[Strategies for Success - Smart ideas from Hartsook Companies, Inc.]
Smart ideas from Hartsook Companies, Inc.

May 4, 2010

Faith, Patience and Confidence Can Equal Fundraising Success

I had come to the event to help professionals from 300-plus Boy Scouts of America Councils sharpen their fundraising skills. And while I'm confident those I met went on to raise more money, I left with a larger lesson.

Those who know me are aware of my passion for Scouting. It molded my young life and is having the same impact on Joe, my Scouting-aged son.

I've been fortunate to walk several Scouting paths over the years. Early in my career, I worked as a District Executive in Kansas City's Heart of America Council. More recently, I've held volunteer jobs in Pack and Troop 228 and the Council's Blue Elk District.

So unlike some Scouters, who mutter under their breath about professionals, I've always valued their leadership. Through this event, however, my respect stepped up another notch.

Diego Aviles, then Assistant Scout Executive of the Hudson Valley Council in Salisbury Mills, NY, helped me realize that having faith in your donors is critical to fundraising success. Although the region north of Manhattan had been hit by the slumping financial services industry, Diego's faith in people's willingness to support his council's $5 million campaign remained strong and he remained upbeat - something I believe donors and prospects could sense.

"The campaign isn't about asking people to give up their hard-earned money, which is a tougher sell now than it's ever been," said Diego. "It's about asking them to invest in the future of Scouting so we can continue shaping lives the next time our economy turns down."

A true believer, Diego raised money at a time others could not.

In Williamsport, PA, where Scout Executive Eric Chase led the campaign for the Susquehanna Council, the tough decisions he made several years ago are sustaining the Council today. When Eric assumed his role, the Council was burdened by debt. His willingness to make hard choices and put the Council on a course to financial stability has steadied the operation and bolstered donor confidence.

"We never would have been able to look our volunteers in the eyes and talk about a campaign when I started here," said Eric. "But eventually they bought into the idea as a way to make important improvements and engage new volunteers." By having a genuine belief in the tough decisions he made and sticking to them, Eric was able to convey to donors that the Council had learned from past mistakes and was working toward a brighter, smarter future.

Another Scout executive, Roger Hoyt of the Greater Cleveland Council, had contemplated a campaign for camp improvements. Unfortunately the idea was slow to catch on. "I understand why there's concern right now about a campaign," said Roger. "My job is to keep the idea alive." Roger taught me that patience and timing often go hand in hand and are critical elements to keeping alive the notion of big gifts and even bigger dreams.

Robert Swanson, a Hartsook Companies colleague, regularly reminds our consultants to have courage for their clients. "You understand the ups and downs of campaigns and can see opportunities they don't," he says.

I'm grateful to Diego, Eric and Roger - and more than 1,400 other professional Scouters - for having courage for me.

As the third generation of Beems work toward Eagle Scout status, I have more confidence than ever in the future of Scouting and philanthropy's power to sustain it.

Have the same confidence, faith and patience in your organization, and fundraising success will follow.

- Matt Beem, President and COO, Kansas City

 

The Written Word

imageHartsook Companies COO Matt Beem debuts his first solo book, Performance-Driven Fundraising: Taking Control of Your Success. This insightful text will accelerate anyone's learning curve and serve as a handy, yet entertaining, reference tool for new and seasoned fundraisers. To order your copy at the introductory price of just $19.95, click here.

imageAdrian Sargeant, the Robert F. Hartsook Professor of Fundraising at Indiana University, and Jen Shang just released Fundraising Practices and Principles published by Jossey-Bass Wiley. One reviewer notes: "Sargeant is the accessible academic and this is typical of his work. It is rigorously researched, clear, concise, well written, well presented and entirely appropriate. Any fundraiser who knows what Adrian knows will outperform the others. It's as simple as that." Hartsook leaders Karin Cox (special events), Matt Beem (planned giving) and Bob Hartsook (major gift fundraising) all served as contributors. The book is available at http://www.josseybass.com/WileyCDA/.

 

On the Web

 

Another Smart Idea...From the Hartsook Best Practices CollectionSM

"Ask about interest in planned giving on every response card. We do this and get weekly requests for more information." - Carolyn Hendrickson, Director of Donor Relations, Rescue Mission, Syracuse, NY

If you are interested in Best Practices and smart ideas, see these additional resources from Hartsook Companies:

For a free copy of "Best Practices Coast to Coast" or the "Hartsook Best Practices Collection", please email Tammy Weinman, tammy@hartsookcompanies.com, or visit our web site. We also invite you to contribute your own best practice by emailing Annette Lough, annette@hartsookcompanies.com.


Visit the Hartsook Companies web site for:

• Educational opportunities
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Strategies for Success explores smart ideas, connecting with more than 2,000 fundraising professionals bi-weekly. We welcome your contributions or comments. Send to Strategies for Success editor Annette Lough, annette@hartsookcompanies.com. If you'd like a free subscription to Strategies for Success - or its monthly companion, eHartsook on Philanthropy - contact Tammy Weinman, tammy@hartsookcompanies.com. You also can reach her at 816.298.8045, Ext. 8225.

Our web site is located at http://www.hartsookcompanies.com.

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