EXCLUSIVE: How to Follow Your Vocation (and go on Holiday)

Jennifer Fulwiler interviews Brice Sokolowski from CatholicFundraiser.net. In this Part 1 of the interview, Jennifer and Brice talk about the Catholic Church, Mass, living abroad, the challenges of following God, and how to pursue your vocation.

Thank you for watching this video. I hope that you keep up with the week videos I post on the channel, subscribe, and share your learnings with those that need to hear it. Your comments are my focus, so please take a second and say ‘Hey’ ;-).

You can watch part 1 of the interview here: How Catholics Can Successfully Fundraise



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Gather a community before you gather donors

Everything you do with fundraising begins with your community. Your community consists of every person you bring into your mission. This includes donor, non-donor, volunteer, inquirer, lapsed donor, and even the people who you meet each day. By focusing your attention on building your community, you take them on the journey which is realizing your mission. This community will then be inspired to support you financially.

It’s important to build a community because if you don’t surround yourself with people who are passionate about your work and cause, then you will have difficulty fundraising.

If all you do is surround yourself with major donors, you won’t be as successful because you need more than just people with deep pockets. Your mission is not dependent on the money you raise. Your mission is dependent on God and how he wants you to carry out your vocation. Because you cannot carry forward our vocation alone, you must recognize the different talents that people have who come into your life. Then, you determine what led you together and how you help one another.

Start building your community today

Get started with your community by gathering the people around you. It is your responsibility to invite people into your community, what activities they do, and when to approach them for a donation request. As I mentioned, your community’s purpose is not to surround you with financial donations every month. That may be one aspect of your community, but it happens when the other activities are in place.

There are several ways you can build your community. You can connect members with other members.

  • You connect members with other members.
  • You get people to share their thoughts and views in discussions. This can be a live event or online.
  • You share knowledge and wisdom so that everyone becomes better informed about your work.
  • You educate your community about what is happening.

The atmosphere you build inspires them little by little as they discover more about your work. With time, more people get involved and eventually take action. This action can, of course, be through a financial gift. Each community member takes one step at a time to become more involved in your work.

For more ideas on this topic, read this article which outlines 5 activities you can get people to do.

Build a two-way dialogue

Also, your community must have its own voice and identity. I am a fan of having a constructive dialogue with your community because it’s fantastic way of learning what inspires people. If you know what inspires them, you’ll know how to better ask for donations.

While you are the leader who organizes how and when people meet, I recommend taking a step back and allowing others to express their opinions. This is not to say that they dictate which direction you take. You definitely set the boundaries.

One of the best ways to learn what people think is by conducting surveys. I talk incessantly about surveys, and there is a reason for this. Surveys work incredibly well in fundraising. I’ve been using them for years, and I’m still finding new ways for improving my fundraising with them.

Knowing how to engage with your community will help you fundraise better.

Along with listening and connecting with your community, the people around you must grow in knowledge about your mission, the purpose, and the results. You do this by updating them on a consistent basis about what’s happening.

Never assume that because you said something once it’s clear to everyone. Just because you have a page on your website titled ‘Our Mission’ doesn’t mean people know what you do. You have to continually tell people who you are, what you do, why you do it, where you are going, and how you will get there.

For more on this topic of surveys read this article which outlines how to use them step by step.

 

The Benedictine rule for building community – Listen

I remember attending a lecture at a Benedictine abbey just outside of London, England. The abbot was discussing a specific rule which allows the youngest monk the chance to speak openly with his fellow monks, particularly the abbot.

Saint Benedict added this rule because he understood that sometimes God speaks to us through the youngest or least expected person. Take for example David, Ruth, Moses, Abraham, Rahab, John, and Mother Mary. Look at all the Marian apparitions, as Mother Mary is always more comfortable speaking with children.

It’s usually the person we least expect who has something profound to share. You never know who in your community has something valuable to say, therefore always have an open ear.

[Tweet “It’s usually the person we least expect who has something profound to share.”]

