My Communities

Didn't know that myth 3 matters as much in fundraising but now I see it's importance

I wasn't really shocked to discover these myths, but the one that surprised me was number 4, that it's not necessary to talk about your project or organisation in detail, but rather find out more about the donor and find common ground or interest to anchor your funding request.

Fundraising is not just about raising Funds. Thank you so much for broadening my thinking on Fundraising. I'll keep this in my mind and share with my team We move forward.

I have to Unlearn this habit that me the great fundraiser is an individual superstar. It's Team Work all the way. Thank you for the learning

The 5th myth got me more surprised. I always thought it was a fact

The podcast by Tom on the 7 myths was very helpful. Myth number 4. "You should always try to tell the donor as much about your org or project as possible." Caught my attention. Moving forward I'll try balancing providing info on our org and listening to the potential donors.

I was also surprised by myth number two . I have always believed that donors are rich people. The way number 2 was explained has change my thoughts when sourcing for donations

this courses very usufull

Myth 4 surprise me as i believe to get the donor confidence its really important if donor is asking for some extra information about our organization we should provide them for better transparency

The course is designed beautifully and i have learnt a lot from the course

I was most surprised to learn that Myth 4 (You should always try to tell a donor as much about your organization or project as possible) was not true because I have always believed that details are very important for anyone to understand what you're about, and for this reason, one should be ready to tell it all. One question I have about Myth 4 is, how much information is too much information.

I agree with this statement. And I'm motivated to start seeking support in this manner.

I was shocked to know that myth number two is not true ' Raising money is all about knowing rich people' and came to realize raising money begins with the inner circle as it broads. For example i may know few friends who are connected to rich people etc.

The podcast was really useful to recognize some scenearios that we don't approach due to the preception of non being capable enough or with the wrong expectations

I was most surprised by the myth - In fundraising, one person gives and another receives.
I always saw it as transactional but there is more to it than that. I am giving them my time, expertise, and the opportunity to share their gifts with others. They are receiving the gift of giving and making other's lives better, a connection to a bigger picture, and the ability to dig deeper into their compassion for others.

My myth was that facts and statistics is important but telling the stories are more powerful than facts and statistics
It is not so important to share everything with donor about the organization or project, but be a good listener leading the conversation and responding to donor as per their interests.

I was most surprised to learn that myth 4 was not true because I have always been told to tell donors as much about our organization so they are well informed about the work we do. One question I have about myth 4 is how much is too much?

The fourth myth caught me off guard because I always thought that the more data & stats provided, the better the impression generated. If I'm understanding this correctly, we should blend in some real life stories & events in addition to the stats & figures to enrich the presentation & make it more attractive. Plus we should also pay heed to what the donors have to say as well while we present to make it more interactive.

I was surprised that we shouldn't provide every detail about our organization or the processes going on to our donor. It makes me realize that sometimes not every donor needs as much information and we should be more preceptive of the actual needs of our donor so to our time and theirs

Myth #7 The internet has completely changed. how has it changed? does it mean we shall not be able to get access to the donors because of the internet? more clarification on the myth #7

I was a bit surprised to learn that myth 3 was not true because I thought fundraising was about getting people to give something to you. Though it makes sense that you also try to give something to your donors for them to feel appreaciated.

most of the myths i believed are those listed in the seven. now i know the truth about fundraising

I always thought fundraising was really about money, you know, like "funds" haha! Thoroughly enjoying this course already.

I was very surprised to learn that fundraising is a mutually beneficial transaction: You have to offer something of value to donors in exchange for their support. One question I have about Myth 3 is: ____We are in need and solicit actions from people in a position to help us, apart from soliciting their compassion for their contribution to our cause, I don't know what we can offer them. Do you have any concrete examples of what we can bring to donors? _______ .

What surprise me is myth number 5, because I always this that a clear statistic and some other documents is really important for the fund raising.

Myth #2 fundraising is all about getting cash. i dint know that inkind is also avirtue in terms of fundraising let me keep learning. iam very impressed i used to hear inkind inkind but without knowing where it is applicable but now i have gat to know.

