Confidence and Coaching
- Chris B.
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Early in my fundraising career, I was driving to a donor's office to drop something off. It was a featureless office park in Orange County, and I wasn't sure I was in the right place.
Then I saw the donor's car. His unmistakable personalized plate and his gleaming Maserati.
I pulled my humble Honda Civic into a nearby spot and got ready for the meeting. And all I could think was:
"Do I really belong here?"
For a moment, the gap between my world and my donor's world seemed vast - and I wondered if I had the confidence to make this career work.
Now, that meeting went well - and while I won't say that the donor and I became friends, he was a generous advocate and leader for our mission. I think we did some good work together.
That time in the parking lot certainly wasn’t the last time I had a crisis of confidence in this work. As fundraisers, we have to navigate multiple worlds - from funders and volunteers to clients and co-workers. We have to content with the work itself and how we think about the work, success, and money.
Oh, and we have to have lives outside of work too.
If your fundraising program is struggling, it might not just be a matter of finding a better strategy. It might be a matter of confidence. A lack of confidence in your fundraising teams can show up as not making the ask, not taking the risk, or not challenging a faulty assumption.
A lack of fundraising confidence may be costing you money.
When I work with a client, I'm helping to build confidence in fundraising. For example,
Helping a board member understand how she can invite potential donors into the organization.
Giving a fundraiser a chance to practice donor conversations.
Showing an executive director new ways to support and celebrate their fundraising team members.
My coaching work helps nonprofit leaders build the confidence they need to engage donors authentically and make meaningful, values-aligned solicitations. It helps them be more effective, more efficient, and more joyful in their work.
If you're ready to grow your fundraising confidence, I'm ready to talk! Set up a call and let's get started!
PS - Washington folks, I'll be talking about clarity and board fundraising at the Nonprofit Leaders Conference in Ocean Shores on April 16 & 17. Early bird registration ends on February 28. Hope to see you there! https://www.nonprofitleaders.info/
PPS - I'll also be presenting as part of the Washington State Nonprofit Conference on May 7. Register today: https://nonprofitwa.org/washington-state-nonprofit-conference/
PPPS (?) On March 5, I'm presenting on the intersection between nonprofit special events and boards. For this one, I'm joined by special events expert Gazala Uradnik from GFS Events. This webinar is hosted by OneOC - click here to register.: https://www.oneoc.org/training-calendar/fix-the-fundraiser-board-roles-that-actually-work-for-your-event
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