DX: The Donor eXperience

Every time bad fundraising happens, it hurts all of us. Like a cheese slicer shaving off a thin layer of donor goodwill from the entire sector, eroding it away until we are left looking back saying “where’s the cheddar?” (I hope the double-meaning of cheddar for fundraisers isn’t lost here!)

It’s a hard truth that fundraisers must face. We’re forgetting about our donors. The numbers don’t lie. Donors are speaking out with their giving. According to the 2015 Fundraising Effectiveness Survey Report by AFP, as a sector, we lost 103 donors for every 100 gained and we lost $95 for every $100 gained.

Does anyone else have a problem with that? I sure do.

The root issue is the DX: The Donor eXperience.

Donor fatigue doesn’t exist. What donors get tired of is poor fundraising. Far too many donors have this experience with charities:

• Lack of prompt and proper gratitude: Often, there is no proper acknowledgement or thank you for a donation. Proper means at least one communication with no ask or implication of an ask. It isn’t sending a receipt which happens to say thank you in the letter. It isn’t a generic email sent 2 months later.
• Impersonal communication: We are in the information age, collecting more data than ever before, and yet donors receive so many generic appeals with no consideration of the donors relationship with the organization or their interests – information we already have in our hands. Plus the donors who receive “Dear Friend” letters, which is bad enough when a mail merge takes literally 5 minutes to set up – it’s even worse when the address label is customized, indicating the ability to do so.
• Uninspired messaging: When we forget about who our audience is, we end up with organization-centered, own-horn-tooting communication which forgets to give the donor credit for their role as a change agent and investor in good. Donors want to see and hear the impact in creative, tangible ways, and they want to feel good about giving.
• High ratio of asks to other touchpoints: While getting asked to donate multiple times a year per charity isn’t inherently bad, it’s brutal when coupled with all of the other issues outlined here. We’re drawing from the goodwill bank without putting anything back into it.
• Randomness: For example, mailings with random costly enclosures and swag that have nothing to do with the charity. I get it. This is intended to stimulate reciprocity – but if it has no meaning, then in my opinion, it is actually just stimulating guilt.

When we have so much evidence that personal, tangible, meaningful appeals followed by prompt gratitude and demonstration of impact are fundamental ways to strengthen the DX and raise more money, it’s amazing how much bad fundraising behaviour is still taking place.

Sure, sometimes, doing these things works in the short-term. But just because something works, it doesn’t mean it’s right…or that your DX is strong. Even if you can raise a few more dollars by using fundraising tactics that are manipulative, lazy and uninspired, you are not building trust in the Donor eXperience – and that hurts all of us. This is the cheese slicer whittling down the delicate block of positive affinity that the public has towards giving to charities. Having an insular, short-term view of fundraising sentences all of us to a world of low retention rates, lack of engagement and poor public perception.

Okay, that’s enough of the bad. Anyone who knows me knows I’m an optimistic, positive guy (my #1 Strength in the StrengthsFinder test was Positivity) – all hope is not lost!

There is a solution to all of this.

A big dose of #DonorLove. It is the single best way to enhance the DX and ultimately build stronger relationships with donors.

So what does #DonorLove look like? How can you create a better DX?

1. Make donor relations a priority: It should already be a top priority in your fundraising and development departments, but for this to really work, you need coordination and buy-in across all areas of your organization – senior management, programming, marketing, finance and the Board of Directors to name a few. Engage them in the vision and discussions for the DX that you want to see.
2. Listen to your donors: Whether it’s a focus group, a survey or just looking at their giving behaviour and response patterns, your donors will tell you what you need to make their experience better if you give them the chance.
3. Invest in your systems: There is no excuse because we know doing this works. You might not be able to do everything at once, but once you start investing in the DX, your donors will respond positively, leading to better results and you can build from there. Plus, if you have done #1 well, it should be easier to get the financial and human resources you need to get things moving.
4. Have a personality: There is no reason why fundraising can’t be creative, interesting, playful and fun. In fact, it is the best way to stand out and will draw your donors closer. It builds credibility and likability for your organization. Brands have a certain “feel” that you have the ability to influence.
5. Inspire and wow at every opportunity: Every single interaction with a donor is a chance to build positive affinity, including an ask. What can you do that is different, unique and meaningful? It might take a bit longer to develop or be harder to implement, but the efforts will be rewarded.
6. Be an advocate for #DonorLove: When donors feel good about giving, they give more everywhere. Encourage other fundraisers to take the high road and put donors first. Speak up when you see something happening that you don’t agree with or that could damage relationships with donors.

