Thoughts for Today
“People everywhere confuse what they read in the newspapers with news.”
A.J. Liebling

“If you make people think they are thinking, they will love you; but if you really make them think, they will hate you.”
Don Marquis

“If you want to know what God thinks of money, just look at the people he gave it to.”
Dorothy Parker

Crisis Management
Over the past 8 years I have had the privilege of providing training or consulting services to over 100 nonprofit organizations. A significant portion of the work I have done is helping these organizations become fiscally sound through fundraising efforts. I thought it would be fun to take you through the process that typically takes place when money gets tight.

First, my phone rings and a development director or executive director informs me that Wheeler & Associates was referred to them by a friend or board member. Then they say something to the effect of, “We need a little help with our fundraising,” or “we are looking for some new avenues to generate revenue for our organization”. Typically that means that money is tight and they needed answers yesterday.

Second, my phone rarely rings when organizations are doing well financially. It has been the rare occasion when an organization contacted me with the intent of providing one to three years of advance planning for their organization.

Third, we set up a meeting and by the time it ends I have a pretty good picture of what the damage is. It is at this point in time that I realize the organization is operating in crisis management mode. This means they are looking for “turn around” strategies that will create significant cash flow in 90 – 120 days.

So what is the answer when an organization starts feeling financial pressure? No reputable consultant can turn things around in 90 days. You are usually battling years of engrained culture, inactive board members and a tired database full of “potential” donors. Typically we approach this problem two ways. 1) We help stop the bleeding. There are so many cost savings available that we can typically cover our fees through our operational analysis. 2) We show how a commitment to a one-year and three-year strategic plan will dramatically change the paradigm in the organization as well as their financial health.

In the next few issues of our newsletter, we will look at some new concepts that are helping organizations raise more money while building long term fiscal health.

Trent Wheeler

Content provided by:
Wheeler & Associates
100 Williamsburg Place
Franklin, TN 37064
(615) 427-8688
trentwheeler@comcast.net
www.donorgraphics.com