1 comment - Last on 02/04/2012

What Can We Learn from Komen and Planned Parenthood?

February 04, 2012 By Ruthellen S. Rubin, CFRE

My mother, a long time supporter of Susan B. Komen, called me early this morning... "You're the philanthroper (sic)," she said, "what do you think about this mess?  When I walk or golf for the cure, I want to know that the money goes where it's supposed to go."  I told mommy that I had a busy day yesterday and that I would dedicate this morning to reading the newspapers and drawing an opinion.  After doing so, my opinion is:  What a mess!

The clearest statement I read was a quote in today's Wall Street Journal by my friend and colleague, Marian Stern:

"Once an organization exists in the public trust, they are answerable to many stakeholders," said Marian Z. Stern, a philanthropy consultant and adjunct professor at New York University's Heyman Center for Philanthropy and Fundraising.

Ms. Stern said that "donor intent" is among the highest priorities. Organizations are required legally, but also "morally and ethically," to follow a donor's wishes, she said. In the case of Komen, Ms. Stern believes that many donors, including small donors, felt that was an "issue of transparency" with the organization. When the organization "changed practice in a way that seemed oblique or inconsistent, donors were angry," she said.

As Marian implies, it's not about the politics, it's about transparency.  It's not  a question of the moral issues -- thank goodness we have supporters on all sides of the debates - they keep life balanced.  Rather, this incident is about the responsibility of the donor to ASK and LEARN where his/her dollars will be going.  For those who firmly believe that all things pink and all dollars to Komen go to research or cancer screening, look closer.  I really like this xtranormal robotic youtube video I discovered this morning in my research.  It lays out a lot of facts -- a donor to either Komen or Planned Parenthood should take the time to confirm those facts before writing a check.

The needs are great in our communities and the money is in short supply.  Let's hope this fiasco will lead to donors taking the time to research, ask questions and understand before contributing valuable charitable dollars.

Komen and Planned Parenthood --- your work is important and I wish you both well as you enter an era of greater transparency in your own governance and also in honest partnership with your donors.

More Nonprofits are not the Answer

January 11, 2012 By Ruthellen S. Rubin, CFRE

Congratulations to Mark Rosenman on a credible and important opinion piece in the December 11, 2011 Chronicle of Philathropy:   "Dear Baby Boomers:  More Nonprofits Are Not the Answer, Thank You.” I support Mark’s exhortation that bright, creative and caring baby boomers (and their offspring, the baby boomers' babies) invest the time to observe and learn what our current nonprofits are doing, rather than start their own nonprofit or social enterprise.  The Internet makes available staff qualifications, program details and impact studies of the good and important work already being done by nonprofits.

After 82 years of relative independence, our full-scholarship, international summer leadership program, Camp Rising Sun (sponsored by the Louis August Jonas Foundation), is investing time and talent in building partnerships with other nonprofits that share our programmatic goals and with funders who share our vision.  All ships rise with the tide and collectively we all grow stronger, sharing successes and delivering our programs more efficiently and effectively. 

Homework for BBs and BBBs:  Do your research: Visit with some nonprofit professionals to learn more about powerful programs and what you can do to merge your own worthy goals with theirs.  Nonprofit professionals:  You need to take the time to promote the work you are doing and the impact it is having and find ways to meaningfully engage a few of these 12 million Baby Boomers who have great ideas about doing good for the world.  The resulting synergy will be well worth the effort.

Alex's Lemonade Stand

September 03, 2011 By Ruthellen S. Rubin, CFRE

This morning I was out for a morning walk on my last weekend at the beach for the season.  Hoping to get some inspiration in the salty air of Long Beach Island, I pondered our organization's Annual Appeal campaign for this year.  At 25th Street and The Boulevard in Barnegat Light, I came upon a bright-eyed and enthusiatic brother and his sister, around 10 years-old-ish, selling lemonade to benefit Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation - an extraordinary organization fighting childhood cancer one cup at a time.

Rather than spend the morning riding the waves on the beach, these kids chose to set up a stand and raise money to fight childhood cancer...because it is fun to help others.  I slowed down my fast-walk-not-quite-a-jog pace and stopped for a look.  They had lemonade, popcorn and homemade brownies for a buck each -- none of which was permissable on the third day of my September diet.  I reached into my backpack and was pleased to find a ten dollar bill.  I dropped it into the cash box, declining the goodies and wishing I had a fifty.  There's always the website  -- I'll go there when I finish this blog.

