive and inappropriate ways that only serve to undermine the change effort. Due to their lack of understanding of transition, they do not possess the skills to facilitate it effectively.

Leaders and managers often assume that when necessary changes are decided upon and well planned, they will just happen. Unless the transition process is handled successfully by management, all that careful decision making and detailed planning will matter little. Instead, the President will publish the memo, and the staff won't actually alter their behavior.

Change and Transition - Part I

2009-05-19T17:52:00.000-07:00

The biggest challenge facing community benefit leaders today is moving their organizations toward a new reality.

"It isn't the changes that do you in, it's the transitions."

That's the first line of Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change, first published in 1995 by William Bridges (he released a second edition in 2003). [I recommend getting a copy if you want to know more.]

Bridges is an expert in managing the human side of change. In the late 1970s, he introduced the notion of "transition" in his first book, Transitions: Making Sense of Life's Changes. During that "I'm OK/You're OK" era, he laid out how to cope with life changes of the personal kind.

In Managing Transitions, he applied the concept of transition within the context of organizational change.

Bridges asserts that transition is not synonymous with "change."

A change occurs when something in the external environment is altered. In an organizational setting this would include changes in leadership, structure, job description, systems, or processes. The process of deciding to do something different is pretty straight-forward. And then the "change" can be announced (usually with some fanfare in a memo from the President that starts with "Effective immediately ...")

It’s the transition that can do you in, and that’s the part that requires mindful and intentional leadership.

The changes you announced in your memo trigger an internal psychological reorientation process in those who are expected to carry out or respond to the change. Transition is this internal process that people must go through in order to come to terms with a new situation. Unless transition occurs, change won't work. And that's when the organization's President wonders, "Didn't they get the memo? Didn't they read it?"

Two things conspire to make this so: The Past and The Should Be.

The Past
Sometimes, people get stuck in the organizational "way we've done things around here." Often, no one can remember WHY we do things that way. But it's the way we do them. And so it literally hurts to change, even if everyone rationally understands why it's important to change. Organizational culture is profoundly persistent, so even newcomers to the organization get co-opted incredibly quickly.

The Should Be
Sometimes, people get stuck on what they feel their present reality "should be" instead of facing what is. For example, they "should" still have the net worth they had "before October 2008." And, even though they KNOW things have changed, they want to pretend and cling to the old mindset.

It's like those cars with bumper stickers: "I'D RATHER BE ... skiing, golfing, shopping, whatever." But the thing is, you're NOT (skiiing/golfing/shopping/whatever). You're driving a car on the freeway. And the sooner you deal with the reality of that fact, the better.

Next: How to provide the clarity that will move you through the transition ASAP.

Women Play Prominent Role in Philanthropic Decisions

2009-05-19T11:11:00.000-07:00

The Fidelity® Charitable Gift Fund today announced the results of a study of charitable givers in America showing that women play a prominent role in their households and communities when it comes to philanthropy. While this probably doesn't surprise anyone, there are some kernels of useful information in the study.

Almost half of women (46 percent) surveyed say they have the primary or sole decision-making role in their households for both how much money to donate to charity and which charities to support. Likewise, most men say they defer to their spouses on which charities to support (81 percent) and how much money to donate (83 percent).

Men overwhelmingly (92 percent) name their spouses as their primary influencer in charitable giving. Women are much more likely to name a wide range of influencers. While 84 percent name their spouse as an influencer, women also rely on extended family (24 percent), friends (23 percent) and co-workers (17 percent).

Hopefully, we're long past the time when causes planned their gift-seeking approaches primarily to the husband, almost totally excluding the wife. But even when the wife is present, even savvy solicitors can speak more to him than to her.

In my experience, in modern day, most couples have rules -- either stated or inferred -- for charitable decision making. Usually, each has a limit. Below the limit, he can say "yes" unilaterally. Below the limit, she can decide alone. But above the limit, both need to be a part of the decision.

Especially when we're asking for significant amounts, the lesson is that our visits should, whenever possible, be with both wife and husband. And while we're with them, we must listen to both parties. Deferring to the man is not only disrespectful to the woman, it ignores the fact that she's mostly in charge of making these decisions.

Four Categories
The study also classified four profiles of givers in America today that illustrate distinctly different approaches to philanthropy.

Mainstream Contributors
The majority of those surveyed (52 percent) fell into the "mainstream contributor" category. This group is the least likely to give more in challenging economic times because of greater need. When decreasing giving year over year, they are the most likely to keep the same number of charities and just decrease the amount they give. They are the most likely to know in advance which charities to give to. Their average total donations in 2008 were $6,842.

Empathetic Givers
One third (29 percent) of the survey participants fell into the "empathetic giver" group. These people give the most in challenging economic times because of need. They are the most interested in creating a family tradition of charitable giving by engaging their children and spouse. They are the most likely to respond to a cause when personally touched by a disease, illness or tragedy. Their total donations in 2008 averaged $7,287.

Reactive Contributors
Just 15 percent of survey participants are "reactive contributors." This group gives the smallest donations as a percentage of income. They are the most likely to cut back on charitable giving in challenging economic times. They are the least likely to think of charitable giving as part of their overall financial plan. Their total donations in 2008 averaged $3,687.

Pioneering Givers
The Gift Fund found that only 4 percent of its survey participants are "pioneering givers." They are the most likely to contribute to organizations that are lesser known or to support new causes. They give away the most money as a percentage of their income. They use credit cards and securities for donations more than any other group. They are more likely to be influenced by a philanthropist in the news and the most likely to want guidance from a financial advisor regarding charitable giving. Their total donations in 2008 averaged $7,347.

When strategizing your approach to a prospective investor, it might be useful to predict which of these archtypes apply.

Click here to read the news release.

Click here to read a six-page executive summary.

Saying "No" to people you can't say "No" to

2009-05-13T14:30:00.000-07:00

We seldom have the flexibility to bluntly say no to many people. Like a boss. Or a key client. Or a family member. Yesterday, I was on a call getting some advice from a guy named Michael Bungay Stanier; he runs a company called Box of Crayons that works with organizations to help them do less Good Work and more Great Work. I really like his philosophy and his stuff.

