Have you ever considered raising philanthropic funds to reduce or eliminate your organization’s debt?
Raising funds for debt relief is good in theory, but requires a specific approach to gain support from donors. A key to fundraising is aligning the needs of the organization with the philanthropic goals of your donors. Yet, paying off debt is not often high on a donor’s list of projects they want to support.
So, I have been on a soapbox lately about a practice that we fundraisers often do – we role play the “ask” meeting. You know the drill – pair off and one of you be the donor and the other the solicitor. Then switch. Then debrief.
In today’s world, we are offered choices at every turn. Do we buy vanilla ice cream or chocolate or one of 53 other flavors? Do we choose to watch a movie, a home improvement show, or a sports event on TV?
It is hard for me to believe it was 20 years ago this April that Johnson, Grossnickle and Associates was born through a newly formed partnership between founders Don Johnson and Ted Grossnickle. I had the honor of being the first additional consultant to join the team in 1996.