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Abundant Vision Academy, Part 1: First Things (Mindset, Confidence & the Abundance Philosophy)
45 Plays28 days ago
Before you ever sit across from a donor and make an ask, there's work to do in your own head. In this episode, Tom opens the vault on Abundant Vision Academy, a major gift training program he built from 25+ years of frontline fundraising experience at places like Ohio State and OhioHealth, and he's giving it to you free, one part at a time.
Part 1 is called "First Things," and it covers the mindset foundations that separate fundraisers who close gifts from those who stall out. Tom walks through why rejection by a donor is never a rejection of you, what real commitment to fundraising actually looks like, how confidence in your organization's mission changes everything about how you show up in a donor meeting, and why the scarcity mindset is quietly killing your results.
This is the first installment in a 10-part series releasing every two weeks. Tune in, take notes, and come back for part 2.
Looking for fundraising coaching? Check out www.abundantvision.net
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Transcript
Introduction to Abundant Vision Podcast
00:00:05
Speaker
Welcome to the Abundant Vision Fundraising Podcast. Whether you are a seasoned professional or a first-time fundraiser, we have the advice you need to take your next step toward major gift mastery.
00:00:19
Speaker
I'm your host, Tom Dauber, President of Abundant Vision Philanthropic Consulting. Hey there, welcome back to the Abundant Vision Fundraising Podcast.
00:00:30
Speaker
I'm Tom Dauber, and I'm really glad you're with me today, because this episode's a little different, and I think you're going love it. I've been looking back through my files lately, old folders, old recordings, stuff I haven't looked at in years.
00:00:43
Speaker
And if you've ever done that, you know it's a pretty strange experience. Part nostalgia, part cringe, part... wait, that's pretty good. And I found something in the vault that I knew i immediately had to pull out and share with you.
00:00:57
Speaker
It's called Abundant Vision Academy, and it was one of my very first structured training programs I ever put together on major gift fundraising. We're talking the early days of me trying to package what I'd learned into something teachable, something someone else could actually use.
Tom's Journey into Fundraising
00:01:14
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Now, here's the thing you should know about me.
00:01:16
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I came up in this field the hard way. I didn't go to a fundraising school. There's no degree program, at least there there wasn't back in the late 90s. I learned by doing.
00:01:27
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I learned by sitting across from donors at places like Ohio State, Ohio Health, Youth for Christ, in boardrooms, in living rooms, in restaurants, having real conversations about real money and figuring out what worked.
00:01:41
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And then I'd go back and debrief with myself, debrief with my boss or peers. What happened in that meeting? Why did it go the way it did? What would I do differently? And over those times, debriefs, conversations with peers, they turned into frameworks.
00:01:58
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I learned things. Those frameworks turned into something I could teach. And that's what became Abundant Vision Academy.
Foundations of Abundant Vision Academy
00:02:05
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Now I charge for this content. Real money. People paid me to go through this training and they found it valuable.
00:02:11
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I know that because they told me. They came back. Some of them have become colleagues. Some of them have become friends. And the content held up because it wasn't built on theory.
00:02:22
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It was built on repetitions, on the same kind of deliberate practice that makes any skill stick. I think about it like running, which anybody who knows me knows is a world that I came from.
00:02:34
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I ran track in middle school, high school, was first team all state in the 1600 meters. And I also ran division one at Bowling Green State University. And what I learned in that world is that the gap between a good runner and a great runner isn't talent. It's structured repetition.
00:02:52
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It's breaking a race down into segments and practicing each one until the mechanics become instinctive. Major Gifts is the same thing. The ask, the discovery conversation, the follow-up, the close.
00:03:06
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These are all separate mechanics. And you have to practice them deliberately, not just hope they come together on race day. That's what this training is built on. Deliberate structured practice.
00:03:18
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Not vague inspiration, not feel good motivational content, actual technique.
Content and Value of the Series
00:03:25
Speaker
Now here's how this is going to work. Because I want to set your expectations,
00:03:30
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Abundant Vision is a 10-part series, and I'm not dropping all of it on you at once. Starting with this episode, I'm going to release one new part every two weeks. So this is part one.
00:03:42
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Tune in two weeks from now and you'll get part two. Then two weeks after that, part three, all the way to part 10. Think of it like a course that shows up in your podcast feed on a schedule, free of charge, no strings attached.
00:03:57
Speaker
I'm doing it this way on purpose. Because one of the things i know about learning is that spacing matters. If I handed you all 10 parts today, most of you would either binge it and retain very little, or you'd save it for later and never get back to it. This way, you get time to sit with each piece, to try things, to come back to the next installation with some experience under your belt.
00:04:22
Speaker
That's how real we're learning works. And here's why I'm giving it free to you today and every two weeks going forward. You're a listener. You've been showing up at this podcast, some of you from very early on, week after week, episode after episode. And I don't take that lightly. Your time is valuable.