Feedback from your community also allows you to recognize what you are doing right. When people are complimenting you on your style, especially when it comes to fundraising, you know you are on the right track. It’s that simple. Your community helps you take a step back, reflect on your work, and keep moving forward. Even when you receive criticism, this negative feedback can confirm whether you are or not on the right track.

Therefore, let people share with you what they think.

Perfect the art of listening by reading this article.

Encourage your community to take action

Another important activity in your community is that they must frequently be asked to take steps forward. It’s not enough to have a group of people around you and hope they will eventually act. This is especially true when it comes to donating.

You have to ask people to take steps forward. Otherwise, you will be waiting a long time before people do.

Whether you are looking for one donor or one thousand, you start with asking your community to take steps forward. Ask each member to regularly take one small way after another. Yes, this all takes time, but this is part of growing your mission, especially with fundraising.

By asking your community to take steps along their journey with you, you connect your mission with theirs. They become co-owners in your work. Then when you do ask for a donation, they more often than not will say yes.

Learn more about how to take action by reading this article on what a Catholic fundraiser should do every week.

An exercise on how to start building your community

Here is a simple Catholic approach to building your community and moving your fundraising forward.

Pray – Take a moment to recognize all the different people in your community. This includes volunteers, donors, colleagues, contacts. Take time to reflect on how you have connected with each person . Read chapter four of Saint Paul’s letter to the Philippians. He provides wonderful instructions of how to communicate with people and thank them for their generosity.

Pray – Review how often you connect with your community and share information and knowledge. Write ideas on how you can share more with them about what is happening so they can learn how things are going.

Pray – Review how often you invite your community to have a voice in what is happening. Regularly take feedback through surveys. Thank people for their opinions and decide on the ones you see most valuable. Let people know that you use their feedback. This makes sure your community knows that you are listening and taking action.

Ask – Each month ask your community to get involved. Diversify your requests so that people don’t get the impression that all you want is their money. For those who are new, ask them to attend an event. For those who have been in your community for some time but you’ve never met personally, ask them to volunteer with you.

For those people who have been very active but not donating, ask them for a financial gift. And for those who have been giving for some time, ask them to increase their contribution or sign up for regular giving.

Over time, when you ask every community member to take one step forward, your momentum will pick up, and as a result, your mission will move significantly forward.

Question: What is one action you can take today to build your community?

Catholic Leadership in Fundraising

3 Ways to Boost Funds through Leadership

Leaders give us the energy and drive to move forward, even when times are difficult. Fundraising, for example, is usually listed as one of the most challenging tasks an organization is faced with. How often do we need leaderships to provide that surge of passion or encouragement to press on?

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If there is one factor that separates a great organization from a good one, leadership ranks at the top of the list. Not only do we stay focused on what to do because of great leaders, but we also press on with more joy, drive, and energy.

“Our own times require of the laity no less zeal: in fact, modern conditions demand that their apostolate be broadened and intensified.”
Apostolicam Actuositatem, Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity – Second Vatican Council

Why? Leaders have a clear sense that the less we do, the more we accomplish. They greatly influence our ability to focus on the essentials.

Too often, we can drift away from our core tasks because excessive demands flood our inboxes. Leaders recognize this reality and respond by eliminating the non-essentials. They also take on some of these duties themselves or delegate them to others. By doing so, leaders help everyone stay on course, including us as fundraisers.

If you’re a high-achiever like I am, you likely have more projects and ideas than time. It’s easy to think of racing to get as much done as possible. But maintaining focus and limiting tasks are both crucial. It can be incredibly helpful when a leader steps in to remind us what are our core responsibilities and goals. Therefore, great leadership is paramount to raising funds, inspiring donors and keeping the mission going.

As fundraisers, we depend on leaders because they help us understand what we are raising money for, and they inspire us with energy to find these resources.

Here are three leadership qualities that will improve your fundraising immensely.

