Tag: non-profit

How To: Get New Donors and Keep Them

Amanda MalamutLeave a comment

If we are lucky, our organizations have at least a small core group of people who financially support it. We wouldn’t be where we are without these donors, but honestly, the more we expand and diversify our donor base, the more sustainable our organizations will be.

I have found that the best way to get new donors is through storytelling, whether it be through social media or through elevator pitches.

Social media is a great way to reach potential donors that are normally outside of your geographical area. Facebook, Twitter, and even Google+ can be great resources to spread a donation campaign or generally about the work you are doing. A quality, regularly updated Facebook page or Twitter handle can show potential donors what you are doing, how you are doing it, and how a donation can impact the work of your organization. Also interacting with other organizations on these sites will give supporters of similar programs an opportunity to check out your projects.

If you are looking for bigger donations, I find that crafting an elevator pitch is the best option. Whether you are at an event, happy hour, or there is a surprise encounter, it’s crucial to have a short pitch about how much money you are asking for, why you need the money, and how it will be used. Cold calls or emails sometimes work, but people really value face to face interactions, even if it is for 30 seconds.

Along the lines of storytelling, just talk to everyone about your organization as much as possible. People are much more willing to give money when they see that the people working within the organization are passionate about the mission. For example, I may have created a new opportunity for my organization at my sister’s graduation party. You never know when people are looking to give, so it’s best to always be ready.

After getting these new donors, what is the best way to make sure our donors keep on giving? I’ve found that organization is essential; keep track of who donates, when, and how much. Make sure the donors feel appreciated, whether it be through personalized thank you notes or a shout out on your Facebook page. The more your donors know about what is happening within your organization, the easier it is for them to talk about how your organization is a great one to support to their friends, family, co-workers, etc.

Ask! The worse they can say is no. Good luck!!

Real Positive Change Takes Time

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Everyone in sports and LGBT* community is talking about Michael Sam getting drafted by the Rams and that his jersey is selling like hotcakes. While obviously excitement has been expressed by the LGBT* community, it is also very easy to lament over the fact that the first openly gay play drafted to the NFL wasn’t an all-star quarterback or wide receiver. Why couldn’t the LGBT* community bust down the door instead of having in gently pushed open by a seventh round draft pick?

I am not diminishing Sam’s achievements. He has obviously worked very hard to be where he is now, and the fact that ESPN aired a gay kiss on TV definitely made a big splash in the sports world.

The reason we don’t have an openly queer quarterback is the same reason we haven’t an openly queer president. Lasting positive change takes time and moves very slowly. Saying that lasting change takes time does not mean that I am satisfied for slow progress, but in order for the LGBT* community to bust down doors, we need people like Michael Sam. When Harvey Milk won in 1977 no one had dreamed of an openly gay politician. Now we have out Senators and Congress-people who stand up for LGBT* individuals across the United States.

Again, we should not be satisfied with slow-moving change; we should always try to aim higher and better. A quick flash in the pan is satisfying initially, but after a short period of time it can very easily lose impact. Unfortunately people need to see something over and over again until it becomes accepted and normalized.

Fast change looks nice, but what about the substance? What happens after the first openly gay quarterback gets drafted or the first out president gets elected? There is something to be said about reaching to the top, but more importantly lasting change comes from the hard work that continues after reaching the mountain peak. What is a queer president or quarterback going to do to continue to advance the LGBT* movement?

In a perfect world we wouldn’t need to kick the door down or LGBT* rights.

I don’t need to tell you that we don’t live in a perfect world. So we keep trudging forward, relishing in the small victories, but never accepting them as the permanent status-quo.

How To: Develop a New Program

Amanda MalamutLeave a comment

Developing new programs for our organizations can be very exciting as well as daunting. Excitement can cloud judgement or details can be overlooked. It is important to stay organized. The questions listed below help me map out a new or evolving program:

General Planning:

  • What are all of the elements and mechanics of your program?
  • What needs to happen before the program launch?
  • What marketing and social media is needed?
  • What needs to happen at the launch of the program?
  • What are the outcomes you are trying to achieve?
  • How will you evaluate the program after an allotted period of time?
  • Is there a way to adjust the program if outcomes aren’t completely met?