I have learnt some things I never even thought about. Like one person gives and another receives. It is more than that. I have also learnt you can't do this alone, you have to cultivate a team around you regardless of the size. This course is truly a proper on how to fundraise

Fundraising is required one not focusing on receiving only

A good knowledge about fundraising is needed, it has to be done the right way and know the form of fundraising you need

I was the most surprised to learn that myth 4 was not true because I thought we should present our organization and share about projects or what we do as much as we can, so that more people know about us.

I used to think that I should divulge so much information about my projects to donors.

Hi, I also thought the same about giving all the information about the organization. However I'm glad that I have learnt a new thing!

What surprised me most is that in fundraising both donor and the beneficiary receives something. All along it has been that donors gives and organizations receives.

Tom's podcast showed the importance of the stories for donors. Figures and statistics still matter, but it's better to underline the results to be achieved and inspiring stories

From all of the myths discussed, I find the explanation behind number four the most compelling, which made me reflect on how people would rather want to talk about themselves instead of listening. It is a matter of picking up what interests them and leveraging that insight to achieve fundraising goals.

True, I also thought statistics matter more.

The first myth surprised me, emmediately after reading the first statement, "it's all about getting cash" I thought like why only cash, and when I continued even to other myths, I was still asking myself why these myths aren't true.
But to be sincerely the clarifications given in all the seven myths are very helpful, thank you

I was most surprised that The Internet has completely changed how we do fundraising,Why and how is it corelated?

I was most amazed to learn about myth no 4 because I always assumed you have to tell the donor as much as possible about the organization.

The most surprising was that typo don't need to know rich people

The 7th Myth was insightful, as people in my field would always say internet has changed the fundraising world. I understand it has actually added more opportunity of fundraising

true it was a myth broken

Funderising is all about knowing rich thats what i thought but having understood the fact that its not all about knowing rich people i will utilize my cicles to get a potential donor out of it thanks for training us.

I was fascinated by the Myth 4. I have always thought that in fundraising we should tell as much as possible about the organisation. Now I understand that we should listen to the donor and learn what the donor is interested in and looks for.

I was most surprised to learn that myth 4 and 5 were not true because I have always thought that one should tell more about the organisation and that facts and statistics mattered more than successful stories. Thank you for enlightening me.

I’m so surprised and glad to know about the 7 myths of fundraising. But it developed my skills and helped me learn how to do my fundraising. I thought that fundraising was only about receiving cash, but the course completely changed my thinking that fundraising is about more than getting cash” and in-kind gifts can be of equal value if I can use them. Hopefully, this learning effectively help me to fundraising for my leading organization.

I have always believed that fundraising was all about myth 2 - knowing rich people. This module blow my mind and the exercise opened up a whole new possibility to me that i have never really thought of. Imagine reaching out all the potential donors I listed in the exercise! Imagine that half of these accept to link me up with their own circles of family, friends, coworkers, etc for my campaign! A lot will be accomplished.

I had always thought that fundraising is about statistics and facts, but I have come to learn that what engages donors is the stories that we tell, how are we transforming lives as an organization.

It's #4 for me. I was always under assumption that donors view their donation as an investment. Flipping the tables and letting them talk about their goals and vision makes adapting to particular circumstances much easier.

@MissionaryAkoroMawina-esso said in Module 1 Discussion: The 7 Myths of Fundraising:

hi,
i really appreciate all the insghtfull ideas shared in this module, in fact i learned a lot because i was having so much difficulties about how to raise funds for start up organization ,But now i know how to start. The myth that surprise me is te number four; as a beginner, i thought i should let the donor know more about my organization rather

Hello,
Likewise. I was really surprised to know about this myth as well. I have always thought as a founder, it is important for me to tell the donor as much as I can about my organisation. I had thought this would help them understand my vision better and understand the reason for my cause but I now understand that stories have a more impactful outcome than that.

I had always thought Fundraising is knowing people who are rich, and you should tell all your truth.

