359. New Year Prep Talk: How to Create a Fundraising Roadmap - Barbara O'Reilly

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Overview

Meet Barbara. With her 30 years of experience in fundraising, she understands fundraising is more than just raising money. She’s bringing her roadmap📍🗺️ at just the right time, as many of us are looking toward the new year. Join us to talk about how to outline this strategy, conditions for growth, and how to prioritize capacity building. Don’t miss this hopeful conversation that will help you exhale during the busyness of December😌💨

💡Learn

How to create a Fundraising Roadmap + Strategy for the New Year

Conditions that lead to growth
Baking capacity building into your strategy

Today’s Guest

Barbara O’Reilly, CFRE, Founder and Principal, Windmill Hill Consulting

“It’s in everybody’s best interest to keep connecting with our donors.”

— Barbara O’Reilly, CFRE, Founder and Principal, Windmill Hill Consulting

Episode Transcript

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Episode Highlights

Barbara’s story and journey to where she is today (1:40)
Mindset and goals moving into the new year (6:30)
Data and research around fundraising plans (9:00)
Developing conditions for growth (17:45)
Creating ownership throughout the whole organization (23:00)
A powerful moment of philanthropy in Barbara’s life (36:00)
Barbara’s One Good Thing: Pause and build in time each and every day to do something that connects with our donors. (39:40)

Powerful quotes

“Remember that retention is probably one of the most important metrics to be keeping front and center of our strategies.” -Barbara

“Take the moment to pause, reflect and then plan.” -Barbara

“One of the mindsets that we have to embrace as we go into these economic uncertainties, is not assuming.” -Barbara

“Where can we encourage the donors to be thinking about an increase gift? For all of the reasons, our donors aren't always going to think about it on their own. They need a little bit of guidance. They need to know where can they be most helpful.” -Barbara

“Fundraising can't ever stop and it certainly can't stop in a recession.” -Barbara

“If it is all going out to programs, you’re leaving very little to the health of an organization as a whole.” -Barbara

“We as fundraisers and nonprofit leaders have to accept that growth means growing our own resources and internal capacities which allows us to do more programmatic growth and impact.” -Barbara

“It’s in everybody’s best interest to keep connecting with our donors.” -Barbara