TEDxSantaClaraUniversity
Kara Logan Berlin: 3 ways to be a more effective fundraiser
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How do you raise money to get an idea off the ground, support a community, or help change the world? Take a crash course on the secret art of successful fundraising with development strategist Kara Logan Berlin as she shows how you can learn to ask for the resources you need -- and get them, too.
Kara Logan Berlin - Development strategist
Kara Logan Berlin helps people and organizations accelerate fundraising, getting essential resources into the hands of visionaries on the front lines of real change. Full bio
Kara Logan Berlin helps people and organizations accelerate fundraising, getting essential resources into the hands of visionaries on the front lines of real change. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:13
I'm here today to talk about fundraising,
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or as you probably think of it,
"the other F-word."
"the other F-word."
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(Laughter)
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Because if you want to change the world,
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you have to know how to pay for it.
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I'm not talking
about being a good person --
about being a good person --
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you can do that for free.
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I'm talking about if you want
to create something,
to create something,
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start something,
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galvanize a community,
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improve the lives of others,
run for office.
run for office.
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Every day, great ideas die on the vine,
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because they don't have capital
to get off the ground.
to get off the ground.
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And all of the work,
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the thought, the vision
that goes into the idea,
that goes into the idea,
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isn't worth much
if you can't pay your bills.
if you can't pay your bills.
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And while most of the greatest
social movements in history
social movements in history
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were powered purely by an idea
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and people's belief in that idea,
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real change and impact require resources.
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Real people do this work,
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they need real change,
real impact and resources
real impact and resources
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to actually make it happen.
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The people that believe in this work
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have to have the support
and the resources to do it.
and the resources to do it.
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That's where I come in.
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I get essential resources
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into the hands of people
and visionaries on the front lines,
and visionaries on the front lines,
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doing work that matters.
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We spend the majority
of our waking hours working.
of our waking hours working.
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We spend more time working
than we do with our loved ones.
than we do with our loved ones.
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So I decided early on
that I have to love my work,
that I have to love my work,
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and it has to add value.
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And while I would love
to be one of these people
to be one of these people
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who spearheads social change
from the ground up,
from the ground up,
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the thing I realized early on
in my nonprofit career
in my nonprofit career
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is that the thing I'm good at,
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the thing I'm really good at,
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is raising money.
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And I love it.
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I think it is a privilege
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to work alongside bold,
ambitious, optimistic leaders
ambitious, optimistic leaders
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and the organizations they serve.
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So I teach people
how to do the thing I'm good at,
how to do the thing I'm good at,
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because the more people that learn
how to be good at my end of this work,
how to be good at my end of this work,
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the more work will get done.
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And I teach everyone.
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I teach CEOs and presidents,
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and boards of directors and EDs.
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I teach development directors
in all sorts of teams
in all sorts of teams
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and nonprofit newbies,
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social change agents and candidates.
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I teach anyone that wants to do
something extraordinary
something extraordinary
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how to fund their dream.
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My dream is that there will be
more people like me
more people like me
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doing this work well
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and that development will be
an undergraduate course at universities,
an undergraduate course at universities,
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so that fundraising animals like me
will find this job out of the gate,
will find this job out of the gate,
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instead of discovering it
years later, accidentally.
years later, accidentally.
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I even have the curriculum developed,
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but short of overhauling undergraduate
course requirements,
course requirements,
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I think tonight's probably
a good first step
a good first step
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to get people to think about fundraising
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more as an opportunity
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and less as a dirty word.
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If you want to change the world,
you have to know how to pay for it.
you have to know how to pay for it.
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To do that well,
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you have to understand three big things.
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Your feelings about wealth and money,
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the importance of building relationships,
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and how to ask for what you want.
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Let's start at the top,
your feelings about wealth and money.
your feelings about wealth and money.
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What is your relationship to money?
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Money is complicated,
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it makes everyone squeamish,
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it makes everyone act kind of weird.
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Anyone who's ever had to split
the check after dinner with friends
the check after dinner with friends
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can tell you this.
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Imagine what it was like before Venmo.
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(Laughter)
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To help people learn how to raise money,
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you have to help them understand
their deal with money,
their deal with money,
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because everybody has baggage.
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Grew up poor? Baggage.
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Grew up rich? Baggage.
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Mad or envious that other people
have more money than you?
have more money than you?
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Baggage.
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Think people with money
are smarter than you?
are smarter than you?
