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Start with these must-ask questions.

1. How do you measure fundraising success and assess my effectiveness?
You should know if your efforts will be judged by dollar goals, contact frequency, and/or departmental objectives.

2. Has your organization made a mistake in working with a donor – what happened?
You want to understand the leadership’s perspective on ethics in relationship-building.

3. What happens to a new idea?
You need to hear a story (or two) to figure out if ideas thrive or die.

4. How does a typical board member participate in fundraising?
You better determine how much engagement is or is not already happening.

5. What is the fundraising database used for?
You can tell a lot about how an organization manages its fundraising activities by how it uses and doesn’t use its database.

What other questions are important to ask when interviewing for a fundraising position?  Please leave a comment with your idea.

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• Growing your portfolio of professional projects
• Learning how to manage relationship-based fundraising
• Developing communications skills
• Working in an open, collaborative work environment

And you live in Central Indiana…

Consider applying for an internship opportunity as Advancement Associate at The Oaks Academy in Indianapolis.  Get the position details in this document.

I really enjoy working with interns and have thoughtfully planned significant projects for the benefit of the intern and my organization.  Please share this information with someone you know!

I don’t even blink an eye while others outcry in response to changes on Facebook. See, I remember the real change on Facebook that actually changed everything – the ability to create an account without a university email address. Now that was a big deal.

My point is simply this… Facebook lost its flair a long time ago for me.

But I still chose to manage a Facebook Fanpage for my blog. Why?

Because it is still driving great traffic to my site, gives me decent information about my fans, and is easy to update.

So I would encourage you to not make marketing decisions based on your feelings but on actual information.

What about you? Do you manage a Facebook Fanpage for your blog? Is it worth the hype for you? Leave a comment with what you’ve decided to do!

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How do your funding relationships look at this point? Do you only interact with a foundation when youare submitting a proposal, at the required reporting period(s), or when you are thanking them for theirdonation at the end of a granting period? Do you interact with individuals only when you feel they havethe greatest potential to give to your organization?

Fundraising is about forming relationships, the perception you and the organization have in thecommunity, and the ability to effectively engage funders with the organization. So I challenge you andyour organization to begin to strategically change these types of interactions!

Even though fundraising is on a playing field that it has never been on before and the economy isaffecting giving in diverse ways.

Be encouraged! There is still money available!

You can still maintain organizational sustainability through learning to effectively engage your donors.What is and how do you engage someone in your organization?

Glad you asked! Engagement is any interaction a donor has with the organization. These areopportunities for them learn more about the organization and it’s impact. Below are some ideas I’vegleaned from informational interviews, working within the field, and research:

• Be targeted. Have a purpose for reaching out. Be relevant with your informational updates andinvitations to your various donors.
• Make it personal and impactful. This can be done through testimonials and stories from thebenefactors of the organization.
• Keep it short and succinct. People are busy and probably aren’t going to read an eight pageletter from Sally who has benefited from the services of the organization.
• Refuse to “suck-up” and play politics for funding. You have to realize that your organizationis doing a service for the greater good of the community and is WORTHY of funding. No funderis worth the dignity of the organization or yourself. If that’s the way they want to do things, letthem and keep it pushing! You organization may feel the sting of not having that funding sourceat the beginning but in the long-haul it will turn out to be beneficial.
• Funders want open lines of communication with recipients. They want to get to know theorganization, the programs, and be able to see first-hand the impact their funding is havingon the benefactors of your organization. So let them in! You never know what other fundingsources they are aware of or whether they are able to get your foot in door with a foundationthat does not take unsolicited inquiries. However, DO NOT make this your primary focus. Or youcould have an individual who has given in the past and now they have first hand knowledge ofthe impact of the organization because they are using your services. This is the type of personwho will be an amazing spokesperson for the organization if they are continually engaged withthe organization!

Guest  Blogger Carmen Knowles is a nonprofit professional who has experience in program management and training in fundraising.  She is transitioning to more fundraising related roles while continuing to learn about the nonprofit sector. She can be found on Linkedin and on Twitter.

I recommend a donor database that:

1. Reflects all the different relationships a person can have with your organization (donor, board member, event volunteer, client services volunteer, staff, prospect, member, etc.)
2. Reports gift information (including details on restrictions and solicitation)
3. Captures knowledge about linkage, ability, and interest
4. Offers tools for planning and recording cultivation, recognition, engagement, and stewardship strategies
5. Allows for automation of repetitive tasks

TechSoup.org has a great resource, Finding the Perfect Donor Database in an Imperfect World.

What do you look for in a fundraising database?  Leave a comment with your response!

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I was never trying to be “brief and brilliant” on my blog.  I was just trying to get in and get out; make a decent point and try not to make a spelling mistake.

In the mean time, I’ve adopted the short style as my own.  So, how do I do it?

• I focus on one point and one point only.  If I am tempted to throw in more points, I just turn the blog into a multi-post series.
• I learn from other bloggers who write short posts.  Check out Seth Godin’s blog and Jeff Brooks’ Future Fundraising Now.
• I invest extra time in editing.  Writing a short post can take more time than writing a long post.
• And, yes, a tiny pencil helps.  I write shorter posts when I physically write instead of type.

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Millennials value…

• Transparency. We grew up in the age of digital communications where even CEOs write their own blog posts.  We want the inside scoop, and we want it out in the open.
• Education. Our parents preached at us about school, grades, and homework.  We listened and got a degree.  And then we got another degree.  And now we love participating in webinars and conferences.
• Diversity. It’s all we’ve ever known.  We enjoy learning about others’ backgrounds and life perspectives.  We don’t see diversity as an issue to deal with but a reality to embrace.

What else do millennials values?  Leave a comment with your idea!

Want more discussion about young professionals?  Check out Millennial Chat, a Twitter Chat hosted Tuesdays, 3:30 – 4:30pm (EST).  Join the #millennialchat conversation!

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I wish Pinktober was done for good, but I have a funny feeling that the world will turn pink again in eleven short months!

I don’t hate the goal of raising awareness and funds for breast cancer.  What I hate is consumerism in the name of philanthropy.

If you agree with me and Pepto Bismol is the only pink product you ever want to buy, enjoy these relevant posts:

• Everyday Sociology’s Consuming Philanthropy – This sociologist thinks capitalism is trumping our giving behavior.
• Fast Company’s 5 Rules of Marketing to Women – Even the marketers are skeptical of pink.  (Thanks, Pamela Grow, for tweeting this!)
• Indy(at)Work’s Money Making Nonprofits – My guest post discussing the greater context of nonprofit revenue from fees and sales.

What do you think?  Do you think that pink products do more harm than good?

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• A personal mission statement can be helpful.
• Career writing prompts can get you thinking.
• Identifying values usually proves useful.

Recently, I started using descriptors in response to questions of self-identity, especially adjectives in tension.

I’ve provided some examples below to get you thinking about you and defining your own distinctive qualities.

• How do you interact with others?  Bold but warm.
• How do approach your work?  Comprehensive but detailed.
• What is your career path like?  Young but accomplished.
• What does success look like?  Leading but balanced.

Leave a comment with a comparative adjective pair about yourself!

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