There is no doubt that part of our goal is to raise more money. However, we have to find the intersection of where achieving your financial metrics can actually strengthen donor relations, rather than depleting them.

While I am a strong advocate for #DonorLove, I cannot take credit for creating it. Some of this is the very basic, rudimentary, foundations of successful fundraising about which we must be constantly vigilant or be in danger of forgetting. I’m also not the only one speaking out about this. There are a number of people who are donor champions, standing up for their rights and a better DX.

An amazing team of disruptive, thoughtful and uber-passionate fundraisers, led by Rory Green (aka Fundraiser Grrl) and Maeve Strathy (What Gives Philanthropy) have put together the #DonorLove Rendezvous to address this issue exactly. It’s not your average conference. It will be a group of people who not only want to create a better DX, but want to see our sector push itself to be better too!

I hope you will join us at the #DonorLove Rendezvous on May 11, 2016. You can register and learn more at www.donorlove.ca. It will be one of the best investments you can make in your own development, your fundraising shop’s DX and in our sector.

Constant Questions: Do you think fundraising is doing alright the way it is? What examples can you share of a really strong DX? Will you join us at the #DonorLove Rendezvous? Did I confuse the wrestling fans who thought I would be posting about Degeneration X?

Career Shift: From a large shop fundraiser to a small shop Executive Director

When you look at career paths, you might think they are linear, but in reality, they can take many turns.

(PHOTO CREDIT: Demetri Martin, “This is a Book“)

This drawing fittingly explains the reality of what career success will look like for many of us in the new age of employment. It is well-known that we have moved from the days of one career to having multiple careers in our lifetime – and this applies to all industries and sectors.

I recently had a conversation with someone who has worked with hundreds of executives in the charitable, government and social profit sectors. She was adamant that the successful leaders of the future will not be the ones with the most knowledge, the most skills or the most experience, but with the strongest ability to adapt and change. This requires gathering a variety of skill sets and perspectives – the type you can gain from shifting career paths.

In that case, experiencing multiple careers is not a bad thing – it can actually work in your favour and prepare you for the employment landscape of the future.

After 8 years working at an internationally known charity, being provided opportunities to advance into new roles, and ending up in the helm of the fundraising department, overseeing a team of 8 people and raising over $8M annually – I decided to take on the role of Executive Director of a much smaller (or as I prefer to say, small and mighty) organization.

How to decide if a move like this is right for you?

My current seat is within an organization that I volunteered with intensely for eight years before joining as the Executive Director. I felt deeply invested their success before starting. While this move was a difficult choice because I felt very much fulfilled and connected to my last shop; the decision to move ultimately came down to a matter of following my gut and asking some key questions to engage my brain:

• Can I be the lead champion for this cause? Can I demonstrate boundless passion and share the vision to draw others in?
• What skills, knowledge, perspectives and new connections do I stand to gain by making this move?
• What risks am I taking by leaving my past role and stepping into something very different?
• Where are the current knowledge and skills gaps, and in what areas would I need to learn and grow immediately?
• Who are the current staff I will be working with? Is the right team in place to achieve success or are significant changes needed?
• What is the culture of the Board of Directors? What type of relationship are they looking for with the Executive Director?
• What supports do I have to guide me through this journey?

Asking yourself questions like this will serve as a self-interview, making sure you are listening to your heart and your head in the right quantities.

What is the difference between heading up fundraising at a large organization and leading the charge at a smaller organization? 

If you are considering such a move, there are some important differences between large and small organizations, and between lead fundraising roles versus lead management roles, which you should be aware of. The following tips may help you prevent total culture shock when you make the leap:

• There is a huge learning curve around administration – payroll, HR, finance, governance, marketing and communications – think of it as running a small business. All bucks stop with you and you wear more hats than LL Cool J. There is no director of marketing or vice president of human resources – it all comes down to you.
• Small organizations require tremendous entrepreneurial spirit, lightning fast decision making, and the ability to take risks on a regular basis. It’s not that these don’t exist in larger organizations, because they certainly do, but often they can conflict or become lost within larger structures.
• There is a much less established fundraising program. The base of donors, average gift and largest gift are much smaller, and there are less fundraising channels and tools embedded within the organization. There are likely two to three pillars such as a key campaign, funder or event. What this does mean is you have the chance to work from a clean slate and build great new programs with no existing structures to break down – sometimes that can be easier.
• You are now reporting to a Board of Directors instead of a CEO. This requires a different approach to reporting, relationship management and governance. Working with a Board of Directors means you have a large in-house pool of talent, wisdom and mentorship to draw support from, and this also means there are more people you need to keep aware, informed and engaged with your work on a regular basis.
• Working long, hard hours…no wait, that isn’t any different!

