It’s no secret. Wise investors almost always come out ahead—in return and capital growth.
The quandary that many a nonprofit faces is deciding where, and when to invest their limited fundraising resources on new fundraising tools and technologies.
Do I invest in another staff member? Do I get the shiny new software tool, which has so many features I’ll never use a tenth of them?
Adding to the confusion is our general resistance to change. Inertia leaves more money on the table than almost anything else.
What we really need to be focused upon is timing. That’s where the astute investor has his focus.
We’ve all seen this. We’re driving down the road and we see a motorist sitting at the stop sign at the next intersection. For a few seconds, the driver has a sufficient window to safely pull through before our car arrives.
But they hesitate. And hesitate.
And then—when the window of safety has clearly passed—the motorist pulls in front of us. Perhaps even slowly. Yikes!
Timing makes all the difference.
If you look at organizations, which consistently make wise investments in new resources and technologies, they are almost never the first adopters. They hesitate. But just a bit.
As soon as the tool has proved itself, leaders of successful organizations move. And they don’t do it half-heartedly. They bolt ahead at full speed—almost with regard to the initial cost—despite their “budget.”
Whoosh! They’re safely through the intersection and are moving rapidly down the highway, picking up momentum as they go.
When you’re making decisions regarding the “latest and greatest” ask yourself two questions. Is it a proven, stable technology or tool, or just the latest shiny thing? Can this really help my organization (and if so, what are the benefits both long and short term)?
If the answer is “yes” to both, plunge ahead with both feet and implement as fast as you can.
You don’t want to find yourself in the middle of the intersection in moving traffic.
Principle 8 of The Eight Principles™ is “Invest, Integrate & Evaluate™”. You must first invest before you can integrate or evaluate.
Now that’s a strategic fundraising idea!
