Words are utterances that stand for feelings, thoughts and experiences.

The reality is words can be one of the least effective ways to communicate because it’s so easy to misinterpret them, ignore them or if not chosen carefully, cause us to simply not care.

When you want people to get sense of what you are conveying, use as many forms of communication as possible. Music, silence, photos, a drawing from a child. Anything that will cause the other person to feel something.

I’ve heard Lenore talk about her organization many times and how the need for more shelter space for homeless families is growing. Then just last week she shared with me an audio tape of the sounds of phone calls that her organization received on their voice mail. Lenore prefaced the audio by sharing the fact that they now receive an average of 300 phone calls a month which is an increase of 250 a month in the last year.

Then I heard the calls. The sounds of babies crying in the background. The fathers or mothers sounding embarrassed and pausing in fear or fatigue during the message. The silences and the noises combined with the words caused me to feel uncomfortable and even guilty that I was leaving to go home to my own house with lots of space in it.

I have carried around that feeling with me for days. And ever since I’ve been working to send help to that organization. The words alone didn’t cause me to carry that uncomfortable feeling around. It was the sounds, and the urgency of the voices and the silences that did.

Feeling is one of the ultimate tools of knowing. By causing your donors and volunteers to feel something they will take action. Just be sure you are clear about what action you want them to take.

Is it to make a contribution? Then ask for one, with a specific amount that will make a difference.

Do you want them to volunteer? Tell them where to sign up and give them a specific task to volunteer for.

Get people into action with short, clear, bold communication that inspires and causes them to feel your work.

“Feeling is the language of the soul.” – Neale Donald Walsch

The session is in Minneapolis, MN, and is available to be brought to your city. For more information on Wednesday’s session, check out the new calendar on this site!

Some of what will be covered at the mini-workshop is stated beautifully in Lynne Twist’s new video titled, “The Opportunity within the Economic Crises.” Lynne has been an instrumental in shaping my own views about money and fundraising. I encourage you to view this powerful new video.

I, like Lynne, feel honored to be living in this important time. There are many things going on that can be scary and challenging, but this time we are experiencing is stripping away that which is not sustainable. We are shedding what is not viable and moving into a time when there is a more accurate and truthful relationship with the resources of the planet, especially our money.

As you make choices in your day to talk with donors, engage others in philanthropy and invite them to more deeply serve the community, please remember that this recalibration we are experiencing is something to watch, listen to, discuss together and identify the lessons we are learning from it.

So, how to make this time we are experiencing into an opportunity? Here are a few simple tips.

• First: Keep close to your donors right now and let them know how things are going with your budget and your fundraising goals for the year. That means phoning, taking them to coffee, or inviting them in to a tour of your facility. Be sure to acknowledge them for their previous gift and keep them “in the loop” about costs and financial issues you are dealing with as an organization.
• Second: Continue to share the “good news” about how your programs and services ARE working.
• Third: Keep the faces and stories of those you serve visible so donors remember why they gave in the first place.
• And most important: Keep yourself out of the fear and scarcity mode of thinking. It is true things are very challenging right now. But no one wants to talk very long with someone who is deeply immersed in the sky is falling drama of all that is going wrong. Even if you don’t believe it, act like you know things will change. I promise you, things will change!
  
• Don’t forget to continue to invite contributions!

For more tips and some hard facts about the economic crises join me on January 28, 2009 for a two hour mini-fundraising workshop about raising funds in challenging time.

Find a donor to call and thank and talk with today!

• Fundraising in challenging times
• Sharing the story of your organization
• The power of asking versus inviting
• Donor cultivation
• And more!

Watch the calendar on this site for dates for this same session to be offered in 2009.

One area that we talked about that I’ll share with you here was how fund development work requires time, attention to details and personal contacts with your donors. If you want to have a successful fundraising program, ask yourself what is your commitment to the discipline of fund development?

Some tips for you:

• Acknowledge quickly and make it meaningful.
• Consider “asking” as an “invitation” to honor your clients/constituents.
• Use bold, clear communication that engages and inspires. Report back.
• Customize messages for your key stakeholders and major donors. Don’t change the message if they’ve told you what they are interested in.
• Share the good news and the not so good news.
• Invite donors advice, but be specific.

Happy holidays!