Fundraisers and fitness experts share several key traits when it comes to executing daily tasks effectively. If you feel you’re not raising enough money for your nonprofit or clients perhaps you can learn a few things from a consistent fitness expert.
1. Habit Stacking – Consistency is key to raising money
Just like those early morning workouts no one sees, progress is built through consistent (not occasional) effort. There is not an easy path or magic list of money that will flow to your organization if you just hire the right fundraiser. You need to master the basics consistently over the course of days, weeks, months and years. As fundraisers, consistent research, tracking and followup is key to raising money. These activities are all the things most people don’t see but are key to bringing in funds. These basics are identifying new prospects every week, spending time doing the research on the giving history and potential interest in the nonprofit, adding this research to a CRM then following up on the outreach. If you’re not tracking – you’re not going to be successful. Read about the importance of CRM’s here: What’s A CRM And Why Should I Care About It? It can take over six connections to fully engage an individual, which means if you stop after the third try you’re likely not getting their money. Keep showing up.
2. Tracking and Adjusting Strategies
The fitness industry is a multi-billion dollar industry in the US and across the world – from pilates, yoga, F45 and the latest craze, hot sauna workouts – there is something for everyone to pick from. Just like fitness, there are a variety of tools fundraisers need to be using in their 2025 development plans. It is not a one size fits all approach. Now that January is behind us your analysis of 2024 successes and failures should be complete and your plan for 2025 fundraising should be written. Those plans are living documents you review every single day and adjust based on what is working and where you need to improve. In fitness, when you plateau, what do you do? Adjust – pivot. In fundraising, if the money has stopped you need to adjust course and identify a new route to bring funds in.
3. The art of storytelling
Fitness experts tell a story of what could be if you follow their plan – the same applies to fundraisers. Fundraising and development experts need to master their storytelling skills – what problem will funding an effort solve, how will the world be a better place if a donor gives to a specific cause. Storytelling is the ability to resonate with an individual emotionally to engage them in your cause. If you spend time crafting your story
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Fundraising is equal parts art and science – you are raising money from human beings who are emotionally tied to causes but you have to match this emotion with stats, tracking, and consistent followthrough to be successful. Fundraising is not always pretty, but it’s how the work is done and if you want to be successful following some of these basic tips will be a step in the right direction.
Whether it’s your daily fitness routine or your daily fundraising routine, each industry can learn something from each other about success in both. Both fields require discipline, strategic planning, and the ability to adapt based on real-time feedback.
– Kristen Sheehan, K2 Founder and Partner