CONTROVERSIAL: The "Snowflake Approach" to fundraising

WARNING:  If you are offended easy, stop reading now.  As you see, there is a lot of content below.  Stop reading if your feelings get hurt easy.  You’ve been warned.  By the way, if this Blog offends you, I really don't care.  Feel free to comment about how nasty I am, or use the word that most people do, that I'm "Abrasive" - I won't be offended.

No lie, literally, I just received a phone call and could not stop laughing.  It totally made my week.  This is a TRUE story, but the names are changed to protect the innocent parties lol.  But here it is.

Last year, I worked with a charity who had never done a fundraiser before.  Now, knowing me, do you think I walked softly through our meetings and used a soft tone of voice or was I me?  You remember me don’t you?  The retired State Trooper, former Undercover Narcotics Detective, 6 foot 5 former Marine and notably the best fundraiser in North America – yes I said it.

So the phone call goes like this “Hey I just wanted to call you and tell you why my charity isn’t hiring you this year.”  Of course I said “Okay, why?”  The caller, lets call him Steve said “Well let me tell you about the meeting we just had.  The person who is now in charge of doing our fundraiser actually said and I quote….I don’t want anyone’s feelings to get hurt so if you don’t mind helping us, we would really appreciate it.  We aren’t telling you to sell tickets or demanding you do but if you don’t mind, would you please help us sell some tickets.  If you have something to say, because we don’t want your feelings to get hurt, we want you to speak up because it’s very important that you’re feelings aren’t hurt.” 

That is when I fell out of my chair in total laughter.  I dropped my phone while falling and could hear “Steven” laughing as well.  I picked up the phone and he said “And that is when I walked out of the room.”  I was speechless – are you kidding me? 

Now look to the left at my picture, do I look like a guy who cares if I offended your feelings or if I care that the way I talk is abrasive?    

Because I am a "Take Charge" kind of guy, I don't mince words and I'm extremely direct, my direct approach is not and how do I say "Loved by all."  I have no room or time to hand hold.  You hired me to raise a ton of money for your charity, so lets get it done and here is how we are going to do it.  I can't just shake off 20 years as a State Trooper to suddenly be someone's babysitter.  That's not me...eventhough some people have tried to teach me a "Kinder, Gentler Approach."

But then this is what the world has came too.  Political correctness, which you already know I am not, has taken hold into every facet of our world, now to include fundraising.

Now lets take this in direct contrast of a charity I just met with –which I don’t have to mince words or change names.  I work with A LOT of police agencies and Law Enforcement foundations.  These guys and girls could care less that you what you say, in fact, if  you don’t drop the “F” bomb every once in awhile, they will think you’re weird. 

They are take control kind of people, do as they are told and follow orders.  Let’s take as an example Chris Heslop or as I call him “Mr. Happy.”  Chris is the President of the Police K9 Association and without a doubt, does not mince words.  He says whats on his mind and is very course in the way he says it – I love it!!!  Jen Krauss from the Prince George’s County Police K9 Section – she tells it like it is and will tell you to go “F” yourself if she doesn’t like what you have to say.  But then these two have hosted incredibly successful fundraising events.

So as I’m wiping the tears away from my eyes from laughing so hard, I told “Steven” that I was going to write this Blog and title it “The Snowflake Approach” and he please do.

When planning a fundraising event that you want to be successful, the very last thing you want are people on your committee who need a participation trophy when your event fails.  You don’t need people around who get their feelings hurt if you say the wrong thing or do the wrong thing – you need people who are go-getters!!!  People who are not afraid to walk up to someone and say “Buy tickets.”  Snowflakes are people who will be absolutely worthless to you and your committee and in the end, your fundraising event.  They won’t sell tickets to come, they surely won’t get donations because they don’t have the “Guts” to walk in and ask for donations.  You need people the exact opposite. 

Now it all makes sense.  Now I know why it was like trying to climb Mount Everest backward carrying a 1,000 lbs. on my back planning their fundraiser.  Remember, in order to be successful at anything in life, you have to GO AFTER IT!!!  In order to host a successful fundraising event, you can not be afraid to hurt anyone's feelings, you can not be a snowflake. If you are, you’re in the wrong game. 

Do you think anyone who ever became very rich or successful was a snowflake?  Doubt it.  Now that I’m thinking about it, every single event that we have done that was highly successful, none of them were ran by snowflake type people.

In order to be successful, you must have people who are Type A.  Who are not afraid to talk to everyone and anyone.   Non-negative, Positive from beginning to end people who will kill themselves nearly to ensure that you are successful. 

If you would like to learn more on how to grow a successful charity fundraising committee, contact us at www.BWUnlimited.com.