Asking Matters

Another great organization with a great, committed board... I just had the pleasure of leading a two-part virtual board fundraising training for Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid. They came ready to learn and with great enthusiasm. Like all legal aid organizations, they serve a broad range of the population in so many ways. I was struck by the fact that 28% of their work is in preventing homelessness. Few areas are as important. Here's to all the Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid (MMLA) board members who took hours out of their schedule to learn how to be better fundraisers. Small to mid-sized nonprofits such as MMLA can't fulfill their vision if the board doesn't partner with staff in fundraising, and that partnership starts with training. Hats off the the volunteers at MMLA for requesting that training.

Wish Your Board Knew the Fundamentals of Board Fundraising? Of course! But try getting them all together at once, even virtually. And the cost of in-person can be prohibitive. Enter BOARD FUNDRAISING ESSENTIALS, my virtual training that gives your board the fundamental understanding they need to be more comfortable and effective. And it's only $279! Even more, if you sign up by October 18, I'll throw in a 45-minute follow-up one-on-one coaching with your board. Intrigued? Find out more here: https://lnkd.in/gRc8D232 Questions? Just email me here or a brian@askingmatters.com. Let's get your board some basic training so they at least understand what to do and why to do it! #fundraising #boardsofdirectors #boards #fundraisingtraining

I'm Celebrating a Great Milestone! One year ago, “Fundraising for Introverts: Harnessing Our Powers for What Matters” was published, and it’s been an incredible twelve months! Most importantly, the reception has been wonderful. If I heard one person tell me how much the book impacted their life, I heard 100 people say the same thing. Introverts and extroverts alike talked about seeing themselves and their worlds in a whole new light. The validation for half the fundraising world – the introverts – was profound. So many of my fellow introverts said it was the first time they felt seen and heard: “As a longtime fundraising professional and an introvert, I always felt like I might not be best suited for this career. After reading Brian Saber's book, I was able to embrace that aspect of my personality and see how it could actually be an asset! A thought provoking book for both introverts and those who work with us.” “I love this book! As an introvert, I've struggled for years thinking I was doing fundraising wrong or just wasn't outgoing enough, even though I've raised millions for nonprofits. This book reminds me of what I already know: that my introspection and perception are powerful skills, especially for fundraising! Yay, I'm not a weirdo! I'm just an introvert trying to raise money and do good in the world. Thanks Brian!” And the extroverts were equally appreciative: “As an extrovert, this book was a revelation to me. It gave me tons of insight into introverts and how I can harness their powers and bulld relationships with them. And, though I'm not a professional fundraiser, I also picked up some amazing fundraising tips that will help me get out there as a volunteer fundraiser.” Recognition I was particularly humbled by two pieces of recognition. Most important was that of my peers. The Chronicle of Philanthropy wrote a 2-page article on the book and host a daylong LinkedIn “takeover” on the topic. But I’ve got to admit the day I was the #1 book on Amazon for "Nonprofit Organizations and Charities" was pretty special. I certainly never could have imagined I’d show up there! The Virtual Book Tour I enjoyed leading live workshops and webinars for Pamela GROW (she/her/hers), CharityHowTo, North American YMCA Development Organization (NAYDO) the National Association of YMCA Development Organization, DonorSearch, Bloomerang, and many more. Chatting with peers including Joseph Tumolo, CAP®, Tony Martignetti, Tammy Zonker, and Jim Eskin, was very special. I also hope many of you have been following along as I shared short videos on fascinating points from Susan Cain’s “Quiet,” which you can find on our YouTube Channel (https://lnkd.in/ggfXwta4) along with lots of other cool content. To everyone who’s engaged this past year in any discussion about the power of introverts, thank you for helping to bring this important topic to light. Here’s to my fellow introverts…and all you extroverts who love and value us. Brian

Our FREE Asking Styles Webinar is Tomorrow! Our Popular FREE Asking Styles Webinar is Back - September 18th at 2ET (recording and slides will be sent to those who can't attend) Can you form deep relationships in life? Well, assuming you said “yes,” you can be an amazing cultivator and solicitor of individual gifts. The one-to-one cultivation and solicitation of gifts is much more about relationships than technique – much more art than science. And that means understanding how you operate – understanding your strengths and challenges – is key to building those relationships. Enter the Asking Styles – the personality framework designed specifically for you. Once you know your Style, you will be a more comfortable and effective fundraiser. We promise! Join me and walk away with a new set of tools for you and your entire fundraising team. Sign up for free now: https://rb.gy/bla7cg Brian

Polite Persistence - A true story about one of my greatest fundraising lessons Thirty years back I had the job of cultivating and soliciting an elusive alumna for my alma mater (I was a development officer for Brandeis University). For a host of reasons she was not engaged in, or excited about, our school, but she was important to us. So I embarked on a multi-year journey, followed her lead, and didn't over-analyze or over-interpret. One day, when I least expected it, she called out of the blue...and acknowledged that I had been "politely persistent"!!! I have carried this with me all these years - the power of being polite AND persistent...and taking what people say at face value. For the whole, amusing journey and its great conclusion...read on! https://lnkd.in/gabbgF5y #fundraising #nonprofit #universities

(please forward) Our Popular FREE Asking Styles Webinar is Back - September 18th at 2ET Can you form deep relationships in life? Well, assuming you said “yes,” you can be an amazing cultivator and solicitor of individual gifts. The one-to-one cultivation and solicitation of gifts is much more about relationships than technique – much more art than science. And that means understanding how you operate – understanding your strengths and challenges – is key to building those relationships. Enter the Asking Styles – the personality framework designed specifically for you. Once you know your Style, you will be a more comfortable and effective fundraiser. We promise! Join me and walk away with a new set of tools for you and your entire fundraising team. Sign up for free now: https://rb.gy/bla7cg We can only accommodate 500 live so don't hesitate! Brian

Stop Asking Board Members to Swap Gifts with Friends - Please!! I've been hollering about this for more than a decade, and I was delighted when Karen Martin of Giving Tomorrow magazine asked me to contribute a piece on the topic. “No More Asking Asking Board Members to Swap Gifts with Friends – Please!” is focused on my BIGGEST pet peeve in all of fundraising – the horrible practice of asking board members to hit up their friends and family for gifts. I hate this. If I were a board member I wouldn’t want to do it. And I wish everyone would just stop the practice today because it’s not very effective and certainly isn’t strategic. With permission from Karen, I'm attaching a copy of the article here. You can also read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/g6UJVKDJ I'd love your thoughts on the topic, and I hope you'll forward the article to anyone struggling to get their board to give their biggest gifts and fundraise. We've got to change the paradigm if we want them to be fully engaged...and willing to go out and do this hard work. #boardsofdirectors #nonprofit #fundraising #boards

This is another topic in our field that needs more airtime. It's so hard to find enough good development officers to fill all the roles, and then we as a nonprofit sector gum up the works.

Fall in Love Again...with Your Organization! A couple of Asking Matters followers reached out to say they really appreciated this week's Monday Morning Matters (join my FB group, Asking Matters Insiders, to get MMM's every week!) So I figured I'd repost it for everyone working at, or serving on the board of, a nonprofit: Fall in love with your organization again this week. Spend some quality time with your organization’s programs to remind yourself of the lives you are changing. Ask the program staff to share their stories. Reengage your own sense of commitment, for from commitment comes courage.