Ha! Gotcha. If you’re reading this blog, you are in the vast majority of people who stop to read articles that mention sex. According to Fast Company’s latest article, 7 Scientifically Proven Ways to Get “Shared” on Facebook, I have to talk about sex to get anyone to pay attention to me. Okay. I can play this game.

Fundraising is like dating. Any fundraising professional that has had success will tell you that. Like dating, fundraising takes relationship-building skills beyond basic networking or social skills. In fundraising, you’re asking for a genuine sacrifice, an investment in the future. Finding the right match might be the first step, but cultivating the donor is a serious part of creating a lasting relationship –a.k.a. repeat donations. One time donations might be nice in the short term, but who wants nothing but first dates?

Donor Dating Rules:

1. Do your homework. Pursue donors that are right for your organization.
2. Don’t be afraid to take a few risks.
3. Show grace to those who show interest in what you do, knowing that very often small gifts grow into much larger gifts if the donor is respected and if the organization is a good steward of small gifts. Build trust and show that you care about the donor him/herself.
4. Don’t allow your organization to be used as a tool for self-gratification. If a donor says “take this money and build this,” make sure what they’re asking you to do truly fits within the mission and vision of your organization and is sustainable.
5. Don’t whore out your organization. Think twice before taking that big corporate sponsorship if it means that logos will be plastered over the true purpose of your event or program. You’ll be respected in the long run.
6. Keep them coming back. Continually give your supporters reasons to fall head-over-heels in love with the work you’re doing.

If you need a little coaching in this crazy donor dating world, call your Central Georgia “matchmaker” at (478) 457-7278 or email at leia@leiaeubanksconsulting.com.

I’m not a heartless person. I love the warm fuzzy feeling I get when I help someone in need. But there comes a point where people in a community, corporate or small business environment, or grantmaking pool become inundated with warm, fuzzy, feel-good causes. Check out Facebook. On this one social networking site, there are thousands of “causes.” While many Facebook users click the “Become a Fan” button, how many of these causes are actually realizing revenue streams from these “fans” that will allow them to do the feel-good work they’re proposing?

Don’t get me wrong:  I’m NOT advocating against Facebook. Social networking sites can be extremely useful for advocacy and fundraising purposes if utilized properly. I’m talking about the types of campaigns I see so many nonprofits presenting. Real, emotionally and financially committed donors are usually not concerned on how their giving will make them feel good. The donors that you want, the ones who keep coming back and who truly care, want to be presented with a balance of hard facts, substantial evidence, evaluation of programs, and a clear vision for future programming and efficient operations.

Corporate and small business donors must be thought of and approached differently than other donors. Savvy corporate and small business executives consider their donations investments in the communities where their businesses are located. This, of course, helps to ensure healthy environments conducive to commerce. Knowing this, approach your prospective donors with ideas to support your position as a benefit to the community as a whole. What would your community look like without your organization’s presence? What problems can your organization eliminate in the communities you serve, and why is your organization best suited to serve those needs? More importantly, how is your organization connecting with other organizations and community leaders to serve community-wide problems? As a nonprofit leader, you should constantly research the ways in which your organization’s service benefits the service of others. For instance, an arts organization can inspire entrepreneurship and improve high school graduation rates, while an education-focused organization has the potential to decrease crime rates and teen pregnancies.

 Of course, my business is always here to help you fill in the blanks. Contact me today at (478) 457-7278 or via email at leia@leiaeubanksconsulting.com to discuss your development needs.

Think getting government grants is impossible? Think again. My consulting firm offers services in grant research and writing, but sometimes it helps my potential clients to have a basic understanding of what’s available. Here’s a little insight into the world of federal grants:

Currently, there are over 1,000 annual grant programs offered through 26 agencies. Grant programs are also divided into categories: 

• agriculture,
• arts,
• business and commerce,
• community development,
• disaster prevention and relief,
• education,
• employment, labor and training,
• energy,
• environmental quality,
• food and nutrition,
• health,
• housing,
• humanities,
• information and statistics,
• law, justice and legal services,
• natural resources,
• Recovery Act,
• regional development,
• science and technology,
• social services and income security,
• and transportation.

Eligible applicants are different from program to program, but many programs are open to state, county, and municipal governments, public and state controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments, nonprofits with IRS 501(c) 3 status, and even some for-profit organizations who agree to waive any profit or fee concerning the grant. Most federal grant opportunities are competitive, meaning applicants are rated in specific categories, and the highest scorers are awarded grants. Often, grants are awarded over a series of “rounds,” meaning that there are multiple opportunities to apply for the same type of grant opportunity. Subscription services are available for notification of grant opportunities through email and RSS feeds.