00:04:41
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There are a thousand things competing for your attention, and you chose to spend some of it here learning, growing, sharpening your craft as a fundraiser. And that means something to me.
00:04:52
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So this is my way of saying thank you. No catch, no email sign up, no upsell at the end. This is just me opening the vault and handing you something I believe in one part at a time.
00:05:03
Speaker
Now I'll be honest with you, this recording is not perfectly polished. It's not studio quality. It's from the early days and you'll probably hear that. But what it is, is real.
00:05:14
Speaker
And the content, I believe, is as useful today as it was when I first taught it. Because the fundamentals of major gift fundraising don't change. Donors are still humans. Relationships still drive gifts.
00:05:27
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The conversation still has to happen. And most of the people doing this work still haven't been trained to do it well. That's what we're going to work on today, starting with part one. So wherever you're listening from, whether you're driving, walking, sitting at your desk, trying to squeeze in some professional development between a donor call and a board meeting, I'm glad you're here.
00:05:48
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Settle in. This one's worth your time. Let's get into it.
Empowering Small Nonprofits
00:05:55
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Welcome to Abundant Vision Academy. There's over 1.5 million nonprofits in the US. Most of them have annual revenues of less than half a million dollars a year.
00:06:07
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It's these small nonprofits who need help the most, but they are also the least likely to be able to afford the help they need. Abundant Vision was created to help smaller fundraising shops benefit from the same type of high-level fundraising expertise you usually only find at large universities and health systems.
00:06:29
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Over the past 24 years, I've conducted over 4,000 donor meetings, leading to hundreds of major gift solicitations and closures resulting in tens of millions of dollars in donations.
00:06:41
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In this online workshop, I'm going to teach you all the basics you need in order to begin winning at major gifts by personally soliciting your donors with confidence.
Mindset and Commitment in Fundraising
00:06:52
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First things. Success and failure often start in your own mind. So if we want to be successful, it's critical we are bringing the right fundraising mindset to our work.
00:07:07
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In this session, we're going to review the attitudes and philosophies that support good fundraising. Getting your attitude right. Every day, we are bombarded with negative messaging.
00:07:21
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It's the media, it's the workplace, Even worse, it can be in our own heads. If you're going to be asking other people to make massive investments in your organization, you've got to get a handle on these negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones.
00:07:39
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You are a valuable, unique person with strengths and abilities all your own. You are loved, you are valued, you matter. As you go out to solicit a gift, you've got to resist the temptation to tie your professional success to your personal value.
00:07:58
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Fundraising is hard work. You should expect to be turned down 50% of the time. You've got to be solid in your understanding that when someone rejects the opportunity to give to your organization, they are not rejecting you.
00:08:15
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Fundraisers who do not have the right mindset may be tempted to delay making an ask or may even procrastinate making the calls they need to in order to be successful.
00:08:27
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What you've got to get through your head is that there are a million reasons why a constituent may choose to decline a gift solicitation. The timing might be bad.
00:08:38
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They may just not care that much. Whatever the reason, it's not a reflection of your value as a person. I've seen awful fundraisers close huge gifts and I've seen awesome fundraisers get turned down.
00:08:52
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Whatever you do, you can't take rejection by a donor personally. Commitment. You know, working in the nonprofit field is a big commitment and your organization you're likely tackling really difficult problems, ones that may take years to solve.
00:09:18
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People like us who work in such areas, we're choosing to make less money than we would in the for-profit world. But to us, it's worth it. Seeing the changed lives, seeing the progress made, seeing the difference in the world, that's what motivates us.
00:09:37
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It's easy to get impassioned about your organization's mission. That's what inspired you to take the job anyway. Are you equally committed to raising the money needed to see the mission completed?
00:09:50
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Think about it. You and your colleagues are working hard to keep your nonprofit going. But ultimately, if you can't find the funding needed to empower your work, your doors will shut.
00:10:04
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All of the work you've done to build a successful organization will be for naught. Asking your constituents to give is critical to the long-term success of your organization.
00:10:18
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You know, when I was a kid, there was a great faith-based organization in my community that served teens. My brothers and sister were very involved with the organization.
00:10:28
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I even attended a few of their events. They were fun and encouraging and gave positive experiences to teenagers. Ultimately though, It was a flash in the pan.
00:10:40
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It was there for three to four years and then gone. They couldn't raise the money they needed to be sustainable. It was a huge disappointment. A decade later, though, I had the opportunity to restart that very same program.
00:10:55
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It was hard work, way harder than if it had been there in the community for a decade. I had a great eight years with that organization, but when it was finally time for me to move on, we had a strong fundraising base to ensure that the work would be sustainable.
00:11:12
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Here we are nearly 24 years later, and that organization is still helping kids in my hometown.