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Baggage.
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(Laughter)
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Feel guilty that you have
more money than other people?
more money than other people?
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That's some first-class baggage.
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(Laughter)
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It's still baggage, people,
it's still baggage.
it's still baggage.
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So whatever your deal is
with your baggage,
with your baggage,
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you have to reconcile it
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if you're going to be able
to ask for money.
to ask for money.
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And here's a little tip
about asking people for money.
about asking people for money.
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The only difference
about really wealthy people and us
about really wealthy people and us
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is that they have more money than us.
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That's it.
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Don't overcomplicate it.
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They come with their own baggage.
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When you think about how to do this work,
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it's important to remember
that money makes the world go round.
that money makes the world go round.
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You hear that all the time, but it's true.
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Whether you're a nonprofit, for-profit,
or you pay your own bills.
or you pay your own bills.
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We often feel like talking about it
is this icky, embarrassing, ugly thing,
is this icky, embarrassing, ugly thing,
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but it's just money.
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And it's a fact of life.
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So how you feel about it
directly affects how you approach it.
directly affects how you approach it.
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Like everyone else
when I started out in this work,
when I started out in this work,
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I had to examine and understand
my own feelings about wealth and money.
my own feelings about wealth and money.
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And I had to learn how to separate them
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from how I feel about raising money
for important causes.
for important causes.
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How I feel about asking for money
to help people do good work in the world
to help people do good work in the world
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is not the same as how I feel about
asking for money for myself.
asking for money for myself.
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This is an important distinction.
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When I go and talk to someone,
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I'm not asking them to pay my mortgage.
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I'm giving them an opportunity
to invest in an idea
to invest in an idea
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that's going to change
the world for the better.
the world for the better.
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Why should I feel bad about that?
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If you want to be good at raising money,
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you have to be able to reframe the ask,
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both for yourself and for other people,
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as an opportunity.
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Next, you have to get prepared
to build some relationships.
to build some relationships.
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People give to people,
they don't just give to ideas.
they don't just give to ideas.
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And if they don't believe
in the person running the place,
in the person running the place,
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you're already dead in the water.
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This is true whether
you're in stocks or venture capital,
you're in stocks or venture capital,
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politics or nonprofits.
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Building a relationship
with people takes work.
with people takes work.
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You have to care about more
than just what you want or need,
than just what you want or need,
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you have to also value
what someone else wants or needs.
what someone else wants or needs.
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I know, it's a shocking, terrible idea.
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But oftentimes, closing gifts
is understanding the person,
is understanding the person,
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more than it's important
to know the product.
to know the product.
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And if you think building a relationship
with people takes work,
with people takes work,
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building a relationship with someone
you're asking for money from
you're asking for money from
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takes work, and it takes homework.
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Have you done any research?
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Do you have any idea what they care about?
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Do you know why
they should invest in your work?
they should invest in your work?
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Can you answer that question
in less than 30 seconds?
in less than 30 seconds?
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If you can't, the meeting
is going to be pretty rough.
is going to be pretty rough.
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And the answer can't be
"Because they're super rich
"Because they're super rich
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and they live in your zip code."
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When you talk to people
and understand what they care about,
and understand what they care about,
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it has to be in person.
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Fundraising is relational,
it's not transactional.
it's not transactional.
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And you have to ask them questions.
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When I sit down with a donor,
it goes something like this.
it goes something like this.
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"Hi, thanks so much for seeing me.
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How have you been?
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Did you guys go anywhere fun over holiday?
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Nice, I love Mexico.
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Do you always go to the same place?
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Oh, that's awesome!
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Are those your kids? They're so cute.
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How old are they?
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Where are they in school?
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Oh, that's a great school,
are you guys very involved there?
are you guys very involved there?
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Your spouse in on the board? How's that?
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How did you guys meet?
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Oh, at Santa Clara, that's awesome.
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Are you super involved
in the alumni network?
in the alumni network?
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So interesting.
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Where do you guys live, again?
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That's great. Is that your boat?"
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(Laughter)
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I literally go through
all of these things, right.
all of these things, right.
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And you know why?
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Because guess what I know now.
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I know they're out of 120 grand a year
in schooling for the next 12 years.
in schooling for the next 12 years.
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Right?
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Spouse is on the board
of the kids' school,
of the kids' school,
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I know they're out of 100K probably.
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It's a six-figure.
