Nonprofit Connect, Byrne Pelofsky and Bank of America were delighted to welcome Marc Pitman, aka “The Fundraising Coach,” to Kansas City on September 22 as part of the Nonprofit Connect 501c Success Series, sponsored by Byrne Pelofsky and Bank of America. The annual series brings national thought leaders to Kansas City for exceptional personal and professional development training. Marc’s brilliant session highlighted the typical pain points involved in nonprofit leadership and how to flip the narrative so it translates to success instead of stress.
The session, titled “Speaking Truth to Power: How to Communicate with Billionaires….and Your Other Donors,” took a deep dive into factors that prevent nonprofit executives and development professionals from effectively communicating with their high-net-worth donors and prospects. A major theme in Marc’s presentation was the importance in establishing organizational values and practicing those values prior to engaging or re-engaging a major donor. What lines will you, the fundraiser, not cross? Honestly and integrity are always the best fundraising tools – and your donors can tell if your organization puts these values into practice.
Marc explored the finer details of how we engage with donors at a personal level – what kinds of questions do you ask your donors? Are these questions they are hearing all the time? Marc facilitated several interactive sessions throughout his presentation to demonstrate how “putting yourself in the donor’s shoes” is the best way to “cultivate” (i.e. create a meaningful relationship rather than a transactional one).
Marc’s session brilliantly laid out the nuances of human connection and how the simplest gestures, questions and conversations can lead to a transformational donor-fundraiser relationship. Thank you, Marc, for visiting Kansas City and sharing your knowledge with us. For more information on Marc, click here.
The next Nonprofit Connect 501c Success Series will take place on October 26 at the Kauffman Foundation and will feature the new CEO of the Kauffman Foundation, Dr. DeAngela Burns-Wallace.