Fundraising as Advocacy
00:11:19
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The reason it's been successful is that we've been just as committed to the mission as we've been to raising money for the mission.
00:11:27
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Really, they are one and the same. You've got to see that as well. Investing time in fundraising is not taking time away from the mission to ask for money.
00:11:39
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When you are out in front of donors, you are advocating and communicating with your most important constituents. You are winning new allies and recruiting new champions for your cause.
00:11:51
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You are helping uncommitted fans walk down a path to deeper, more personal engagement with the realities that are crucial to your work. but you've got to approach fundraising with the same commitment level as you do the other aspects of your organization's mission.
00:12:09
Speaker
Confidence. Does your organization make a difference? If it went away tomorrow, would anyone care? I hope you know deep in your heart that the answer to both of these questions is yes.
00:12:25
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No amount of fundraising activity is going to help a nonprofit that isn't making a difference. If you want to be a successful fundraiser, you have to be truly confident that your organization matters and that giving to the organization is a great investment.
00:12:43
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If you aren't sure of this, when you go out and try to sell your organization's mission to others, you are going to fail. Whether you say it or not, your lack of confidence in your organization is going to come through.
00:12:58
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A big part of being winsome in our approach is personal confidence in the work you are trying to promote. When we can get it through our head that our organization really matters,
00:13:10
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We will also begin to understand that asking someone to become a donor isn't asking them to sacrifice. It's inviting them on an exciting journey. It's persuading them to invest their money in something that will give back far greater rewards than they could ever get by purchasing another TV or car or vacation package.
00:13:33
Speaker
You know, I have always felt that about 40% of the population has a natural tendency towards philanthropy and that there's another 40% that are naturally opposed to it, leaving about 20% of the population that could be convinced if they are persuaded.
00:13:53
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Well, if you really want to have a shot with that group, you've got to have confidence. Scarcity versus abundance.
Abundance Mindset and Conclusion
00:14:02
Speaker
Do you believe fundraising for your organization is a zero sum game?
00:14:08
Speaker
That is, do you believe that if a donor gives to another organization, they won't give to yours or vice versa? If so, you likely have a scarcity mindset.
00:14:20
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This is a mindset that believes that resources are few and that there's far more good ideas than there is money. If that's you, If you are a pessimist in this way, I'm asking you to try and be open to a different philosophy.
00:14:39
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I picked the name of my consultancy, Abundant Vision, because I frequently find myself giving out the same piece of advice. There is no lack of money in the world.
00:14:51
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There is only a lack of vision. I firmly believe that the world will always have wealthy individuals in it who want to do good with their money. When we engage with those individuals' passions and interests at the place where it intersects with the mission of our organization and the vision of what could be, that's where we find major gifts.
00:15:13
Speaker
The limiting factor is not money. The limiting factor is vision. Get people excited about a compelling vision and they will want to give. Good fundraising is never begging or arm twisting.
00:15:27
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Good fundraising is inspiring. I also believe that generosity begets generosity. We should never feel bad when another organization gets a gift that we didn't, even if it's from one of our own constituents.
00:15:44
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I believe that generosity is self-propagating. When someone gives a large gift to another organization, you shouldn't assume that this is the last gift they are going to give.
00:15:55
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or that others won't be inspired by their example to join them in being generous. In fact, you shouldn't be surprised if the individual ends up giving even larger gifts down the road.
00:16:07
Speaker
Many times, even very wealthy individuals need to develop a comfort level with giving. As they realize they can give at higher and higher levels, it is common to see them grow in their generosity.
00:16:22
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This is why publicly celebrating a gift can be very helpful. You know, I have a relative who is a board member at a university. He is very successful and very generous.
00:16:36
Speaker
However, he wasn't always like that. He would give, but only at a smaller level. He was back on campus visiting his alma mater and noticed a familiar name on one of his newly renovated dormitories.
00:16:50
Speaker
As he came to the realization that one of his peers, someone he deemed as less successful actually, had made seven-figure gift, he began to realize that he could also give one.
00:17:05
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As he increased his giving over time, he eventually made his own seven-figure gift to name a very visible building on that campus so that he could join his friend in generosity.
00:17:19
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A successful fundraiser has an abundance mentality and they do all they can to promote an abundance mentality in others.
00:17:30
Speaker
You've reached the end of part one of Abundant Vision Academy, First Things. I look forward to seeing you the next lesson.
00:17:43
Speaker
That's all the time we have today, but be sure to tune in next week to hear the next part of this exciting conversation. Now, if you've enjoyed this podcast, please be sure to subscribe and give us a five-star rating on your podcast provider.
00:17:57
Speaker
I'm your host, Tom Daubert. Thank you for joining me as we journey together towards major gift mastery on the Abundant Vision Fundraising Podcast.