This evening is dedicated to organizing files with samples of projects from each of my areas of experience so I have them on hand when new clients ask for them. I was only going to pull together a few recent samples. Like all good intentions when you are a little OCD, once I started culling the archives I couldn't stop, I search new laptop, my old laptop and then I hit the mothership.
If our house was on fire I'd save my husband, the dog and the mothership. I realized a few things going through files dating back to 2005.
1) I love what I do for work and always have. The warmth I felt reminiscing about past projects is indescribable.
2) I am fairly certain I was born taking visionary ideas and breakdown them down into excel spreadsheet and actionable lists.
In all of these files I came across several transition documents created when I left my job in Portland and moved to New Hampshire. During this transition I remember the new hire joking with me, begging me to write a book about fundraising etiquette.
The truth is...when I learned about fundraising etiquette I didn't know that is what I was learning. Why? The expert who taught me lived his values, they were more then just work.
I haven't written a book in case you are wondering, maybe one day. Until then here are some things I learned along the way because a brilliant, charismatic visionary who hated organizing information into excel sheets took a chance on young women who loved taking his scraps of paper and scribbled on napkins and turning them into databases.
Appreciation doesn’t mean spending a lot of money.
Organizational culture is what people connect to, from children to the oldest donors they love what the organization is about. So my philosophy is do something to thank people that which fits the your organization's culture. Do not that try to match the dollar amount they have given.
Ex: Flowers are great, but they are dead and most often they are exotic, so they have traveled a great distance to get here at the expense of the environment and the consumer. Send bulbs or a small plant, something that will grow and continue to remind the recipient of their relationship with the organizaiton.
Ex: A major donors makes a significant gift to the organization and you want to take them out to dinner to thank them. You don’t need to take them to Fore Street, all of our major donors can take themselves to Fore Street, they didn’t donate $ to see it blow on dinner and wine. Take them somewhere unusual, offer them a dinning experience they might not have thought of….have you ever eaten sushi? African food?
When to Pay.
One of my favorite questions, here goes my formal/informal strategy.
If you are asking a volunteer, donor, committee member etc to the meeting because they are being groomed to donate, $, time or services. Always offer to pay.
If the meeting is with someone, board member, long time volunteer who you are meeting with regularly.
- Offer to pay the first time and anytime after if the meeting is about asking them to increase their efforts or up there commitment.
- Otherwise my thought is the organization pays the first time and then either split or take them up on their off to pay once or twice.
You are invited to a meeting with a constituent (s). Bring $, it is better to be safe then sorry.
- If you are in a one on one meeting, offer to cover yourself.
- If they pay and you want to contribute
- Offer to cover the ti
I always try to keep a mental log of people who I meet with regularly and work on an equitable ratio of organization buys/they buy. I also try to schedule these meetings at off times after the first few, no one needs to be spending a ton of eating out. If you have had a dinner or lunch meeting, how about breakfast or meeting for tea/coffee or a drink.
Alcohol at Events and Consumption
The saying goes everything in moderation, though I have a personal rule never to drink a large events where I am in charge.
When I plan a gathering of adults I generally ensure there is wine (typically not beer b/c it is messy, smelly and makes a lot of trash). My feeling is people are gathering after work after a long day and really appreciate the chance to unwind. Again in moderation, do the math on the number of people coming to the gathering, make sure you have enough for a glass or two a person and nothing more.
Same holds true when holding a gathering at a bar or restaurant, the organization should consider covering glass of wine for everyone….then you are on your own.
If you are having gathering with underage folks, even staff, do yourself and the organization a favor no drinking.
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