Many eligible applicants overlook federal grant opportunities, and even more eligible applicants shy away from these opportunities because of the intimidating application process. Federal grant applications are often long and tedious, and some eligible applicants simply don’t have the time to complete them. If you are eligible for a federal grant opportunity and don’t have the time to complete your application, call me at (478) 457-7278 or email me at leia@leiaeubanksconsulting.com. I’ll be happy to help you achieve your goals.

I laugh every time my sister-in-law tells about how she once made a mistake on a cherry pie. She had worked hard in the kitchen to make that pie for dinner, and when she was done, it looked gorgeous. Everyone at the table salivated as it was being cut and put onto plates… but when the first bites were taken, some awful faces were made. She had forgotten the sugar! It’s a funny story, but I think it has some lessons that extend beyond family “dinner table tales.”

Just as a baker must be careful to measure ingredients and not leave anything out of a recipe, presenting a fabulous event takes time for preparation, care, and consideration. A beautiful cherry pie tastes awful if the baker forgets the sugar. Similarly, a beautiful facility will leave a bad impression if there is no toilet paper in the restroom.

As an event consultant, I work largely off of lists, yet I remain flexible. I have backup plans for my backup plans. I do my homework on every aspect of an event, leaving the day of the event as stress-free as possible. All of the “dirty work” behind a spectacular event can be too much for someone closely involved, i.e., the Executive Director of the organization who needs to raise awareness and funds, or the mother-of-the-bride who wants to make her daughter’s dreams come true… and that’s where I step in.

Hiring an event consultant can be your key ingredient to presenting the event you’ve been envisioning. Most people with full-time jobs need a go-to person for getting these sorts of things done. A qualified consultant will be well-connected with vendors, have a pool of recommended resources, and be excellent at maintaining clear and consistent communication between all parties.

Rates vary for consultants, but in most situations, anywhere from 10-20% of the event budget is appropriate. For turn-key event consulting, I charge 10% of the overall event budget, but I provide options for those who simply need a little guidance on how to get things done themselves or need me to do a few strategic phone calls or meetings. Above all, choose someone who shows a willingness to be flexible and work within your budget and unique needs.

I’m always open for questions and conversation—just contact me via the contact form on this website! I look forward to hearing from you!

Helping you celebrate good times,

Leia

This weekend, I am serving as a judge for a young women’s scholarship program that I’ve been happy to support for several years. In preparation, I opened up the contestant’s applications to review their interests and formulate appropriate questions for their individual interviews. All was well until I found a misspelled word. And then a grammatical error. And another. And another.

Nothing makes me quite as irritated as error-ridden writing. Granted, I’m not a perfect writer, but I put forth my best effort and use spelling and grammar checks whenever they’re available. When they’re not available, I look up words in the dictionary. When the proposal, essay, or letter is especially important, I have someone else look it over. It’s that simple.

So I began to wonder… what the heck is UP with these young ladies?! Surely they care. Why wouldn’t they? These applications serve as the first impression to judges who determine whether or not they will get the chance to earn scholarships for college. I know we have great English teachers in this area. So… what’s the problem?

One problem could be the overuse of cell phone “text language.” The types of errors I saw in the applications looked like what I might type in a cell phone text message or Twitter post, such as the omission of apostrophes or lower case letters at the beginning of a sentence. This doesn’t excuse the misspelled words, but perhaps the teens of today don’t understand the difference between writing that is appropriate for everyday peer-to-peer communication and what is appropriate for formal applications, essays, and correspondence.

What are your thoughts?

 Today I had the privilege of participating in a Twitter workshop at Digital Bridges taught by the lovely Dr. Ginger Carter Miller. I set up a Twitter account a year or so ago, but I’ve definitely put off learning the ins-and-outs of tweeting… I had no idea how it could benefit me and my business.

How often do we put off learning to use the resources at our disposal? Can we afford to underutilize our resources at a time such as this? A communication tool like Twitter is one example of a resource that is underutilized in our local area, but what about funding opportunities for local nonprofits through foundation, government, and corporate grants? How about partnerships between our small businesses? Now is the time to come together, set our competitiveness aside for a moment, and communicate on what we can offer each other. Now is the time to learn something new. To be innovative. Our community’s sustainability depends on it.