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It's a really great project. We got a lot of information.
Let’s support each other to be the best team. I am new here
Let’s support each other to be the best team. I am new here
than you very much
than you very much
I have a volunteer organization. What suggestions do you have for that?
I have a volunteer organization. What suggestions do you have for that?
I was most surprised to learn that myth 6 "great fund raiser is individual supper start" was not true because it need connective efforts to make good store to donor, which requires distinct expertise in different area by many people. One question I have about myth 6 is though it is collective effort, but there must be one person in lead, who can make together all people/expertise and present one voice for all to donor in a form of story.
This was quite interesting as i thought before now that fundraising was all about receiving cash and knowing rich people
Before the study l believed that fundraising is only about getting cash,but now l know that there are in kind donations.
I have found that you need to have both.. There are people That only work and decide by numbers, while many others care about stories. For me, the best strategy is to have a mix and focus on what you think would connect more with your constituent.
It has been difficult for me to implement a volunteer strategy.. I value that kind of help a lot, but spending time to prepare volunteers has been an issue. I hope I would take more advantage of this in the future
Fundraising is a splendid job if you want to work in the nonprofit world. The pay is usually good, you might enjoy a high status within the organization, and there is a career path. Fundraising can even lead to the leadership of a nonprofit. ... However, do consider fundraising as a career
I was personally "fooled" by myth 5. But after consideration it makes a lot of sense that we only divulge what is of interest to the listener, and to make an appealing and attractive case to catch their interest and make them commit.
i had it in my mind that to have a successful fundraising initiative, one ought to give a comprehensive view of the organization and its project but am grateful to learn that too much of that is not really necessary and this thus aiding in the presentation process.
fund raising is all about know rich people that was real new for me and i belive that is the best way to start a fundraising with a lot of effort
I am grateful for this course and discussing these myths for a beginner. I am curious about myth #3. What about those non-profits that are only started by one person? I am starting a non-profit with a mostly silent board of directors. How can I invite people to "join my fundraising team" if I don't have the funds to pay anyone on the team, even me myself, before the actual fundraising takes place?
In fundraising, one person gives and another receives. This statement is not true, i have learnt that both receiver and giver get something out the fund raising process.
From myth 4, I was reminded about the importance of listening to the donors/partners instead of talking and telling them all about my organisation. From listening to them, one can understand what their interests are, and therefore strategically present the need in a way that interests them and compels them to contribute in whichever way they are able to.
That's an interesting question BYLINA4. One suggestion that comes to mind is requesting some people who are interested in your non-profit to donate some of their time and be part of your 'fundraising team.' They don't have to be full time for starters since you are starting out, but you have to clarify what you would want them to do, how often you would want them to volunteer, what you would want them to deliver, etc. Some can volunteer in finance/budgeting, others can volunteer in connecting with donors, etc. Your silent board of directors is a very good place to start!
I think myth #4 was the most useful to me, since we often think that more info is better, but we should always stick to what is important to share, and try to discuss common interests and such to build that connection.
most cases, I had long believed that numbers and identified gaps really matter to the fundraising campaigns but this module enlightened me that success stories are far more effective than just numbers. Also many of the myths taught were things I was aware of before but I will admit the ONE myth that caught me off guard a little was myth 2. I appreciate how it was clarified and justifiable.
Well said @Martha_Alle, you have accurately captured the wisdom embedded in the myth.
Brilliant suggestion there @Martha_Alle.
Thank you for your honest statement @frankuzor.
all along have been thinking that fundraising is only about getting cash and to raise this cash you only get it from rich people but that is not true you can start with your friends and family members.
Hello, I really appreciate how these myths were explained, personally I thought fundraising was all about getting cash but it is good that also kind- donation such as food and time as well as manufactured goods are part of donation in fundraising.
It is keyto collec data and analyse it to make the most out of donor and story telling
The myth that surprised me was "4. You should always try to tell a donor as much about your organization or project as possible." It now makes sense to know that you cater your interaction to the donor and center them in it, but I had not thought of it that way before.
I was by far most surprised by myth number 4 (you should always try and tell a donor as much as possible about your organization or project). I just assumed that donors would want as much information as possible so that they know where their time/money/ and other gift is going towards a right cause. After listening to the podcast I do understand why it makes sense that you would want people to talk about themselves and cater to their interests when soliciting donations- and I am excited about the idea of beginning to incorporate more personal solicitations into my interactions with potential donors, while still ensuring that I am giving a good background of my organization and our goals.
Until now, I've always taken donors no to be final no forever and feels terribly bad and discouraged as I get that most time. Thanks Tom for making me understand that it's opportunity to find more from prospected donor and make a come back.