There, on 25th and The Boulevard, I found my inspiration for our Annual Appeal.  Despite the glossy brochures and flashing E-peals, the best way to raise money for a cause one cares about is to get out there and publically say:  This is important to me.  I am proud to represent and work for this cause.  Join me and let's build a better world for all.

Thanks kids - for the inspiration and for the opportunity to help a kid with cancer.

As I walked away, I heard the young man, in that whisper voice that only a boy can make, say:   Hey mom .... look at what she gave us!   I smiled, remembering how when I was a college student, I made a cold call to an alumna at a phone-a-thon and got a first time gift of $1,000.  The feeling was great and put me on track for a lifetime career in fundraising.  

The Donor Database

July 07, 2011 By Ruthellen S. Rubin, CFRE

Thank you to my colleague David Matthew for bringing the topic of "finding balance with nonprofit software" to my attention.  I believe that proper use of a donor database is THE essential component is any fund development initiative.

It's no longer a question of:  Can you afford donor management software?  There are fantastic products on the market at every pricepoint.  Check out this excellent report from NTEN.  The question is:  Will you invest the time to learn how to use the software to its full extent?  I find that most nonprofits still (yes...still) use their donor database like an electronic rolodex.  Unfortunately, many just use it to record name, address, email and gifts.  Big deal.  That's like using a 4G IPhone to just make phone calls!

First - choose your software carefully.  Talk to colleagues and get recommendations from development directors who are using their software to help build relationships, stay connected, monitor correspondence with donors, anaylze return on investment of fundraising initiatives, study trends in your donors' giving patterns, and make realistic projections going forward.

Second - Budget time and money for training, consulting and courses to learn how to maximize the power of the software.  With the proper training, the software WILL make you a better fundraiser.

Third - make the guys/gals at your software company's tech support your best friends.  Make lists of your questions and call often.  Send them birthday cards. 

Fourth - Find a few colleagues who use the same software that you use and schedule chats once a month to compare notes and learn from one another. 

I get several calls a month from nonprofit professionals asking me what software to buy.  It's not about the software, my friends, it's about the development professional understanding the power of this tool and investing the time to learn how to utilize it.

Good luck.  And...if you're going to be in NYC next Wednesday, July 13th, sign up for a great panel discussion at the Foundation Center -- Raising Money Over the Internet.  I'll see you there.

Technology and Donor Relations

June 14, 2011 By Ruthellen S. Rubin, CFRE

 As a professor of technology for fundraising, one question I often hear is:  "Do modern technologies make us more detached from our donors?"  There's no easy answer to that question, but it certainly generates a lot of discussion.

A donor can tell the difference between a computer generated thank you for an online donation (which can make one feel as though no human laid eyes on his donation) and a thoughtful, personal email thank you in response to a gift.  There is nothing really new here happening, since five years ago, that same donor could discern the difference between a form letter (complete with pre-printed signature) and a thank you note with a personal (handwritten) expression of thanks on the bottom of the letter.

With or without technology, the fact remains that it is incumbent upon a fundraisier to make the donor feel noticed and appreciated.  I find that modern technologies help me stay personally connected in a wide variety of ways. Some of my favorites:

I can...

• Email a donor before I make a phone call to ask what is the best time to call
• Easily share timely good news, such as a compliment from a funder or a thank you from a client 
• Retain all pertinent information about a donor in a confidential database record, ensuring that other development staff and my successors will be able to continue my work
• Reach the under - 40 crowd who rarely provide valid street addresses and communicate solely online
• Skype with donors overseas

More important than whether we use modern technologies or not in our job is for us to pay full attention when communicating with our donors.  In this age of multi-tasking, we need to listen -- will all our attention.  No matter how we communicate with our donors, face to face, by phone, by skype, by email or on Facebook, we must listen to their needs, suggestions and hopes for the future of our organizations.

Thoughtful communication by email can be much more personal than a face-to-face meeting where you have have one eye on the blackberry waiting for the red button to light up.  For success in your fundraising career, be in the moment and give your donor your full attention, regardless of the methods you are using to communicate.