Funding:

  • How are you funding this program?
  • Are the funding sources sustainable?
  • How do your funders define program success?
  • What information do you need to give to the funders throughout the funding period?
  • How frequently do you need to inform funders on progress?

Who do you need?:

The Constituents:

  • How many people are you trying to serve?
  • Who specifically are you trying to serve?
  • Why this community or group of people?
  • What do you know about this geographic location?
  • What research is still needed (historic, geographic, cultural, political, etc.)?

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Challenges:

  • What resources do you have? What do you still need?
  • What advantages does your organization have?
  • What external and international challenges may arise?
  • Do you have a plan to deal with and adapt to these challenges?

The Future of Your Program:

  • How long is your program supposed to last?
  • If it isn’t permanent, is there a plan to phase out your program?
  • Is the goal to expand this program outside of the original community or geographic area?
  • If so, how will you maintain quality after the program is expanded?

 

Most importantly, have fun and good luck!

The Mentors in My Life

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This Mother’s Day, while I am  extremely grateful for my mother and how she has raised me, I would like to focus on the mentors in my life. I’ve been very lucky in my adult life, having mentors that have guided me through my journey in the LGBT* community and also the non-profit sector. I would not exist the way I do if it weren’t for these people, for which I am eternally grateful.

I would imagine that being out in any profession can prove difficult, but I know first hand what the repercussions of coming out in the international non-profit sector are. Honestly, I have felt like a unicorn at times, a mythical creature rarely seen. I know that other queer people work in non-profits, but unless they have worked in a LGBT* non-profit, I have never had a mutually ‘out’ interaction in my field with a peer.

Without my mentors, and specifically one of my former professors, I wouldn’t have anyone who truly understands what it’s like to travel to a different country as a gay humanitarian. Being closeted in some cases and being out in others has a lot of emotional and practical consequences. I’ve written previously about how toxic the closest can be, and it’s even more toxic when you have no one to talk to about being stuck in there.

My professor has let me voice my concerns and has legitimized my fears. She gets the complexities of weaving in an out of identities for the sake of doing something that you love, while being with someone who you love.

Some days it’s really hard reconciling my Lesbian identity with working in a country that is not LGBT* friendly. There are days that if I focus on it too much I become a big spiraling ball of anxiety heading towards a bout of panic attacks. Luckily I have people to pull me out of these funks. I have my girlfriend, my friends, family and mentors. Without these people, and specifically my former professor, I might be doomed to be rolling in my anxiety forever.

Just having someone who gets it allows my head to clear and it restores my passion and my faith in what I am doing. Even if we need to stay closeted for the sake of our work and passion, we need to find at least one person who can relate to and empathize with our struggles.

LGBT* non-profit workers aren’t unicorns and we aren’t islands. We need people who get the queer and the non-profit of us.

Story Telling – Why I Love Working in Development

Amanda MalamutLeave a comment

I have been asked several times “Why non-profit development? Why would you actually want to work in development?” Through various discussions and job interviews, it seems like a lot of non-profit folks fall into development by accident and/or non-willingly. No one wants to be the one who is begging for operational funding.

For me, working in development and writing is less about begging, and more about story telling. Obviously the need to ask for money is crucial to non-profit development, but I find joy in how you frame the ask. How we craft the story of the mission depending on who we are talking to. What parts of the organization’s story do we emphasize and high light for a specific sponsor? For individual donors?

I live and breathe for my organization. I love coming up with creative ways to share the story of who we are and our mission to as many different groups of people. Framing the money beg part in a story-telling sense has helped reduce my anxiety when I have to talk to people. The idea of blatantly asking for money is terrifying; the chance to spread my mission and story to more people is energizing and exciting.

My organization’s story is a part of who I am. Sharing what we do comes as natural to me as blinking. If I can craft our mission and programs in such a way that benefits my non-profit financially, I know I am making what we do more accessible and understandable to more people.