When dealing with people you can't say "No" to, Michael's advice which I'm broadly paraphrasing here, is: Say "yes" more slowly.

What gets us in trouble is how quickly we relent and say yes. That often means we say yes to something that's not aligned with our own plans, leaving no time for us to say yes to things that are aligned. We deprive ourselves of giving ourselves the time, space, and focus to do what matters for us. And then we're angry that we said yes (or felt like we couldn't say no).

So, you might ask: How do you do say yes more slowly? Basically, it's by asking lots of questions.

"Thanks for asking me to do that, but ...

"Can I ask why you asked me?"

"When you say it's urgent, what does that mean for you?"

"What does success look like for this?"

"If I had to do this at an adequate level instead of an excellent level, what would that be?"

"If I could only do part of this, and not the whole of it, what part would you want me to focus on?"

"If I were take this on, what other things that I've agreed to do for you could be stopped, so that I have the time and space to do what you're asking me now?"

Of course, you can't do this all the time. But when you go through questioning like this, one of several things happens:

1. When you do actually say yes, you've said yes to something more clear, defined, and specific. So, you don't have to overwork it or do the wrong thing or do it faster than necessary.

2. Sometimes, the questioning results in negotiation, so you end up doing something far different than what was originally asked.

3. Sometimes, the person asking says, "You know what? I don't know the answers to those questions. Let me go away and figure that out. And then I'll come back to you." And then, often as not, they don't come back.

4. Sometimes, they say, to them selves, "This questioning is too much like hard work. I'm going to go find someone who will say yes more quickly."

5. Sometimes, in future, the person will be more careful about asking you to do things, and will come better prepared to articulate what they really want.

It won't work all the time, of course, but it's worth a try! Isn't that great advice? Thanks Michael.

Who Cares?

2009-05-12T19:31:00.000-07:00

Well, it happened again yesterday. An organization sent me a solicitation. And they told less than half the story. As it happens, I know quite a bit about this organization. I've done some work for them (but either not enough yet or not with the right people!)

They have a story to tell, for sure. But they have the same blindspot many organizations have. It comes from assuming that, because you care passionately about your cause, because you eat-breathe-and-live your mission 24/7, others will automatically "get it." And from there, you're just one step away from feeling that the importance of your work is self-evident, even universally embraced. In fact -- everyone "should" know and appreciate our work.

So, copywriters get a little lazy in writing. In old marketing-speak terms, they write all the features but leave out the benefits.

In this case, the communication was blaring news: "We've just funded $xx million in research!" They went on to point out that this amount funded a certain number of scientists, and they listed the names and institutional affiliations of them. And I'm sure they're very proud of this accomplishment.

But unless I really understand your organization and how it conducts its work, this factoid will not pierce my consciousness. It will be almost impossible for me not to tune out before deciphering for myself why your work matters.

In an exercise I conduct in some trainings, I'll have participants name their most significant mission outcome of the past year. They'll say something like "We held our first health symposium and reached x,000 professionals by launching our RIP initiative." {And notice that the first reference almost always includes an internal acronym.}

When I ask, "So what?" the participant looks wounded or angry, as though I've questioned the sanctity of motherhood. But once they think and try to answer, they'll say, "Well, those health professionals will now present classes in workplace programs."

"So what?" I'll insist on asking. "Well, those trainers will each reach over x00 others, and they'll now know what to do in an emergency." And they'll be pleased with themselves.

Until I ask, "So what?" again. Sometimes it takes four or five iterations before they'll get to the benefit, which might be something like: "Our community is a safer place to live in!! Now that xx,000 people have been trained to know what to do in an emergency through our Really Important Program initiative, the chance that you'll be near help when you need it is increased dramatically, more than 100 fold than before the program."

This simple exercise can help you understand how others view your program and impact. When you challenge statements in your appeals with the "So what?" query, especially statements with metrics, you'll dig down to the core benefit that gives people the real reason to care.

It really gets down to reminding yourself of WHY you're doing the program (its purpose) and focusing less on HOW you're doing it or HOW MANY you've reached (at the tactical level of your plan).

End note: This advice is similar to the old saw, "Answer the question: What's in it for me." I find this a bit jaded, because it prejudges people as having no ability to appreciate a cause unless it personally serves them. The "So What?" alternative allows people to understand why your work matters -- why it counts -- even if they aren't personally affected.

Are you a Development Professional? Find out here ...

2009-05-08T09:30:00.001-07:00

I read lots of blogs. As a life-long learner, I just love soaking up lots of information from many sources. Sometimes, a tidbit inspires a blog posting here.

So far, since starting this blog, I've not directed readers to another blog to read a post, but I'm about to start. And there's no better blogger to start with than Tom Suddes at For Impact.

His nugget for today is power-packed truth. It requires no elaboration. It can't be made shorter, because his every word counts. I can't pull out and distill one idea to highlight before I send you there -- that would minimize the importance of the rest. And I don't disagree with any of it. That's just about the highest praise I can bestow on a blog post (not that Tom Suddes has been waiting for such a dubious honor).

So, without further comment, go, now, and read this post.

As we head out of the dark toward better times

2009-05-07T12:09:00.001-07:00

So, there's some indication that better times are ahead. The prognosticators are seeing light at the end of the tunnel; the news isn't as bleak as we've grown accustomed to.

If you've read my previous blog postings on doom-and-gloom, then you know I've never advocated pulling back. But, people being human, many have been startled by the last six months, frozen into lethargic inaction or an unfocused milling around, wandering and waiting.

If that's you, latch onto the hope-filled indicators and use them to declare an end to your organizational funk. It's over. Finished. As of this moment. Make a note of the date and time. This is when the recovery begins. Let's move on.

So what shall we do now?

Job one: Strengthen your existing donor relationships to enhance loyalty, foster strong relationships and encourage word-of-mouth referrals.

Regardless of the state of the economy, Pareto's principle dictates that 80 percent of your revenue will come from 20 percent of your donors. In fact the updated take on this rule is that the ratio is more like 90/10 or even 97/3.

Thus, it is more important than ever to know who that 20% (10%? 3%?) of top donors are, and shower them with love and attention.