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They're both involved
in their school alumni,
in their school alumni,
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that's probably 25K.
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They told me they live
on the Upper East Side --
on the Upper East Side --
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I can look up their apartment online
and find out what their mortgage is.
and find out what their mortgage is.
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And I know they own
a second home in Mexico.
a second home in Mexico.
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Oh, and they own a boat.
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Which is like funny money, right?
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So what I now understand --
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(Laughter)
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It's true.
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What I now understand
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is that their 1,000-dollar gift
is probably more of a starter gift.
is probably more of a starter gift.
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And I should be thinking about ways
to help them partner with us
to help them partner with us
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and invest in a more meaningful way.
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I know this sounds a tad mercenary.
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I'm not confused about how it sounds.
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But here's what I want to tell you,
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because this is the part
that all my clients always want to skip,
that all my clients always want to skip,
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because they think it's the fluff
and it's not important.
and it's not important.
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If you don't understand
what they care about and what they value,
what they care about and what they value,
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how are you ever going to be able
to tell them about your work, right?
to tell them about your work, right?
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I want them to fund our work, I do.
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But I also want them to have
a really meaningful experience as a donor,
a really meaningful experience as a donor,
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so that they feel like we're partners
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and they're not an ATM, right?
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So it's important to ask the questions,
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because the more you know about them
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and you know what they value,
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the more you can steer the conversation
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in a direction about your work
that will resonate for them.
that will resonate for them.
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And once you get past
the get-to-know-you part,
the get-to-know-you part,
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you get into the fun stuff,
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like, "Why are you philanthropic at all?"
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Right?
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"Why do you invest in new ideas?
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Do you want giving back to be a value
you pass on to your children?
you pass on to your children?
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Can we help you do that?"
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It's really awesome, it's meaningful,
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and remember, it's a conversation,
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it's not a cross examination,
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it's not an interview.
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Don't walk in there and tell them
everything you already know about them,
everything you already know about them,
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because you did your research.
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You don't get extra points
for knowing how to use Google.
for knowing how to use Google.
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It's 75 percent them talking,
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25 percent you listening.
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It's better to be a good listener
than a good showman.
than a good showman.
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And once you understand
what they care about,
what they care about,
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you can talk to them
about what you care about.
about what you care about.
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You can tell them about you.
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Now, when you do this,
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don't get too deep into the weeds,
or you'll lose them.
or you'll lose them.
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It's a lot like when I sit down
with guys in finance, right,
with guys in finance, right,
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and I say,
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you know, "How's work?"
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I'm looking for, like,
a thumbs up, thumbs down.
a thumbs up, thumbs down.
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But what I get sometimes
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is a long description
of how the markets are trending,
of how the markets are trending,
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and my brain leaves my body
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and starts to think about
what time my dry cleaner closes.
what time my dry cleaner closes.
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(Laughter)
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Like, I don't have capacity for that.
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And they don't have capacity
for that level detail of our work.
for that level detail of our work.
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If they want it,
they'll ask you the questions.
they'll ask you the questions.
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It's this thing that happens
over and over,
over and over,
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because -- here's an example.
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I worked with this CEO once,
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and I was hired to teach him
how to talk to human people,
how to talk to human people,
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like a human person.
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(Laughter)
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It was a very difficult job.
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10:18
So, he kept getting great donor meetings,
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10:21
and he wasn't closing any gifts.
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10:23
And I could not figure out
what the problem was,
what the problem was,
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10:25
so finally, I was like,
"I'm going to come with you."
"I'm going to come with you."
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10:28
So I went with him to meetings,
and what would happen was,
and what would happen was,
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10:31
he was getting into such detail
with the donors
with the donors
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10:33
that their eyes were glazing over,
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10:36
and then after he was done
with his 15-minute pitch,
with his 15-minute pitch,
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10:39
they literally would say --
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1334
10:41
this happened, like,
three times in a row --
three times in a row --
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10:43
"God, that sounds great. Congratulations.
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10:46
Keep up the good work."
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10:47
And that was the meeting,
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10:49
which was obviously not
the outcome we were looking for.
the outcome we were looking for.
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10:51
So, he couldn't understand
what I was trying to say to him,
what I was trying to say to him,
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10:54
that I finally, in an act
of sheer desperation, was like ...
of sheer desperation, was like ...
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10:58
"You know what I love?
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11:01
I love NASA.
