The Trouble With Success

I once had an editor who hated the word "Success."

If I turned in any stories with that word, it would come back with an emphatic red line through the word.

He hated the word because it was unclear and vague.

After all, he would remind me, what does success really mean? Are we talking about income? Efficiency? Awards? Retention?

It didn't take me long to get the message - and since then I've had a bit of a resistance to words like success.

Because vague words lead to vague actions.

Take, for example, your goals.

"Improve the annual event"

"Grow our monthly donor base"

"Increase donor engagement"

These are common phrases when it comes to goals - but unless they are paired with specific language, you'll never know how you are doing - or if you've succeeded.

But before you start throwing numbers around your goals to give some specific structures to you goals, consider the following:

What are you basing this goal on? What's the historical precedent for a goal like this? If you traditionally raise $100k through annual fund methods, does a goal of $200k or $300k make sense? This leads to the next question:

What is different this year? Are you adopting new strategies to increase your fundraising totals? Are you trying something different (like, for example, working with a consultant to give you a new plan and approach)? Your budget is not a reason for a donor to give more.

Can you control this? If you are building (or assigning) a goal, be sure that the responsible person has the ability to influence the goal. If you are asking the development director to increase board giving or event revenue, but not giving that person authority to work with the boards or adjust event sponsorship packages, you're setting them up for failure.

Setting strong goals -- goals that are measurable and are tied to a larger vision -- can take some time. But the effort is worth it - because the alternative is a page full of goals that scream apathy, not innovation.

I help clients build stronger fundraising goals - and provide them with the accountability they need to crush those goals. If you are ready to build a stronger and more sustainable fundraising program, then I'm ready to help!

To get things started, I'm offering a free goal review. Reply to this video / post / email to set up your free review!

Keep up the great work!

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