Use this time to re-connect (or connect for the first time?) with your best donors. Not by direct mail. Not with an email. Not with an event invitation. Not by phone. Go see them! Conduct visits, in person, elbow-to-elbow, eye-to-eye. Work even harder, listening to and understanding their needs while presenting opportunities to be involved that address the pressing interests they have in your cause.

At the end of the day, make a concerted effort to stay upbeat, optimistic and positive. Celebrate wins (even the small ones).

It could be easy -- forgivable, actually, given the battering many of us have endured -- to be somewhat skeptical, even pessimistic, about the future. But pessimism never attracted a new donor (or renewed an existing one, for that matter). Commend yourself and your staff for successfully enduring - and thriving - through some of the most challenging times in history. And then go out and TELL YOUR STORY!

Optimism, Competence, and Call Reluctance: 5 Suggestions

2009-05-06T12:04:00.000-07:00

A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty. -- Winston Churchill

Optimism is the belief that things will work out for the best, that we'll generally experience good outcomes in life. I find that most people involved in community benefit work are, at their core, optimists.

I just finished doing some research on procrastination. (Been trying to get around to it for awhile now - ha ha.) Consulted an article from Psychology Today which talks about self-regulation as it relates to an optimistic outlook.

Point is: those who are generally optimistic are deterred less by implementation challenges over which there's a strong amount of personal control.

Stated another way: When the problem is "you," you can better overcome "you" if you are in an optimistic frame of mind.

During my consultation and coaching sessions -- whether one-on-one or in a group -- we always get to the planning of next steps. This generally translates to "Get out from behind my desk and make some visits with donors." And the issue of obstacles almost always arises.

Sometimes -- in anticipation that self-defeating behaviors will arise to block implementation of the plan -- I'll ask the client: "What's your typical defense that seems to defeat your pursuit of goals through procrastination?"

First responses include: my boss throws another urgent priority at me, my co-workers interrupt me, my phone rings.

If I dig deeper, and when the client is in a forthright mood, I'll hear: "I answer my email, check Facebook and Twitter, work on assignments that I enjoy more, chat with others in the office."

So, when led to reflect on it, the otherwise-well-intended staff person admits, at least to self, sometimes to the coach, "I know I said I was going to make this visit. But I just can't get started. I'm worried how it will turn out. Since this stuff is still new to me, I'm not sure I'm very good at it. And so, even though I KNOW I should, I don't complete the task."

That's the odd thing: most people know they are engaging in self-defeating behavior when they're doing it.

Five suggestions when you find yourself in that space:

1. Remind yourself that you are an optimist at heart; that you see the glass as half full, not half empty. (Research shows that optimistic mindsets help overcome implementation challenges.)

2. Break the task into piece-parts. "Make a visit" can become "call to arrange a time," "prepare for the visit," "go on the visit itself," and "follow-up on the visit." Then, rather than procrastinate on the whole, re-frame the task so that your accountability is to do just the first step.

3. Change how you state your implementation intention on your To Do list. Instead of "Call Mrs. Jones to arrange a time to visit," write "Do not check email until I've called Mrs. Jones."

4. Remember that practice is required before you'll feel more competent. In the meantime, write an affirmation about your competence at this task: "I am getting better and better at making donor visits. I already know WHAT to do, and can do WHAT IT TAKES to be successful. I love my time spent one-on-one with donors. I have every reason to believe I can effectively interact with our donor, who is, after all, a friend of our organization. I can expect this to go well."

5. Ahead of time, plan your response to the emotional anxiety that you know you'll encounter sometime during the task. "When I begin to feel overwhelmed, which I expect to feel just as I'm picking up the phone, I will simply take it one step at a time and keep my focus on the very first step of getting started."

Many of us are self-reflective and self-examining enough to be able to predict with some accuracy what avoidance techniques we'll use to postpone a task we don't feel comfortable with. Knowing this, it becomes a matter of building our own personal plan of attack in anticipation of the obstacles (rather than wait for them to arise).

Now, stop reading this blog and go do what you've been procrastinating about!

Two Stories About Reputation

2009-05-04T09:26:00.000-07:00

Passed to me by my brother-in-law. For those of you who know me, you're aware of my Chicago roots, and I'd never heard these. So are they true or apocryphal? Not sure. Don't care.

STORY NUMBER ONE - "Easy" Eddie and Al Capone

Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned Chicago. Capone wasn't famous for anything heroic. He was notorious for enmeshing the windy city in everything from bootlegged booze and prostitution to murder.

Capone had a lawyer nicknamed 'Easy Eddie.' He was Capone's lawyer for a good reason. Eddie was very good! In fact, Eddie's skill at legal maneuvering kept Big Al out of jail for a long time.

To show his appreciation, Capone paid him very well. Not only was the money big, but Eddie got special dividends, as well. For instance, he and his family occupied a fenced-in mansion with live-in help and all of the conveniences of the day. The estate was so large that it filled an entire Chicago City block.

Eddie lived the high life of the Chicago mob and gave little consideration to the atrocity that went on around him.

Eddie did have one soft spot, however. He had a son that he loved dearly. Eddie saw to it that his young son had clothes, cars, and a good education. Nothing was withheld. Price was no object.

And, despite his involvement with organized crime, Eddie even tried to teach him right from wrong. Eddie wanted his son to be a better man than he was.

Yet, despite all of his wealth and influence, there were two things he could not give to his son; he couldn't pass on a good name or a good example.

One day, Easy Eddie reached an extremely difficult decision. Easy Eddie wanted to rectify the wrongs he had knowledge of and had done.

He decided he would go to the authorities and tell the truth about Al 'Scarface' Capone, and attempt to clean up his tarnished name, and offer his son some semblance of integrity. To do this, he would have to testify against "The Mob", and he knew that by doing this the cost would be great. Anyhow, he testified.

Within the year, Easy Eddie's life ended in a blaze of gunfire on a lonely Chicago Street. But in his eyes, he had given his son the greatest gift he had to offer, at the greatest price he could ever pay. Police removed from his pockets a rosary, a crucifix, a religious medallion, and a poem clipped from a magazine.

