The Spirit of Philanthropy

...Their blessings they attributed to God...

...Did you know...

...Stewardship...

...What compels people to support conservation is not so different from what compels them to support education, or human services, or their churches...

...The planning process is an ongoing cycle whereby the nonprofit formally defines its purpose (mission statement), determines what it aspires to do (vision), who will implement it (volunteers, staff, other partners), how it will be accomplished (strategies and actions), when it will be implemented (timelines and schedules), what it will require (resources), and how the results will be evaluated (assessment and subsequent planning...

...Developing a broad base of support through annual or "membership" gifts builds affiliation with supporters, some of whom will make more significant contributions as their commitment is developed...

...Yet, when she spoke, she talked primarily about how her late husband had lived amid a network of wetlands as a boy, waking each morning to the incredible calls of tens of thousands of birds...

...A bend in a particular river where it curls under a cutbank...

...I have used the word heart, but the word spirit seems more appropriate, perhaps more precise...

...A marsh where waterfowl gather, peculiar in the way it reflects light at sundown...

...Nonprofits do well to remember that board members are devoted volunteers who deserve regular expressions of appreciation for their involvement...

...Are alliances possible...

...In essence, the charitable relationship is one of reciprocity, whereby the donor is enriched by the opportunity to get involved in a particular cause in a meaningful way...

...The nonprofits that remain viable are those that continually question and assess their purposes and practices...

...People tend to be creatures of habit...

...This means inviting ever-wider participation—welcoming newcomers, involving children, seeking the wisdom of our elders—and deepening our relationships with one another...

...including the person in the organization's planning...

...This obligation requires accurate reporting and record keeping of all donated funds, whether from individuals, foundations, corporations, government agencies, or other entities...

...In the beginning, there is usually no paid staff—everyone involved is an active volunteer...

...I stacked bales, hoed weeds, and pitched straw...

...In developing a relationship with a prospective donor, the objective is to inspire the person to share in the organization's vision...

...t Bill Myers is vice president of Partners in Philanthropy, a full-service development consulting firm working in partnership with conservation organizations and other nonprofits: 1601 SW 37th Street, Topeka, KS 66611, 785/267-7690, billmyers@develop-net.com, www.develop-net.com...

...Our organizations perpetuate this faith, and achieve their visions, when we develop the human relations necessary to extend these efforts beyond our individual lifetimes...

...We develop the capacity to listen, to hear what others have to share...

...And while looking forward, I pause to look back to my forebears, and seek to live in a manner they would find familiar...

...To act with regard for "our children and our children's children" has become a familiar, if not overused, refrain for reminding ourselves to make thoughtful conservation decisions...

...But as I have become better acquainted with donors and other fundraising professionals, I have been intrigued to learn that reasons of the heart are also involved—reasons not always readily apparent...

...Grassroots groups are challenged to broaden their original "inner circle" to attract, recruit, and invite the active participation of new leaders...

...It represents the force of life—whatever can be shared...

...and • Affluence - Possessing the financial resources to make significant contributions...

...More often, the disintegration occurs because of a lack of organization and focus, an atmosphere of scarcity where funding is concerned, a failure to enlarge the circle of those intimately involved, or a reluctance among leaders to share control...

...FIVE KEYS TO SUCCESSFUL DEVELOPEMENT 1 BOARD DEVELOPMENT -The quality of its leadership is of singular importance to the nonprofit...

...Expending funds only for expressed purposes...

...Of all private contributions made in the U.S., 87.5% are from individuals and 7.3% are from foundations...

...They had stories to tell and ways of living shaped by attention and habit...

...Often there is no budget, and the group maintains itself by a kind of hand-to-mouth existence, relieved temporarily by the occasional grant from a small foundation, government agency, or private benefactor...

...The most crucial of these involve: • Acknowledging gifts on a timely basis...

...3 MEMBERSHIP/ANNUAL FUND - Nonprofits depend on regular, consistent contributions to sustain their operations...

...Is it possible for an organization to adhere to this process and still find itself unable to develop sufficient support...

...It is a gesture of sacrifice, a willingness to surrender something of the self, an acknowledgment of one's dependence on the broader community...

...Developing and implementing a systematic means of acquiring and renewing contributions is essential to long-term viability...

...In this context, development is the process of building relationships that will lead to support for the nonprofit's good works through charitable giving...

...and • Operating with accurate and consistent accounting methods...

...tasted mulberries and chewed countless stems of grass...

...The current proliferation of grassroots conservation organizations affirms the adage "think globally, act locally...

