Controlling the Uncontrollable in Fundraising
Dear Diary,
After much reflection, I’ve realized that I swim in uncontrollable circumstances in my career. I’ve realized that in Fundraising, the unknown is all we can depend on. For example, a donor’s likelihood to give, a prospect’s willingness to meet, a donor’s choice to give monthly, a prospect deciding to make a gift – everything is out of our control. In our line of work, specifically in prospect development, we try to set up the best chances and inform frontline fundraisers as best as we can. But, in reality, the true outcomes are out of our control.
Many people believe it’s great to work in the gray, to be amendable to whatever happens, to easily pivot. But, when ambiguity strains your mental health, and there is need for a tiny bit of stability, what do you do? I’ve realized that I love to find what I can control for the sake of advancing productivity and keeping sane. I have figured out a way to find some comfort when things get uncomfortable, and here I am sharing everything with you, as we journey through 2022, a year we have no control over.
What happens when the prospect has made a gift below their capacity range? Well, this is not a circumstance anyone can truly control. Everyone is driven by their own will/autonomy, and choosing to give at any amount cannot be judged because a donor can always make another gift when the time is right, and we have to seriously acknowledge that at least they gave.
A range is calculated by hard and soft assets, past and current giving. Even when you understand the concept of capacity ranges, a range does not include debt, 401K, private investment numbers which are not publicly disclosed details, and private life events; therefore, a person’s experience and holdings in life can make them decide to give below or far above a range. Again, these are circumstances that cannot be predicted, and are out of our control.
What is in your control is how we move forward with the donor once they have given outside of the range. I encourage further engagement and stewardship of the gift, because, another gift could always be on the horizon. And, this upcoming gift could mean an increase in giving, but methods of cultivation would be important for that outcome.
Think of the frontline fundraiser who is not being a team player. Everyone has experienced one or two fundraisers that seem to struggle with communication and team work. Working with personalities like this can make your work slightly harder and put a strain on the professional relationship. Regardless, this is not a circumstance that you created (at least in this entry you did not begin the strain) so you cannot be at fault. You cannot own the tension. What you can control is how you react to the negativity by informing your superior (manager) on what is occurring, and what is causing friction for you to be able to do your work properly. Whoever is in management is paid to handle conflict, manage expectations, and intercede at appropriate times, therefore, lean on them to do their job. Also, you can control next steps – the way things move forward so that everyone can professionally work together is something you can have a major hand-in.
What happens when you didn’t add ALL the details in your research and the fundraiser has inquiries? Prospect Researchers tend to be questioned on why they add certain information, or don’t add other information. Two things are at play – one, a lack of trust in the researcher’s expertise because a researcher knows how they want to craft the deliverable, and two, they simply missed the information or didn’t think it was needed in the profile. Sometimes there is a heavy reliance on detailed profiles which distracts from the actual purpose of the prospect meeting. For example, not knowing a spouse’s middle name will not hurt donor engagement; and not knowing the names of the grandchildren will not hinder a gift – being informed can be taken to an extreme. So, in situations like this, education prevails because you can communicate and educate a fundraiser on which details matter in moving the relationship along and why you chose to include the statements in a profile. Control how and when you educate your peers and colleagues.
The running theme and single message in this diary entry must be that control is in how you handle situations. When your work has so many moving parts, you have to remember where you fit in – what role do you play? What questions do you need to ask and have answered to help you in your role? This is what you control. In a field where we are dealing with people, seeking support (monetary, time, or otherwise) nothing is certain, and reactions change. We all know that needs change, but communication is evergreen. Find workarounds that help you get your work done, as things are unknown. I am not saying that this will make you overjoyed, but you will feel a small sense of control over your productivity.
Hello 2022, be good to us.
Until next time, February 15th!