The poem read:
'The clock of life is wound but once, and no man has the power to tell just when the hands will stop, at late or early hour. Now is the only time you own. Live, love, toil with a will. Place no faith in time. For the clock may soon be still.'

STORY NUMBER TWO - Butch O'Hare

World War II produced many heroes. One such man was Lieutenant Commander Butch O'Hare. He was a fighter pilot assigned to the Aircraft Carrier Lexington operating in the South Pacific.

One day his entire squadron was sent on a mission. After he was airborne, he looked at his fuel gauge and realized that someone had forgotten to top off his fuel tank.

He would not have enough fuel to complete his mission and return to his ship.

His flight leader told him to return to the carrier. Reluctantly, he dropped out of formation and headed back to the US fleet.

As he was returning to the mother ship, he saw something that turned his blood cold; a squadron of Japanese aircraft was speeding its way toward the American fleet.

The American fighters were gone on a sortie, and the fleet was all but defenseless. He couldn't reach his squadron and bring them back in time to save the fleet. Nor could he warn the fleet of the approaching danger. There was only one thing to do. He must somehow divert them from the fleet.

Laying aside all thoughts of personal safety, he dove into the formation of Japanese planes. Wing-mounted 50 caliber's blazed as he charged in, attacking one surprised enemy plane and then another. Butch wove in and out of the now broken formation and fired at as many planes as possible until all his ammunition was finally spent.

Undaunted, he continued the assault. He dove at the planes, trying to clip a wing or tail in hopes of damaging as many enemy planes as possible, rendering them unfit to fly.

Finally, the exasperated Japanese squadron took off in another direction.

Deeply relieved, Butch O'Hare and his tattered fighter limped back to the carrier.

Upon arrival, he reported in and related the event surrounding his return. The film from the gun-camera mounted on his plane told the tale . It showed the extent of Butch's daring attempt to protect his fleet. He had, in fact, destroyed five enemy aircraft. This took place on February 20, 1942, and for that action Butch became the Navy's first Ace of W.W.II, and the first Naval Aviator to win the Congressional Medal of Honor.

A year later Butch was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29. His home town would not allow the memory of this WW II pilot hero to fade, and today, O'Hare Airport near Chicago is named in tribute to the courage of this great airman.

So, the next time you find yourself at O'Hare International, give some thought to visiting Butch's memorial displaying his statue and his Medal of Honor. It's located between Terminals 1 and 2.

SO WHAT DO THESE TWO STORIES HAVE TO DO WITH EACH OTHER?

Butch O'Hare was Easy Eddie's son!

Cool? Cool!

Happy May Day!

2009-05-01T11:14:00.000-07:00

April showers bring May flowers -- says the cliche. And it's now the merry month of May!

In Europe, today's the day they celebrate the onset of spring. It probably dates back to a pagan celebration. By the time of the Middle Ages, the Church had usurped the festival, and a virgin was selected as the May Queen. (Side note: One of the life highlights of my sister-in-law, Gail, was being the May Queen as young child in parochial school.) In the olden days (further back than when Gail was MQ) they'd carry the May Queen over the fields, trying to transfer her fertility to the soil.

Somehow or other, all of this morphed into the May pole dance that you might be familiar with.

And then there's other May Day references:

Of course, there's the pinko-commie connection. The socialist labor union declared May 1 as International Labor Day in Europe. This was in 1889. Seven years earlier (1882), our American labor movement had already decided Labor Day was the first Monday of September. We were ticked off that the foreigners had chosen a different day, so we retaliated. In 1894, our Congress made the September day a national holiday. Relations between socialists and red-blooded Americans haven't been the same since.

And then there's the May Day (or mayday) that is the distress signal for aircraft and ships. That one has nothing whatsoever to do with the others. My exhaustive research shows it is an adaptation of the French expression (venez) m'aider "(come) help me!"

I share these tidbits in order to demonstrate my ability to share information of dubious relevance. Can you tell it's Friday? Can you tell I'm avoiding real work?

Enjoy the flowers of May!

Lest We Forget

2009-04-30T11:42:00.001-07:00

I try to keep my blog posts "on target," being at least somewhat related to philanthropy.

But I can't help but take note that 11-year old Jaheem Herrera, one of the boys who recently committed suicide after enduring months of anti-gay slurs and physical abuse at school, was buried on Tuesday.

Children solemnly filed into the church to say their last goodbyes. Jaheem's mother broke down in sobs as her only son was wheeled past her in a coffin. So sad.

So, we've lost another young life because of anti-gay bullying in schools. Jaheem Herrera. His name joins the list: Eric Mohat, Lee Simpson, and Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover. And who knows how many others?

My fear? Despite the growing media coverage, the issue won't be addressed. Before long, no more media coverage will be warranted. The numbers will grow to the point that this is no longer news. They'll just be a statistic. So sad.

I so totally relate to this story. I don't believe I've ever shared this with anyone, so you heard it here first. The only time I ever contemplated suicide, I was about 12, in the seventh grade, about a year older than Jaheem. For a couple months, a group of boys were taunting and harrassing me. "Gay" hadn't been invented yet; in the mid-60s, I was "homo." Not even really understanding its meaning -- neither me nor, in all probability, the attackers -- it was cause to threaten, punch, beat up, kick, trip, steal from, spit on, and publicly humilate.

I was writhing in agony. At night, in bed, I'd wrestle with what to do. I remember wishing that one of the attacks would result in my being hospitalized or even die. In my mind, I rehearsed how they'd find me, bloodied and unconscious or dead. "Then, they'll be sorry," I thought. Ending it all seemed a viable option, too, and more than once, I ran through in my mind's eye how I could do it. I know it sounds unreal and crazy now, but it was very real then. Thankfully, for whatever reasons, I never acted on the impulse. And I've never had suicidal thoughts since. But I do truly understand it.

Point is: Bullying is not some pre-adolescent phase or harmless hijinks. It hurts. It can kill.

Not to make too fine a link between the two, but the US House passed the Matthew Shepard Act yesterday. This hate crimes law is long overdue. Eventual passage by the Senate is expected handily -- though perhaps some months away -- and President Obama has assured us that it will be signed when it eventually reaches his desk.

