Comments for NONPROFIT CHALLENGES http://oculusdirect.com/blog Nonprofit Management, Fundraising Innovation, Organizational Change Sat, 06 Sep 2008 19:21:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 Comment on Are we accountable to our mission? by Bonnie Cook http://oculusdirect.com/blog/2008/05/21/are-we-accountable-to-our-mission/comment-page-1/#comment-35 Bonnie Cook Sat, 06 Sep 2008 19:21:04 +0000 http://oculusdirect.com/blog/?p=24#comment-35 You hit the nail on the head with this one Eric!! Financial accountability is important as is transparency BUT where is the accountability in programatic success. THese measures of success need to be more that output measues (we registered 100 more boy scouts this year over last). That is all dine and dandy but what social impact did that have. so, I would go evenfurther in your "water well" analogy. I would sayx if 100 water wells were to be built then yes 100 should have been built AND they should have been providing NEEDED safe drinking water to X number of people, enabled the growth of crops that yielded X amont of food, etc, etc. You hit the nail on the head with this one Eric!! Financial accountability is important as is transparency BUT where is the accountability in programatic success. THese measures of success need to be more that output measues (we registered 100 more boy scouts this year over last). That is all dine and dandy but what social impact did that have. so, I would go evenfurther in your “water well” analogy. I would sayx if 100 water wells were to be built then yes 100 should have been built AND they should have been providing NEEDED safe drinking water to X number of people, enabled the growth of crops that yielded X amont of food, etc, etc.

]]> Comment on The four steps of the fundraising process… by Bonnie Cook http://oculusdirect.com/blog/2008/09/02/the-four-steps-of-the-fundraising-process/comment-page-1/#comment-34 Bonnie Cook Sat, 06 Sep 2008 19:10:32 +0000 http://oculusdirect.com/blog/?p=50#comment-34 Thanks for stressing the most important aspect of fundraising -- RELATIONSHIP. It is the base of all fundraising. I also appreciated your outline of the fundraising processes. However, I must disagree with you regarding solicitation being the single most difficult step in fundraising although I think it is commonly beleived to be so. If you have done your work and built a relationship with the donor or prospect, it becomes a natural step in the relationship. "Making the Ask" is rather simple -- it is simply asking someone to support thier passion with a gift. So, why do we have this perception that Solicitation is the most difficult aspect of fundraising? Well, if you were to ask a room full of people what scares them most about fundraising, most would say being rejected. That is what stops most in their tracks. Thanks for stressing the most important aspect of fundraising — RELATIONSHIP.
It is the base of all fundraising.

I also appreciated your outline of the fundraising processes. However, I must disagree with you regarding solicitation being the single most difficult step in fundraising although I think it is commonly beleived to be so.

If you have done your work and built a relationship with the donor or prospect, it becomes a natural step in the relationship. “Making the Ask” is rather simple — it is simply asking someone to support thier passion with a gift.

So, why do we have this perception that Solicitation is the most difficult aspect of fundraising? Well, if you were to ask a room full of people what scares them most about fundraising, most would say being rejected. That is what stops most in their tracks.

]]> Comment on About by Bonnie Cook http://oculusdirect.com/blog/about/comment-page-1/#comment-33 Bonnie Cook Sat, 06 Sep 2008 18:48:33 +0000 #comment-33 Eric -- This is a great space and you have provided a wealth of information. Thanks!! I will definatly be back often! Eric –
This is a great space and you have provided a wealth of information. Thanks!! I will definatly be back often!

]]> Comment on Can fundraising be fulfilling? by AlexM http://oculusdirect.com/blog/2008/04/30/can-fundraising-be-fulfilling/comment-page-1/#comment-30 AlexM Mon, 18 Aug 2008 03:28:35 +0000 http://oculusdirect.com/blog/2008/04/30/can-fundraising-be-fulfilling/#comment-30 Your blog is interesting! Keep up the good work! Your blog is interesting!

Keep up the good work!

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