¡The Three Financiadors!
In last week’s newsletter I laid down a challenge: Two free coaching sessions for anyone who is willing to write a guest blog about the financial development principles gleaned from one of my all-time favorite movies, “¡Three Amigos!”.
Congrats to Jameson Tomlin for putting his hombro to the task! Jameson is a Leadership Annual Giving Officer at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. We’ve already completed the first of two coaching sessions for his Amigo insights and I’m very much looking forward to the next one. Important note: Jameson and his wife Alex are expecting their second child any day now! Keep them in your prayers🙏.
Why is ¡Three Amigos! one of my favorite movies? I suppose, at the core, it’s the same reason I adore dad jokes and slapstick humor (ask my wife Julie about fake stumbles and pratfalls). However, there is more to ¡Three Amigos! than meets the ojo. It’s a David-and-Goliath story about a small village being terrorized by some banditos. Steve Martin (Lucky Day), Chevy Chase (Dusty Bottoms), and Martin Short (Ned Nederlander) become the unlikely heroes who help the village take down the criminales for good. So fun and sooo funny. I’ve often thought of offering a breakdown on major gift fundraising insights from Lucky, Dusty, and Ned…so thanks to Jameson for getting us started!
Without further ado, here are Jameson’s reflections along with my own misceláneos ruminations mixed in along the way…
¡The Three Financiadors!
Fundraising Lessons from ¡Three Amigos! By Jameson Tomlin and J.Paul Fridenmaker
Who would have thought a silly movie like ¡Three Amigos! would offer valuable insights into major gift fundraising? Well, nobody, including us. Nonetheless, we’ve lassoed five takeaways for you to consider. If you haven’t seen the movie yet, stop reading and head to your favorite platform for a 2 hour chuckle-fest. Now, what can we learn?
- Teamwork Is Powerful
No hero rides solo. The Amigos achieve their best results when they embrace their quirks and collaborate. Do you know the peculiarities of your team? Whether you’re planning a vision trip, crafting the ultimate case statement, or dialing up a hesitant giver, collaboration is your (not so) secret salsa.
Pro Tip: Activate your connectors! These are the people in your circle who love your mission, know the right people, and are itching to help you succeed. Get started by using this 1 page worksheet.
- Understand Your Audience
At first, the Amigos think they’ve been hired for an acting gig. Instead, (SPOILER ALERTA) they actually have to fend off a real-life villain. The same mistake can be made with our prospects when we fail to understand their motivations.
Reflection: Consider this question when meeting a new prospect. “What is God doing in their life?” Aligning your invitation with their journey is a critical first step.
- Resilience Is An Art
Even when things looked super grim, the Amigos kept pressing forward. In our work, rejection isn’t just inevitable - it’s part of the process. We tend to believe that for every “no,” there’s a “yes” waiting just around the corner. Staying persistent shapes your character.
Encouragement: Remember, every great major gift fundraiser has “that story” of a bold ask with a disappointing outcome - or one that surprisingly resulted in a big gift.
The Amigos dreamed about what they were going to do with their money…
4. Stir Hearts With Storytelling
The Amigos eventually win over the villagers with heartfelt stories. “In a way, we all have an El Guapo to face.” Ned Nederlander breathlessly inspires his new friends, “For some, shyness might be their El Guapo. For others, a lack of education might be their El Guapo. For us, El Guapo is a big, dangerous man who wants to kill us”. Storytelling isn’t just a tool - it’s the soul of your work. Compelling stories turn skeptics into believers.
Resource: For inspiration, check out Henri Nouwen’s take on storytelling as ministry: “Fundraising is proclaiming what we believe in such a way that we offer others an opportunity to participate with us in our vision and mission”.
5. Dare To Innovate
To save the village, the Amigos come up with a truly outrageous (and brilliantly simple) plan. What sort of innovations are you and your team pondering? It’s important to stay nimble. Stay curious. And don’t be afraid to try something wildly different.
Idea: Be creative! Revisit your segmentation strategy and personalize your appeals. Send folks a recipe for a yummy appetizer to enjoy at their next family feast and request pictures and stories🥳.
By doubling down on collaboration, knowing your audience, staying resilient, mastering storytelling, and thinking creatively, you’ll build a fundraising strategy worth singing about.
Have a great week - Happy Thanksgiving everyone! And thanks again to Jameson for bringing his insights this week!
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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,