Can all of this be related to philanthropy after all? Sure. Philanthropy is a Greek word whose origins literally mean “love for mankind.” Organizations arise to work on causes like this one, to promote the common good.

So, in the sadness of all this, I can point to the work of at least one organization working on the cause: The Trevor Project. This organization operates the only nationwide, around the clock crisis and suicide prevention helpline for LGBTQ youth. I invite you to learn about and support their work: www.thetrevorproject.org or call them at 866-488-7386.

The Power of Kids

2009-04-29T09:24:00.001-07:00

Our desire to help children is genetically inbred; we are hard-wired to care about kids. The impulse is so strong that it even triggers concern far beyond what's rational. I was just watching a news report showing well-intended parents freaking out about the welfare of their child at school. By any reasonable measure, that child is quite safe, thank you.

Going to school today is probably as safe as it was a week ago, or a month ago, or six months ago. But try telling that to the parent! Pity the school administrator or principal who -- in the midst of the media frenzy about swine flu -- is not spending hours implementing precautionary plans for what is arguably not a very real threat in most places. This distracts attention away from teaching and learning, of course. Or, for that matter, making the school site safe from more present and real dangers. But those school officials have no choice for the moment but to drop everything and respond to parents' concern.

That's what got me to thinking about this: the power of kids as a motivator of behavior.

You're a Dad (or Mom). Your child is in imminent peril a few yards away. Would you run to help them? Of course.

Slightly different scenario. Now, in order to get to the child, you have to walk across a 12-inch wide piece of lumber board that straddles the gap. If you slip, you'll fall into a pool of water. Would you run to save the child? Of course.

Final scenario. Your child still needs saving. But now, in order to get to the child, you have to get across a tightrope, and you're 100 feet above the ground. Would you tip-toe across the rope to save your child? Still no hesitation. Yes.

People will do anything for kids. This motivator to action is more powerful than appealing to service of God, love of country, or even self-interest.

That's why so many direct response packages use child images. Given the power of this motivator, you've got to wonder why they aren't even more effective than they already are.

If your cause is in any way kids-related, it's up to you to tell your story so effectively that the reader or listener is impelled to "run across the tightrope" to rescue the child. If the reader or listener isn't motivated to do that, that's not their fault. It simply means you haven't told the story right. I don't mean you should bend it out of shape so as to whip up the type of hysteria we're seeing around swine flu. But take another crack at it. Tell your story better.

How I got into non-profit work (and a recommended read)

2009-04-21T05:49:00.000-07:00

Cass Wheeler was the longtime Chief Executive Officer of the American Heart Association. He was with the AHA for more than 30 years -- 26 of them at the National Center -- and served as CEO for 11 years. He retired early this year.

All of that's on the public record. Less known is that Cass hired me into the American Heart Association in Texas, my first "non-profit" gig. Back in 1980 (which seems like eons ago but is only 28 years) he took a chance on a younger, 20-something kid with a background in marketing and PR. I was responsible for spreading the AHA message in 20 media markets in Texas. I learned lots about how to work with a "jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none" generalist staffing structure and eager volunteers organized in any Texas community large enough to have a Dairy Queen. He paid me peanuts! It was a great job.

Cass is quite a guy: personable and brimming with positive energy, he listens and supports and persuades. He is, in short, a very effective leader. Cass ensured that the American Heart Association saved lives by taking for-profit strategies and adopting them in the not-for-profit setting. That was a fairly radical concept at the time.

Of course, he's written a book. And it's a pretty darn good one. I don't think he had this ghost-written -- it has his voice throughout. And reading it brought back many episodes -- the good, the bad, and the just-plain ugly -- from my AHA stint.

I took that first AHA job thinking I'd be there a couple of years; I stayed with them for 21 years. AHA was always good to me, allowing me to stretch and grow. If there was more to be done than my job called for, they would encourage me to take on additional responsibility. It prepared me for each next step ... the move to California, helping to re-structure 18 separate corporate entities into one affiliate, switching from communications and planning to revenue development, learning to manage all of the programmatic enterprises, discovering how to work with volunteers and boards, and, ultimately, finding and loving major and planned gifts work.

My ability to teach and present to adults ... my understanding of complex systems ... my skill at coaching and mentoring staff -- all of these skills have their roots in the AHA, and I shall never forget that.

Back to Cass' book: In the for-profit world, success first and foremost means ... well, that you turn a profit. For organizations in our community benefit sector, however, the challenge is much different. To be successful, we must make money, yes, but for a larger purpose. So the key becomes finding and keeping your mission and purpose, creating your vision, and making it a reality.

Under his leadership, the AHA went from a pretty dis-organized organization (heading every which way at once) to what could be called the benchmark of a thriving nonprofit. He increased revenue from $400 million to $800 million, sure. But more importantly, he launched some incredibly innovative programs. The narrative in his book describes how they were conceived, planned, and executed.

Not all of the examples are from AHA, but he dwells mostly on some really stellar management and leadership principles that he's professed and lived by through the years. I learned a whole lot from him, both directly and indirectly, while at the AHA. Often, in consulting, a client will pose a question. The answer pops into my head, seemingly without thought or effort. And the client will wonder: "How do you know this stuff??" Well, in truth, I learned much of it right there as part of the heart association.

In You’ve Gotta Have Heart, Cass Wheeler displays how to move beyond theory and intention to actually get results. He riffs on mission, on finding and keeping the best staff, the importance of focus. And on how to stay relevant, and how to apply for-profit best practices in our sector.

Perhaps it's not the most thought-provoking book --there's no single, defining "aha" moment here (though I confess I might be too close to the content to judge this, and others might find it). But the book is filled with honesty that makes it a case study from Cass' fine career. It's practical. There's a lot of good stuff here. Leaders of community benefit organizations -- large and small: put this book on your reading list!

Hooray for the Hawkeye State, Where the Tall Corn Grows!

2009-04-03T14:35:00.000-07:00

That's Iowa we're talkin' 'bout.

I am so proud of Iowa right now, where their Supreme Court just issued an unanimous ruling, holding that the state's same-sex marriage ban was unconstitutional. This brings a same-sex marriage victory to America's heartland. I am thrilled that equality has come to Iowa!