...Most of us have sacrificed some of our disposable income to support the charitable causes of our choice...

...woke to birdsong and slept to the music of coyotes...

...The key is to find ways to continue enlarging the circle of potential donors, since some will inevitably drop out, lose interest, shift focus, or move...

...Are the organization's mission and vision compelling and distinctive...

...At once common and particular in what it reveals about the genesis of my own conservation ethic—one rooted in agrarian stewardship, an abiding respect for what persists beyond our human enterprise, and an awareness of irrecoverable loss...

...Therefore, developing a system of regular contact with donors and prospects is vital...

...The elements of this process are essentially the same, whether the prospective donor is an individual, a business, a private foundation, or a grant-making government agency, and can be described in four interrelated stages: Identification...

...I discovered that wetland restoration was closer to her heart, and she has since supported that work far more generously than she would have the shortgrass prairie project...

...spending time with the person one-to-one...

...Identifying prospective donors can be achieved in a number of ways, including: putting on a public event and meeting those who attend...

...A familiar fundraising maxim summarizes successful solicitation as: "The right person asking for the right amount at the right time for the right purpose...

...5 STAFFING - A common lament among nonprofit fundraisers is "too many other duties and unclear priorities...

...Cultivation...

...If we listen instead, we have the opportunity to quietly discover the sources of a donor's interest in a common cause...

...I beheld a sky that revealed more stars than I'd ever imagined...

...Therefore, it is useful to request their support at a consistent time year to year...

...Working to advance the causes of nonprofit organizations has been one facet of this resolve...

...Probably...

...Spirit, as I understand and use it here, comprises powers of intuition, memory, love, empathy, experience, and faith...

...sending direct-mail appeals...

...For most of these organizations, local support is essential to viability...

...Too often, I think, we seek to advance the worthiness of our causes by trying to convince people with our words...

...2 OPERATIONS - Nonprofits have an absolute obligation to safeguard the public trust...

...Can the organization demonstrate results...

...The keys to effective development staffing are: • Identify and prioritize fundraising duties (major giving, board development, grantwriting, etc...

...4 COMMUNICATIONS - People don't support what they don't know about or don't understand...

...heard frogs croak, mead-owlarks warble, and lightning crackle...

...I recall, too, the immeasurable benefit of living elders—people born and reared on land they had never left...

...smelled fresh-turned earth and dusty leather...

...Education is the key to cultivation...

...In time, however, the group may dissipate or even discontinue, but not because the cause itself is no longer pertinent or the objective satisfied...

...Acknowledging the gift, continuing to cultivate and deepen the relationship with the donor, and soliciting subsequent gifts are critical to future success...

...A viable nonprofit is ever changing, and, like any living entity, experiences cycles of emergence, growth, decline, and renewal...

...The purpose of a development program is to foster emergence and growth (satisfying the organization's mission and exploring new initiatives), minimize decline (donors who discontinue their support), and to counterbalance the impact of decline through renewal activities (identifying and cultivating new donors...

...Through people's stories, I have learned how family histories exert their influence on philanthropic choices, as do longings for a sacred place from childhood, favorite teachers, a book discovered at a formative time, the teachings of a particular faith, or the example of a neighbor...

...This is the spirit of philanthropy...

...Maintaining up-to-date records of donors' names, addresses, and giving histories...

...Often it's the fundraising that suffers—sometimes at the organization's peril...

...For conservation organizations in particular, there is no substitute for getting people "on the ground" or "on the water" to kindle those spiritual connections...

...It's a simple story...

...Then my grandfather took sick and the farm was sold...

...Is its sphere of influence—the place where its work is done—broad enough to attract the support of a sustainable constituency...

...Recruit and hire development professionals whose expertise is commensurate with the organization's aspirations...

...To support conservation causes is to affirm life...

...As advocates of our organizations, it is our privilege to bear witness to such generosity and offer thanks...

...I pray that generations hence will inhabit an earth as bountiful as the one we enjoy...

...I've secured grants from foundations and government agencies, formed partnerships with corporations and businesses, recruited board members, hired staff, engaged in capital campaigns, facilitated strategic planning, guided organizational restructuring, written newsletters, designed brochures, organized events, walked door-to-door— virtually the gamut of nonprofit development activity...

...A successful nonprofit must effectively communicate news of its good works to the communities it serves for the purpose of educating and attracting supporters, thereby developing the resources necessary (both people and capital) to continue...

...Are there other organizations working on similar issues...