Strategies to shifting into an Executive Director role?

Here are four key things I learned making the shift to being an Executive Director:

1. Seek advice and mentorship from those that have done this before or who are leading organizations successfully – in this sector, there are many generous and wise leaders who want to see you succeed. Ask and you will be surprised who says yes to being a support for you.
2. Establish your presence right away with all your stakeholders. Spend a lot of time up front listening, engaging and making yourself known. As the face of the organization, it is critical that key donors, funders, volunteers and partners begin to get to know you and trust you, as you will be working together.
3. Don’t try and fix problems that you don’t understand. Talk to the people – they often have the answers – or at least can clarify the issues.
4. Be very conscious that what you did to be successful so far is not the same as what you will need to be successful going forward. Old habits may need to change. Rethink and unlearn.

Making a career shift can be scary, but can stretch your perspective, challenge you to build new skills and be a wonderful stage in your journey. There is no one right way to do things – it depends on your personal definitions of success. Wherever you go, bring your best self, develop positive reputation and stay in touch with the people who matter – that is always important. Besides, this decision is never final – you can always go back the other way, now armed with some new skills and a broader lens that you bring with you.

This article was originally published in Hilborn Charity eNEWS

Smash Your Ego! Why Humility Matters

Humility may be losing ground.

However, for some reason I value it more than virtually any other human trait. I don’t know why, but the people I respect most are the ones that are out there, doing incredible things, but are so humble about it that it makes their accomplishments that much more amazing.

A colleague once told me about an author that she really liked and that she was excited to meet in person at a conference. Then she met this author and got the sense that he was pompous and it totally turned her off. It’s difficult to say what function this serves for us as human beings, but it’s wired into us.

It’s important to acknowledge that in our “marketing wins” world, you do have to promote yourself. I’m not advocating for a silent promotion strategy. What’s important is how you come across – in my opinion, you should be confident but not arrogant.

Note for the psychology majors: I know that an ego itself is not a bad thing. It is your definition and perception of yourself, and without one, you would be lost. A healthy ego is important for self-esteem. Here, I am speaking about common usage of the term – like in the phrase “Wow, that guy really really has an ego.”

Here are some considerations when you are telling others about yourself, your business, your charity or your product.

Don’t: Have an overly inflated ego.
Do: Value yourself. While it is possible to overdo ego, this does not mean you shouldn’t have pride or a sense of self-worth. True confidence comes from self-acceptance and embracing who you really are, not trying to be someone else.

Don’t: Only talk about being good. It will likely have the opposite effect you intended.
Do: Be good. Be your best self and you will build a strong reputation, which will serve you well in the long run.

Don’t: Put yourself in the spotlight all the time.
Do: Encourage and support shining a light on others. Give them the credit they are due.

Don’t: Promote yourself heavily or loudly to the point of annoyance.
Do: Ensure others know you exist and the value you can add for them. Stay in touch, add value over time and be consistent. That will do more for you than just trying to be the noisiest.

Don’t: Dominate conversations.
Do: Listen strong and let the other person speak. It will help you build a stronger connection, give you information that will help you better serve others and meet their needs.

Don’t: Assume you can solve all of the problems of the world alone..
Do: Ask for help. Give others a chance to succeed, present ideas and speak up. Sharing ideas can yield a better solution and a place to build from together.

Don’t: Brag.
Do: Connect.

There’s always a place and a way to sell yourself, get in front of the right people, let others know you exist, and show your value. Just don’t overdo one-sided self-promotion.

Smash your ego. Channel your inner Incredible Hulk.

Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less. C.S. Lewis

Constant Questions: Do you agree with this view of confidence, humility and self-promotion? How do you feel when you meet someone arrogant? Do you feel that it doesn’t matter how you come across because you are just so amazing, awesome and the best person ever and no one else is even close to as good as you? You might need some ego-smashing.