The justices drew explicit parallels to civil rights struggles by blacks and women, holding that the state's ban on same-sex marriage was a violation of the equality promised in the Iowa constitution. The fact that the discrimination is "traditional" doesn't cut it, otherwise "previous successful equal protection challenges of invidious racial and gender classifications would have failed," the court said in its ruling.

This ruling marks another watershed moment in the struggle for full equality. No longer will same-sex couples have their relationships treated as less than equal by the state of Iowa.

It's a very hope-filled sign of the times. My family has strong roots in Iowa; my mother was born and raised there. Though she and my father moved to far-off Chicago (!), we spent many summers and Christmas holidays there. I have a bunch of cousins, and second-cousins, and third-cousins there. It's the sort of family that started having an annual reunion in the 1940s and has convened every August since. We go back there every few years, even after all this time (30+ years) away from the Midwest.

Last summer, when my now-husband and I announced that we were getting married, I sent save-the-date announcements to all the cousins. After all, over the years, I've been invited to all their weddings and most of their children's weddings. But I confess I wasn't exactly sure what the reaction would be.

In retrospect, I never should have doubted. A bunch of my cousins started to organize a group vacation to celebrate the day (and to visit California's wine country, no doubt). Real life intervened, and most of them bailed, one-by-one, except for Leslie and his wife who flew in from Des Moines.

But the folks back in Iowa were poised for news, anxious to see pictures, generous with remembrances. I was moved.

Point is: most people "get it" about the link between civil rights and same-sex marriage, especially when they know someone who is open about who they are and the family they want to create. Many fair-minded Iowans — and fair-minded people across the country — will be celebrating with us. I know my Iowa cousins will be.

I Feel The Earth Move Under My Feet

2009-03-27T10:56:00.001-07:00

Yeah, it's been awhile since my last posting. I've been spending huge amounts of time, planning and developing my new business.

But it all takes time. Branding identity (see new logo above). Refining the niches that will be my target clients. Developing value promises. Brainstorming products. Creating content. Determining revenue streams and cost structures. Envisioning the web presence and acquiring necessary domain names. Looking into joint ventures and cross-promotions.

"So," you say, "this must be an absolutely awful time to start-up a new company. Correct?"

Nope. On the contrary, this might be the best time in a long time to start a new operation. The happenings of the last six months have been like an earthquake, moving the tectonic plates, as it were, creating major new rifts. The walls are tumbling down, and so the barriers to entry into the marketplace are falling, too.

So I'm in a very confident and assured place, right now. I'm no fool -- things won't be peachy keen for awhile yet.

But I see clear opportunities that transcend current market conditions. Stay tuned. You'll be seeing significant changes here in the weeks to come, and I'll be offering services and products that provide true value. And if you just can't wait that long to find out what's up, give me a call.

27 percent fewer millionaires in America

2009-03-12T09:46:00.000-07:00

According to a Reuters report you can read here, the number of American millionaires fell by more than a quarter last year as the financial crisis decimated their investments, a Spectrem Group report said yesterday (March 11).

The number of U.S. households with a net worth of $1 million or more, not including first homes, fell by 2.5 million to 6.7 million in 2008, according to the report.

After the 27 percent drop, the number of millionaires is at the lowest level since 2003, when the millionaire population stood at 6.2 million, the report says.

HOWEVER, while they may feel poor, please remember that these individuals are still far better off that the Average Joe. Except for those in retirement, most of them are still taking home a paycheck that's about the same as what they made last year.

Agreed: this may not be the best time to ask someone for the ultimate gift, made out of assets. But annual gift solicitations can continue at the same or even increased levels, since those gifts are made from income.

During these times, your organization needs to be in front of your donors, sharing the urgency of your cause, reminding them what you're doing to have an impact in your community, and asking for something: their involvement, their time, their treasure. Building relationship with your donor base now is critical. Whatever you do, don't settle back into inactivity on the (faulty) premise that now's not a good time to approach your supporters.

Is My Marriage Annulled Yet?

2009-03-05T08:37:00.000-08:00

I just finished watching the oral arguments before the California State Supreme Court. I haven't seen the "spin" from all of the marriage equality organizations -- and the Court, of course, hasn't issued its decision (and won't for awhile yet).

But I confess to a deeply unsettling sense of dread. Before today, I could not conceive how our side's argument could be denied. Now, I'm afraid it is entirely possible not only that the discrimination that is Prop 8 will be enshrined in the constituion, but that my marriage will be retroactively made non-existent. I won't shed a tear yet -- that would be premature and hopefully not necessary in the end. But, I'm having a hard time feeling optimistic at this moment.

Yesterday was different.

Estimates vary, but let's just say a LOT of people showed up under rain-threatening skies to walk from Castro's Harvey Milk Plaza to the Civic Center last night.

I was there. I was caught up in the emotions. A very diverse crowd. Young (infants, toddlers, kids, teens) and old (well, for example, I was there -- lol). Rich and poor. Committed citizens trying to make their voices heard. .
. I was kept busy as a volunteer from 4 p.m. on ... getting supplies of signs to the site, wrapping duct tape around sign handles to prevent splinters, and distributing electronic candles in clear plastic cups (see the pic of me, captured from a YouTube video, hawking the candles to people at the top of the MUNI station stairs. If you want, click on the photo to watch the video).

The rally included short comments from religious and community organizations, leaders of the many marriage equality groups, and even some celebrities (Hal Sparks of HBO's Queer As Folk is a short guy! and Cleve Jones is getting older).

And then marching as part of a throng, headed down Market Street toward the Civic Center. It was inspiring and uplifting. Every once in awhile, I'd pause to take a pic on my cell phone or send a text message to a friend who was feeling bad to have missed it all.

The program on the steps of San Francisco's City Hall included comments from the legal team and friend of the court representatives. Their cautionary tone was my first hint that it wasn't necessarily prudent to be confident.

Overall, though, it was all very positive. All very good. And hopefully some of the sentiment seeped into the consciousness of the judges who will ultimately issue their decision.

Now, at this moment, I can't help but connect the contrast in feelings between yesterday and today to the eerily reminiscent feelings between election day (working the polls to get out the vote = high optimism) and Wednesday, Nov. 5 (waking up to discover that "the people" had seen fit to rip my rights away). Perhaps I'll feel differently later. But for now -- not good.

