From laid off to unemployed

Being that this is the first time I have been unemployed, I am still getting used to the idea. Today was one week since I was laid off. I have started to think about that. I'm not sure when I can start telling people that I am unemployed as opposed to telling them that I was laid off.

It's not easy telling someone you are unemployed. If they don't know you, there seems to be a little prejudice around the fact that you are not working. I got that today. The look was something like "well you look like you should be able to work". Buddy, you have no clue.

The last thing I wanted to be was unemployed. I loved my job. I was one of the most loyal, ethical, positive, productive and successful employees my past employer had ever seen. I brought 100% every day. And although that was not enough for my past employer, I am sure there is a company or non-profit out there that will think I will make a great addition to their team and they will embrace all of those attributes.

I realize I am not the only person unemployed. Based on recent numbers, I think about 8.8% of the able-to-work US population is unemployed. I am doing everything I can to not be in this category for too long. There are a lot of jobs out there. Fortunately for me, I have seen several that I think I would love. Also fortunately for me I have this incredible network of friends and colleagues who have been so wonderfully supportive of me. It is truly unbelievable.

I have tweaked my resume so many times. I try to not send the same resume to every place I am applying to. I am getting pretty good at writing a cover letter. One page, maybe two. I have the job posting in front of me while I write the cover letter and that seems to help my creative writing, which is a struggle at best.

Then I get an email or a call from someone who has received my application materials. They call me Daniel as I use my formal name with the resume. So far each one of them has been kind and respectful, and we both have laughed at some point of the conversation.

I also get many calls and emails from people I love and people I barely know telling me that they are there, that they will do anything for me and that I will land something quickly. I'm not sure how quickly I will find a new job. I don't want a rebound job. I want a job that I will love with a company or non-profit whose mission or product I can get behind. I want a job that will honor my ethics and loyalty, and one that will pay me well and honor my personal life with a good vacation package.Definitely not too much to hope for.

I know it's out there.

Thank you for reading. My personal email that I am using for my job search is fundraisingdan@gmail.com

My first days as unemployed

Last week I was laid off from my position as Director of Development at Opera Colorado. I have never been unemployed, fired, or laid off, so this is a new experience for me. I thought I would share my experiences being unemployed with all of you as I go through this process.

Fortunately for me, I felt this coming. What I did as I started getting that feeling is something that I have come to find out most people already have. I created a list of emails in my gmail account of friends and of professional contacts. This has become very useful as I get the word out about me seeking employment.

I also had already spent time tweaking my resume, have friends look at it, and creating a list of strong, current references. All of this was in place the second I was laid off.

Another thing that was already in place was my presence in social media. I already had a LinkedIn account that was very active and I already had a personal/professional Twitter account. Immediately I was able to use both of these resources to let people I know know that I had been laid off. So I highly recommend both of these if you are not already suing them.

As you read this, please keep in mind that I never thought I would be laid off. Towards the end of the year I knew my company was in trouble, and also knew that the only way I would lose my job was if we closed, and I was not going to let that happen. I knew that if given a chance I would be able to raise whatever money needed to be raised for the company to survive and thrive.

Yet that didn't happen. It doesn't hurt to be prepared for a job loss, and creating a social network can even help you in your current job, especially if you are a fundraiser!

The day I was laid off I was home by lunch time and started thinking about what had just happened. It is important to process everything that is going on within yourself as you start the process of looking for your next adventure. Be on the lookout for self-pity, anger and maybe some fear. Share with friends, your spouse, really anyone who cares about you. And one thing that became very clear very quickly to me was that there are a lot of people who care about me.

I posted a note on Facebook letting everyone know. I let people know that I was free for breakfasts and lunches but that they would have to treat (I wrote that partially as a joke and partially serious) and by the end of the day I had 57 invitations. I had to start writing them all down. I was blown away and my heart was filled with gratitude.

Then came all of the support in other ways. Job suggestions, gift cards, flowers, introductions, job websites, and much more. I am honestly struggling to keep up with all of these and make sure I am thanking each person.

Thank you for reading. I will continue sharing my process. Thank you for your support and please keep the suggestions coming!

Lapsed donors

A lot has been written about lapsed donors and how to continually keep an eye on how lapsed donors affect one's overall fundraising plan.

A plan around decreasing lapsed donors can be worked on throughout the year, not just towards the end of your fiscal year.

For me, it all starts with donor relationships. How does your organization treat donors? Are they just an ATM? Do they get thanked quickly? Do they know how you spent their donation? Do you try connecting with them other than when you ask them for a donation? Are they kept up to date regarding your mission and their part in it?

I think any fundraiser could add more questions. This is enough for the purpose of this blog post.

If my organization and our mission is frequently in front of the donor, then we have a better chance of keeping them as a donor. If we thank them quickly and let them know how we spent their money, our chances are even better at keeping them as a donor. 

Inevitably for some us, including me, we end up at the start of our year end campaign and haven't paid 100% attention to potential lapsed donors.

This is what I do:

I send out the year end appeal. The direct mail piece. It goes to everyone, including those who have not yet made a donation this year.

I create a list of any potential lapsed donors for the year and it goes on my office wall. As donations arrive, I call them to thank them and cross their name off.