This video does a great job of explaining the difference between confidence and arrogance.

Watch Your Language: Why We Should Stop Skinning Cats

People often ask what is more important – what you say or how you say it?

They are both important – this post focuses on the language we use to convey our ideas, and how they can effect the conversations we have.

As someone who believes that life is 50% content, 50% presentation, the language we use in our daily lives fascinates me. I’ve seen people who have a lot of great things to say, but their delivery made for a less than compelling message. On the flipside, I’ve heard people who are amazing presenters and communicators, but they lacked substance. In the marketing world we are in, we tend to embrace the latter, and they may succeed at least in the short-term. Ideally, you can have a strong message that is presented well, and it ‘sticks’.

Why do we talk the way that we do? Do you think about the origins of what you are saying or the impact of how you speak on the effectiveness of your message? Or the end results?

The words we use affect our conversations. Think about a racial slur, a derogatory term, a swear word, a slang word for a body part. These have more obvious effects because of the societal taboos put upon them. They draw instant emotional reactions.

Now think about these other categories of phrases and words that we use that impact your conversation in ways you may not even think about – until now.

Phrases with violence to animals

For some reason, a lot of these phrases have made their way into our regular vocabulary. They are quite graphic and violent, and yet are spoken by some of the most mild-mannered and peaceful people, because they are widely accepted phrases.

• There’s more than one way to skin a cat
• Kill two birds with one stone
• Let’s stop beating a dead horse
• Not enough room to swing a cat

Instead, can we find less violent alternatives? They don’t have to be boring and can convey the same message. How about instead of skinning a cat, we say, “There’s more than one way to scale a mountain”?

Failure talk

When we use certain words or phrases, there is a subconscious psychological effect on ourselves or others. These phrases can be especially toxic in organizations because they can destroy productivity and creativity.

• “I will try…” or “I aim…” or “Hopefully…” or “If we are successful…” – these phrases imply the possibility of failure and are proven to make the achievement of whatever you say afterwards less likely to happen. Instead, say “I will…” or “When we succeed…”
• “It’s impossible…” or “I can’t do it…” – by saying these phrases, you are creating negative reinforcement pathways in your brain. Steve Jobs had the sentiment that you can achieve the impossible if you don’t know that it is impossible. Keep an open mind and think about how you can make something happen, and you will be surprised at the results. If you must say you are not doing something, say “I choose not to…”, which at least reinforces your own power to make choices.
• “That’s a bad idea…” – as adults, we often shut each other down before letting great ideas breathe. This can stifle creativity and eventually make us stop generating or sharing ideas. This is an innovation killer. Open your mind to new ideas. At the very least, we can learn from and build on ideas that initially may not make sense to us. Huge change doesn’t happen without creativity.

Bad apologies

Apologizing is a difficult thing to do. When done right, you can rebuild bridges, repair relationships and ease tension. When done poorly, you can make things much worse very quickly. The first step is being sincere about apologizing. Next is making sure the language you use doesn’t have the opposite effect you intended to have.

• “I’m sorry but…” – think of the word ‘but’ as a magic eraser that eliminates everything you said right before it. This apology doesn’t take on any accountability, and that is what the other person is usually looking for.
• “I’m sorry that you were offended…” – saying it this way also doesn’t take accountability for your actions. You are disowning your role in the situation.

A real apology would start more like this – “I’m sorry for what I did and for offending you.” An earlier post I wrote talks about how to really apologize.

Compliments

Sure, we all like to be told something nice. Maybe for a few moments, it makes us feel good about ourselves. Usually, a compliment is superficial and doesn’t require much understanding of who you are as a person. It doesn’t hit deep into our souls, so it likely doesn’t have a lasting effect. Check out what compliments sound like:

• I like your shirt
• Good job
• You are awesome

Nothing is wrong with compliments – they can be nice and uplifting. However, if you really want someone you care about to know that they are important to you and really elevate their spirits, consider using acknowledgements which are very specific and speak to the essence of who the person is. Here is what an acknowledgement sounds like:

“The way that you handled that situation really speaks to your courage and resolve. You always have such a strong way of reading people and what is important to them, and I’m sure that is why you are able to manage difficult situations that come up.”

