What was the secret of Eliza’s —and the campaign’s— success?

Actually, it’s no secret:  we know that a successful campaign chair must lead, inspire, plan, act and ensure success.  Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE, has said, “Leadership in itself, let it never be forgotten, is always the key factor in successful fundraising, whatever the case, whatever the goal and whatever the scope of the campaign.”  

But what are the personal characteristics that make a volunteer an extraordinary campaign leader?   As Judy watched Eliza lead the Creating Bright Futures campaign to success, she developed the following list. Can you identify someone among your organization’s volunteers who embodies these traits?

• Passion for the mission, vision and core values of the organization
• Dedication to the organization, demonstrated by years of engagement
• Contribution of time, talent and resources
• Involvement in developing campaign plans and messages
• Compelling articulation of the case for giving 
• Perseverance in the face of campaign highs and lows
• Action that inspires volunteers and donors
• Intense focus on the campaign’s timeline, milestones and goal
• Impeccable integrity in all decisions, actions and relationships

The great humanitarian Albert Schweitzer once said, “I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: that the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.”

Eliza is living proof of Schweitzer’s observation:  a leader whose happiness comes from service to others. Her service to our community through her work with Frankie Lemmon School, the YMCA of the Triangle Area and other organizations has had a huge impact on the quality of life for countless individuals and families.

Yes, passion is a key ingredient.  But as you plan your next annual campaign, don’t overlook the other leadership qualities that will help ensure success.

Tom McGuire, Principal, Armstrong McGuire

Welcome to the first edition of PhilanthropyBiz!

Our blog is designed for anyone who believes that nonprofit organizations are a critical part of our economy and culture, and who wants to see them grow stronger and serve more effectively. The first Thursday of each month, Armstrong McGuire will send a short email that focuses on an issue we have found to be challenging, appealing, confusing, valuable or mysterious to our clients. Every subsequent Thursday that same month, we will publish a new edition of PhilanthropyBiz that explores the issue in more detail, and the best practices surrounding it.

In addition to the “real world” experiences that members of Armstrong McGuire team will contribute to the blog, we want to hear from you. Whether you’re a nonprofit executive, board member, donor, client or interested observer—we want you to share your own experiences and knowledge about the issue under discussion.

So…let’s get started with a topic that we’ve found to be intimidating for many nonprofits, especially smaller agencies with limited (or no) development staff: planned giving. Most nonprofits managers instinctively understand the value of a planned giving component in their overall development program, but many fear that they simply don’t have the specialized knowledge necessary to propose the idea to a potential donor.

Our advice to these managers is: keep it simple..and get started. The Executive Director of a small agency doesn’t need to learn the legal intricacies of a charitable remainder trust, for example. What she does need to do, however, is put the basic elements in place—starting with a Planned Giving or Endowment Committee of board members with whom she can, (1) create a plan, (2) develop policies for gift acceptance, investments, recognition, and communications, and (3) begin to develop the case for a legacy investment.

All these basic steps are within the scope of experience that a good nonprofit manager should have, whether she has specialized knowledge of the various financial vehicles or not. She can also begin to identify the individuals who will be most likely to respond to a planned giving proposal; typically these will be long-term volunteers and supporters. As we illustrated in a recent email to subscribers, the nonprofit manager should also pay careful attention to her most consistent donors. In the vivid real world example we used, an agency received a seven-figure planned gift from an individual whose annual gifts had been modest—but who had made them faithfully, year after year, thereby demonstrating her interest in the agency’s long-term success.

Once these building blocks are solidly in place, it’s time to add planned giving to all the activities that make up your diversified streams of philanthropic support…annual giving, major gifts, events, grants and so forth. Remember, you don’t have to start with a complex explanation of how planned gifts can be made—the lawyer or accountant on your board committee can do that. You simply have to let your constituents know that planned giving is one more option for them to fulfill their philanthropic goals—and make a significant impact on your organization at the same time.

In future blogs we will explore more ways to enhance your organizational capacity and fulfill your mission. Let us hear from you…we would love to include your experiences or questions as part of PhilanthropyBiz.

Look for our next blog on February 2.