Quality 1: Set clear and measurable goals

When setting the strategic direction of an organization, define a plan which has clear and quantifiable goals. The plan will turn the vision into reality while the goals will point everyone in the same direction. Together, the plan and goals connect with the fundraising targets so that everyone knows why the funds are needed and how the money will be raised.

If the board of directors sets a goal to double the team size in three years, this translates to more money and an increase in staff. The organizational structure, work habits, and culture will therefore also change. The leadership team sees these interconnections and, in response, lays out a plan to connect, manage and direct everyone to achieve these goals.

I was once asked by the board of a charity to double donations in one year because they wanted to increase the organization’s size. I presented my plan, which the board unanimously approved. However, when I politely asked that they define the overall organizational goals and targets to help me reach the fundraising goal, my words were met with silence. They seemed to assume that I would raise the money first, and then they would think about everything else later.

The results were dismal. For the first six months, I raised zero funds. Once the leaders stepped forward and became more strategically involved, the impact was incredible. Within three months, we not only raised the funds we were aiming for, we raised our yearly target.

Quality 2: Actively involved in fundraising

Leaders take an active role in fundraising by spreading the organization’s message and finding prospects. They do so in three specific ways: (1) donate themselves, (2) recruit donors, and (3) ask for donations.

Leaders should always financially contribute to the organization, giving an amount that is appropriate to their circumstances. Whether a board member is a corporate CEO or full-time mother, she should consider a donation based on her circumstances. Giving financially is important because it demonstrates to everyone, both inside and outside the organization, that the leader is fully committed. Also, leaders know that it is as much an honor for them to be on the leadership team as it is for the organization to have them involved. They, therefore, want to give back.

What happens if a donor approaches your leader saying, “I understand you provide strategic direction and advice to this organization. Do you, yourself, give financially?” What an awkward situation it would be if your leader responded, “No, I don’t give. I do, however, give generously of my time and expertise, and I think that is enough.”

What if your leader instead said, “Yes, I do give financially. I am passionate about what this organization does, and I consider it a great privilege to donate my time, advice and money to this great group of people.”

Second, a leader is directly responsible for recruiting other donors. Consider this scenario: you have five board members, and each has donated between $500 and $2,000 during a year. In total, you have raised on average $5,000. Then, each member recruits five more people to donate $500, raising an additional $12,500. In total, you have now raised $17,500.

This money could have an enormous impact on your mission. While you are the official fundraiser, your whole team should be helping to bring in funds, with the leaders setting an example.

Leaders understand that potential donors look to them for an indication of how well-managed is the organization. An inspired Catholic donor will think, “since the leaders are so involved and passionate about this mission, I know my donation will be used correctly and go a long way.”

Quality 3: Open to change and feedback

Leaders must also demonstrate the virtue of humility in two distinct ways: openness to change and feedback from others, both inside and outside the organization.

Leaders understand that the pursuit of greatness means adapting along the way. They know that the overall goal shouldn’t be to do everything correctly. Rather, the goal should be to do everything better. It is your mission and not individual egos that are at the heart of your organization. Therefore, change is essential.

As a fundraiser, you can confidently present new ideas because your leaders trust you and want to find ways of improving the mission. When you propose a change, a confident leader will openly consider whether and how to implement it.

Leaders also continuously collect feedback on how they and the organization are doing. They want to know what donors, followers, volunteers, staff, friends, etc. think of them and their team so the organization can constantly learn and grow.

Conclusion

Donors are attracted to great organizations. There is a tremendous difference between how much an excellent organization receives compared to an average one. I would say the difference can be as much as 100x more.

A leader’s attitude, contribution, energy, passion, and commitment are all crucial when it comes to fundraising. When an organization’s leader inspires someone, that person automatically ask the question, “How can I be a part of this?”

Leaders must, therefore, demonstrate greatness and become involved in all aspects of the organization, especially fundraising. When your leaders exhibit these three leadership characteristics, you will see the positive financial impact.