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Do What You Did and You’ll Get What You Got – Minus 15%!

Some variation of the first phrase can be attributed to Henry Ford, Alcoholics Anonymous, or Tony Robbins. However, we often forget or ignore the second important part. 

 

I wish every nonprofit executive director would memorize that saying and apply it to their organization. It could be the single greatest piece of counsel around. 

 

If nonprofits could all break the shackles of tradition and habit, they might just experience a breakthrough. ‘If we drop that golf outing, could our time be spent more profitably somewhere else? What might happen if we asked our donors why they don’t give more? Maybe it would be helpful if we had a plan in place this year.’ 

 

The second component to this maxim is as important as the first. Common sense tells us outcome erosion occurs whenever we do the same thing over and over again. Repeated or continuous actions often result in generating decreasing returns; estimated here at a 15% year-over-year loss. Unless new twists can be added, it is reasonable to expect less, not more. 

 

Has your experience confirmed or exploded this “rule”? We’d love to hear your answers. 

Nonprofit Nets $2.4 Million in Under a Year

By Blake Conover • 14 Mar, 2024
No, they didn’t win the lottery! No, they weren’t the beneficiaries of a donor’s large estate. No, they weren’t a college or university – they seem to be the only organizations to net those big numbers these days. It was a library located in a town of about 10,000 people. Who was it? The Waverly Public Library, Waverly Iowa. You could say they were fortunate, or lucky, or blessed. They would agree with you, but, as the fundraising consultant chosen to help them, 1Vision Communications would add a few more “secrets” to their success. They were… Prepared At least two years prior, they had conducted a user and community study. They knew what the “hot” (fundable, in our language) areas of their expansion would be. Their Foundation led the way by getting all other volunteers, staff, and leadership involved. Organized This group understood the need for an oversight committee and then let us help them structure the remaining committees to accomplish the work. The top leaders were excellent at gathering volunteers to step into roles, both larger and smaller. Humble They listened. It’s an often-overlooked attribute, but they knew they needed counsel, they sought it out, and they followed advice. While these people were seasoned professionals in their own categories, they hired a us to supplement – knowing any consultant fee would be made up quickly in more and larger grants and donations. Hard-working Maybe this could be said of all Midwesterners, but the WPL team was exceptional at being persistent, committed, industrious, and creative – especially as it had to do with major donor calls, grant-writing, and communications . These are things that could describe your nonprofit, too, as it considers a capital or endowment campaign. Let us help you succeed. 
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New 1Vision Logo…. It Doesn’t Matter

By Blake Conover • 20 Mar, 2023
Good brands are about good branding, and a good brand logo is just a good start. The messaging on your materials and website, your customer service speed, accuracy, and attitude, your product, your invoice, or receipt language; those are the actions that do more long-term harm or good than a graphic. It’s what you put into a brand that truly matters.

Getting ‘Great’ From Your Agency

By Blake Conover • 28 Feb, 2023
Are there any business relationships as rewarding, or potentially rocky, as the client/agency one? Marriages are often used as analogies because they share many similari ties along the journey: i.e., compatibility, communication, and forgiveness. Some client/agent relationships even end badly. But here are a few tips to have the very best marriage with your agency after the “I dos.” Trust & Share The more you can think of your agency as a long-term partner, the more you’ll feel comfortable sharing confidential plans and numbers. Provide them access to executive level meetings and reports, and invite their participation with donors or customers. Show them the warts and all. Allow Failure Have you thought of excellence and failure as two sides of the same coin? You’ll get innovation and creativity quickly and more often if an occasional stumble isn’t punished. Think of it like dog training: Does Fido come back wagging his tail when he sees a rolled up magazine in your hand? Reserve Judgment After you get to know your agency – and vice versa – they will have an idea of your level of risk-tolerance. I hope they bring you ideas or execution that you consider “risky.” Resist the temptation to reject it quickly. Give it time to sink in. Even if you don’t eventually accept it, your agency will appreciate the measured consideration. Be Clear Even the largest agency in the world swings and misses. (I know. I was an executive at one for a decade.) Knowing why you believe what you do and being able to articulate it promotes better understanding and long-term appreciation. Encourage Most agency folks respond better to the carrot than the stick. Tell them when you like their work, celebrate the successes, and thank them for the time and ef  fort they put in. Yes, you pay them for the work, but a pat on the back might mean they’ll work even harder next time! The work agencies perform—creating fresh ideas and messages to move an increasingly fragmented and cynical marketplace—gets more challenging daily. They will love you AND the process with these ‘great’ tips.
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