You may have heard the adage, “Sell in May and go away,” at some point in your life. Markets have a tendency to slow down over the summer months as traders and investors alike take time off to spend with friends and family and travel.

Not surprisingly, then, summer is also typically the slowest time for fundraising.  That’s why as May draws to a close, we’re focused on offering you 4 quick ideas on how you can continue to GROW, both in your business and as a professional, during the dog days of summer!  

Guide.

There’s no way around it.  For any organization to grow, evolve, and thrive, having a strong, engaged, and enthusiastic Board of Directors is key to your success.  

Your Board of Directors should be your biggest advocates, your greatest champions, your BEST volunteers and fundraisers. 

The reality is that many nonprofit organizations struggle to activate board members to take action, recruit new board members, and enforce board term limits.  This happens for any variety of reasons ranging from “we’ve never done it that way before,” to “we’re worried our board members will stop giving if we tell them we want them to roll off,” to “we don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.” 

We get it. Change is hard.  Once patterns have been established and “bad behavior” has been tolerated for so long, how do you even begin to forge a new path forward? 

We love what fundraising guru Joan Garry shared earlier this month in her article “Transforming your Board from Difficult to Dynamic: A Step-by-Step Guide.”  

Relationships.

This month, Trusts & Estates published an article called “Donor-Advised Funds: A Versatile Tool for Clients and a Powerful Tool for Advisors,” by Ron Ransom and Sandra Swirski.  While Trusts & Estates is geared more towards estate planning attorneys, fundraising professionals have much to learn from what your donor’s other advisors may be saying to your donor.  

Rob and Sandra point out that DAFs are “an easy gateway for advisors to deepen their relationships with clients.  Clients are inundated with daily financial information, including how their peers leverage their finances for sharable purposes. As their trusted advisor, there’s no one more suitable to explore their curiosity about charitable planning than you.”

We at Broad Oaks Consulting would argue that you - your donor’s philanthropic advisor - are every bit as suitable to explore your donor’s curiosity about charitable planning.  To sharpen your knowledge on donor advised funds and learn some easy and practical ways to start a conversation with your donors, download our white paper.

Opportunity.

How do you create more opportunities for your organization? You must first seize an opportunity for yourself.  

Whether you hold a leadership position on a nonprofit Board, are an Executive Director, or hold a fundraising and development position, this is the only training you’ll need to break through your fundraising barriers is being offered October 7 - 9 , 2024 by The Institute for Charitable Giving.

This conference will fill up quickly and space is limited to just 60. Will you be one of the few to elevate your fundraising skills and reach new heights for your organization?

Work.

It’s coming. Year-end will be here before you know it.  With the slower days of summer upon us, now is the ideal time to get out ahead of your year-end fundraising campaign.  

A little planning will help your message rise above the noise of the holiday giving season.  Check out our 5 tips to make 2024 your best year-end yet!