The Power of Handwritten

Fundraising is about relationship-building…that’s 101.

Most times this relationship-building doesn’t have to cost very much, just some extra effort…that’s 102.

So why are so many mass holiday e-cards coming across my transom…and so few hand-written notes?

Sure, there’s the idea of not wasting paper… but wasting is consumption with an inappropriately low level of return – resources being squandered. Wasting is different than using, investing, carefully calculating the footprint and the benefit – that’s the nonprofit manager’s stock in trade.

Investing in results? A hand-written note of appreciation for a donor, a board member, somebody who’s given you some free advice, a vendor who’s always cut a little extra cheese off the block (and given you some slack when you paid for it slowly)… those are resources well-spent for the lubrication in human relations gained.

Practicing outcomes management? For those of us who exist through “the kindness of strangers” the outcome is that little extra that those of us who can’t “buy” our way through the world need, in order to pull a rabbit out of the hat, again and again.

It’s not random. As any businessperson knows, kindness out = kindness back (or something like that).

And the handwritten message on that card?

You notice. You respect. You connect.

Voting…For Face Time

Just about every nonprofit seems to be urging its friends to “Vote for Us” in the Chase Community Giving Program.

Is this some sort of lottery, a "Survivor"-related nonprofit sweepstakes?

$5 million distributed among 500,000 eligible nonprofits...with 100 winning in the first round (that’s 1 in every 5,000)...an additional 5 in the second round...(5% of those 100, so 1 in 100,000 of the total eligible nonprofits).  

That’s some long odds!

You see where this is headed… although, truthfully, everyone doesn’t have an equal chance out of the starting gate – the race will, indeed, go to those with the greatest reach.

Yet there’s nothing wrong with this – as long as charities don’t substitute energy getting e-votes for face-time.

It’s so easy, isn’t it, to spend time at our computers typing away, virtually making our case, networking virally, tagging and friending and fanning…I’m as guilty as the next party.

But real impact comes one on one, building long lasting relationships that commit to staying the course over time to achieve real social change.

Sure there’s nothing wrong with e-voting – but it’s not enough to ask for.

So let’s not stop there – let’s build real relationships that can evolve into paintbrushes and tutoring and donated legal services and other sweat equity that leverages human energy and commitment into a real movement towards social justice. 

§       Why not table at a “Winter Fair” to gain community awareness and build your “friends and fans” base?

§       Why not hold a “wrap-a-thon” at a book store to publicize the fact that the local schools need book donations? 

§       Why not host a member reach-out night, where every member brings their cell phone and calls 5 other members to get their impact on the issues facing your community and catches them up on what your organization is doing? 

Not an ask – just a connect.

It’s the old saw about volunteering – that being there, on the ground, is key.  And that people have to see/hear/feel/touch/taste your impact before they’re moved to give, to ask, to be a real part of the solution.  And that doesn’t just come from clicking here.