SAN ANTONIO, Texas, Dec. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- From the very start of the fundraising training/consulting practice, Eskin Fundraising Training, LLC, the emphasis has been on the power of a "learning community." This recognizes that no single person has all the answers, but within the room — physical or virtual — almost any question can be answered. This is all about tapping the wisdom of the whole. Every professional and volunteer non-profit leader has meaningful experience, wisdom and personal insights to enrich the learning environment for everyone else.

More than 250 workshops, webinars, webcasts, podcasts and board training sessions later, it is more clear than ever that this is the surest path to demystifying the art and science of fundraising and growing together. It's been a great privilege to be joined in the journey by many of the non-profit sector's most respected authorities in the disciplines that support advancement success.

A genuine highlight is the opportunity to meet and interact with thousands of nonprofit leaders from all across the country — doors widely opened via the webinar format and virtual technology. In short, it's been an exciting ride, satisfying, and best of all — fun!

These sessions have been profoundly valuable in growth as fundraising trainers and indispensable in the writing of a second book, How To Score Your First or Next Million-Dollar Gift.

Much has been learned about the power of the non-profit sector, personalities of the men and women who lead it, and about the need for a relentless commitment to continuous process improvement. Here are 10 highlights of lessons acquired during this six-year journey.

1. Non-profit leaders have an insatiable appetite to learn and grow: They have not only given the most valuable gift of all — their time — they're eager to enthusiastically participate by sharing questions, comments and innovative ideas.
   
2. Too many people are confused that resource development is only about the ask: This explains much about why so many leaders are frightened of the process. Over and over again, programs stress the truth that men and women can contribute mightily to gift income results without ever having to ask for a gift themselves. They can help identify likely prospects from their personal, professional and civic networks, break the ice and introduce them to the mission of the non-profit, and passionately express gratitude to donors.
   
3. Too much emphasis is placed on wealth alone: To be sure, this needs to be a chief factor in identifying probable prospects, especially those for major gifts. But just because someone is wealthy doesn't mean that they're philanthropic, and certainly doesn't mean they are inclined to support your cause. Experience shows that gifts are much more driven by the donor enjoying a deep-rooted passion for the challenges being addressed by the non-profit.
   
4. Small is beautiful: The vast majority of the nation's 1.5 million non-profits have annual budgets well under $1 million. But their contributions and impact are immeasurable, fueled by the awesome commitment of their leaders and volunteers who are so willing to go the extra mile and then some to fulfill their noble missions. It's no surprise that the audiences for both in-person and virtual programs have been dominated by smaller to mid-size organizations. They can and should proudly ask for support without fear, anxiety or hesitation.
   
5. Learning is best by doing: Confucius nailed it eons ago when he observed: "Tell me and I will forget, show me and I might remember, involve me and I will understand." The programs have emphasized experiential activities such as identifying prospects, practicing elevator pitches and role-playing solicitations. This is enriched by having groups critique these exercises, note what they like and identify opportunities for improvement.
   
6. The field is constantly changing: Before the pandemic it was taught that solicitations, especially major gifts, had to be made face-to-face. Social distancing forced everyone to adapt and to discover the potential of virtual meetings such as video-conferencing. Thankfully, in-person meetings have returned to their rightful place. But video-conferencing isn't going away. Hybrid solicitations are becoming common, in which local representatives meet with donor prospects while national representatives of the non-profit who live far away can participate in the discussion and lend their prestige and influence.
   
7. Virtual training programs are so much more efficient: Savings in travel, time away from the office, and cost are enormous. Traveling to exciting destinations might be fun, but virtual training can come very close to delivering comparable quantity and quality of information and knowledge. There is another distinct advantage: Entire teams can participate and learn together in programs instead of a lone conference attendee being the only beneficiary.
   
8. New technology will continue to improve and enrich the virtual learning experience: One of the observations heard frequently from those who first participated in live workshops and then pivoted to the webinars is that they miss seeing who else is in the room and the opportunity to network afterward. Every day virtual technology is moving to fill these gaps by letting participants see each other on the screen and then providing breakout rooms before and after formal agendas for people to catch up and visit with one another in private settings.
   
9. Fundraising and communications are seamless: Donors aren't going to support your cause until they know, like and trust you. Fortunately, there is an ever-increasing array of communications tools and channels to convey impact and stories. Videos, e-mail blasts and social media are just a few of the effective methods of connecting and building relationships with prospective donors. Most are relatively inexpensive, making them available even to smaller non-profits operating on tight budgets.
   
10. Non-profits unite us: At a time when our nation is growing alarmingly divided and polarized, contributing time, talent and treasure brings out the better angels of human nature and is a vivid reminder that we share much more in common than what separates us. People join together to champion their favorite causes based on shared values, priorities and visions of a brighter future. Political and ideological differences tend to fade away. Touching, improving and saving more lives is a much more robust motivation.

The last six years have been an incredibly rich learning experience. The best part is that each day the learning community suggests new and better ways that non-profits can come together to operate more efficiently, more collaboratively and derive more fulfillment from engagement in the sector. The next six years are eagerly anticipated with the introduction of new strategies and best practices leading to heightened results and outcomes as professionals, board members, volunteers, donors and other friends evolve as champions of good works.

About Eskin Fundraising Training LLC

After a successful career leading advancement for three institutions of higher education, Jim Eskin's consulting practice, Eskin Fundraising Training launched in 2018, builds on the success of his more than 250 fundraising workshops, webinars, webcasts, podcasts and board sessions, and provides the training, coaching and support services that non-profits need to compete for and win impactful gifts. He is arguably the nation's only fundraising consultant who focuses exclusively on demystifying the art and science of fundraising — training, inspiring and equipping non-profit leaders with the comfort and confidence to overcome the fear of asking for gifts that keep far too many good causes from achieving their potential impact. He has authored more than 150 guest columns that have appeared in daily newspapers, business journals and blogs across the country, and publishes Stratagems, a monthly e-newsletter exploring timely issues and trends in philanthropy. Sign up here for a free subscription. He is author of 10 Simple Fundraising Lessons, a 82-page common sense guide to understanding the processes of discovery, cultivation, solicitation and solicitation and recently How To Score Your First or Next Million-Dollar Gift, 104 pages are filled with strategies, best practices and homework assignments to realize the exciting opportunities unlocked by leadership gifts. Both are available in both print and digital formats through Pathway, our book distributor, and Amazon. Quantity discounts are available to non-profits who want to share books with teams of management, development staff, board and volunteers. Click here to order 10 Simple Fundraising Lessons and click here to order How To Score Your First or Next Million-Dollar Gift. He is also available for customized virtual training for boards, staff, and fundraising committees. His newest customized service, Fundraising Urgent Care, offering 48-hour turnaround in addressing general strategy and tactical challenges that require immediate responses, will be introduced in 2025.

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10 Simple Fundraising Lessons purchase:

How To Score Your First or Next Million-Dollar Gift purchase: www.pathwaybookservice.com/products/how-to-score-your-first-or-next-million-dollar-gift

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Jim Eskin
Founder
Eskin Fundraising Training, LLC
10410 Pelican Oak Drive
San Antonio, TX 78254-6727
Cell: 210.415.3748
E-Mail: [email protected]

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