I spy with my little eye...
Because it is the time of year I would like to give you a warning. I regularly come across something in market research or long-term strategies I donβt like: fundraising potential within a target group (or channel, or segment) that, so far, has brought convincing success to hardly anyone in the market. And why? Because the organization has been convinced of its own exceptional characteristics, or because of the little competition in the market on this so called potential. Sometimes this comes from internal voices, but often this comes from external consultancy firms or exotic freelancers.
This specific external group has no knowledge of fundraising. Unfortunately, it is not superfluous to say: if you are going to work with an external party on your fundraising program, in whatever form, then it is wise that they understand fundraising. An occasional assignment for charity does not qualify. Extensive experience is very welcome. And then still you have to be very critical.
Such a party is often accepted for three reasons: they have elevated the strategy process to an art, know how to turn it into a beautiful presentation, and they are happy to discuss the popular topics: millennials are interesting, online is the holy grail and offline is passΓ©. All very intoxicating for an executive director looking for success. Forgetting that in the end fundraising is a profession.
What else can you recognize them by? The income growth that is promised is always too good to be true. And if it's too good to be true, it probably is.
But let's not forget that the charity is to blame when such an agency or interim manager is hired. Because why on earth would you do that? For the fresh wind? To force change? For some energy from the corporate world? When I go to the dentist, I go to a licensed dentist. Not to someone who says he wants to be a dentist. Believe me, the second is really going to hurt.
In fundraising, we have to make choices every day to use the limited resources we have as efficiently as possible to achieve the greatest return. Incorrect choices create inefficiency and therefore lower returns, also known as less income. Everything we do affects that, but some things more than others. And not surprisingly, many of those choices are embedded in the strategies and plans we make. So when you get advice from an outside party without any experience in fundraising, you won't get anything useful in return 99 out of 100 times.
Forewarned is forearmed!