...By listening, we are able to ask better questions, and to share those aspects of our cause that relate most closely to the donor's experience...

...If we are far-sighted and genuine in our work, each relationship with an individual donor may culminate in an estate gift...

...We internalize these experiences and they become touchstones for future connections—with people, organizations, or causes...

...I recall a visit with a woman whose support I intended to solicit for a project on the shortgrass prairie because I knew she'd grown up in the area...

...Some speak of obligation, duty, or responsibility—motives of reason and the rational mind...

...In many instances, there is a charismatic leader—the sort of person whose passion for the cause is infectious, who inspires others to action, whose attitude is buoyant and hopeful, no matter the obstacle...

...A trail shared by deer, coyotes, rabbits, and mice along the bottom of a cholla-choked arroyo...

...We may be more fulfilled as fundraisers, as advocates of our organizations, as donors, as volunteers—indeed, as citizens—when we attend to the spiritual nature of our relations...

...Influence - Having visibility in and the respect of the community coupled with the ability to compel others to participate and make donations...

...It must continually seek ways to involve new individuals and cultivate their support...

...The practice of conservation itself exhibits faith in the future...

...saw colts foaled, thunder-heads composed, grasses unfurled...

...and providing the person with periodic updates on the organization's work...

...When I was a boy, my grandparents lived on a small farm on the Great Plains where I spent as many weekends, holidays, and extended summer visits as my parents would allow...

...It involves helping one another find meaningful expression through the act of charitable giving...

...Giving, then, the act of charity, is a spiritual expression...

...I've raised funds for conservation, higher education, health care, research, the arts, and human services...

...So how do we go about this...

...With this solid foundation firmly in place, an organization remains viable so long as it continues to serve the common good...

...These are not necessarily people of obvious or extravagant wealth...

...Methods of communication can include correspondence, newsletters, brochures, annual reports, flyers, and program updates...

...Yet there are those among us who go further, who surrender not only current income, but assets—property, securities, savings bonds, even their homes—for the common good...

...A certain autumn-tinged aspen grove in a pine forest...

...Often I have found them to be people of common sense and simple taste, the sort of folks who prefer a good conversation in their homes to public recognition at a gala event...

...Establish clear and measurable fundraising goals...

...Yet, good works alone do not guarantee long-term viability...

...Asking for the gift may be done in person, by written proposal, or over the phone, depending on the relationship, the individual circumstances, and the amount of money sought...

...You get the idea...

...Perhaps central among these are a commitment to planning and the ability to raise funds effectively...

...The landmarks of the physical world and our experiences in it correspond with our inner landscapes and our spirits...

...What has kept me at it, beyond my commitment to the missions of the organizations I've served, is an abiding curiosity about what compels individuals to give—to share generously of themselves and their resources...

...A thorough assessment will help identify what duties can be accomplished by volunteers, providing a means to involve them in the organization...

...Also, organizations should cultivate the press in their regions to make their work visible to the community...

...But a small organization cannot afford to depend solely on those who are already familiar with its cause...

...Those grassroots groups that survive adolescence and evolve into viable nonprofit organizations also share some common characteristics...

...I wandered the pastures, poked through the woods, stirred the waters, flung wishes to the sky...

...There are various ways to encourage this relationship: involving the person directly in the organization's work as a volunteer...

...or depending on word-of-mouth and other existing networks...

...They lived in a manner that didn't deplete the land, shared with their neighbors, and participated in the affairs of their rural community...

...Whether they seek to clean up a local waterway, influence public policy, preserve a remnant prairie, provide environmental education for children, or record the oral histories of long-time citizens, they usually require hands-on, face-to-face work...

...That direct personal involvement is sustained by the sense of community and shared purpose of a small group of dedicated people...

...I have worked with nonprofit organizations for more than 20 years, as a development professional since 1985...

...and include those in the job description...

...Communications enhance the nonprofit's credibility and provide a means for reinforcing its key messages to its constituents...

...Sometimes the donors themselves are not even fully conscious of the heart's influence...

...conducting a public survey to determine interest in the cause...

...Effective nonprofits develop procedures and implement systems that satisfy this obligation...

...Solicitation...

...and • Provide regular reviews of progress and performance...

...This is the spirit of philanthropy, the ground where authentic development takes place, where we can explore with our fellows to discover a satisfying expression for our common aspirations...

...Our presence in such places awakens senses and memories...

...Effective boards are characterized by: • Commitment - Demonstrating a belief in the organization's mission and devoting adequate time to its business...