I guess I was a bit surprised by myth No. 4 "you should always try and tell a donor as much about organization as possible". I always felt the more they knew the more they may want to support; but looking back, I guess people do like to talk about themseves more and using the idea of listening and adding to conversations with similarities would make people feel more apart of the process and learning of organizaiton.
I had the same exact reaction and am also excited about incorporating more personal solicitations into my interactions; practicing being a better listener.
Myth no 4 surprised me the most, for me i thought it was all about to impress the donors by giving more informations about your organisation and project.
this is very nice topic, you impressed after knowing that people who give their time and various facilities is also fundraising
I used to believe that Fundraising is only about getting cash or raising money from rich people, after taking this course I just find myself one of those who were living under Myths.
Thanks for this clarification.
Following this module, the myth that surprised me the most was myth number 5. I was previously under the impression that metrics were vital to fundraising success, learning that stories are more beneficial was surprising. I can't think of any questions regarding the myths, but I'm glad I've learned about the 7 myths of fundraising so I can apply them to my work!
I really gained a new knowledge that Myth 3 was not true. I always thought that fundraising means one person gives and another receives .
I totally agree with you. I thought that fundraising is always in cash and from rich people. Therefore, I got benefit from this course.
To be honest, that what I used to think. I thought that giving more details is crucial for any fundraising process.
I was happy to learn the myths and I am really thankful to the team for designing such insightful content. Thankyou.
I learnt the most, was most surprised and pleasantly so, that you don't just need stats and facts, that stories are valuable and that the donor does not need to be inundated with information of my company
Myth number 2 blew my brains out. I had always thought that fundraising was all about knowing rich people. However module 1 really helped me adjust my thinking on the same.
I think myth #4 was the most useful to me, since we often think that more info is better, but we should always stick to what is important to share, and try to discuss common interests and such to build that connection.
I have taken a course before, so probably I knew about the Myths but the lesson help me to take in consideration many aspects specially of how to approach a possible donor or planning strategies. The assessment help me a lot to focus on the list of possible donors to improve it.
I believe that you have to connect with the donor in order to sell your idea. That is why you need to listen and try to find the way to fit your purpose in his life.
I was most surprised by myth 4- now i know that I do not have to tell a donor as much as possible about my organisation or project. Instead, I need to focus more on listening to the donor and to telling personal stories which matter most and could be linked to the asks.
The 7 myths of fundraising have greatly helped and i will continue to apply them, especially the bit about strategies, planning and collecting stories. This is very key. I intend to apply these and other best practices to foster god relations with donors and scale up fundraising.
In kind donation is still essential.
Very well said @omungo.
@propacuna, your submission is an exact replica of the knowledge embedded in the myth. Thanks for contributing to the discussion.
@kshammas, your suggestion that fundraisers should stick to what is important to share, and try to discuss common interests and such to build that connection is apt. Thanks for the submission
This lesson has been an eye opener to me. I've of late developed some thought about myth 7 that it was true, but I've now learned that it isn't. But question about myth 7 is: what are some of the best ways to use the internet to boost your fundraising campaign?
The seventh myth about fundraising surprises me too. I thought that the TICS change the way to obtain fundraising, but I understood that the internet allowed sharing the information with more people around the world.
Great to have you on board. This course is a great eye opener for me. I have learnt quite a lot. I have a lot on my plate.
@sadiquewalker I believe the Internet will expose you to sources and organisations funding and also increase the number of people and organisations seeing the campaign.
I was not surprised by any of Tom's fundraising myths.
It is surprising that we are witnessing a great development in fundraising via the Internet, in this particular period after Covid 19
I see the point that Tom raises in Myth 7, but I would respectfully disagree. I understand entirely that fundraising is very much so about cultivating personal relationships with donors and grantmakers, but I think the manner in which this is done, especially in a post-COVID world, is likely very different than it was 20 years ago.
Many of the myths taught were things I was aware of before but I will admit the ONE myth that caught me off guard a little was myth 2. I appreciate how it was clarified.
Thanks for informing us about the myths.
Very surprised by the myths. Tell a story and connect with the donor.
Myth #6 (A great fundraiser is an individual superstar) surprised me more, even though I've been involved in many meetings with donors at various stages of the relationship, because several NGOs I've worked for and collaborated with have a person with the word "fundraising" in their job title. The assumption is they are the one leading the effort and the one to get most of the credit.
The one myth that surprised me the most is number 3. Fundraising can be both ways and even make alliances to exchange needs depending on the necessities one needs to complete
I had always assumed that giving as much information about the organization as possible was of utmost importance. So I was surprised to see that this was in fact Myth #4. I felt like #5 & #4 went hand in hand... now I realize that facts, statistics and all the other information may be an overload! Yikes!
The lecture on myths is very helpful on foundations of fundraising
Fundraising is a huge world to understand, but with this myths and truths I have a more clear idea, and it shows how easy is to reach donors if you look in the correct place, because you could raise with persons or acquaintices that you didnt expect.