OK now, end of rant. Whatever the outcome ... the fight for equality goes on, as it must.

The Night Before the Eve of the Oral Arguments

2009-03-03T19:31:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow night, Wednesday, I'll be part of a candle-light march from San Francisco's Castro neighborhood to the Civic Center where the California Supreme Court is located.

Then, on Thursday, I'll be in front of the Supreme Court, witnessing the oral arguments on Proposition 8.

Gay and lesbian couples briefly enjoyed the freedom to marry in California. My husband, Kevin, and I were married on October 11, 2008. It was an incredibly special day, but we were just one of some 18,000 happy couples who were married from June 16 - November 4.

The celebration turned to bittersweet sadness in the wake of the historic November election. Cheers on Tuesday night when President Obama was elected; tears on Wednesday morning when it became clear California voters passed Proposition 8. The measure -- with a bare majority of 52% -- revised the California constitution to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry.

I know that most readers of this blog are pretty generally sympathetic to my position; you might not, though, understand how profoundly I've been affected by this vote. If you were told you couldn't marry the person you loved -- how would you feel? How would that change your relationship with the person you love so much that you can't live without? How would it change your future plans? How would it change your life?

Just as bad: what if you had gotten married and someone tried to take it away?

Kevin and I are in a committed, trusting and loving relationship. The state of California recognized the relationship as a marriage, giving it the dignity such commitment deserves. And then it was ripped away. So ... we are fighting for our rights.

The argument is that Proposition 8 is invalid because the initiative (ballot) process was inappropriately used in an attempt to undo the constitution's core commitment to equality for everyone -- by eliminating a fundamental right from just one group -- gay and lesbian Californians. It's not right to allow the majority to vote to take rights from a minority. That's why we have a constitution to protect everyone equally, including minorities. Discrimination is wrong no matter wherever it appears. Today, it's marriage. What's next?

The passage of Proposition 8 hurt our family. Not just Kevin and me -- but my mother-in-law, our siblings, our nieces and nephews. One of the joys of our wedding was seeing how meaningful it was for all of our family members, far and wide.

It's not for me to judge other people, but I confess I do not understand the hate that fuels those who disapprove of my marriage. I know that most of the readers of this blog are straight. I invite you to talk to others about this issue. Take advantage of the moment -- the news coverage that will occur -- to speak with people you know. Let them know where you stand. And please hold a good thought as the California Supreme Court deliberates in the coming days. Thank you.

Individuals Make Fewer $1-Million Gifts

2009-02-25T10:37:00.000-08:00

Charitable gifts of $1-million or more from individual donors fell by 33 percent in the last half of 2008 compared with the same period in 2007, according to a new analysis of big gifts by researchers at the Indiana University Center on Philanthropy. C'mon now ... is anyone really surprised by that?

Two Men, Remembered

2009-02-24T12:37:00.000-08:00

Eighteen years ago this Thursday, on February 26, 1991, San Francisco State President Robert A. Corrigan stood at a podium and announced that two men who died of AIDS had established grants for gays at three Bay Area universities.

Thomas Markowski died in 1987 at the age of 29. James Leach died in 1989 at the age of 32. Had they lived, they would be 52 and 53 now. Theirs is a typical story of what San Francisco and the world lost to the epidemic of AIDS in the 1980's and beyond.

They met in Houston in 1981. They moved to San Francisco in 1982, seeking career opportunities and a more active gay community. The San Francisco Bay area gave them a chance to succeed financially and to live openly as gay lovers. As both men became ill with AIDS, they decided to give something back after their deaths to the community they loved. They wanted to create a scholarship fund to give other gays and lesbians (and now bisexuals and transgenders) the opportunity to educate themselves.

They felt strongly that it was very hard for gays and lesbians to get ahead in business because you either had to be in the closet or would not get promotions. They wanted to make higher education available so gays and lesbians could get into leadership positions and make sure that being gay or lesbian wasn't an obstacle to getting ahead.

The gift was made possible from the proceeds of life insurance policies and real estate investment. (They owned a small apartment house in San Francisco that they renovated.) The fund started at $200,000 ... but can you imagine how many self-identified gay students have been helped through the years? I'm guessing somewhere in the neighborhood of 250 or so.

In many respects, a classic planned gift:

a gift of a lifetime,
a gift where the impact extends far beyond the lifespan of the donors,
a gift that makes a transformational difference for a cause related to the donors' values
a gift for which the donors are remembered

And yet, I can't help but think how remarkable it was for them to have had the foresight to do something like that. Now, years and years later, students can still apply for scholarships at San Francisco State, UC Berkeley, or Stanford. This year's deadline is April 15.

I am moved by this story. I did not know either of these men. I wish I had known them. They were contemporaries of mine. I would have been honored to call them friends.

The Possibilities Are Endless

2009-02-20T10:19:00.000-08:00

I was with a new friend yesterday. One of the many I've been meeting and networking with over the last weeks, as I've contemplated whether or not to launch my consultant practice.

It wasn't a power-lunch or anything -- just a meet-up at a coffee house in Berkeley. I got to know him; he got to know me. During the conversation, I saw that we were connecting.

He works with destitute unfortunates who are homeless and hungry. He has to raise money to cover costs not met by shrinking government grants. And I was able to answer a couple of questions for him about working with people of means, attracting their attention to his cause. Glad to do it. He was getting excited about his possibilities. I was getting excited about his possibilities, too. Wrapping up, I said: "The possibilities are endless. Let me know if there's anything I can do to make them become real."

As I walked back to my car to return home, I reflected on how good it felt to share with another person working in philanthropy. And I felt as though I'd somehow touched his view of his job and his organization, by awakening possibility.

And then I realized. That's it! That's what I want to be about: awakening possibility in other people. That's what this coaching and consulting business is all about. I don't mean it as a tagline or motto. It's really the reason for being. I've been searching for a way to articulate it. Now I know; now I have the words.

What do we want? Equality! When do we want it? Now!

