What’s Your Attitude For 2017?
Of course Roger and I wish you all the best for 2017. Have a great year!
But the festivities are over (unless you live in New Zealand, where we tend to chill out for the entire month of January).
Time to get down to business. And I wonder what attitude you are bringing to your fundraising work in the new year.
Optimistic? Grumpy?
Hopefully … optimistic.
As Seth Godin noted in a recent post, “Attitude is the most important choice any of us will make.” Such as … to be curious, to bring out the best in others, to participate, to be hopeful instead of fearful.
With respect to fundraising, I would add …
- To innovate;
- To actually listen to donors;
- To be growth-minded — as a person and for your organization.
Those are some attitudes I’d hope to see fundraisers bring to the table in 2017. If this is the frame of mind you’re in, then make sure you read Roger’s post tomorrow, where he talks in detail about the metrics you should use to drive toward success in 2017.
But I accept that some will be in a different mood — grumpy, and possibly with reasonable justification. And, as I wrote this time last year, if some of the following are the reasons you’re grumpy, perhaps it’s time to consider moving on …
- Efforts to innovate are generally squelched;
- Your organization’s leadership still doesn’t grasp the vital importance of donor retention;
- Your organization does not fully deliver on gender equity;
- Your organization is irreparably fixated upon itself, rather than its donors;
- Your frustrations, due to organisational culture, are destined to outweigh whatever accomplishments are possible, sapping your spirit.
2017 is not a year to waste. Your donors — and prospective donors — might be really grumpy, especially if they don’t like the political drift of things. And that represents opportunity.
But that said, I’m talking about you … and I don’t think ‘grumpy’ makes for a successful fundraiser … do you?
Tom
2 responses to “What’s Your Attitude For 2017?”
Behavioral Science Q & A
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Tom,
Thanks for an attempt to awaken us! I’m an “optimistic pessimistic realist” for 2017. I truly hope our sector awakens to measuring key metrics. More than likely, we’ll continue to see 60%-70% donor attrition.
Love this Tom. And yes, yes – let’s encourage smart fundraisers to MOVE ON if they are in an unsupportive environment.
I hear too many horror stories about misguided bosses, patronizing board members and wrong-headed fundraising strategies. If you are a smart go-getter fundraiser, by all means seek an organization that will appreciate you!