Humbled by being awarded the Rivi Frankle Award for Fundraising Managment at Toronto Metropolitan University. I’m just finishing up my final course “Current Issues in Fundraising” in the program and found out I’ll be receiving this award at The Chang School’s Annual Leaders in Learning event next month.
This is wonderful honour to receive this from such a highly respected member of the fundraising community in Canada. Thank you so much for supporting the Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education at TMU as it allows students to update their education and skills and bring that experience to the philanthropic community and helps our communities grow.
I have always been a huge advocate of telling a story when it comes to fundraising. When I tell people my personal story – my “WHY” I do this and why you should join me in supporting this cause – I tell a story. In this assignment, we reviewed an article by Harvey McKinnon called “How I Wrote it. The Make A Wish Foundation’s prospect letter. Harvey talks about the story containing emotion, and being credible and he’s exactly correct.
I’ve seen so many charities and fundraising groups boast about how much they’ve raised. The headline in their solicitation speech is “Last year we raised $X million dollars” and then ask to help them raise more for the next annual campaign.
Or even worse that the headline of the charity on their newsletter or solicitation email is “Millions of dollars raised” at their last fundraising event.
Donors will ask the question … “Why?” It will be very hard for many charities to come up with an answer. In the back of the donors mind might be “You’ve raised so much. Why do you need MY help?” If a charity or non profit is not prepared with the answers, your chances of getting that donor to commit to the cause plummets drastically.
The story you tell in your newsletter has to make an impact and provide the donor with a reason why they should donate to your organization. No story, no impact and in turn no donation.
An example of a story that touched me personally comes from the United Way Halton Hamilton which does an incredible job coming up with many different stories that people can relate to and find a connection with or will touch someone emotionally. Here is a link to the video of Fred, one of the many success stories from the United Way.
A quick synopsis of the 60 second clip is that Fred was addicted to drugs and was about to lose everything. He had reached the end of his rope and had contemplated committing suicide. He went into the rehab clinic and made a call through the UW that changed his life. If he didn’t make that call, he was prepared to end it all.
Through my work with UW, I have had the opportunity to meet Fred and first hand hear the full story which I know many donors don’t get the chance to meet people like this. Bottom line he said if it wasnt for the assistance he received from UW, he assures us he wouldn’t be here today. That story impacted me back then and still does today.
To me, this story checks all the boxes of what Harvey was talking about when it comes to the story – emotion, real, and how the charity intervention made the difference. Fred’s story is one that many people can relate to because of the prevalence of drug addiction in our society – in a lot of cases you know someone personally or through someone else who has struggled with addition.
Its been awhile since I’ve updated the content on my website and that’s because I’ve been busy with the Fundraising Management course at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) formerly Ryerson. I am almost through all of the courses that have ranged from introduction to fundraising to the brain killer data analytics that challenged my Excel skills and humbled me knowing full well after this certificate program, I’ll be signing up for an Excel course or two.
I thought a great way to pass along what I’m learning in this program is to post some of the more interesting questions that come up in our readings. The course I’m currently taking is Fundraising Strategies & Practices and the first module in the course is about developing a personal philosophy of philanthropy – in short the “why we do what we do” when it comes to fundraising development.
In the assigned readings in the module a question came up of “what is a culture of philanthropy and how does it relate to your personal philosophy of fundraising?”
A culture of philanthropy refers to the organizations environment where generosity and giving are deeply ingrained values and incorporated into their mission statement and vision. It really goes beyond fundraising for a cause; it encompasses the entire non profit / charities purpose, attitude and behaviours towards philanthropy and charitable giving. The entire organization from senior leadership to the staff, volunteers and those who receive the benefits the fundraising, needs to understand and embrace the importance of philanthropy in order to achieve their mission and goals.
Your own personal philosophy of fundraising – or your why – are your guiding principles about how fundraising should be approached. When you are talking with potential donors, whether they are individual or corporate, you are telling a story to them as to why you are doing what you are doing and supporting the mission of your organization. The reasons are influenced by various factors including your personal values and experiences in life and the story is letting the donor know how they relate to the organizations culture and its relationship with donors.
A positive culture of philanthropy has a close relationship with your personal philosophy of fundraising which is why it needs to match with the organization you are supporting and advocating for. Both you and your charity / non profit must believe in building genuine relationships with donors, effectively steward the gifts and ensure transparency and accountability. Fundraising can not be seen as a transactional activity, but as a means of making and nurturing meaningful connections between donors and your organization based on your shared values and goals.
Here’s a quick update to those who have been asking “What are you to up these days Mike?”
As you know if you follow me here, I am working as a Resource Development Manager for the United Way Halton and Hamilton since January. I have been a long time supporter of United Way holding positions as a member of the Board of Directors and the Fundraising Cabinet since about 2009, and now working full time for them.
After the election back in October (has it really been that long now?) I wanted to find a place where I could continue working for and supporting my community and UW was a perfect landing spot for me and I’m truly having a great time.
While the new role is busy – don’t get me wrong – it’s offered up an opportunity to further my skills and education so I’ve enrolled in the Chang School at Toronto Metropolitan University “Fundraising Management Program” with my future goal to attain my CFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive designation)
My first course starts tomorrow and everything is online so I thankfully don’t have to travel to campus for classes. As what’s referred to as a “mature student” at the age of 50 something plus you can never stop learning and honing your skills & education … so here it goes.
Just doing one course at a time to begin with to see how it all goes. I don’t see scenes of the “Back to School” movie happening anytime soon, but we’ll have to see.
Day one of being a TMU student starts … now! #management #learning #education #community #fundraising
Its a time to say the two most important words that don’t get said often enough … “THANK YOU!”
I have been involved in number of organizations in a volunteer capacity and I’ve seen first hand the impact those volunteers make. Whether you volunteer for an hour or a day or several times a week, your impact is incredible. There are so many groups struggling to provide services for people in need in our community, and they couldn’t do what they do without the help of engaged community supporters and volunteers.
Some volunteer delivering food to seniors, helping out at a local youth drop in centre, offer assistance in the form of companionship to seniors and those who take the time to clean their neighbourhood of unwanted trash.
It all makes a difference and makes our community a better place and to show your #LocalLove.
So THANK YOU to all of the community volunteers who help so many and ask for little in return. You make our town a better place to live and provide inspiration to so many people.
Happy National Volunteer Week… and THANK YOU so much!
Join The Women’s Centre of Halton and a lineup of expert speakers and panelists to discuss experiences in manhood, allyship and accountability.
Morning speakers will be experts from a variety of fields including leaders in men’s mental health, politics and law enforcement, academia, public figures and more. Stay tuned for updates on social media as we announce our speakers!
Afternoon panel will be hosted by Kate Holmes, Executive Director of The Women’s Centre of Halton and Mike Cluett, former Regional & Town Councillor for Milton and United Way Halton & Hamilton Resource Development Manager.
Ticket includes seat and catered lunch by Ned Devine’s.
