Connecting Schools With Great Fundraising Ideas.

As regular readers of this blog may be aware, I am currently working on writing an e-book on how to run a profitable golf outing for Step By Step Fundraising, which is the “parent” blog to Top School Fundraisers.

Recently, we posted a survey on Step by Step, which asked people to share their questions, concerns, or advice on the topic of charity golf outings. I was very excited to learn what was on our readers’ minds.

The survey is now over, and we received some terrific feedback. I have a lot of great material to work with.

One question that came up numerous times was a variation of “How do I distinguish our golf outing from so many others in our area?”

After reading this one question so many times, I realized this is a real, pressing concern for many non-profit leaders. And, if they are asking it about golf outings, I’m sure they are asking it about all their other fundraising endeavors, as well.

I still have a long way to go to finish my e-book, but I’d like to address this particular question in its very basic form- “How do we distinguish ourselves from other non-profits?”

A first reaction to this question would be to brainstorm all sorts of new and unique fundraising ideas- you know, try to think up something no one has ever done before. This “novelty” will attract potential donors for sure, the logic goes.

However, I want to resist this over-powering creative urge for just a moment. I would like to suggest something radical. Instead of offering to shave your head or kiss a pig or kiss a shaved pig, I think everyone should go back to what they are already doing and dramatically improve it.

That’s right. I’m saying that you should look at all the fundraising activities you have undertaken over the past year. Did you maximize your effort in each one? If not, how come? What specifically was holding you back? How was your customer service? How was the quality of your fundraising letters? How effective was your pre-launch marketing effort? Was everyone in your organization invited and encouraged to participate? How did your organizational management go on the day of each event? How was your record keeping? Did everyone get a thank you letter?

If you realize that you came up short in any of these areas, I would argue that even if you devised the best new fundraising idea the world has ever seen, it’s not going to get you very much, if you haven’t perfected the fundamentals of planning and executing.

What got me thinking about this was the golf outing itself. I was trying to think what would really impress golfers. The things that popped up in my head weren’t all the contests or give-a-ways, at all. What really kept coming back to me was that golfers would really appreciate a short wait at the registration table. That there were no errors in their payment receipts. That every detail had been worked out ahead of time with the golf course. That all the meals were right. And so on.

So many non-profits run things poorly. (Sorry to be so self-critical, but I include myself in this group, too!) A well-run event is oftentimes enough to distinguish your organization from another. Period. “Man, have you been to the XYZ Auction? They really know how to put on an event. Everything was organized, they were relaxed, and it all went off without a hitch.” If this is what people are saying about you, you’re in pretty good shape.

Once you have reached the stage, where you honestly believe that your events and other fundraising activities are run with a high level of efficiency and professionalism, then I would think it’s ok to start looking for all the crazy, new-fangled ways to impress your guests. It’s the old adage: walk before you run.

There it is. It’s not exciting or splashy or involves a barn yard animal, but in the long run, this commitment to quality first will make you money.

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