Fundraising Tip #19: Try, Try Again

If fundraising was easy, everyone would do it.  The truth is It’s hard. It takes practice, humility, perseverance, and creativity.  It’s kind of like…Foosball.

Remember when you first attempted Foosball?  Most likely you just frantically spun all of the players, jammed the table and prayed for a couple of balls to roll in when the other player was distracted.  That’s kind of like mass emailing people to give to your fundraiser.  You have no strategy…you’re just praying for a few kind souls to give you a break.

But as you get better at foosball…or table football for our friends on the other side of the Atlantic…you realize that you have to be a lot more mobile yourself.  You need to react to the other player, leave some of your men standing at attention, and pass the ball to yourself.  Basically, you need to diversify your game and recognize where your strengths are on the table.

Ditto with fundraising.  You have to realize what your good at and play up that strategy.  If you know you’re good on the phone, call up people and ask them to give.  If you’re mortified to ask friends but have no problem asking strangers…do what Ethan does and stand on a corner in a banana costume passing out fliers.

But the truth of the matter is that you’re not always going to get the goals you need to win.  Sometimes you just have to grab another beer, a few more quarters and start the game again.

That’s how you get better…at foosball and fundraising.  Trying over and over again.