On a recent phone call with my colleague and friend Chad Brown, he used these four words to describe a great development officer, especially a great major gifts officer. And Chad would know, he’s been doing major gifts work for years and is currently a Donor Consultant, Major Gifts Officer with the Greater Twin Cities United Way in Minneapolis, MN.

Priest. Someone who listens with discretion. It’s important when talking with people about money that information learned be held close to the vest due to all the important and private things that may be shared.

CEO. The person with the vision who creates an amazing plan. In this case it’s the annual development plan. This is the take-charge attitude. Development officers exhibiting CEO-type behavior motivate others to help them reach the agency fundraising goals.

Entrepreneur.  Great development officers are self motivated with a drive for results. They don’t need someone looking over their shoulder to meet their goals and often exceed by using new, outside the box strategies.

Ringmaster.  This one is really important. They get in the limelight when it’s important to do so. And then they take themselves out of the limelight to shine the light on others: donors, staff & volunteers.

As Chad explained to me, awesome development officers are all of these at some point in their day. And sometimes they are all of these in the same meeting. Which are you today?  

What does it take to BE financially savvy right now? Especially with continued uncertainty surrounding funding sources and for some, “off the charts” increases in the need for programs and services?

Three things can help you be a financially savvy organization: Monitor, Stay Focused, and Ask Good Questions that lead to action.

What to monitor? Throughout the year but definitely in times of uncertainty some things to take a look at:

1.  Financial track record.
2.  Be aware of changes to income source(s) and cost structures.
3.  Note how diverse & flexible your financial support is or isn’t.
4.  Know pledge redemption history and be prepared for changes.
5.  Note how financially sophisticated the board, staff & donors are.

And for more, last week, colleague Laura Deaton from Third Sector Connector posted a great list titled: 20 Questions That You Should Be Able to Answer At Any Given Time About Your Organization’s Financial Health.

Stay focused on core programs & services. Remind yourselves why you exist in the first place. Then identify any weaknesses in funding for core or peripheral programs. Reach out into your community to shore up collaborations or partnerships if necessary to maintain what is core to your mission. For some groups I’m working with this has been a difficult conversation because state or federal funding cuts are eliminating programs. Now is when it’s critical to have your strategic plan front and center to guide the decisions that may need to be made.

Ask questions. Your organization may or may not have the answers to all the questions you are asking, but asking the right questions is key. Financially savvy organizations know the costs of their programs, where the strengths and weak links are, what the contingency plans are for cost cutting and they share that kind of information with more than just the “insiders.” I’m a fan of sharing the good news and the not so good news with donors, volunteers, board members, staff – virtually anyone who is a stakeholder.

Just a week ago, a CEO I work with, we’ll call him Charlie, shared with me that he was surprised and proud that two of his board members made it a point to ask about the funding gap for the organization. The board members brought up the topic at a recent board meeting, Charlie didn’t. 

What Charlie said is: “we’ve really trained our leadership to be asking questions and aware of what our financial situation is so they can share it with others and help us to raise the dollars we need.” Sounds like a great board to me.

The second part of asking the questions is being able to make decisions and take action when you’ve collected the information. Don’t let the indecision paralyze your organization.

One of my passions is to raise awareness of the “money” conversation that often goes on behind closed doors and doesn’t get shared until it’s too late. I believe talking about finances and fundraising costs & goals allows others to see that you have a place for them when they are ready to give.

Inviting donors and volunteers to attend any event or some special recognition function can be met with resistance from the invitee. Sure, we want to keep the people who give their dollars and time connected but HOW do we do it in a way that is meaningful for them? That gets them to show up? That has them really know our organization better?

I’ve got a great example that hopefully will spark some good conversation and action at your organization:

Last week I had the great honor of being invited to The Whole Learning School in Plymouth, MN. I was invited to participate in their Drop Everything and Read program which meant I got to spend 20 minutes and read a short book to children in one of the classrooms. I have to tell you it was the most fun I’ve had awhile!

As I entered the classroom, young Mr. Parker greeted me and promptly moved the rocking chair to the front of the reading area so it was situated in just the perfect spot.

Precocious Stephanie told me they had been waiting for me ALL day.

And then we began. I read Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. We laughed and giggled and the whole experience lasted about 10 minutes. I stayed in the classroom and chatted for another few minutes and then was on my way. What I got from those 20 minutes was invaluable. I was reminded why this school is extraordinary and why those kids are amazing and why I gave my time and dollars in the first place.

There is literally nothing else they could have asked me to do that would have had so much impact.

My short visit reminded me that they need more dollars – before we joined the classroom a staff person took the time to show me a few things that they need, but didn’t ask me for anything. I’m now ready to make a gift when they do ask.

So, I challenge YOU.

What meaningful experience do YOU have at your organization that will impact a special donor or two or ten? It doesn’t have to be a big deal. Something you are already doing that connects them with the faces of the amazing people you serve. Watching children take their first swimming lesson. Seeing as people pack the containers for lunch deliver of Meals on Wheels. Or maybe seeing your staff greet clients as they arrive scared or hungry at the front door.

Make the phone call, invite a special person in and watch the magic unfold. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

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