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1150
11:03
I love NASA.
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11:04
I think it is unbelievably amazing
we have figured out
we have figured out
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11:08
how to get a person to the Moon.
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11:10
I think it's awesome.
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11:12
I think the idea of getting
someone to the Moon,
someone to the Moon,
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11:15
and they walk on the Moon,
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11:16
and I love rocket ships.
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11:18
I love rocket ships,
rocket ships are amazing.
rocket ships are amazing.
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11:21
But if you start to tell me
about the rocket ship,
about the rocket ship,
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2349
11:24
and how it gets to the Moon,
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11:25
and the math and the science equations,
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11:27
on how the rocket ship gets to the Moon,
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2195
11:29
I promise you, I will hang myself
with my own hair."
with my own hair."
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11:32
(Laughter)
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2023
11:35
I was like, "That is not
how you tell people about your work.
how you tell people about your work.
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3746
11:38
What is the need?"
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11:40
Like, what's the point, right?
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11:42
How do you address the need,
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11:43
why are you better at it
than anybody else?
than anybody else?
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2007
11:45
And what can you do to make it about them?
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11:49
How can they help you get to the Moon?
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11:53
That's the good stuff.
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11:55
If you're able to do that,
you're probably ready to make the ask.
you're probably ready to make the ask.
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11:58
Now, I don't expect
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12:00
everyone to be super excited
to ask people for money.
to ask people for money.
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12:02
That's why development
is an actual profession
is an actual profession
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12:05
and not an awkward hobby.
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1647
12:06
(Laughter)
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12:07
Naturally great fundraisers love people,
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3477
12:11
they can and will talk to anyone,
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2000
12:13
they can find common ground with anyone,
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12:15
they're your friends
that talk to people in the elevator
that talk to people in the elevator
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2778
12:18
or at the grocery store.
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1600
12:20
They believe in the work required
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3191
12:24
to both build relationships and keep them.
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2578
12:27
And they naturally have
a high tolerance for rejection.
a high tolerance for rejection.
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12:31
But I don't expect everyone
to be a natural,
to be a natural,
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2056
12:34
and you don't have to be
a natural to raise money.
a natural to raise money.
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12:36
You just have to respect
the people and the process,
the people and the process,
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2889
12:39
and do the work.
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1150
12:41
Will you reconcile your baggage?
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12:45
Will you commit to build relationships?
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12:47
If you will, you're ready to make the ask.
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12:50
And the ask is oftentimes
as simple as using the phrase
as simple as using the phrase
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12:53
"Would you consider?"
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12:55
Would you consider
becoming a monthly donor?
becoming a monthly donor?
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2405
12:58
Would you consider increasing
your support to 100 dollars?
your support to 100 dollars?
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3200
13:01
Would you consider investing in our work
at the one-million-dollar level?
at the one-million-dollar level?
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3524
13:05
"Would you consider"
does a couple of awesome things.
does a couple of awesome things.
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2540
13:07
One, it gives the donor an easy way out.
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2388
13:10
Like, they can say "no"
without it being "yes-no."
without it being "yes-no."
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2508
13:12
And two, it gives you a second ask.
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2031
13:14
"Well, what would you consider?"
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13:16
(Laughter)
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13:18
It's good, right?
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1151
13:19
(Laughter)
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13:21
When you do this, remember,
you're not asking for yourself.
you're not asking for yourself.
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3332
13:24
You're asking on behalf
of all of the people you serve
of all of the people you serve
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2763
13:27
or are touched by your genius.
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2250
13:29
This isn't a personal favor, right?
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2246
13:32
Feel proud of the ask --
it's incredible that you do this work.
it's incredible that you do this work.
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3767
13:36
Don't try to be someone you're not,
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1691
13:38
you're going to go to these meetings
and think you need to big-shot it.
and think you need to big-shot it.
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3342
13:41
Be yourself, authenticity matters,
nobody likes a phony.
nobody likes a phony.
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13:44
Just be yourself.
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13:45
And please,
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13:47
please don't torpedo your own ask.
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2267
13:50
What I mean by this
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1198
13:51
is don't walk into the meeting and say --
I had an ED that did this all the time,
I had an ED that did this all the time,
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4271
13:55
I stopped inviting him.
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1667
13:57
He'd say, "We're not here today
to ask you for money."
to ask you for money."
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2547
14:00
(Laughter)
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2278
14:02
Yes, we are!