One myth that really made me change my view completely is ,"You should always try to tell a donor as much about your organization or project as possible". Previously I considered projecting my organization and its cause more. But now I got the real idea that we have to engage the donor through interest conversation linked to their interests and likes and have to create linkage between it and our organization's vision and mission.
Yes exactly that is the same with me. So, how do you think changing this myth into truth can lead to positive outcome for you.
For my part, I speak in relation to myth n ° 1 and n ° 2
For Myth 1, fundraising is about getting money.
There may be cases where the fundraising will be used to have money at the end.
Myth # 2 is: To raise money is to know the rich.
Knowing the rich is an asset because it can allow you to have money very quickly
Fundraising is an area with so much task and decision making, it is an area that needs to have a committed group so all of the objective can be completed, one person can't do it all.
I was very surprised that I shouldn't tell everything about my foundation or my social project, because I always thought it was the first thing I should do, but I learned a lot and it makes perfect sense.
My main question is, how can I reach a donor without having anything to offer? What should those tactics be?
Same! But I over the years, things have been different.
Myth one stood out the most for me. I have always known that you can receive gifts instead of cash but I liked how Tom expounded on that point. A reminder to be careful about accepting gifts that will not be helpful or gifts that will cost us to translate them to cash.
I was surprised when I heard the true that don't have to to tell my donor always about my organization
But how can my potential donor know and get convinced of what am doing if I don't tell him or her?
I completely agree!
I agree, I learned a lot about Myth 2!
I was most surprised about myth 4. Immediately thinking that donors would want as much information about my organization as possible. However, it was nice to realize the human side of donors. People like to talk about themselves and this is definitely a good tool to use in gaining support for my cause.
This module exposed me to the knowledge of in-kind.
The seven myth was a surprise to me. All along I have been doing the contrally and spend a lot energy for nothing. Therefore I have known the reason why It has taken me so long to win an donor. Hope after this course thing are going to work out better.
The I have been looking for rich people has been too much and ignore the poor little did I know that they are also donors!. Every surprising and laughable for me.
Surely it has killed my pride and improved the love for every one. It taught me that everyone is important when your doing something.
After learning I regret the the energy I have been spending, laboring to explain too much details of my organization.
Myths No. 4 & 5 are new knowledge to me
I completely agree. I always figured that you had to give donors the full run down of your organization before they would be able to make any decision. It makes so much sense to let them lead the conversation to discover exactly where their interests lie so you can focus on that.
I agree. I also did think that the more a donor knew, the better they could make a decision to support or not. Interesting how it was broken down to how to do the research on the donor first and have a conversation where the donor speaks and you lead them to points of connection with the support you are looking for.
Myth number 4 just removed too much ambiguity in my head because I thought that overwhelming donors with too many reports was enough while listening to them is also necessary
Myth 4 that you should always try to tell a donor as much about your organization/ project as possible surprised me, because I have always thought that it is important to impress the donor with the work that my organization is doing and the best way to do that is to talk more.
Truly myth 2 shocked me. I had a conversation with a friend recently and i told her how important it was to know rich people who can fund a project. Obviously I was talking based on a myth. Now my eyes are opened to the potentials around me and the importance of one person who may know another one person.
Myth 4 is a lesson I personally intend to take to heart. I will do more of listening from now.
I am surprised with myth number 2 and 4. All along I have thought that to be successful and getting funds is through connection with the rich people and sharing more information about the organization and the project you doing. I would actually do more of talking. It's good that I am doing this course.
Myth 4 that you should always try to tell a donor as much about your organization or project as possible, surprised me, because I always thought that meetings with donors should be focused as much as possible about talking about my organization.
i could not imagine that number 4 is a myth. i thought it was important for me to organise my self as i plan to meet any doner and give them as much as i can about the work we do. basically i thought its about me doing the talking and they have to listen. am happy that i now understand how wrong i was
Myth Number 2. I thought raising funds is impossible if you don't have connections with rich people especially those from overseas.
As someone who works in the non-profit world, I was surprised to learn that donors don't necessarily want to hear SO much info about your organization. It makes sense, from a social standpoint, that they would respond well to hearing about how the organization can benefit them/apply to their own lives.
I had thought that it was important to tell donors as much as possible about your organization (#4) but now I understand that listening to donors is more important.
I was thrilled about not forthcoming about project or organisational details to the donor, its great i learnt that you can not be all out about your organisation to the donor.
Just learnt about these myths. Most of the time we hold on to these myths and make them facts.
I was most surprised to learn that myth 4 was not true because I thought you always needed to be totally transparent & detailed about your organization. I am glad to have learned this myth & how it is important to lead the conversation in the direction of common interests.