THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS – THE GIVING GHOUL OR THE FUNDRAISING FAIRY?
THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS – THE GIVING GHOUL OR THE FUNDRAISING FAIRY?
Andrea McManus, ViTreo Group Inc
December 17th 2019
What do you wish for this holiday season?
As we end another year of fundraising efforts and ViTreo’s first full year of sending The Provocateur out into the world, it’s that time again. That time of year when nonprofits (and also for-profits) reflect on the past 12 months. What worked, what didn’t, what could we do better next year? The Provocateur strives to be… well… provocative, and occasionally, a tad tongue-in-cheek (like now, for example).
And so I thought, what would our many clients and fundraisers everywhere want during this month and in the coming year and new decade? It’s definitely been a doozy of a decade and it would be so easy to take the path of the Giving Ghoul and expect these types of situations to show up:
On the first day of Christmas the Giving Ghoul gave to me…
1 Executive Director announcing an early surprise retirement
On the second day of Christmas the Giving Ghoul gave to me…
2 clients disclosing they have no budget
On the third day of Christmas the Giving Ghoul gave to me…
3 nonprofits who still use spreadsheets and don't record donor meeting activity
On the fourth day of Christmas the Giving Ghoul gave to me…
4 board members who say “we can’t spend any money on fundraising”
On the fifth day of Christmas the Giving Ghoul gave to me…
5 lead donors take their gift elsewhere
On the sixth day of Christmas the Giving Ghoul gave to me…
6 CFO’s who forgot to file their organizations T3010
On the seventh day of Christmas the Giving Ghoul gave to me…
7 signature events cancelled due to a raging blizzard
On the eighth day of Christmas the Giving Ghoul gave to me…
8 Directors of Development get offered new jobs elsewhere
On the ninth day of Christmas the Giving Ghoul gave to me…
9 donors who say “I won’t pay admin”.... then pay by credit card for the points
On the 10th day, your board chair announces a six figure gift to a competing campaign
On the tenth day of Christmas the Giving Ghoul gave to me…
10 board chairs announcing six figure gifts to competing campaigns
On the eleventh day of Christmas the Giving Ghoul gave to me…
11 Executive Directors saying, “stewardship?! What do you mean once a donor not always a donor?”
On the twelfth day of Christmas the Giving Ghoul gave to me…
12 compromised databases with nothing backed up… anywhere on or above the planet…
However, this is not just the end of a turbulent decade – more importantly, it is the beginning of a whole new one! And we believe in Christmas miracles! So, what could our gift in this ‘season of giving’ be to the organizations we are grateful for the opportunity to work with and the many others doing good around the world? What might the Fundraising Fairy bring to you? And so, from the modest, but brilliant ViTreo team, our gift to you, and our very own variation of the ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’.
And whether for you it is the holiday, the season, or something else, we send these wishes to you in the hopes they will come true (And because we have so many creative minds on the team, we are including additional wish options…).
Traditional music to listen to while enjoying our ’12 wishes for 12 days’
From the ViTreo team, we wish you this over the holiday season and in 2020 and beyond:
On the first day of Christmas my Fundraising Fairy gave to me…
1 Board Chair offering to help ( i.e. “Andrea, how can I help you on fundraising?”, says Board Chair)
1 amazing CEO
1 surprise legacy gift.
On the second day of Christmas my Fundraising Fairy gave to me…
2 matching challenges or leading gifts that raise sights
On the third day of Christmas my Fundraising Fairy gave to me…
3 meetings of the whole organization just on fundraising; why it matters, how I can help, etc.
3 levels of government to fund your capital project.
On the fourth day of Christmas my Fundraising Fairy gave to me…
4 fully funded professional development opportunities for staff to build capacity
On the fifth day of Christmas my Fundraising Fairy gave to me…
5 significant gift conversations about to take shape
5 proposals a month to make your large gift goal
5 lead gifts or lead donors
On the sixth day of Christmas my Fundraising Fairy gave to me…
6 internal champions (led by the Board)
On the seventh day of Christmas my Fundraising Fairy gave to me…
7 significant giving level upgrades
On the eighth day of Christmas my Fundraising Fairy gave to me…
8 self identified legacy society members
On the ninth day of Christmas my Fundraising Fairy gave to me…
9 stewardship efforts/touches each year for every donor
On the tenth day of Christmas my Fundraising Fairy gave to me…10 leadership staff who sing in unison ‘I love fundraising’
On the tenth day of Christmas my Fundraising Fairy gave to me…
10 leadership staff who sing in unison ‘I love fundraising’
On the eleventh day of Christmas my Fundraising Fairy gave to me…
11 engaged fundraising volunteers to make all the difference! - cabinet, subcommittee
11 auction items
On the twelfth day of Christmas my Fundraising Fairy gave to me…
12 qualified lead donors in motion to win our campaign
12 unrestricted gifts – for us to invest where needed most!
Do you have any you’d like to add? Feel free to chime in with your wish list ideas, or additions to ours.
Above all, we wish you a joyous holiday season, filled with time with family and friends, and much success and opportunities in 2020!
Be sure to check in with us again in January 2020 as we continue to provoke and to disturb the status quo of fundraising.
From all of us at ViTreo Group – Happy Holidays, Season’s Greetings, Feliz Navidad, Vrolijk Kerstfeest, Joyeux Noël, Frohe Weihnachten and Merry Christmas. Whatever language you speak and whatever your traditions are, all the best over the holiday season and in 2020!
Check out ViTreo's Braintrust as we bring you additional insights into what is and what will be important in philanthropy through our Weekly News Recap and our Podcast.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andrea McManus, Chair, Board of Directors, Partner
ViTreo Group Inc
Andrea McManus is a Partner with ViTreo with over 30 years’ experience in fund development, marketing, sponsorship and nonprofit management. A highly strategic thinker and change maker, Andrea has worked with organizations that span the nonprofit sector with particular focus on building long-term and sustainable capacity.