BIG’s Blog: The Game is Changing

The game is changing but YOU CAN STILL PLAY!

But make no mistake about HOW MUCH it is changing.

How about “attitudes” changing among the younger generations?  These changing attitudes are altering the way even organizations run by the same younger generations think and operate.

Mark Zuckerberg is the founder and CEO of Facebook. Before they went public as a company, he wrote in a letter to prospective shareholders saying “We don’t build services to make money; we make money to build better services.”

Translation: It’s the service, stupid! If you don’t offer world-class services, NOBODY will show up to use your service. Focus on the service!

So as a nonprofit fundraiser trying to get in sync with younger potential supporters, doesn’t it make sense to sync up with the thinking of the new zeitgeist? After all, Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook aren’t just adding Gen-X and Millennials to Facebook, but millions of Baby Boomers as well.

But you are totally comfortable keeping your focus on “transactions” as the way to make revenue goals on into the future???

Pretend that Mark Zuckerberg, instead of founding Facebook, had gone to work in fundraising. How would he think? What would he do?

I’m pretty sure he would say something like, “In our Development department, our main goal isn’t to raise revenue; we raise revenue by developing relationships online.”

Translation: It’s the relationship, stupid! Everything . . . including revenue . . . flows from the relationships.

Your fundraising business model of going after transactions is passing away with the Depression and WWII generations.

The new fundraising business model is about building relationships of like-minded individuals, some of whom will become financial supporters. And you will do that 99% online. The MISSION becomes the tie that binds your work and your network of supporters. And money (revenue) is a byproduct, not the main goal.

Join us.

-Mike

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