Nonprofit CourageLab

I recently did a live workshop and I’m thrilled to bring it to you on the podcast! I’m going to give you practical, actionable steps you can do TODAY to get more major donor meetings. There are a few things that hold us back. For some, it’s the skills. You need a better toolkit. For some, it’s the confidence to talk to your donors and ask the big questions. Today we’re going to talk about your min...

Have you ever put something off for a long time and when you finally got around to doing it, it wasn’t nearly as hard as you expected? The fear is almost always worse than actually doing the thing. Fear is the signal that you’re about to grow - it doesn’t mean to stop.  Make the decision and take the courageous action. Fear will only grow if you wait. When you learn to take action, even when...

Your goal is set, you have your donor database, your front line fundraisers are ready to go, but you know before you start that the numbers in your projections won’t reach your goal. What do you do? What do you try next? First, ask yourself a few questions: If you really believe that your largest donors were truly on your team, truly have your back and believe in your mission, how would you approa...

Courage comes from being uncomfortable, taking calculated risks that grow our mission and our impact. The one skill that I’ve started doing that has helped me raise millions of dollars is negotiation - and it’s uncomfortable! I learned about negotiation at an event in Los Angeles years ago where I heard a story from a lady who was fundraising for a new hospital wing for low income and homeless fam...

Today we’re going to talk about how rich people, your major donors, think during a recession. The important thing to remember is that even though some people are struggling right now, not everyone is. Your most generous donors are generous even in a recession. The best data you can get will come directly from your donors’ mouths when you ask them directly. Many of them prioritize generosity and wa...

Every few episodes, I’ll share an “Ask Julie” episode, where I’ll talk with a client or nonprofit leader about a question they have. In this episode,I’ll give you a sneak peek into one of my monthly coaching workshops. Today’s question is, “Do I give up on this wealthy donor when there’s radio silence?” If a donor seems to be ghosting you, there are a few things you should consider.  What are...

In this episode I’m going to go step by step through the process for building a solid foundation for raising major gifts. I’m not talking about foundations or grants. I mean individuals who contribute $10,000 or more per year to your nonprofit.  First, you need to identify who those donors are and align your priorities to build relationships with them. Don’t be so busy working in your busines...

I started my career in fundraising during the great recession and that was a great training ground. I was lucky enough to have a boss that agreed to get me training and really hone my skills as a major gifts fundraiser. What I found was that no matter what situation the world is in, the best way to fundraise is by cultivating genuine relationships with your donors. We are taught that it’s rude to...

I hear many fundraisers and nonprofit leaders worrying that it’s somehow bad or unethical to raise money during a recession. In this episode, I want to talk about that mindset, how it became so prevalent, whether it’s accurate, and what to do about it.  I started my fundraising career during the great recession. I was working with a community center and I couldn’t justify not fundraising, bec...

It’s very common to be terrified of hearing “no.” To avoid hearing no, we ask for smaller amounts or avoid asking at all. That’s not the way to raise large gifts. The worst thing that could happen isn’t hearing no. The worst thing that could happen is you not asking for more and your community continuing to suffer. The courage to hear “no” comes from being solid in your why. Is your work urgent? I...

Part of building relationships and getting your nonprofit to the next level is learning how to activate the catalysts on your board. These are the go-getters, the ones that ask the questions, offer help, and want to do better than their predecessors. Are you really using their skills to their full potential? One reason why you may not be getting the growth you need is because your board members do...

In this episode, I’m going to talk about my CourageLab process and help you decide if it’s the right fit for you. CourageLab is a 6-week program for major gifts training. In CourageLab, you’ll learn: How to identify the right donors How to get meetings with those donors How to ask them for more Overall strategy for major gifts Accountability and mindset coaching CourageLab may be right for you if...

Fundraising that survives economic downturn and recession comes from a strong relationship with your donors. If you know them, and they know you, they will stick by you. Here are the critical ways to build strong relationships with your donors: Get personal. Share about your life, even if it has nothing whatsoever to do with your mission. Ask powerful questions. Ask them why they give and you may...

What does it take to raise a million dollars? If you’re struggling, it’s not for lack of work ethic. In this episode I’ll cover the 3 keys to a million dollar strategy. You need impossible goals. If your goals are tiny, they inspire tiny gifts. Impossible goals force us to think bigger and get more creative. Prioritize meaningful fundraising activities. Don’t organize events that aren’t relevant t...

Courage isn’t a feeling; it’s a muscle. Courage is feeling the fear and doing the thing anyway. It’s a skill you develop by doing more of what you’re afraid to do. In my CourageLab framework, we build courage in these ways: Build an attitude of abundance. Believe that your donors can give more. Rather than looking for evidence that they are maxed out, look for evidence that they are on your team....

My CourageLab program focuses on 3 major components to help you become a world class fundraiser and build a strong major gifts program. Courage: Humility that is fully developed looks like courage. It takes courage to have boundaries, to receive help, and ask for gifts. Being an exemplary leader takes guts. Strategy: Learn how to structure your time and which donors to focus on. As an executive, f...

Who you are determines what you do. If your strategy doesn’t line up with who you are, it won’t work. Developing a culture of generosity IS your strategy. When generosity is rampant in your organization, it comes naturally to everyone involved.  There are 5 keys to building a culture of generosity: An attitude of abundance Humility Focus on people and relationships Communication - both of fre...

When it comes to major gifts fundraising, we talk a lot about renewing gifts, usually to the same amount that was given last year. How do you move beyond the same $25k year after year and grow exponentially? It takes a lot of courage to challenge donors to step up in new, big ways. The goal has to be to uncover the passion within your donors and the impact that they desire to see, then leading the...

Welcome back! In this episode I want to talk about how to change what you believe about your donors and yourself. There’s an attitude in the nonprofit sector that borders on martyrdom. We tend to believe that no one else cares as much as we do, that rich people are greedy, and that we are the heroes because we work for pennies for what we believe in. In reality, humility, when fully developed, loo...

We’ve all been there. Someone mentions in passing that they love your work and they’d love to help, they’ve shared on social media or come to an event, and you, being the nice person you are, thank them for being there and being supportive, even though what you really need is their monetary contribution. We have to stop accepting scraps and being grateful for that. Be ready at any moment to ask th...

I started this podcast because fundraisers everywhere are terrified to do their jobs. There was a gap in helpers for dealing with the fear that comes with asking people for money. Our lack of courage is stopping us from changing our communities faster. In order to change the world, we have to develop our personal courage. We put our comfort before the mission all the time. That’s why our organizat...

Julie Ordoñez is a leading fundraiser, coach, speaker and founder of CourageLab, a 6-week group coaching accelerator for nonprofit founders, EDs and fundraisers ready to double their individual giving. Nonprofit CourageLab shares soul-shaking insights on how to become a more courageous leader and raise more money for your nonprofit. No one changed the world without first changing themselves. If yo...