The Seven Cs

The bell rings at 12:30 p.m. signaling the end of lunch for us grade seven students, sending my classmates to physical education class in the scorching desert heat. This is Las Vegas, Nevada in September of 1997. I watch my fellows with pity as they bound towards the football field, the heat shimmer in the air making the goalposts sway. Feeling smug, I turn to leave the field and join my fellow student council classmates in finalizing the homecoming posters.

I didn’t have a deep love for politics but once I found out that elected students replaced their PE course with student council class, I did everything in my power to become president including creating a promotional campaign video filled with promises of early dismissal and pizza parties. I met with the cliques from goths to cheerleaders to gain a broad perspective on students’ needs, and I participated in debate club to improve my arguments. All to avoid getting hit in the face playing dodgeball.

Ironically, some of the most rewarding moments of my career have been securing funding to support sports and recreation programs. I have also worked in the healthcare, community, arts, and education fields. Whether ensuring donors receive their tax receipts, conducting prospect research, organizing galas and teas, facilitating direct mail campaigns, meeting with individuals who have pledged gifts in their wills, or securing naming approvals for capital campaigns, I’ve found a passion for each role and cause, increasing revenues and, perhaps overly optimistically, improving society as a whole.

Over the course of my 15-year fundraising career, I’ve honed key skills and attributes through a combination of education, mentorship, and hands-on experience. These include completing a post-secondary fundraising certificate program, participating in AFP professional development courses and workshops, attending conferences such as AFP ICON, and receiving mentorship from sector leaders. I’ve also gained valuable perspective by serving on nonprofit boards and AFP’s membership committee, and by working in a range of roles across both small and large organizations. 

From these experiences, I’ve distilled the qualities that have brought me both joy and success, including securing multi-year six-figure commitments, into what I call the seven Cs. The play on words is fitting since “The Seven Seas” is a figurative term for all of the seas of the known world. Relationship building through the donor cycle from assessment to stewardship cannot be diluted to a few simple words or actions but they instead represent an array of characteristics that can lead to success in fundraising:

Curiosity: I’m always asking loads of questions with the main objective being to know more. Donations and connections often follow. I’m speaking to program directors, deans, and executive directors about their visions and goals and I’m connecting with administrative staff to gain insights on day-to-day activities. This has led to the development of new cases for support as opportunities come to light. I’m meeting with partners, participants, and students to hear what makes their experiences with the organization memorable, enjoyable, and unique, leading to impact stories used for newsletter quotes, direct mail, and in conversations with prospects and donors. I’m connecting with funders to find out why they give, to hear about their families and hobbies. I recently visited a donor’s home for the first time, first making sure to find out if they had any pets so I could bring a treat, then, if they had a color scheme. The pink mums I brought matched brilliantly and their cat got a baggie of fresh catnip from my garden. More importantly, it helped build a genuine connection that led to the second C.

Connection: I never miss an opportunity to share what I’ve learned about the programs’ unique attributes, positive impacts, or upcoming changes. Is there an article, study, or future event at our organization that relates to the funders’ interests? I send it their way, along with a personalized note. I also contact donors to ask for advice. What do they think about our new campaign? Do they know anyone who may be interested in learning more or supporting our program? I also ensure consistency through annual report backs, event invites, and holiday cards. Sharing good news and positive stories is easy, but what about when the discussion turns to numbers, requires persuasion or includes complaints, negativity or dissatisfaction? This brings us to the third C. 

Courage: Complaints arise for a variety of reasons, from an error to a disappointment to a misunderstanding, often because the donor truly cares about the organization. Some fixes require an acceptance of wrongdoing, an apology, a solution, and follow-up on how we are ensuring the error is not repeated. Recently, a donor replied to a funding proposal with displeasure, expressing uncertainty in our abilities. I asked to meet and ten minutes into the meeting, we realized the issue had been a word choice. We changed one word in the proposal and the full amount requested was provided. Sometimes we ask for an upgrade, a multiyear pledge, an extra contribution, or a specific dollar amount, which may require a bit of chutzpah. It becomes easier when we can show the donor how increasing their commitment can achieve a significant milestone. It becomes an exciting opportunity when we can share how multiyear commitments allow for better program outcomes, providing consistency. Sometimes, okay oftentimes, we receive rejections. Asking for a follow up meeting after receiving a no helps us assess how to better align going forward. I have also found that no often means not now, not the right project, time, or amount. Discoveries that can only be made by incorporating the 4th C.

Communication: I don’t wait until the report is due to share articles about the program or provide student thank-you letters to funders. Conversely, it’s also important to share negative or unexpected news such as budget shortfalls or changes to the original program plan or budget allocation. I’ve been surprised with how accommodating grantors are to changes. Donors want to see the work they support succeed and often provide additional gifts or suggest others who may be able to contribute when informed of organizational challenges. Timely updates build trust leading to future funding. Ongoing communications show through action, not just words, that funders are an integral part of programs’ successes leading to the next C.

Collaboration: Fundraising is a team sport no matter the size of the organization. Working with marketing ensures donor-centric language is included in external-facing materials. Sharing details and stories with colleagues collecting data and conducting research can result in stronger prospect lists more closely aligned with projects. Donor meetings with program staff and other fundraisers bring a variety of experiences and personalities to the table that lead to more robust conversations, and deeper connections. At a recent meeting I attended with a fellow fundraiser, the donor expressed interest in a health program outside of my portfolio. My colleague worked with the program’s lead researcher and was able to share the research team’s innovative work with the donor, later resulting in a gift to the project. Additionally, sharing best practices between departments and organizations can save time and provide new ideas to achieve greater impact. The diverse perspectives shared through collaboration lead to the next C.

Changeability/Creativity: Versatility and flexibility may be more common ways to talk about this trait but they don’t start with a C. Is there a new way of doing things that will increase revenue and improve programs without causing more administration or mission drift? Rigidity can block us from seeing all of the possibilities. A matchmaking mindset can help us tie program needs to donors’ goals, incorporating new opportunities such as sponsorship, non-traditional awards, and contributions to programs that have previously not received philanthropic support. Adopting new technology and software such as AI, auction, and peer-to-peer software are also key to success, keeping in mind the final C.

Conscientiousness: Knowing tax regulations and organizational policies are not riveting philanthropic topics. However, the stakes are high since breaking receipting or gaming rules can have serious implications, including loss of charitable status. Not knowing gift acceptance policies of your organization can result in disappointment if you have to reject an initially accepted gift. Once, a donor wanted to gift our organization a home we were not allowed to sell and would instead need to use it to deliver programs. The charity did not have the budget to manage the upkeep costs and zoning did not allow this use for the property. We had to decline another donation at a high naming level from industry because the corporation type did not align with the organization’s values. Even though these gifts were not realized, due diligence before saying yes meant I was able to go back to the prospects with other options for support and maintain relationships. We don’t need to know everything, but knowing who to ask and where to find answers is important for building trust, ensuring compliance and making sure we are not making promises we can’t keep.

This career provides me with endless opportunities to grow. I am constantly inspired by the success and resilience of program participants, the passion of staff and colleagues, and the generosity and commitment of the donors. I hope these Cs have inspired you to grab an oar and jump in the ship with me. Together we can change the world, or at least avoid unnecessary contact sports!