I was really amazed too when I saw here that statistics and facts do not really matter in capturing people's attention like stories does, I used to believe statistics and facts matters more, but I fully understand something new now.

I used to think that fundraising is only about collecting cash.

Myth 4 was a great shock to me. I thought one way of capturing the donors attention is by giving them as much detail about my organization as possible.

Now I know, I should do more listening than talking to capture the attention of the donor and align to it..

Its nice to see that people are affected by touching stories more than just numbers

Due to nature of my community, it was kind of hard for me to get convinced on myth 1 until I joined this course.

Number 1 was new for me because we often have charity events to raise money, but we don't refer to volunteer work and product donations as fundraising.

I had always believe the myth 2 which is that fund raising is about knowing rich people, and Myth 3,
But I am happy to learn that this myths weren't true.

4. You should always try to tell a donor as much about your organization or project as possible was the myth that surprised me the most, because I thought that telling everything about the organization was a good strategy, but for the most part it is not, but rather you have to pay more attention to potential donors according to their interests.

#4 surprised me the most - I thought/expected it would be a good thing to give as much info to your donor about your org / project as possible so they can make an informed decision about donations

I plan to organize fundraising events for my own program for unrestricted funds

#6: Finding out that it takes a team in order to achieve success in fundraising was refreshing to learn. Having that team and support is vital to accomplishing an organizations goals. While you, the fundraiser might lead the efforts, it's important to remember and use a resource, your team around you.

no: 3
i was keep thinking what kind of intangible things we are providing for the contributors in return, giving example of Local NGOs

I was most surprised to learn that myth 4 was not true because I always thought that the donors wanted to know everything about the project and the cause. One question I have about myth 4 is do you have any story about how you got the easiest donation? .

It was good to hear that although there might be new ways of fundraising these days due to the use of digital fundraising, the core principles still apply.

I was most surprised to learn that myth 7 was not true because I thought that the interent had made a lot of changes to how fundraising works. Maybe it even has made it better to engage with more people.

I was most surprised to learn that #4 was a myth because I always thought that donors wanted to know everything about an organization; that it would seem more legitimate or something to them.

I was aware of each of the myths, through experience, but appreciated number four because it feels simplest to spout everything possible about our programming and hope that something sticks with a funder/donor. This was a nice reminder that learning about them and their interests first is more effective.

I noticed that true stories could be a good story to compel the donors to join the purpose, as well as have clear information about the project and its impacts

I have always believed that in myth no. 3, one person gives and the other person receives. Now I know that both parties gain something at the end of the transaction

I was most surprised to learn that myth that was not true because i thought fund raising is all about raising money but during this lesson i learnt that you can also raise fund for materials things

I was shocked to learn how impactful stories are instead of data when engaging in fundraising efforts, but it does make a lot of sense since people tend to feel more connected to compelling stories as opposed to data and numbers.

Absolutely, let's delve into a discussion about the seven myths of fundraising. These myths can significantly impact how organizations approach fundraising, and debunking them is crucial for developing effective strategies.

The Seven Myths:

The Golden Donor Myth: This myth suggests that there's one perfect donor out there who will solve all your financial issues. In reality, diversifying funding sources is essential. Have you encountered situations where organizations overly relied on a single donor?

The Perfect Proposal Myth: Believing that a well-crafted proposal is sufficient for securing funding. Have you found this to be true, or do you think there's more to successful fundraising than just a good proposal?

The Universal Message Myth: Assuming one message will resonate with everyone. How do you tailor your messages to different audiences without falling into this myth?

The Generational Myth: This myth implies that each generation requires a completely different approach to fundraising. Do you think it's challenging to appeal to different age groups, or are there common principles that can be applied?

The Expertise Myth: Believing that only fundraising experts can successfully fundraise. How important do you think expertise is in fundraising, and how much can passion and dedication compensate for lack of expertise?

The Campaign Myth: Thinking that fundraising is all about campaigns and projects. How do ongoing relationships with donors fit into your organization's fundraising strategy?

The Size Myth: Assuming that fundraising is only for large organizations. How do smaller organizations navigate fundraising challenges, and what unique strategies do they employ?

