I once got an ultrasound on my feet.
I’d been having some foot pain, so I went to the podiatrist. He listened to my complaints, analyzed the situation, and sent me to the guy who usually examines pregnant women.
Turns out, the tendons that connected my calves to my feet got disconnected somewhere between high school and adulthood. So there wasn’t much keeping everything in place!
The doctor said I could twist my ankle by stepping on a dime.
Which didn’t really make much of a difference in my day-to-day life. Raising money for nonprofits doesn’t require a lot of lateral movement.
But the whole experience did send me on a brief Internet odyssey. Who knew ultrasounds could examine foot health?
In fact, they’re used for a variety of purposes: examining soft tissue, analyzing blood flow, evaluating kidneys and pancreas and heart – all kinds of stuff.
Ultrasounds use sound waves to look below the surface. They examine what’s inside without having to open you up.
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In the world of fundraising, so much relies on good habits – stuff that you could accurately consider “underneath the surface.”
I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve spoken to a prospective client about the fundraising challenges they’re facing – and found out that their lack of fundraising success is not really related to a problem with donors.
It’s a problem with them.
It’s not about an unfundable mission or programs. It’s stuff that could be pretty easily addressed by just changing the week to week activities of their fundraising shop.
Stuff like regular donor communication, authentically grateful stewardship, consistent database practices, or up-to-date contact information – “inside” activities that have been neglected for years, creating a ripple effect that ultimately leads to dips in giving.
One of the most prominent examples of this was an organization that had never personally interacted with their literal biggest donor – a family that had supported at the 8-figure level and single-handedly kept the organization afloat.
Executive leadership had never personally visited the family. They just sent them a quarterly invoice.
And of course the family eventually stopped giving.
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So here’s the point: the pain your organization is experiencing may not be something external. Like the fact that “this is a tough fundraising climate.” Or, “our mission just doesn’t resonate with folks.” Or, “people just don’t want to give.”
If this is a statement you’ve made, then the situation is very possibly internal – not external. It’s very possibly on you – not your supporters.
It’s possible your fundraising “ligaments” are just broken – especially if the internal problems have been festering for a number of years.
If your organization is facing a fundraising challenge, it may be time for an ultrasound.
Take a hard look at the donor-facing systems you’ve established.
Take a look behind the scenes – under the surface.
You might find that an unfortunate step on a dime will put you right out of commission.
