When it comes to your fundraising, are you crowdsourcing ignorance?

There’s something wrong with fundraising.

And I say this because, despite the wealth of great information available, there remains a shockingly high percentage of fundraisers who know next to nothing about the basics of fundraising.  

They steadfastly ignore the body of knowledge that builds its very foundation, thinking it “old-school”. They dismiss decades upon decades of research into why donors give. And for answers, they’ll often turn to Facebook groups. That’s where you’ll regularly see novice fundraisers posting questions about their appeal letters, their thank you letters, their digital strategies, and yes...how to add yet another event to a calendar already jammed with nine events in a year (I wish I was kidding).

There's never any lack of responses from the ignorant...

“I hate getting thank you letters. It’s a waste of resources! And besides, we’re an environmental organization. Our donors wouldn’t take to paper.” (I guess that’s why the leading environmental nonprofits have robust direct mail programs, and, not-so-coincidentally, robust major gift programs…insert eye-roll here.)

“Nobody reads mail anymore. We’re going to go digital and save money.” 

In one Facebook group, I recently saw someone questioning which database was better: Salesforce or Blackbaud. Aside from the fact that there are numerous databases out there that are better than either of those two, selecting your organization's CRM is one of the most important decisions you will make in terms of the success of your individual fundraising program. Are you seriously telling me that this is a decision that you will make based on someone else's OPINION?

Guess what? Your opinion does not matter. Your board member’s opinion does not matter.

Frankly, your uneducated colleague’s opinion does. Not. Matter.

Results matter. A learned body of tested fundamentals matters. Mastering the basics matters. Donor service and truly valuing and understanding your donors’ reason for giving matters. Killing your godawful jargon (as a donor, I’m imploring you here) matters. Getting a handle on your data matters.

Implementation matters.

Folks, we are heading into seriously rough waters. One thing I can promise you: this stuff is not going to get easier. You can’t make it up as you go along and expect to wing it. 

The upcoming years will require more from you. More commitment. More empathy. More focus -- on the right things. The basics. Your storytelling, your metrics, your case for support, and your willingness to step up to the plate and lead. And above all else, your commitment to your donors.

Crowdsourcing ignorance won't cut it.