So what can you do to start using better language? The main thing you can do is to really listen to yourself and others – by being conscious of the language you are using, you can make better choices and increase the success of your communications. That is, if you care about that sort of thing.

Constant Questions: What language do we use that has effects we may not even realize? How can we become more aware of the impact of the language we use, and change it for the better? I guess we can’t do it, because it’s impossible. I’m sorry if you are offended, and I don’t want to keep beating a dead horse, but your idea is bad. Well, at least you’re wearing a nice shirt.

This post was inspired by conversations with my great colleagues at Future Possibilities for Kids, where we talk about random issues like this all the time in the interest of self-development and building our own leadership and coaching skills.

BONUS: Another thing that has an effect on others around us is grammar. Like it or not, when you use bad grammar, it may take away from your message. Weird Al preaches on this below.

5 Things You Can Do Instead of Drinking Coffee

We live in a coffee culture.

• When you ask someone to meet up with you, you will often say “Let’s grab a coffee.”
• Many of your co-workers or family members will say things like “I can’t get started without my morning coffee.”
• According to Infobarrel, 50% of people over 18 in the US drink coffee regularly and they drink enough to fill up over 14 Statues of Liberty…every day!

As someone who has a busy schedule, is a parent of two young children, and likely as sleep-deprived as the rest of you, I can totally understand the need for a morning boost. However, given my sensitivity to caffeine – even a 9am coffee will disrupt my sleep – I am not a coffee drinker. Yes, the truth is out. When I tell others about this, it often leads to disbelief, shock, and looks that say “How do you survive?”

I’m not here to knock coffee – in moderation, many studies have shown coffee to have short-term positive effects like increased alertness, memory, and even happiness. It also smells and tastes wonderful.

I’m here to ask what about the rest of us non-coffee drinkers who still need that morning boost?

Here are some alternatives to coffee that you can do to start your day that will energize your body, uplift your spirits and sharpen your mind. While it’s a small sample size, I am speaking from personal experience that all of these things work! Even if you do drink coffee, you can still do them.

1) Drink lemon juice – Lemon juice is a super food with many amazing properties. Having a shot of lemon juice (and for the adventurous, a dash of cayenne pepper) with warm water can boost your immune system and give you a burst of energy – to me it is comparable to drinking a shot of espresso, but with no side effects. Just remember to brush your teeth before doing this instead of afterwards and rinse with water after due to the acidity of the lemon.

2) Do a 30 second burst of exercise – Doing even 30 seconds of intense exercise first thing in the morning like jumping jacks, running rapidly on the spot or burpee jumps can boost your energy and adrenalin. It has been compared to drinking coffee with no downside (no crash, no disrupted sleep). That’s less time than it takes to start up your coffee maker!

3) Express gratitude – There are no magic bullets in life, but this is one of the quickest and easiest ways to gain short and long-term benefits to your emotional health and energy. Every morning, write down (or type) 3 things that you are grateful for. It doesn’t sound like much, but you find that by the end of this exercise, you are completely uplifted. The best part is doing this even occasionally can have a positive effect on mood even up to 3 months after you stop doing it. If you haven’t set a New Year’s Resolution yet, making gratitude part of your daily routine could make a real difference in your life.

4) Laugh – Laughing is an emotional cleanser. It has so many proven benefits, one of which is increasing your energy levels. One thing you can do is to create an easily available list of things in your life that REALLY make you crack up just by thinking of them and then take a peek at it and let the laughter do the rest.

5) Do some self-affirmation – Look in the mirror, right into your own eyes and tell yourself whatever it is you think you need to hear. It could be as simple as “You’re doing great.” If you’ve never done it before, try it – it’s quite powerful. Many of us, myself included, could stand to be more gentle with ourselves. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t push yourself to achieve more and be ambitious, but sometimes what we really need to hear from ourselves is that we’re doing alright.

Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor, psychologist, or someone with any credentials that allow me to credibly give such ideas – I’m just a coffee-free guy who found some things that help me. So check with your respective professionals, mostly for #1 and #2.

Constant Questions: What gives you energy in the morning? Do you depend on coffee for your morning fix? Would you give up coffee and try some alternatives ways to wake up? Is the best part of waking up really Folgers in your cup?

If you want to know what really happens when you drink coffee, check this out:

Storming the CASL: What About In-Person Spam?