2009-02-18T16:44:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Tuesday, I attended Equality California’s biggest Lobby Day ever! About 700 marriage supporters went to the Capitol to talk to their legislators about why they should vote for HR 5 and SR 7, dual resolutions in the Assembly and Senate calling for Prop 8 to be overturned.

Timing is everything. Looked grim at first, with drenching downpours. The legislators were in lock-down over their inability to pass a budget. The whole day could have been a bust as pols tried to find their way out of gridlock.

As it turned out, the Assembly Judiciary Committee went forward with a hearing on HR 5 -- and we witnessed this event first-hand. Here's a link to the video. There was testimony from United Farm Workers (co-founder Delores Huerta), National Center on Lesbian Rights (Shannon Minter, whose oral argument in front of the California Supreme Court last year laid the groundwork for the Court's historic decision), and EQCA's exec Geoff Kors who argued that rights should not be decided by “popularity contests.” (Video starts at 09:05 and goes to 14:14)

Then, there was a stream of heart-felt and moving testimony from grassroots citizens. See video here, fast forward to 23:27 and watch through 46:00. And, for a head-shaking-bordering-on-comic-if-they-weren't-so-earnest look at the opponents, watch 47:22 to 1:11:00 to see what we're up against.

We watched as the Committee passed the resolution in a 7 to 3 vote. If approved by the Assembly, it would put the legislature on record as opposing Prop 8.

Democracy in action. And a "not-for-profit" organization doing it's thing to influence public policy.

Happy Valentine's Day: Support equal rights

2009-02-14T10:16:00.000-08:00

It would be impossible to guess how many charitable events there will be today. I suppose it's next to impossible to hold a charity event on a Saturday that happens to be Valentine's Day, and NOT theme it around love and caring.

I'm going to one myself at San Francisco's majestic City Hall, a monument to Beaux-Arts. Beautiful ornamentation will abound. And I'm sure the building itself will look nice, too.

The site also happens to be where more than 4,000 same-sex couples were married in 2004. The event I'm attending will evoke that historic moment. Sponsored by Equality California (EQCA), the Equality Awards event isn’t just about glamour and glitz -- though my husband and I will be decked out in our formal dinner jackets. The event is about celebrating community achievement, recognizing selfless leaders, and renewing our engagement in the fight for equality.

To everyone, my hope for you is not that you spend your life with someone you can live with. Rather, I hope you spend it with the one you can't live without.

Doom-Gloom Away! Let's not become beggars.

2009-02-13T21:25:00.000-08:00

Today I attended the Development Executives Roundtable session in San Francisco. While the networking was good and the program quite interesting, there was an overall pall in the room. It seemed every other minute, someone was bemoaning the state of the economy, the crisis we are facing, how our donors are feeling the pinch. There was talk of cancelling events, lowering ticket prices, re-focusing strategies for entire campaigns. Yikes!

Now don't get me wrong. I've personally felt the impact of our recession or depression or whatever it is. I'm not one to hide his head in the sand. We ought not pretend it's all well-and-good. But panic is not an appropriate response. The doom-and-gloom mentality was highly contagious in the room. Yes, things are tough. And non-profits are being called on to serve greater numbers while they feel their revenues at risk.

Before we reduce ticket prices, let's be certain that the market won't bear last year's price, rather than reflexively jerk our knees and discount the tickets. Has one person's worried comment been whipped up into a communal decision to slash what we ask for? Sure, people know things are tight -- and many are unemployed or underemployed. But the vast majority of people still have their jobs. While their net worth might have declined, their take-home pay almost certainly has not. And if we're not going to do our gala event this year, let's be honest enough to admit that we probably should have stopped doing that event long ago.

And as we modify campaigns to incorporate the current "realities," let's make sure we don't go overboard. It's too easy to have our "we-know-times-are-tough" direct mail copy become tantamount to saying: "We still need your support, but you probably don't want to give right now, do you?" Worst of all is the very real risk of simply not asking at all. No. Now is the time to get out there, build relationship with our donors. Remind them of the experiences they've had with us in the past. Sit beside them, elbow-to-elbow, and share our story with them in as compelling a way as we can find. Spark in them the same passion for our work that we feel. And then ASK them to invest in our cause.

Laid off? What now?

2009-01-12T11:13:00.000-08:00

Are you have a hard time moving beyond the anger and frustration?

Well, this isn't going to be easy to do (though it's easy to say): Accept it. Move on.

"But it wasn't fair!" Yeah, OK. Got it. No layoff is ever fair.

It is what it is. You've got to accept the situation and look ahead.

I'll give you exactly one more day to grieve the loss. Wallow in the suffering of victim-hood. Yeah, feel the frustration. Go through the emotions.

Then, give it up. Get over it!

Stop! Stop the "instant re-play." Stop wondering: What if? Why me? Why not the guy who is clearly the lesser performer? Stop explaining it. Stop bemoaning. You will only drive people away.

Acknowledge: it wasn't your choice to leave. But, now, knowing what you know, would you REALLY want to go back? Nope.

Instead, you focus on finding your next opportunity.

Accept the present, learn from the past, and look toward the future.

Where to from here?

2008-12-30T12:02:00.000-08:00

So, on the eve of a new year, I'm wrestling with trying to decide what's next. I am now retired from the March of Dimes Foundation -- it was a great seven year stint with an organization whose core cause, saving babies, I still care about.

But, post-holidays, I am faced with choices. Do I seek another salaried position? Do I make the leap and hang out my own shingle? Joel Preston - consultant? Joel Preston - coach? Joel Preston - trainer? Shall I stay in fund development, or stretch into another field, transitioning my skills in places I haven't tried yet?

All exciting. And a little scary, I confess. But stay tuned. Something tells me it will be a fun ride.

Well, that was pretty easy - let the blogging begin!

2008-12-28T17:01:00.000-08:00

Here we go. It's frightenly simple to create a blog. Does the world need another blog on fund-raising? There's so much out there -- some of it wrapped in mystique and gibberish. I certainly hope I'll not fall victim to that. I want to strip away the magic and bluster. I want to share the straight-forward version. Not that it's necessarily simple, mind you. It just doesn't need to be complex. I'll be looking to readers to keep me honest. But first, I guess, I need at least one reader! What a great adventure this will be! Comments welcome, always. I listen.