The Answer is 42! - Or Is It?

At breakfast today we were talking about one of our favourite family books, “A Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams. In this book the answer to life, the universe and everything turns out to be 42. There is one small problem though: no one knows what the ultimate question is.

Since early October fundraisers all around the world seem to be looking for the ultimate answer for how to deal with the current economic crisis. Many consultants have been very accommodating. We have all received a wide range of very good free advice. There is this great blog keeping its finger on the pulse and uniting us globally in a conversation. Many consultancy firms are working hard to stay in front of us and provide what seems like almost weekly updates – filling up our in box with all sorts of useful information. Or is it?

I wonder how useful it is for fundraisers to be bombarded with daily almost hourly messages about the fact we are in a very serious economic crisis and we should be very worried?

Let’s not get too distracted by all these messages about the economy. The very basics of good fundraising still apply. The most important of which is probably:

DON”T PANIC!

Another HGTGism but also point number one in the most recent and probably the best and most useful articles I have read on the subject of Fundraising in Tough Economic Times. In this paper Mal Warwick and Dan Doyle offer different strategies and choices for us to consider. Most of it is just common sense and good business and should be applied year round.

The truth is we don’t have control of this situation, nor have we seen it before. This isn’t a natural disaster or terrorist attacks. People aren’t dying by the hundred’s, they are loosing investments, houses and jobs. We can’t predict what might happen with our charity. Each one of our donors will be impacted differently. Staying in touch with them and providing excellent service is really just good fundraising at any time.

Like our donors we are all different, some of us have reserves, some don’t. Some have a solid monthly giving program some of us don’t. Some of us are dependant on corporate support and events, some of us have mature legacy programs in place.

How you respond will ultimately depend on what the “Ultimate Question” is for your charity.

So long and thanks for all the fish...

Thank you for spending time here.

It's Not the Economy, Stupid

Hello,

I realize I should probably wait at least 24 hours before posting another blog. I think that is how this is suppose to work. I can't resist though, be sure to read the post on SOFII from yesterday (or you could visit Sean's blog because apparently we are talking about the same thing!)

People are asking me what I think about Canadian Politics at the moment.For the 50% of you who read this who aren't from Canada you should know things are a bit of a mess here right now. I work with a lot of politicians, have managed to raise money in this job during a total of 5 elections and government matches a lot of the private money we raise, so it is a little dangerous for me to make my position public. Fortunately, I don't think any of them are reading this blog and it is mine, so here goes:

I don't care anymore! I want a government that can lead. After three dysfunctional minority governments we have reached the depths of despair. Something really big needs to happen to get us out of this horrid cycle. I was hoping it would be the Govenor General - apparently not. Today in our national newspaper The Globe and Mail, Rick Mercer has not disappointed. We do need to be taken over by aliens Rick - that is probably the only thing big enough to stop this mess. Read Rick's great article NOW!

Thank you for spending time here.

Who Needs a Museum of Fundraising Anyway?

Hello,

Many of you have heard of SOFII and have even registered. I'm an early adopter. Working in a small organization SOFII has proven to be an invaluable resource. We use it. We love it. We talk about it.

Ken B and I (not Branagh the other one)have had discussions about whether SOFII is a museum of fundraising or a database of best practice that can be pinched and used to help people like me.

I argue that museums are dark, dusty, old, irrelevant and places for people who have run out of things to do. Fundraisers live in a fast paced world and need, new, relevant, tested, examples of best practice.

During my reading time this morning all the newspapers were saying the same thing (Canadian Government is in chaos did you know?) so I thought I'd poke around SOFII a bit with my coffee. I discovered an article "Dislocation, dislocation" by George Smith. I don't know George and wouldn't dare say he should be in a museum, but I'm guessing he has been around awhile. The essay is something to be savoured, read slowly - with a dictionary, reflected on and thought about. It is difficult to decide what to quote because every word has a purpose and is important. George says things like:

"This used to be such a simple business. Your communications always sought to explain a need, to make the point that we privileged people should help less privileged people. If you were healthy, well-fed, well-housed, then do something for cancer patients, the hungry, the homeless. Say please. Say thank you. Treat people as adults. Give them a sense of achievement.

Such simplicities, though they have underpinned do-gooding for centuries, now fall foul of the new need for pomposity and the new and cerebrally-terrifying craving for conformity – a world in which the only prizes will go to those who look, sound and act familiar. You only have to look at your television schedules to see how far and how quickly we have tumbled into this world. Can you see any programme there tonight that is not a derivative of something you have seen before?"
That is briliant! The difference between the two paragraphs is case and point really. I read it twice and am still thinking about it hours later. Spending time reading this essay left me richer for having had the experience. Sort of like how you feel after going to a museum!

So if you have registered for SOFII surfed around once and moved on I encourage you to take a slow stroll through the website again this weekend. Use it, think about it, talk about it and contribute to it. We are all building something really important here. Our history AND our future - at the same time.

Thank you for spending time here.



PS There are now over fifty of you reading this blog. Some of you even come back again. If you find it even moderately entertaining, can you please do me a favour. Sign up as a follower. I'd like to have more followers than Sean Triner before he gets back from vacation! Can you do that for me? Thank you.

Update on the 10 year old capitalist

Hello,

In a recent post (the Seven Key Ingredients to Building an Organization) we learned how a 10 year can intuitively do what we all work so hard to learn. I thought some of you may be interested in an update on how his business is doing.

This past week we received two feet of wet snow. I thought this barrier may be too big to overcome. Friday morning when I woke up Chase was out working.

In order to save time he has decided to stockpile the bottles in the garage and make one big trip. He has a plan for this of course. Put the extremely full garbage can in the wagon and haul it in...next week after the next load.

He now has a problem; his landlords don't want all these bottles lying around. His shortcut has resulted in an operational challenge he cannot overcome alone. He needs staff (or at least a consultant) and there is only one option available. His sister.

This will no doubt be a very expensive "shortcut".

Our lesson: sometimes you just have to roll up your sleeves and get the job done.

Thank you for spending time here.