Have You Found Your Mojo?

Greetings friends!  Quick summer update:  Julie and I had a wonderful time in Germany this past week with Afghan leaders who are doing ministry among refugees.  Thank you for your prayers and encouragement.  I look forward to doing more work with them in the coming months!  I'm also planning, this coming week, to start up audio recordings again now that Julie and I have settled into our new Hitch Cruiser Trailer!!  We love it!

In the meantime, you can listen to previous recordings by visiting The Breakthru Podcast

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Michelle Stein is one of my favorite follows on LinkedIn - she’s super generous with her expertise and a great resource for major gift fundraisers.  Recently she pointed out something that really got me thinking (see her full post here):

‍Apple doesn’t say:

✔️Buy our products so we can hit our sales target.

✔️Visit our shops so we can tell you about our products.

✔️Follow our Instagram page so we can share product information.

‍Apple says:

💃Our products will fill your life with joy, music and creativity.

‍🎨With them, you’ll become the visionary artist and storyteller we know is in you.

‍🪄Our shops all have Genius Bars to solve your tech issues.

‍🧑Our IG page is filled with all your incredible photos, we want to share yours.‍

What a difference!  Is it possible to message this same way for the causes we represent?  I began brainstorming and considering ways to more effectively demonstrate what is “in it” for our donors.

Let’s focus for a moment on Children’s Education and inject a bit of emotional and personal mojo* to spice up the traditional messaging when we double down on the benefits of giving:

• “Donate to our charity to help us fund more educational programs” might become… enjoy a front row seat to see how we ignite a passion for learning and creativity in every child
• “Visit our website to learn more about how you can support us” might become… You will discover how our organization inspires young minds to dream big and achieve their potential
• “Follow our social media for the latest updates on our projects” might become… We want to share the joy with you!  Our Instagram feed celebrates the remarkable achievements of children we support - you can be a part of their transformation.  Here’s how.
• “Save the date for our upcoming annual gala” might become…  Our annual events are vibrant gatherings.  We share and celebrate the impact of your giving - mark your calendars now for [date]

I realize we don’t always have the advantage of showing stories where children are set up to thrive.  I see those hands👋… However, you’re not off the hook.  Even when you are somewhat removed from the front lines of transformation, I encourage you to be bold in sharing the powerful changes that are happening in lives and communities your cause supports.  When you help organizations on the ground  achieve their missions quickly and effectively, you have every right to celebrate specific stories of healing.

Intel has been in the news of late...and not for good reasons. But some of you may remember the “intel inside” marketing campaign which was launched in 1991.  What comes to mind for you?  The technical specifications of the chips they produced?  Almost certainly not.  Rather, our attention was drawn to the messaging that no matter the brand of PC you purchased, as long as the “intel inside” logo sticker was in plain sight, you knew your PC would perform well.  Did Gateway, Acer, or Dell complain that Intel was stealing their thunder by taking credit for more than they should?  Not a bit.  All of those companies went to the bank on Intel’s campaign.  By the end of the 1990s, Advertising Age called it the most effective co-op advertising program in history.  

Let’s look at three more specific examples for upping your game when it comes to helping givers immediately realize they are in good hands when financially supporting your cause:

1. Personalized Impact Stories - Storytelling with Heart: "Your contribution helped Margaret, a single mother, gain access to vocational training, allowing her to secure a stable job and provide for her family. Maria's story is a testament to the life-changing power of your giving."
2. Exclusive Opportunities and Recognition - Special Access and Events: "You are invited to a private luncheon with our CEO and beneficiaries of our latest project. This is our way of celebrating the impact we’ve been able to share together.”
3. Alignment with Personal Values and Goals - Connection to Personal Beliefs: "We know you are passionate about education. Your giving supports underprivileged students with the opportunity to pursue higher education. Together, we are creating a brighter future for these young minds."

Take plenty of opportunities to remind your givers about the benefits of giving.  Don’t be shy!  Apostle Paul did this in 2 Corinthians 9, reminding the Corinthians about their pledge to help with famine relief in Jerusalem.  He wrote little to nothing about the actual famine!  Instead, he boldly exhorts readers with statements like, “whoever sows generously will reap generously” and “you will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion”.

From time to time you might provide your folks with (your own creative version) of this encouragement…

When we give, we thrive!

Giving creates a cycle of positivity and generosity benefiting both the giver and the receiver.  Let’s always aim to reflect that goodness as we craft our messaging.

See you next week!

* Mojo is like a secret charm.  It’s also a super tasty Cuban marinade.  What’s your secret sauce?  Hit reply on this email and share your ideas!

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If you haven't taken advantage of some of the resources I've created to help major gift fundraisers, take a look now!  Initial calls with me are free and "no strings attached".  Sometimes folks feel like they need to wait and not 'bother' me until they have a pressing issue.  No need for that...just make the call. 🕺

‍Here's where you can access a lot of content for free:

‍* Follow me on LinkedIn - You'll get short pro-tips and reflections on major gift fundraising every day between 5-7am pacific.

* Breakthru Newsletter - As you've seen here, these are longer weekly posts (audio and written) sent directly to your email.

* Breakthru Blog - the newsletter from the previous week gets posted here each week for everyone (so email subscribers get it a week early).

* Breakthru Podcast - Interviews with high net worth givers about how we as fundraisers can get better at inviting them to the party.  And audio readings of Breakthru Blog posts.

‍Before getting to the PAID stuff: My opinion is that no small ministry with a tight budget should be spending more than $3-5k (total) for major gift coaching/consulting.  Most of you will be good-to-go spending far less than that.  This was a major issue for me when I was a frontline fundraiser - major gift consultants were an expensive 'black-box-of-confusion' for me.  That stops now.

‍Here's the PAID stuff:

‍* Online Catalyst Course - This is a full brain dump of my 28+ years of experience - good, bad, ugly.  It's built around the fundamentals, the sacredness, and the fun, of major gift fundraising.  It's infused with Henri Nouwen reflections.  Many people can take this course and they will be 'cooking-with-gas' and not need any additional coaching from me on the core systems.  I'm grateful that this course has gotten *great* reviews.

* Live coaching with me - I refer to this as "brain rental".  The ROI on live coaching, as you might imagine, is extraordinary.

Finally, be sure to connect with my colleague Ivana Salloum.  She's super awesome and can help with scheduling and access to resources, etc.

I look forward to hearing about your good work!

Blessings,