Is It Time For You To Leave?
Celebrations are over. Back to reality.
Yeah, everybody makes New Year’s resolutions. One way or another, we pledge to be better persons — trimmer, more giving, less judgmental, more fit, better parent or spouse or friend, more relaxed, more empathetic, maybe knock a few items off the bucket list.
For the more committed of us, these resolutions survive the month of January … sometimes even February. But then most of us slip back into previous routines and behaviors. Am I right?
And then there’s our jobs.
What New Year’s resolution(s) might you have made about your work?
- Be a better team player?
- Better master your craft in one way or another?
- Try some new approaches to this or that challenge that’s proved vexing to date?
- Earn a promotion?
There are some things you can resolve to do by yourself for your own improvement and to better the experience of those working with and around you.
But then there’s the organization itself and its ingrained culture. That culture might be open and liberating and welcoming of change; but it might not be.
If it’s not, consider these New Year’s resolutions …
- If Roger’s post of yesterday — Fundraising Evolution and Revolution, championing Ken Burnett’s prod for fundraising to “evolve into the inspiration business” — would bewilder your organisation’s leaders, then resolve to leave your organization this year.
- If efforts to innovate are generally squelched, then resolve to leave.
- If your organization’s leadership still doesn’t grasp the vital importance of donor retention, then resolve to leave.
- If your organization does not fully deliver on gender equity, then resolve to leave.
- If your organization is irreparably fixated upon itself, rather than its donors, then resolve to leave.
- If your frustrations, due to organisational culture, are destined to outweigh whatever accomplishments are possible, sapping your spirit, then resolve to leave.
You make the call … is life too short to fight and change that stubborn culture? Or are you prepared to take a really big swing at doing so, despite the odds, at the risk of losing your sinecure?
Is it time for you to leave?
Tom
2 responses to “Is It Time For You To Leave?”
Behavioral Science Q & A
Integrating an individual giving appeal with other communications from a charity can have both positive and negative effects, and the outcome largely depends on how it’s executed. Advantages of Integration Brand Consistency: Maintaining a consistent appearance and messaging across all communications can reinforce the org’s brand identity and strengthen brand recognition and trust among your […]
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I’m not aware of any in-market tests specifically comparing recurring vs. gift frequency language. I suspect the answer might not be the same with all gift frequencies, nor with all people. It sounds like a great opportunity for you to test and find out what works for your audience. Based on the literature, here’s a couple […]
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Based on what we know from existing data, those renewal notices can actually be pretty effective in getting people to donate. They tap into our psychology – creating a sense of urgency, reminding us of past support, and using personalization to make the message hit home. They’re playing on our natural tendencies to feel obligated […]
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Interesting question. I had a quick look at the testing done on this topic. On the positive side, in all cases, over half of donors decide to cover the fee. In some cases, it goes as high as 65%. Not a negligible percentage at all. Here’s another test from iRaiser showing consistent results (see point […]
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There’s just one thing to consider when designing a supporter journey: the supporter. More specifically, you need to take into account: Who the supporter is i.e. their identity, which is the reason they support this cause, and their personality, which describes the way they “see” and process the world. These will determine the kind of […]
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I’m not an expert in this but a quick search surfaced this article on the effect of tax reforms on 2019’s charitable giving. The researchers didn’t find a reduction. Actually, they observed an “increase in charitable contributions in 2019, even with the lower tax rates and the dramatically smaller number of taxpayers who itemize their […]
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My resolution — to read The Agitator posts more often in 2016. Always interesting . . . always nuggets to take away . . . always makes me think a bit differently. Thanks for another great year!
Ah yes. So many places to leave. Mostly I think there are more places to leave than to go to. That’s my negative view of so many fundraising operations. Ah trivets.