BIG’s Blog: It's How We Learn About Stuff

You're no different than me. You're out at dinner with friends or family, and someone brings up a subject (anything, trivia, etc.). This has been happening forever. We used to just argue who was right and the whole process dissolved into shouting and laughter and then we moved on.

Not today.

Someone reaches into their pocket or purse and pulls out their smartphone and "Googles" it. (Yes, the noun Google has become a verb!) And, voila, we have an answer. Life is changed, behavior is changed, and we are all the "smarter" for it. WE GOT THE ANSWER.

We still dissolve into laughter, except for Uncle Morty who swore on his mother's grave he was right about the answer when, in fact, he was wrong. But he'll just order another drink and all will be fine.

So what does this have to do with fundraising?

Come on, do I have to paint you a picture?

First of all, the people you want and need to be talking to are online. And when I say they are online, I mean THEY ARE ONLINE. Just like you, their habits and ways of doing things have changed with the invention of the Internet and digital personal tools like smartphones, tablets, etc.

Second, everybody ... and I mean everybody ... carries within him or her a mental list of what is important to them. We say things like “Aunt Judy has a ‘heart’ for kids with mental disabilities,” because her son was born with Down syndrome. So, with the advent of the Internet, at any moment or on a whim we can look up Down syndrome or anything else, INSTANTLY! Do you know what a "keyword" is? Google will let you buy (for a period of time) any word or word couplet. Then when someone queries that word, your Website URL pops up. THEY CAN FIND YOU!

Third, have you heard of Kickstarter? It is a Website for raising funds and there are lots of sites just like it popping up. People go to these sites to invest money in startup efforts, like people raising money to start a business, or getting funding to make a movie or a record. But some nonprofits are using them to raise money for a project.  PEOPLE BY THE MILLIONS ARE GOING TO THESE SITES.

So what does this have to do with how you raise funds for your mission or ministry today?

Probably not a darn thing!

You’re still stuck in the mindset of lists, advertising, mail, making calls, and on and on … "It's how we have always done things!"

Meanwhile millions of people are on the Internet looking for you (they may not know they are looking for you), but because they have a "heart" for your mission or ministry, they are LOOKING FOR YOU ... AND YOU ARE MAKING IT SO HARD TO BE FOUND.

Drip, Drip, Drip.

-Mike

Welcome to BIG's Blog!  Please feel free to forward this post to your friends and coworkers...and email me a comment at: mike@big-db.com