Guide.

Summer is here and your efforts to move any of your business plans along may feel like they have come to screeching halt.  

The good news? Summer can also be a great time to start generating new leads and implementing donor acquisition strategies. 

As Jeff Spitko, Director of Membership and Audience Management at The San Diego Zoo says, summer is “a perfect time to pivot and focus more heavily on lead generation and new donor acquisition.” Click here to read Jeff’s full article and use these summer months to set you up for success this fall!

Relationships.

Have you ever overthought a relationship? Especially when it comes to fundraising, we often overthink how best to capture someone’s attention and invite them to engage with us. 

As Tom Ahern points out, “Corny, tacky, and ugly work!” 

Check out one stewardship piece our client, SoléAna Stables, used to thank donors for making a gift to their summer crisis campaign. 

This campaign was all about raising funds to care for their hard-working equine as the temperature rises. 

How can you build or enhance a relationship by being corny, tacky, or ugly? We know it’s hard to top Major, but we have faith in you!

Opportunity.

For most professionals, summer means a long-awaited vacation and spending time away from the desk with friends and family. For nonprofit professionals, summer can be a challenging time. Whether a programmatic slowdown, a frantic fiscal year’s end, or a drop in donor engagement – we know the summer months can lead to increased stress and burnout. 

Check out our seven practical tips to help you beat the summer slump by keeping yourself motivated and prioritizing your productivity.

Work.

Nothing makes me think of hard work and dedication more than the Olympics. Team USA gymnastics qualifier Hezley Rivera is the youngest gymnast on team USA headed to Paris, and when asked about his daughter, her father said, “No one works harder than Hezley.” 

Her family moved from New Jersey to North Texas so she could train with the best. She is at the gym by 8:00 am every day and practices for 3 hours. Then she and her  teammates are home schooled from 11:30 - 3:30, followed by 3 more hours of practice.

Her discipline and drive cannot be denied and I, for one, admire the dedication and focus of all the athletes who will begin competing at the end of this month. That said, watching the best in the world compete at the highest level of their craft does sometimes leave me with feelings of inferiority. 

Did I go wrong in my life and career by not choosing an area of study and pursing it with all the vigor and passion I possess? Is it too late for me to achieve wild success in my chosen field (or fields) of endeavor? Do I really need 10,000 hours of practice in order to standout? 

These young athletes all share one characteristic: early specialization.  

David Epstein, American journalist and author of Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World reminds us that early specialization isn’t always the lead indicator for career success.  His TedTalk, "Why Specializing Early Doesn't Always Mean Career Success," may put your mind at ease about your future!