88. Major Gifts: Finding the Courage to Ask For More - Julie Ordoñez

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Overview

Meet Julie. She's a change agent, a challenger, a bonafide fundraiser, and a risk-taker. aka: she's clearly our people. The former top 1% performer of the United Way of Greater Los Angeles is now a nonprofit coach, and she's here to talk about the grit and courage needed to ask for major gifts. We're talking about how to Change What You Believe, Change How You Fundraise, and Change the Size of Your Impact. Our minds were blown. Tune in!

Today’s Guest

Julie Ordoñez, Founder, Prosfora Co

“There are problems we can solve in our lifetime. It’s not that we don’t know how to solve them, and it’s not that the resources are not there, it’s that we lack the courage to ask people to join us in the fight.”

— Julie Ordoñez

Episode Transcript

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Episode Highlights

Julie’s Journey to the non-profit sector - 3:38
Coaching Clients - 7:53
3 change habits to implement today - 11:00
What happens in the courage lab? - 24:20
Julie’s powerful philanthropic moment - 30:23
Julie’s One Good Thing: Ask yourself a lot of questions - 36:20

Powerful Quotes:

“You can’t really raise a lot more and make major change and the impact that you want if you’re not surrounded by people who are also doing that.” - Julie

“If they want to get support they have to create it for themselves.” - Julie

“You need to give your donors the benefit of the doubt. You need to believe the best in them. You need to have faith.” - Julie

“If we’re really honest, a lot of nonprofit leaders believe that they’re the ones who have a monopoly on caring, on sacrificing, on giving, and frankly, it’s not true.” - Julie

“Individual giving and major gifts is really mission rooted friendship.” - Julie

“What if you just talked to your donors instead of assuming the worst about them?” - Julie

“Maybe the reason I don’t raise more is because I underestimate the goodness of my donors.” - Julie

“The fundraisers and leaders that I talk to that are really concerned about hearing ‘no’ and getting rejection are the ones who don’t really ask very often.” - Julie

“I recommended that nonprofits regardless of size…that they focus on individuals.” - Julie
”70% of all giving comes from human beings.” - Julie

“Foundation giving only is 17% of all the giving that’s done in the U.S. … corporations are even less at 5%.” - Julie

“Let’s prioritize individuals, and then let’s prioritize keeping them.” - Julie

“A cultivation is intimidating if you feel like you don’t know what to say and do.” - Jon

“We have got to do something to systemically change our sector.” - Becky

“Ask for more. We ask for too little.” - Julie

“It’s like we’re looking for reasons to not raise more money.’ - Julie

“In the courage lab, it really is about building your internal courage, so that you can ask for more.” - Julie

“You can totally fail, it’s okay, but you gotta go for it.” - Julie

“The people who raise more money are the ones who ask for more.” - Julie

“There are some leaders who just need a coach.” - Julie

“You need to change how you see who you are.” - Julie

“You have no idea how good you really are.” - Becky to Jon, and you!

“If you wanna be the best, it’s critical to have a coach.” - Julie

“There are problems we can solve in our lifetime. It’s not that we don’t know how to solve them, and it’s not that the resources are not there, it’s that we lack the courage to ask people to join us in the fight.” - Julie

”Sometimes the bravest thing we can do is ask them to tell their story.” - Julie’s Powerful Philanthropic Moment

“I ask myself a lot of questions, in my head.” - Julie

“You have to be able to interrogate yourself.” - Julie

“There’s nothing that I’m not willing to feel or experience or interrogate or question or change. What is going to stop me from moving forward?” - Julie