Today, Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL – playfully pronounced “castle”) took effect, primarily focused on Commercial Electronic Messages. It is regarded by many as the world’s toughest stance on spam by any government body. Interesting that it’s launching on Canada Day, perhaps sending some subliminal message of strength and patriotism.

In this post, I will make no judgements, commentary, or declare my opinion about CASL itself – there are plenty of people already doing that. In the end, I am against spam and unwanted communications, and the effect they have on those of us who are trying to communicate properly, meaningfully and respectfully. It desensitizes and jades people to communications and creates a population of annoyed cynics – and who can blame them for becoming that way.

My question is, what about in-person spam? Here are some examples of what I mean:

You just meet someone and they are trying to sell you and close you from the first sentence

At an event, you see someone who is rapid-firing out their business card at anyone who will take it, and doesn’t bother getting to actually know anyone

Someone is not listening to you at all in a conversation and just keeps talking over you, through you and around you

People who express views from a place of hatred and exclusion, such as racists and bigots

An acquaintance who is always asking for something and never offers anything in return

What we really need is a shared understanding of what is appropriate, and to respect each other enough abide by that understanding. Rather than trying to get louder and noisier to make your voice heard, maybe what you really need to do is listen.

To stop yourself before from becoming an in-person spammer:

Listen well and really get to know people

Ask questions and practice curiosity to increase your understanding

Heighten your self-awareness and the impact you have on others

Make sure you understand how people want to be treated and then do that

Ensure all of your communications are meaningful and respectful, and not just about you all the time.

This brief conversation of tweets from two respected friends says it all – and applies no matter what channel you’re using. This is in response to the flurry of emails Canadians have been receiving to obtain “opt-in” explicit consent for ongoing communications, many of which have been less than stellar.

@GratiaCaritas Indeed. Most opt-in requests have been lame and about THEM, not me.

— Promod Sharma (@riscario) July 1, 2014

Spam is spam, wherever it’s coming from.

Constant Questions: Have you ever experienced in-person spam? What is the worst story you have? How do you think we can avoid it? Have you ever actually eaten Spam or its lesser known cousin Klik?

The ultimate SPAM video!

Who are your Spinach Buddies?

You need people you can count on. You need people who are honest with you. You need people who tell it to you like it is.

You need Spinach Buddies.

Have you built a relationship with your customers or your donors where you would feel comfortable telling them they have something stuck in their teeth, either literally or figuratively? Would they tell you?

You’re probably wondering how you can have something figuratively stuck in your teeth. That’s something like a typo on your website, or you still have your out of office voicemail on even though you’re back. Or your fundraising appeal is way off. Or that your pitch is weak. Or your product is flawed. I’m not talking about people that just complain, those are easy to find. I’m talking about the ones who are so close to you, that when they see something going wrong, they genuinely care about you and your organization and want to see you doing better, so they tell you the truth.

Spinach Buddies aren’t only your customers, but they can be your volunteers, your suppliers, media contacts or your staff and colleagues.

On the journey for continuous improvement, ongoing, honest feedback from people who care is your best companion.

So how do you get more Spinach Buddies?

Make sure you have easily available channels for getting feedback – email, phone, in-person, social media channels

Seek feedback directly – surveys, tough conversations, focus groups

Make it okay for people, including your own staff team, to give input and actively reward feedback

Celebrate success and the results of implementing changes, giving credit to the people whose input was helpful

Keep current Spinach Buddies close to you by keeping them informed and going back to ask for advice

If you have a lot of Spinach Buddies, then you’re doing a great job of relationship building. Or you’re one of the very few people in our society who is actually eating too many leafy greens.

Friends don’t let friends walk around with spinach stuck in their teeth.

Thanks to a trusted colleague and friend, Nikki Pett, for the inspiration for this post. NO, she did not have anything in her teeth, but our conversation over a lunch was the basis for this post.

Constant Questions: Has a customer or donor ever told you that you have something stuck in your teeth? Do you tell others when something isn’t right? Am I way off about this theory? Do I have something stuck in my figurative teeth?

9 seconds of hilarity that is a nice fit.

The lean forward moment

I wait for that moment. It happens every time, without fail. I meet someone, and they start telling me what they “do”. Sometimes they’re excited about it, and sometimes they’re barely showing any signs of passion.