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1157
14:03
(Laughter)
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1001
14:04
That's exactly, literally,
why we're here today.
why we're here today.
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3984
14:09
Don't do that.
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1150
14:10
Don't say, "Whatever you can do to help."
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2281
14:13
That is hands down the fastest way
to get the smallest possible gift
to get the smallest possible gift
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841402
3849
14:17
someone thinks they can give you
and get away with.
and get away with.
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2429
14:19
Not kidding.
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1158
14:20
And don't take it back.
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2183
14:23
Once you've made the ask --
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1338
14:24
"Would you consider supporting us
at the 10,000-dollar level?
at the 10,000-dollar level?
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3162
14:27
Or the five? Or the two? Or one?
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855665
1818
14:29
You know what? Take the year off.
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1602
14:31
You're the best, thanks!"
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1246
14:32
Don't do that!
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1261
14:34
Ask the question,
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1667
14:36
wait till 10, count to 10
before you speak again,
before you speak again,
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14:39
keep your face like this.
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1667
14:41
(Laughter)
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1880
14:43
They are grown-ups.
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1685
14:46
They have all the power in this situation.
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2460
14:48
They can answer the question.
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1730
14:50
Don't take it back.
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1266
14:52
Which brings me to my favorite.
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14:54
Don't ask, don't get.
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1849
14:55
If you don't make an actual ask,
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1905
14:57
no one will give you actual money.
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1903
14:59
And if no one gives you actual money,
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1763
15:01
you actually can't do anything with it.
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1968
15:03
It's very simple -- don't ask, don't get.
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2600
15:07
Listen, I would love to live in a world
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1873
15:09
where we didn't have
to ask people for money
to ask people for money
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897681
2119
15:11
to do important work
that will change people's lives.
that will change people's lives.
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899824
3301
15:15
I would love to not have to teach people
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903149
2214
15:17
how to make a case for the importance
of feeding and housing
of feeding and housing
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3230
15:20
and educating people.
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908641
2015
15:22
But this is the world that we live in,
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1826
15:24
and if we're committed to doing this work,
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2031
15:26
and doing it well,
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1183
15:27
we have to be as committed
to the art of funding this work
to the art of funding this work
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2769
15:30
as we are to the art of executing it.
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2278
15:32
I'm going to repeat that,
because I think it's really important.
because I think it's really important.
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3024
15:35
We have to be as committed
to the art of funding our work
to the art of funding our work
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3653
15:39
as we are to the art of executing it.
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2334
15:42
And at its core,
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1158
15:43
the art of funding the work
means that we have to truly believe
means that we have to truly believe
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3191
15:47
that the purpose
and the privilege of our work
and the privilege of our work
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2949
15:50
is to provide people
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1658
15:51
with an extraordinary way
to use their wealth
to use their wealth
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2656
15:54
that will change people's lives.
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2133
15:57
It's an opportunity,
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1793
15:59
because at its core, that's what it is.
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16:01
And how great is that?
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16:03
Thank you.
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1158
16:04
(Applause, cheers)
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2539
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Kara Logan Berlin - Development strategistKara Logan Berlin helps people and organizations accelerate fundraising, getting essential resources into the hands of visionaries on the front lines of real change.
Why you should listen
Kara Logan Berlin is the founder and CEO of Harvest, a consultancy dedicated to helping organizations significantly accelerate fundraising while simultaneously improving efficacy. Created in 2009, Harvest has helped hundreds of nonprofits improve their balance sheets and expand programming by strategically focusing on increasing revenue, fundraising efficiency, organizational sustainability and talent development.
Logan Berlin is a firm believer in the importance of investing in people. In 2012, she created the Harvest Development Boot Camp, an interactive and innovative approach to sharing best practices, proven principles and practical tools to help fundraising professionals rapidly improve their skill-set and results. Prior to Harvest, she was the major gifts officer for the Robin Hood Foundation while simultaneously serving as a pro-bono development consultant for Robin Hood grantees. She also worked as director of development for DREAM (formerly Harlem RBI), where she oversaw all individual and corporate giving, special events and marketing and communications. Her passion for the nonprofit sector began nearly two decades ago when she worked on planning and events for New York Citymeals-on-Wheels program. She holds an MA and BA from Santa Clara University and lives in New York City with her husband and two hilarious children.
Kara Logan Berlin | Speaker | TED.com