3 TIPS IN THIS ECONOMY

Today, I sat in the audience at the Union League Club listening as Illinois leaders outlined continuing grim details of cuts to public funding for government programs. Without a doubt, the most compelling part of the morning was when the Secretary of Human Services told personal stories. Those of us in fundraising know how enormously influential stories can be -- billions of people around the world follow religions based on stories that are thousands of years old. Stories open people’s hearts and their wallets.

What are the stories your organization has to tell? What are the best ways to get them across? And, how much more time do you have to tell them before your doors close?

Imagining a worst case scenario, what are the top three fundraising tips you would give in today’s economy? After some stewing and brewing, mine would be:

1. Concentrate on existing and regular donors.

2. Diversify your sources of income -- be creative.

3. Take a long hard look at your expenses. (Sometimes a tough economy forces us to make the decisions we should have made a long time ago to make our offices more efficient.)

What do you suggest?