Then, as I start asking questions, and we get deeper into conversation, it happens.

The person’s eyes light up, a genuine smile breaks through, and they lean forward and really get into the conversation.

That is when I know we’ve made a real connection and I’ve been let into the person’s world. What makes someone lean forward is what is at the core of that person and gives you a great idea of who they are.

I have experienced so many lean forward moments – people from all walks of life, backgrounds, ages and career paths.

The leader of a social profit agency leaned forward talking about the letters she reads from families that have had their lives changed as a result of her organization’s work.

A rising star fundraiser leaned forward when he told me about how excited he gets working with donors one on one, walking them through an inquiry or even a complaint, and taking them to a place of understanding.

An introverted engineer turned consultant specializing in innovation tax credits leaned forward when he started talking about his vision of the future of Canada as an innovation hub.

Sometimes, people ask the question “If you didn’t have to worry about money, what would you do?” as an attempt to determine someone’s true calling or passion. Maybe that works if the person answering the question is very self-aware and has already figured it all out.

I think having a meaningful conversation is more likely to reveal the real answer, because it’s coming about naturally and organically, and we may not always be highly attuned with our own deep-seeded passion.

The next time you go to a networking event, or anywhere you are meeting new people, you are bound to have someone asking you early in your conversation “What do you do?” Answer them, then try something different as a response. Don’t ask “What do you do?”. Ask “What makes you lean forward?”, pause while the person gives you a weird look, explain yourself, and see how it goes. I have a feeling it will be much more interesting that way.

Sometimes we do what we have to do, but we hope that for the most part, we get to do what we want to do, what we like to do and what we believe is our calling. Find what makes you lean forward, and make sure, even if you’re not doing that all the time, that it is part of your life often enough to keep you fulfilled.

Constant Questions: What makes you lean forward? Do you get to do enough of that in your life? Have you seen other people lean forward and realized you just discovered what makes them tick? Would you lean on me, when you’re not strong? Because I’ll be your friend.

If you do have a million dollars and are struggling for ideas of what to do with it, here are some great ones.

Creative Gratitude

Thank you to all who took part in the “Thank you, but no thank you” contest, AKA #BestTY. Wait, after all of my preaching about not opening with ‘thank you’, let me restate that first sentence. You deserve respect, gratitude and a pat on the back for taking part and supporting this contest. Whether you placed an entry, promoted it, or even thought about how you thank people, kudos to you.

This contest was about being different, getting creative and finding new and interesting ways to thank donors. Charities, non-profits, do-gooders and pretty much anyone was invited to share their best opening line for a donor thank you, on Twitter in 140 characters or less to boot. I was very happy and blown away by the response and support from everyone. If you were following along, hopefully, you picked up some good ideas.

Huge appreciation to our esteemed judges panel for all of their support. They were there along the way, giving advice, sharing the contest and ultimately making the very difficult decision about who should win!

Mary Cahalane
John Lepp
Ann Rosenfield
Brock Warner

So, the moment of truth. The winner of the contest is… Dignitas International for the inspiring entry below.

@constantchanges On Saturday 11 August, you made a decision to save someone’s life. #BestTY

— Dignitas Intl (@DignitasIntl) August 15, 2013

Why was this entry the most popular amongst our judges? It is personal, mentioning the date of the gift. It is focused on the donor. It is attention-grabbing. It draws you in right away. It talks about impact. It connects the decision to donate with that very same impact. All great traits of a great opening line for a donor thank you.

Congratulations Dignitas! Many members of their team jumped in on this thanking action.Your team wins a $25 Amex card and of course a review of an appeal or letter courtesy of the creative minds at Agents of Good. Agents, you really rock for providing this amazing prize!

A Special Judge’s Prize was provided by Ann Rosenfield for an entry she felt had to win something. Congratulations AC (@Connectwithcoop). For this entry below, you win a $10 Starbucks card – and thanks, Ann for providing this prize!

https://twitter.com/connectwithcoop/status/368190146107428864

Other honourable mentions that resonated with the judges panel include:

The greatest things in life can't be seen or touched.They must be felt with the <3.(Helen Keller)Ur gift has been felt by 100 <3s.#BestTY

— Carmen Clayton (@Carmen_Clayton) August 7, 2013

https://twitter.com/rekhsy/status/365626861537083392

#BestTY : "You are amazing, and your gift just helped [name] fix [problem] - you are making a difference." @constantchanges

