NAVIGATING A DIP

We’ve all been there in life. Things are going great, cruising along, and we’re thinking “How did I get so lucky?” Then it happens: The Dip. It comes in many forms. An illness, a failure at work, the loss of a loved one…sometimes all in one week! The only thing in life we are assured of is tough times. Fundraising is no different.

Often when DBD Group is being considered as fundraising counsel for a client, we are asked the question “If we sign on with DBD, can you guarantee our campaign will be successful?” The inclination is to say yes. After all, time after time we have counseled our clients toward raising more money than even they thought possible. However, the honest answer we provide is “No, we cannot guarantee your success.”

What we do guarantee is that every fundraising effort, large or small, will hit a “dip.” The big early wins of a capital campaign will come to a halt. The excitement of an annual campaign kickoff will wane. Your best fundraiser moves out of town. The once enthusiastic major donor suddenly won’t return your calls.

When you find your organization in a fundraising dip (or you aren’t there yet but want to prepare for the inevitable), there are three things to focus on:

1. Surround yourself with people who are positive and committed to best practices.
2. When in doubt, remain patient. In my opinion, patience is the most under-practiced skill we have as humans. Assuming you embarked on the campaign with a well thought-out plan, it’s only a matter of time before things will pick up again. Finding quiet time each day to practice patience by reminding yourself that you have a good plan and you are faithful to that plan will help you recenter on the tasks at hand.
3. Activity equals (eventual) results. Two seemingly opposite things can be true: stay patient and get active. While the importance of patience in fundraising cannot be overstated, that practice does not absolve us of taking the action needed to spur eventual results. Whether it be Vision Tours for the next segment of capital donors, stewardship phone calls to current major donors, or one-on-one planning sessions with your top fundraising volunteers, there are things you need in your plan that are go-tos when the results stall out.

It is natural to allow pessimism to creep in when hard times hit. Even easier is to abandon the plan that created the early success. Make sure you partner with people who commit early on to “be there in the dip”, staying true to the process.

When you find yourself in “the dip”, take heart that there are people who are as committed as you are to the success of the cause and that best practices are best practices no matter the short-term results. Remember, no one said a major fundraising effort would be easy; rather, we know it will be worth it.

If you would like some further encouragement, please reach out to me or any of our team for more information and advice.