Inventing like Ben Franklin (How One $100 Donation Got Me Thinking)

I haven't done much fundraising lately because I've been focusing my time on helping Raising Malawi come up with a campaign to promote (and raise funds) for their new Academy for Girls that will open next year in Malawi.

I didn't mean to stop my fundraising efforts. I slowed down because it's very time consuming and I think I suck at it. But in truth, I kind of don't. I'm pretty good at it, actually. Look, I've raised $48,972.68 so far without ever having done fundraising before in my life. That almost-$49K is from just me out there, shaking a cup under people's noses over the past three years. During that time, I learned a lot about what works and what doesn't; who gives and who never will.

Seems to me everything in life is a sales pitch. And whatever it is you're selling, you'll find you're in one of two possible conversations. Either -

1) Enrollment conversation (sharing, inspiring, lighting people up by what's possible) or

2) Registration conversation (closing the deal, selling the thing, getting a commitment)

The people who suck at sales suck because they don't know which conversation they're having (or need to be having) when they're having it and/or they don't 100 percent believe in what they're selling. They move into the registration conversation before the person is enrolled (so, answer will be 'no thanks') or they spend their whole time in enrollment and never get to registration because they're afraid of it.

I learned the difference, practiced and mastered the distinctions over my three-plus years of training in the Introduction Leader Program at Landmark Education. I am equally comfortable in both conversations. And good at them, so long as I truly believe what I'm selling, promoting, representing, supporting, whatever. My mentor Joan McNeil, registration manager in Landmark's NY office, used to call me "Animal Girl" because I registered so many people in the Landmark Forum. I just believed in it. It saved my life, got me out of my own way and helped me fast-track my goals. I wanted to share it. Enrollment and registration came very easily to me.

Same thing too with Raising Malawi. I'm not out to convince anybody of anything. Just enroll. And register participation in a movement via a show of dollars raised.

This whole fundraising goal of mine is another way for me to practice those conversations. I am selling the possibility of a better future for Malawi, Africa and the world. I am educating myself about important world issues and growing a heart in the process. It's very rewarding, although granted at times frustrating on the long, seemingly never-ending road to my goal.

What I notice is that now, in this crap economy, enrollment is really tough. People are quick to turn off their listening. If they don't hear about it, they don't have to do anything about it. And if they do hear about it, it's remarkable to me how quickly people can come up with a litany of reasons not to donate or help in any way. They actually refuse to be enrolled, much preferring the sick comforts of a conversation of no-possibility. As a general rule, most people don't come from a place (consciousness) of abundance. So, I'm learning that. People hang on to fear and come from a place of scarcity. It's sad. I really want to smack them in the head. If only that would work.

Anyway, I think I need to move my conversations to the "registration" type more quickly now. Just yesterday, I got a $100 donation that I wasn't expecting, but I only got it because I asked.

My ex-colleague just reached out to pick my brain on a research project I designed a few years back. I shared a little info and he asked if he could buy me a drink or send me a gift certificate for dinner for two to thank me. Of course I would help a friend with no expectation of reward, but I thought, heck, dinner for two in LA can feed 20 little kids in Malawi. So I asked him to make a donation, which he said he would be DELIGHTED (all caps) to do. And he did it right away. (Thank you very much, Dirk H!)

That's the cool thing. It's actually not all that hard to do fundraising. It's really just about knowing when to ask and then..... and this is the most important thing I've learned.... asking.

The latest $100 donation brings up the total raised to date to $48,972.68. Is there anyone out there reading this right now (who is already enrolled/inspired to help orphans survive and thrive) who will round this number up to $50,000? The link to the Raising Malawi donation page is in the header of my blog. You'd be the coolest in my book and a hero to those kids. Please help if you can. And FYI, you can.

Meantime, I'm going to re-look at my financial situation to see if I can grow my cash position so I can donate more myself. I come from a place of abundance, after all.