Do you remember feeling left out when you were a kid? Perhaps you weren’t picked for a sports team…or you were picked last. Maybe when your classmates paired up for a school project, you were the odd person out. Most people have experienced that uncomfortable sense of not being wanted. It felt lousy when you were a kid. Now that you’re … [Read more...]
Take It Outside: Why Your Next Training Should Include Time Outdoors
This post was inspired by a photo. Take a look. You want to be part of this workshop, right? It was a lovely fall day in Colorado, at an event sponsored by the Community Resource Center. We had more than one hundred people in a church hall – good light, great acoustics, a very nice venue. And yet – a hundred people can only sit … [Read more...]
Trainer Funny: How to Add Humor to Your Next Workshop
Are you funny? Some of us have a natural gift for humor, while others may want to develop their funny side. Humor makes a challenging subject like fundraising easier to learn and embrace. A big group laugh can break a tense moment or add a burst of energy just when you need it. If you’re looking to add some funny to your training … [Read more...]
Finish Strong: Three Options for Ending an Effective Workshop
You designed a solid agenda. You delivered a terrific training, with lots of engaging exercises and activities. Everybody learned a lot, laughed a lot, and is anxious to try out their new skills. Now what? Before they return to their busy lives, everyone needs to take a breath, prioritize what they’ve learned, and make a plan. As a … [Read more...]
Tearing Up Money (and other tricks for addressing the money taboo)
Several years ago, at the beginning of a fundraising workshop, I took out a $20 bill and passed it around, asking, “Is this real currency?” Everyone examined the bill and agreed that yes, it was the real thing. Then, to the amazement of the group, I ripped it up. The pieces floated to the floor like confetti. Silence – a long, … [Read more...]
How to Create a Fundraising Plan in a Half-Day Workshop
Do you want the “secret sauce” for raising more money? According to our colleague Heather Yandow at Third Space Studio, it’s not really a secret. She just released the fourth annual Individual Donor Benchmark Report, which you can get here. Heather compiled fundraising data from 87 grassroots organizations across North America, each … [Read more...]
Co-Training – How To Work Effectively With Another Facilitator
As a trainer or facilitator, do you ever share the stage with a colleague or two? It’s worth considering for the following reasons. Two people – assuming they’re the right two people – are smarter and savvier than either one individually. Under some circumstance, a third person can make you even smarter. Having a diversity of … [Read more...]
Three Ways to Get Students Talking and One Way to Shut Them Up
Have you ever been afraid to raise your hand and speak up? Perhaps you weren’t afraid exactly, but you wondered if you might look foolish or ask a dumb question. If you’re like me, anxieties like that can keep you from speaking out. A great trainer works in many ways to encourage everyone to participate – both the naturally talkative … [Read more...]
An exercise that raises money while you do it
Is your board afraid of fundraising? You’re not alone. Most boards find the whole subject taboo. Here’s a real-world example. Imagine that your nonprofit faced the following challenges: Most of your board members are both unskilled at fundraising and anxious about doing it. (Sounds familiar, right?) You board gathers only twice … [Read more...]
Asking When Everyone Else Isn’t
This is a difficult story to tell, because it’s about one of the hardest days in recent memory: September 11, 2001. And it’s a fundraising story – but one you’ve never heard before. You may remember the chaos and confusion that gripped the nation – not only in New York and Washington, but pretty much everywhere. People glued to their … [Read more...]