Bruce Berglund

Be stubborn about the vision, but flexible with your plan.” – John C. Maxwell

During the pandemic we introduced the concept of “radical stewardship”. We reinforced the necessity of lifting up, thanking and honoring those who were our most loyal friends and donors during that difficult time.

Nearly every big ask in my career as a staffer and consultant – whether it be an ask for a lead gift or a key leadership position – started with a no.

For example:

Would you and your family consider a lead gift of $____ for this campaign? No.

Would you consider serving as a chair for this campaign? No.

It wasn’t fun to hear, but it didn’t mean the end of the relationship, just a change in strategy. What is the next step after the no? Do you move on? Or do you re-approach in a new way?

I get asked this question at least once a week: what’s the single most important thing for successful campaigns? Most who ask this question suspect my answer will be something about wealth screening, stewardship, powerful cases, endorsements from community leaders, etc.

The simple answer is … leadership. And that leadership has to come from all levels of the organization.

Leadership takes the form of a graphic designer who spends the extra hours to make materials simple, elegant and powerful.

Plans are important, but they’ll never work unless you take action.

This month, the DBD team will be sharing ways for you to jump start your work in 2022.