A few weeks after that first direct mail piece went out, I bring in volunteers to call every donor who received the year end appeal, with focus on those who have not yet made a donation.

Come December, bring in as many folks to help as possible. Your ED, the board, co-workers. Make sure every donor has gotten a call. OK, if you have tens of thousands of donors you can't do this. But you can still make the effort.

This totally works. In my first year here we lowered the amount of lapsed donors by 60%!

Try it. And remember that the best way to maintain a donor is how you treat them, not just an end of year ask.

I would love your feedback and would also love to learn about what you do around lapsed donors!

Thanks for reading!

A challenge in fundraising

I have caught myself saying many times that if fundraising at my current organization was easy, then I would be bored at not happy. I have always loved the challenge that come with fundraising, whether the economy is tough or I fundraise for a cause that is not well known, I love the challenge.

There is a difference between challenge and desperation.

I can be as successful as the next person with creative fundraising campaigns, energetic meetings with donors, constantly in communication with everyone who supports the organization and bringing in new corporate and individual partners.

Yet the first question I have to ask is whether or not my organization is viable. Is it financially sustainable? Standing alone, a sole fundraiser cannot change the financial direction of an organization. That takes a team which includes a strong development team, an out of the box thinking Executive Director, a staff that gets it and a board that is 100% committed not solely to the mission but to the viability of the organization.

And just to be clear, if you do not have all of that in your current organization is doesn't mean you are doomed to fail. It simply means that the challenge you were hoping for is full throttle and one that cannot be met with your fundraising skills alone.

What I have found that is so important in viability is having honest conversations with the most generous donors of an organization. Long term donors want to keep giving and in many cases want to give more. Yet they need to know that their money is not being wasted. That the organization is going to be around in the next five to ten years (and more!).

I have also found that it is important from a fundraising perspective that long term donors see new donors coming in, that all of any challenges are not only being met by the same people who have always been there. I would say that this means not only individual donors but includes major donors and new corporate partners.

Show me the money before I show you the money, in other words.

I totally get this. It makes complete sense.

I am going to continue writing on this topic for a while and would love your feedback. And ideas. And experiences. Feel free to leave a comment or email me directly at dhanley@operacolorado.org

Thank you very much for reading!

Ask!

As I transition into my new job I have taken a couple weeks to really focus on that, yet have also been thinking about this next post and all of the folks who have been reading my posts.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog. I have been blown away by the kind feedback I have received, and also by the editing feedback!!!

The topic of this blog is "ask". What I mean by this is that with everything we have going on, with everything that has to be done "right now", it is sometimes easy to forget that the easiest, least expensive way to fundraise is to simply ask someone for a donation.

We recently had an event and I was with one of my guests who is a potential corporate sponsor. One of our board members swung by and simply said "I hope you can help us". Amazing! I was so excited that this simple sentence that carried with it such a powerful ask.

I hope you can help us.

Can you support this program?

Can you buy a $10,000 table at our Gala to help us build energy around the event?

Would you be able to make your annual donation in June rather than in December?

I have met several peers in fundraising that are at times uncomfortable asking for money. If you are a funraising professional, you just have to get over any fear in asking for money. It's what we do. And you can rock at it! (This perhaps could be the subject of a whole other posting!)

Those lacking money to pay for their meds to fight HIV or cancer need us to ask. Those being killed and injured in the streets of Syria need us to ask. The abused animal needs us to ask. The beaten wife needs us to ask. The local arts organization needs us to ask.

Fundraising for Free! is all about sharing things I have learned about fundariaing that do not cost you anything, or cost very little. It can all start with a simple ask.

Who will you ask today? If you make an ask today, I'd love to hear about the response.

Big love to all of you out there raising money to make the world a better place for all living beings!

Be yourself!

Those of you who have been reading for a few months know that in April I started a new fundraising job. After 2 1/2 years at my last agency I decided to take a move and after one month there I am beyond ecstatic with this new opportunity.

Fundraising for Free! has been a great opportunity for me to share about my experiences with fundraising and share ideas that don't cost anything (or very little). My hope is to build a community of fundraisers who learn from each other and who change the world as we raise money for groups near and dear to our hearts.

I write often about the importance of face-to-face meetings with donors, as well as the importance of always working to build an even stronger relationship with your donors. One thing that I have recently learned with my new job (and have tried to do in my fundraising life) is to be myself when speaking with donors or supporters.

The photo here is one of my husband and I (I'm on the left. I know, my husband is handsome. :) ). We were married on April 30, 2005. I wanted to write this post about being yourself because in the last month I have had conversations with people I have just met and have spoken about my marriage. Regardless of the opinion around gay marriage of the donor/supporter, in each instance I have walked away having a better relationship with that donor. Some have even written a note and some Twitter followers have told me "good job" for being out about my marriage on Twitter.

This post is not about promoting gay marriage. It is everything about bringing the 100% you to the table when meeting with donors.

Another example is that when having a meal with a donor they inevitably discover that I am vegan. Questions are asked and through that process we get to know each other even better.

The other night I discovered that the donor I was dining with was a Civil War buff. Me too! What a great way to get closer to a donor.

Let your passion and yourself out and you will thrive!