It’s one thing to run an organization with a great mission. It’s another thing to get funders, volunteers, and the general public on board with your organization. In a perfect world, we wouldn’t need to constantly have our hand out for funds when we feel like we are taking time away from programming.  However, having to ask for money constantly challenges the quality of our work, and also how we present it to our constituents and donors. We shouldn’t be numbers driven, but story driven. Telling stories allows us to humanize our work and constituents, and it makes us work to be creative in our outreach and grant writing.

Non-profit development makes us better at what we do and helps us spread the message of what we do to the masses. It might not perceived as pretty or glamorous, but in my opinion it’s one of the most rewarding aspects of working in the non-profit sector.

How To: Know When to Outsource for Talent

Amanda MalamutLeave a comment

On Sunday I wrote about the process of finding out about myself through my non-profit. One crucial aspect of this was figuring out what talent I possessed, what I could learn and master, and what are the things that I needed to outsource to someone who had more time and talent.

I never studied law, nor do I ever want to. So when my organization needs legal advice, we seek someone outside of the organization. None of us know how to build a database, so when my girlfriend offered to create one, I jumped at the chance.

Last Wednesday I discussed how to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges of your organization. After figuring out what the weaknesses are, you have to go deeper. What can be fixed by training the staff? Who should learn what skills? What areas should be consulted on or outsourced?

If your organization is strapped for funding like mine is, its understandable that you would want to try taking on all of the problems without outside help. With no outside help, some things will turn out great, but other times you do get what you pay for. You also never know if a professional is willing to donate their time or offer you a big discount. We met our accountant at an event that was related to our field, and he has been working with us for several years for a very discounted rate.

As much as you wanted to, if you have a small organization, you can’t do everything in-house without losing out on quality and/or sanity. No one is good at everything, and there is always someone outside of your organization who has the time and talent.

Really focus on the networking opportunities that you may possess. Do you have an aunt who is a lawyer? Does she know someone who specializes in non-profits? Do you have a family friend who is tech savvy? A cousin who is in marketing? Anyone and everyone has the potential to be a resource.

There is always the potential for rejection, but finding someone to create financial statements or a social media plan is worth 10x the amount of rejections you might receive.

Good luck!

Finding Myself Through My Non-Profit

Amanda Malamut1 Comment

I celebrated my birthday this is past week, which has put me in a retrospective mood. How did I get to where I am today? Who am I now compared to who I was last year, or 5 years ago? What have been the main components that have shaped the course of my life?

Obviously the answers to these questions are long and in-depth, and not quite relevant to this blog. However, one of the quintessential parts of my life has been co-creating and running my own non-profit.

I have learned about myself through the successes and failures, the tweaking of the mission, and learning new skills. I found out that I could build a website (nothing fancy, but pretty damn good if I say so myself).I learned that we needed a financial adviser and accountant, and that speaking in front of people wouldn’t kill me. I now have the ability to see what skills I am able to learn, and what would make sense to outsource to more talented people.

Most importantly, I have learned where my true passion lies. Growing up, I had no idea who I wanted to be; I wanted to be an astronaut, photographer, writer, and psychologist,  but none of those professions seemed to truly fit me. Even in the beginning of forming my organization, I couldn’t feel it driving me. Luckily, it didn’t take too long to click for me. I honestly don’t know exactly what was the catalyst to this revelation, but something sparked within me that changed my life for the better.

Creating my non-profit has allowed me to find myself amidst the rubble of my self-doubt and listlessness. It gave me a purpose that brought together my many passions. It allowed me to see the many talents I possess, and what I can offer to the world.

I am infinitely grateful to have this organization and the experiences that have come with it. I know that I am making a positive impact on the world.

It’s who I am.

How To: Evaluate Your Organization With the S.W.O.C. Method

Amanda Malamut4 Comments

The S.W.O.C. technique is probably one of the most helpful skills I learned when I was in graduate school. Learning to evaluate your organization or program using the S.W.O.C. (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Challenges) method allows you to pick apart what is working in your organization, what opportunities you have, the weaknesses of your organization, and the challenges you can face. This is also a great to use if you are expanding into a new area and want to form a clearer picture of what you have or need, what you need to overcome, and what is working in your favor. My favorite method of organizing the SWOC is in a chart, as seen below:

Strengths:

What strengths does your organization have? What do you bring to the table? This can be monetary resources, talent in your personnel, what you can bring to partnerships, or anything else that you can view as a positive within your organization.

