Step One, Step Two…
How well do you follow instructions? I was on a grant proposal review committee for a local foundation, reviewing letters of intent for the distribution of about $500,000 in federal stimulus monies. It was an eye opening experience.
It’s not just a cliché to say that we wish we could have funded them all. But that said, one of the biggest distinctions between those we passed to the next round and others we did not was their ability to follow instructions. Those that “passed” gave us what we needed exactly per the instructions provided — the same instructions that were on papers they received and in the mandatory seminar they attended.
Well, at least one career move here is that if you want to have a career in proposal writing, learn to follow instructions! But beyond the obvious, the real career point is to ask yourself, how well do I follow instructions? Following instructions does not squelch creativity, nor hamper your ability to show what’s unique in you. But it does tell someone that you meet the minimum requirements so that you can be passed along to the next level.
So when you’re asked to send samples of your work, send the samples. When you’re told not to call, don’t call. And when you’re asked to put in specific information into your next proposal -— put it in. You might just get the money and the job!
“You Know What I Mean.”
There are a lot of expressions that we use in everyday life that have lost their original meaning but that retain their utility. For example, the expression “rule of thumb” supposedly refers to the diameter of the stick — equivalent to the diameter of a husband’s thumb — with which a man was legally allowed to beat his wife! Here’s one that is a bit more benign, but is quickly becoming as arcane — when was the last time you really “dialed” a phone with a rotary dial? One expression that may be losing its original meaning soon, with the advent of eReaders like Kindles and iPads, is “turning the page” which is really just “advancing to the next screen.” But my guess is, that despite the reality, our great-grandchildren will still be “turning the page” — linguistically, if not on paper.
There are lots more, but as you can see, morals change, technology changes, but our language lags behind. But with each expression, we speak this way because everyone else understands the meaning of what we are saying, regardless of the original meaning of the phrase.
How is this a career topic? Do you speak about nonprofits and fundraising in terms that people can understand — that are not arcane and from a different time or specialty? This is important, because like I’ve said before, most fundraisers and other nonprofit leaders are not hired by people who do the same thing as you do. Many times board members, accountants and program specialists make the final decision, and they don’t speak your language. So next time you talk about your work, “turn the page” so that everyone can understand.
How Will You Get There? Old Trolley or New Bus?
Trolleys are great. No, not the “pseudo-trolleys” that are tourist busses in disguise, but real run-on-the-rails street cars. Now called “light rail,” there’s a resurgence in demand for these vehicles due to their less polluting nature.
Yet where are the trolleys now, and why did they go away? Light rail went away because past generations saw bus transportation as more flexible and “modern,” so those that could afford to rid themselves of the trolleys did so in short order. The only place trolleys were left was in the poorer cities that couldn’t afford to replace them. Now these cities are “rich” with popular rail potential.
Have you noticed that trend in other things? What was discarded a generation ago comes back with renewed vigor, because what was “modern” wasn’t always best — it was just new?
In fundraising “modern” is the advent of e-mail, web sites, and now text messaging. Like busses, they took over the philanthropic landscape in many organizations, replacing paper mail and personal visits. Those that stuck with the old ways were seen as “dated” and “too expensive,” just like trolleys.
Yet like the busses, we have learned that the new fundraising ways — tempting in price and speed — can’t replace personal contact and tactile feel — in a handshake or a paper letter. Will busses completely go away now that there’s a demand for light rail? No. And postal mail and personal visits will find their place back in fundraising once again.
How is this a career lesson? Knowing trends is good, but be cautious in getting rid of your trolleys too quickly, even when the busses seem so much better. No method — of mass transit or fundraising — is going to give you “all the money, all the time.” Knowing the balance is essential — not just in getting more funds, but in getting your career on the right track.
Announcing: Guides for Fundraising & Nonprofit Leaders
I hope that you can indulge me a little self promotion this week by announcing two new items:
- A Resume Guide for Fundraisers and Nonprofit Leaders
- A Networking Guide for Fundraisers and Nonprofit Leaders
“A Resume Guide” is prompted by the many requests that I get to review and critique resumes. It’s a 23 page e-book in PDF format that:
- provides outlines of the most popular resume formats specifically tailored for nonprofit and fundraising;
- warns you about some of the most common pitfalls of resume writing;
- gives some of the “inside” on preparing a resume for electronic screening;
- can make your resume stand out from the crowd.
“A Networking Guide,” a 26 page e-book in PDF format, walks you through the career networking process – where most jobs are found! It covers:
- the kinds of networking;
- how to prepare for networking;
- what you want to get out of networking;
- the mechanics of getting networking contacts;
- what to do and look for when you’re networking;
- and more!
Like anything I put out, I want you to be happy with what you get. So if you order “A Resume Guide” or “A Networking Guide” and you don’t find it worth the $15 you paid, I’ll send your money back.
Order yours today, at: http://www.fundraisingtalent.com/wps/articles/
Can You Withstand a Major Earthquake?
Thing are serious in Haiti. That’s the understatement of the year, I’m sure, but for a country that was known as the “Republic of NGO’s” for all of the international relief missions that served the people on a good day, the world went from very, very bad to unimaginably worse in a matter of seconds.
There are lots of lessons we can learn from Haiti. But a big one that comes to mind is one of preparedness. Are you ready for a career earthquake? Tremors may come with some frequency — a new boss, the loss of a key volunteer or maybe the illness of a significant donor — but “the big one” like the loss of a job or the illness of a close family member that impacts your time at work may only happen once in a great long while.
Like the Haitian people, we suffer and are frustrated by these earthquakes in our lives. Yet they are also times when others can demonstrate that they’re our true friends. The “relief” they bring won’t necessarily be in food, water and medical care, but it could be in coffee, counseling and connections. If you’re lucky, these friends will be around to help you rebuild your “career house” into the solid, earthquake resistant structure that never existed before.
The career task here? Line up your friends, now. Think of who you can support in their times of trouble and who can support you when “the big one” strikes. And maybe most of all, make sure that you have plenty of big, wide runways built now so that when you need the help, aid can get there quickly.