One myth stuck with me: I thought people used to go to rich people only to get money, but I now have a different perspective. On the other hand, if a known donor gets sick, visiting him in the hospital could be the donor's expectation. I have learned it.

This one surprised me too. I used to think providing more information made my point more convincing, I was not very aware of the need of making it dialogical to make it more engaging to the donor.

Fund raising isn't about money alone.

Awesome 👍

I was astonished about number 2 that says raising money is all about rich people. Now i understand that everybody can play a role.

It was amazing experience learning from a professional.

It has been a difficult one for me to accept it that anyone can facilitate funding. I only give it to professionals who has the keys to unlocking the best of it

I was surprised at first about the myth of telling the donor tons about the project and organization. However on reading this module further, it makes sense that the idea of lecturing a donor would be counter productive to our goal or even just general human nature. Also understanding that the internet may have provided different availability to fundraising, but it did not change the entirety of how we approach it was interesting to hear about.

I agree. This myth of one person gives and the other receives got me thinking about creating a list of how to set up benefits for the donor. It will be important to create a win/win for the donors and ways to think through how to make the relationship mutually beneficial.

Great question. One thing that comes to mind is, "Although we appreciate your gift of your computers, we are currently using a different operating system and we will not be able to integrate these into our next steps. I can recommend a few other organizations that could use this valuable gift and put them to good use."

Myth Number 3 surprised me. i thought in fundraising one receives money from a donor, therefore a donor gives and the fundraiser receives donation from the donor

I have really learnt a lot about the myths. Before this course, I did believe those myths were actual true.

For me was 4, more information the better was always my thinking, but will always depends

I though stats were important too, I will definitely lean towards stories now.

Myth number 3 was surprising for me.

Learning that is a give and take transaction was eye opening form

I always thought and believed that money is the only things that matter the most when one does fundraising

All my time I have taken fundraising the other way round which was not correct. Donors are right close to our nose

Following the Myth 2 explanation, I realized how many times it's good to network and have a good address book.

Wolf's assessment of the myths is very true and has helped me understand it better

its my honor to have this course and i enlightened with all myths and i got a great knowleged about the fundraising

I was surprised by the myth that you should tell the potential donors as much as you can about your organization. I always tried to be lengthy about all the wonderful work we are doing. Time to re-strategize!

Although I was aware of many of the myths, the one I was surprised about the most was myth #4 because I always thought to fill them in with as much information as possible so they can determine if our organization is a fit for them. However, knowing that it is best to just let the donor talk, it will save me time and energy while allowing me to target what interests them the most in hopes of more support.

Yes, me too and knowing better was worth it.

I have some experience fundraising, though not successfully which is why I'm taking this course again. Not knowing any rich people has been a real challenge for us. I have been reaching out to friends and families for years to keep my organization afloat. I know we need to improve in other areas to keep these donors engaged, but it feels that they are tired of asking so much, and I start to feel more and more uncomfortable asking friends and family for money. I have two small children so I dont' go out to meet many new people anymore. Maybe it is a myth, but so far in my experience, knowing a few rich people would really help.

MYTH NO 3 opened my eyes that fund raising for noble causes is really two ways - the request for support is really an offer for the donor to do something good for himself as for the cause. It instills more confidence in me that i am offering a value, not just asking for a handout.

I got empowered with Knowlegde especially in the light that fundraising is not just about raising cash, the fundraising can be in-kind fundraising.

I really appreciated the focus of myth #4. You should always try to tell a donor as much about your organization or project as possible. It feels natural to focus conversations on organizational programs to garner interest to raise funds, but in reality people need to feel a connection to garner support. This has shown up in many ways with my recent board of directors. Tailoring outreach and focusing on those individual connections makes a huge difference!

I really appreciated the focus of myth #4. You should always try to tell a donor as much about your organization or project as possible. It feels natural to focus conversations on organizational programs to garner interest to raise funds, but in reality people need to feel a connection to garner support. This has shown up in many ways with my recent board of directors. Tailoring outreach and focusing on those individual connections makes a huge difference!