 

Weaknesses:

Where in your organization do you need to improve? Are you lacking in a certain area (ie finance)? Do you not have enough constituents to make an impact? Your outreach is lacking? This section is great for pointing out areas within your organization that needs improvement.

 

Opportunities:

What external factors exist that will help your organization prosper and sustain itself? Does the geographic area you are working in lend itself to your mission? Does the local and/or national government support you? Are there a lot of funding opportunities? Try to think of all of the assets available to you outside of your organization.

 

Challenges:

Are you working in a country with a corrupt government or poor infrastructure? A lack of funding for what your organization does? Is there an over saturation of non-profits with similar missions in your geographic area? Not enough non-profits working where you work? This section can help you identify new strategies to overcome obstacles that you’ll face in the field.

 

Make sure your organization is well prepared. Good luck!

 

You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling

Amanda MalamutLeave a comment

In the past, I have talked about not burning yourself out on participating in too many projects. What if you are feeling burnt out by your own organization? Has the spark of passion in your mission flickered out?

We don’t do easy work, and I have seen many domestic and international non-profit/aid/foreign service workers get jaded by governments, bureaucracy, or by the ‘lack’ of progress seen. We get questioned about why we work with those people in that country, when we could obviously be working with people in country X. We are told that constituents  are undeserving  because of a certain prejudice they hold, or just pure ignorance.

That’s enough for anyone to feel like giving up. I know I’ve lost that loving feeling for my organization from time to time. Trying to stay positive in that midst of a wave of negativity has tempted me to throw in the towel more than once. We need to focus on what drives us, not what tears us down. The most important people to think of are who we are working with and the communities who are grateful for what we do.

When I get bogged down by pessimism or red tape I try to go to the core of my passion: the answer to WHY I run an organization without funding for a salary.

The answer could be abstract, but for me the majority of the time I seek out tangible pictures. Whenever I lose my drive, I try to look at pictures from my organization. These pictures of the people we work with re-energize me, strip  me of my pessimism, and focus me back on the mission.

Whether you have a picture, a saying, or a song, you need to have something that draws your passion back and reminds you of your organization’s goals and how important your mission is.

Remember, even if your day sucked and you are feeling disenchanted, you are a driving force behind feeding the homeless, creating quality education, fighting disease, and many other worthy causes.

Chin up. Focus on the mission. We couldn’t do it without you.

How To: Deal With Rejection

Amanda Malamut1 Comment

On Sunday I talked about funding and how we define success as a sector. What about rejection? Funding through sponsors, donors, or grant makers can be very difficult to acquire; getting a person to volunteer their time and talent is also extremely difficult. You are going to hear no many more times than yes, whether you are asking for people, money, or resources. People are busy, and foundations receive a plethora of applications.

No one wants to be turned down, whether it be a partnership, sponsorship or funding opportunity. Rejection is unfortunately a huge part of non-profit life. There are many reasons why organizations and people might say no, but it is important to know to deal with and react to rejection.

Don’t take it personally.

I know this is easier said than done. When you work hard on a grant, program, or event, you want everyone to get on board and be as passionate about it as you are. When organizations or people say no, it has very little to do with you as a person. Having someone say no to a proposal does not mean they are against you, your organization, or its mission. There are many deserving groups worthy of time and talent, and not enough resources.

Try to get the reason for the rejection. If a person can’t make it to an event because of a prior engagement, make sure they stay on the list for the next one. Funders can be extremely busy, but it never hurts to ask for feedback on your grant proposal. Maybe there were just too many applicants and not enough money to go around. Maybe you forgot to include some crucial information. Maybe it’s just subjective criticism. Turn the rejection into a learning opportunity, and never burn bridges. Just because they said no today, doesn’t mean they’ll say no next month or next grant cycle.

Ask away… and good luck!