— Beate Sørum (@BeateSorum) August 9, 2013

@ConstantChanges "Connor graduated high school because of donors like you!" #BestTY

— Take a Hike Foundation (@TakeaHikeFdn) August 13, 2013

In Malawi, a mother is smiling because her baby was born HIV-negative. As a donor, this is what you do. #bestTY @DignitasIntl

— Anne Connelly (@Anne_Connelly) August 14, 2013

#nonProfit TY letter contest http://t.co/iMVA2qTSJP … … #BestTY Hunger shouldn't be an option. Thanks to you it won't be (for food bank)

— Claire Axelrad (@CharityClairity) August 14, 2013

You are part of a brave movement that refuses to give up. #BestTY

— Dignitas Intl (@DignitasIntl) August 15, 2013

"Your gift arrived at our office yesterday and we are so excited about the work our scientists can now embark upon." #BestTY

— Beth Ann Locke (she/her) (@FundraiserBeth) August 17, 2013

Great work, all you thanking machines!

The 3 random winners of $10 Amazon gift cards just for having the courage to enter are:

Carmen Clayton (@Carmen_Clayton)
Beth Ann Locke (@fundraiserbeth)
Rekha (@rekhsy)

Next time you have to thank someone, do as these people did, and get creative. Your donors deserve it for supporting you.

I would love your feedback about this contest, whether you took part or not. Should we do this again? How can we make this contest even better and more appealing? How can we get 1,000 entries and get even more idea sharing happening?

Thank you, but no thank you

Stop saying thank you to donors. Of course, I don’t mean that as it sounds. Showing appreciation for donations is one of the (if not the) most important things that happens after someone gives. All I’m saying is find another way to say it.

You are a bunch of creative people out there and I’m sure you can find some awesome alternatives. A simple thank you always has its place, but to get people’s attention, show them that you’ve taken some more time to think about showing gratitude.

So how about a contest?

I am looking for the best opening line for a thank you that doesn’t say “thank you” in it. Get creative, get fun, get quirky, but show your appreciation.

Starting as soon as this post is released, tweet your best opening line for a thank you email, letter, phonecall, fax, or stone tablet message to #BestTY and the best one wins, it’s that simple.

Just don’t say thank you.

The contest will close Saturday, August 17th at midnight, EST, and the winner will be announced shortly after. The best ones will be Storified, along with the announcement of the winner, and captured here in a future post.

The judges for this contest will be me and these four amazing fundraising type people:

Mary Cahalane, Director of Development at Charter Oak Cultural Center and fundraising wizard, as her blog Hands-on Fundraising will show you.

John Lepp, Partner at Agents of Good, standing up against bad fundraising everywhere, and mega-zealot about treating donors right.

Ann Rosenfield, Executive Director of the WoodGreen Foundation, and her hands are insured for $1 million because she is a handwritten note legend.

Brock Warner, Donor Programs Officer at War Child Canada and recent entrant into the blog world with iamafundraiser, much to the delight of…well…everyone!

Supreme appreciation to these excellent friends for supporting this – I know they are all big advocates of showing ‘donor love’.

So what’s up for grabs? Recently, I was lucky enough to win a Twitter contest run by Zipcar, and I won a $25 Amex gift card. I committed that if I won it, I would find a way to give it away, so that was the birth of this contest. I know it’s not a trip to Paris, but it’s the pride, not the prize, folks.

However, after hearing about the contest, John and the good folks at Agents of Good have generously offered to do a free evaluation of an appeal or thank you letter for the winner. Now that’s something to write home about…hopefully to say thanks.

UPDATE August 12, 2013 – I’m going to up the ante to spur on entries by adding three $10 Amazon.com gift cards to be given out randomly to those that enter. Use it towards a fundraising book or a waffle iron. Maybe get something nice for a friend. Whatever you like!

Note, the Amex card is a US gift card, but it should be usable at any online vendor if you’re not from the US. If you win, I will mail it to you once the contest is done, wherever you are in the world.

Here’s the catch. You must be on Twitter! This is as good an excuse as any to start.

Good luck to all!

Constant Questions: I would ask you here for the best opening line for a thank you, but you’re going to tweet it, right? Instead, what is the worst opening line for a thank you that you have seen? What are some creative ways you have said thank you or seen it done?