Truth in Levity – Irrefutable Fundraising Verities
Some irrefutable fundraising verities that will help you get through the next fiscal period.
- Every direct mail person has a scheme that will not work.
- If a market research project is not worth doing at all, it is not worth doing well.
- When you work with a top probable donor, remember that whoever has the gold makes the rules.
- When it comes to staff, negative expectations yield negative results. Positive expectations yield negative results.
- If there is a problem in your data processing system, it’s like opening a can of worms— the only way to re-can them is to use a larger can.
- When the boss asks you a direct question and you find you are in doubt, mumble.
- Regarding Special Events, the first ninety percent of the effort takes ninety percent of the time. The last ten percent takes another ninety percent.
- If you have an implausible annual financial objective, and a Development Chair who is unreasonable, and a CEO who doesn’t understand fundraising, remember the age-old dictum: To heck with the cheese, get out of the trap.
- When the chairman of your board says: “Don’t worry about what the other board members are saying about you”— worry a lot about it!